Meyer Lemon help please!

10 years ago

I am new to gardening and just bought a dwarf Meyer lemon tree last week. The nursery wasn't able to tell me much about it... It is about 4 feet tall, very skinny and leaning heavily to one side. (I put a stake in it to try to get the right two branches to grow straight, otherwise, they would both be leaning to the left.)

I was told to water once a week but when I checked, the first two inches were dry after a couple days so I have watered twice in one week. Lady at the nursery also sold me a citrus fertilizer stick and told me not to use it until spring but now I don't trust her advice....

Should I be fertilizing, and in what amount and any particular brand recommendations?

Also, I plan on keeping it in the pot, but eventually moving it to a different pot. How big of a pot and what brand of soil should I buy?

I have never gardened before.

Some of the leaves were already a little bit yellow at the nursery but have now turned completely yellow and falling off (the ones near the ground). The branches closest to the ground had small buds at time of purchase, now the top branches seem to have some buds growing as well (it's a possibility that I just didn't notice them before... But I think they are new)

I live in Southern California, tree is in my backyard getting plenty of sun.

More photos-

Here are some of the buds, these are on the lowest branch and are the largest:
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As you can see, some of the leaves are turning completely yellow and falling off. I left the fallen leaves in the pot..
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The tree was already a little yellowish when I got it like these leaves from the top of the tree, but now they are turning completely yellow.
{{gwi:556147}}

Any advice would be appreciated! I know some of you are real experts on Meyers! I would love to know how long it will take to get some lemons...

This post was edited by winstella on Wed, Jan 1, 14 at 11:24

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Comments (5)

carolstropicals
10 years ago
I am not an expert on Meyer Lemons, but have one in the back that I have had for years. It is the easiest to take care of.
Why not put it in the ground. Everything does better in the ground. I prune mine or cut the long branches sometimes during the year, but will give it a good chop once all are picked. It never gets too big.
I would guess my lemons are about double the size of most peoples Meyer Lemons because the ground is covered in about 5 to 6 inches of leaf mulch all year. The mulch decomposes and feeds.
I would say water before it gets too dry. It is acclimating to your yard. When bought at the nursery it is in the shade - when it is immediately put in the sun there will be leaf drop which begins with yellowing.
Carol
Don't worry, I don't think you can kill a Meyer Lemon. If you do decide to put it in the ground, you would need to let it settle and acclimate before planting.
winstella
Original Author
10 years ago
I would love to plant it into the ground, but as you can see, I have a concrete backyard :). I am also planning on moving in a year so I would like to take the plant with me when I move. Once I move, I will definitely consider putting it in the ground.

Thanks! I will try trimming some branches once I get some lemons.

This post was edited by winstella on Wed, Jan 1, 14 at 11:22
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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
10 years ago
There's nothing wrong with it, other than the fact that it needs to be fertilized. Don't use the citrus stick....terrible idea. You were right not to trust the person at the store. With Citrus - Meyer in particular - the older (lower) leaves yellow as they age and the plant draws nutrients out. By the time you actually see yellow leaves, the plant has been hungry for a while. The sooner you respond, the better.

It is getting large for that pot, and will need to be sized up at least double that volume in the Spring. I would recommend a custom bark-based mix, a customized "Orchid Mix," or one of Fafard's heavyweight mixes - the Nursery Mix specifically.

A soluble liquid fertilizer that provides all the essential nutrients makes tending citrus much easier.

Josh
winstella
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Josh! I went to Home Depot and bought Vigoro citrus & avocado plant food... 6-4-6

The home depot guy said they dont have liquid fertilizer for citrus, only all purpose. Do you think the Vigoro will be sufficient? I added 2 1/2 teaspoons per the instructions for my container size.
tantanman
10 years ago
Winstella:
Go with the 2 1/2 tsp for now and watch it carefully. It should green up some in a week or two, if it is nitrogen it needs. Please look on the underside of the leaves to see if any brown or dark spots are opposite the yellow spots on the leaf tops. If they are there no matter how tiny, that is a fungal problem, and will need spraying.

I have found that potted citrus responds better to light (1/2 rates) of fertilizer applied twice as often as the directions on the container. But that is in our harsh Texas climate.

The key to growing citrus in a pot is never to let the hot sun get directly on a black pot as it harms the roots. Use a larger pot to cover it. Or just put it behind some low ornamental.

Good Luck - Larry