New Here! Meyer Lemon Question

9 years ago

HI I moved to NE Florida from NY. First house (my son's) has a tiny back yard. but four large old citrus trees.
I searched the forum and learned a lot...but my question is particular to the MEYER LEMON tree/ looks more like a bush..it's so wide and thorny I've never reached the trunk.

It seems to me that after a particularly productive year (buckets and buckets of delicious juicy lemons) it is normal to have a much less productive year. But this year I only have about twenty lemons! AND I fertilized it with an organic citrus fertilizer for probably the first time in at least 8 years...if ever.

It's been very mild here. I've been pruning it a little every day.
Parts of it are not looking so good. It's like a continent...some countries are thriving and some have issues:)
There was a lot of dead wood....some leaves with white gooey bugs on them...(but only a few leaves...maybe I caught them) A few leaves have brown dots on them...but overall I think it's health is still good.
The problem is the branches are so tangled and growing in all different directions...many of them just had three leaves on them...so I cut them off.
I wanted to prune it now, even though I know I am risking cold....because this is around the time the flowers set.

I will post pictures of the side that I think I might have over pruned....but the thicker branches that are left have very light white circles that look almost moldy. Is that a sign of a problem.
Another problem I know the bush is dealing with is a tree from the neighbors yard is growing above it and I think it is no longer getting the sun that it needs....the lemons on some parts of the tree are struggling to finish ripening...not uniformly yellow...bits of green..kind of weird.

So any advice for pruning the other half of the bush?
I am going to buy some dyna grow and start that next month since everyone raves about it (although I usually go organic)

ALSO once I pruned all the lower branches that were hanging and hitting the ground....there are tons of ferns under the bush...part of the reason I can't really figure out where the main trunk is. ( I am also afraid of snakes and don't want to be venturing under there LOL) From what I've read here...any plants under the tree need to GO right?

This tree is obviously in the right place (or was) but the yard has been very neglected....so I, as a total newbie to florida and or citrus gardening...want to give this tree what it needs to be bountiful.....there is lots of info here but haven't found anything for an OLD tangled mess... I've grown very attached to this big ole guy and don't want to hurt it instead of helping it.

thanks in advance
I really appreciate it.

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Comments (6)

johnmerr
9 years ago
First, feed it, feed it, and feed it with a good quality citrus fertilizer applied at the dripline and watered in well. If you want to stay organic, look for Espoma Citrus Tone; it is a very good product. I don't think DynaPro, etc. are so good for inground trees. Take out any plants under the tree.
Prune out whatever you like; the tree will recover; Meyers are more of a bush than a "tree"; so you will have to live with that. Prune out any limbs growing in a downward direction; any limbs that are crossing the center; and then any you want for cosmetics or shape/size/height. And please do post some pictures.
Do you happen to know what rootstock your Meyer is on?
gardensurvivor13
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks so much Johnmerr!
Have no idea what rootstock it is on...inherited it when I bought the house for my son.
The house was built in the seventies....I think the bush is probably quite old.
I have no problem that it's so bushy.....it's not really the aesthetics that I am worried about:) Just want to keep it productive and happy.

And thanks for clarifying about the fertilizer.

I want another meyer lemon bush for MY house.
Any advice before I buy...I am buying it from this specialty place...they use root stocks that are suitable for the cooler temps here in NE fl. I was gonna have it put in the ground...is a container better??
thanks so much!!
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evdesert 9B Indio, CA
9 years ago
In ground trees will always do better, be more productive and be easier to care for than potted citrus. Keep in mind if you want to prune the tree, do so only once per year or every other year. If you prune multiple times per year in small amounts you will be cutting off the tips of the branches where your flowers and fruit would normally grow. If you post some photos we could better assist you with suggestions for pruning.
Evan
gardensurvivor13
Original Author
9 years ago
Took pics.
Last year the foliage and fruit was so abundant that I could not see into "it" But now having pruned it and taking pics...I see that it's actually TWO trees!

Here is the pic of one trunk...

Clearly the ground underneath needs to be cleaned out and all the ferns removed. There is also a little "volunteer" tree growing out of it that needs to go.

I do feel that these trees were doing better when it was left alone....the previous owners were there 8 years and never fed it or paid much attention to it. All the trees are starting to fail....could they be too old...(there are also two pink grapefruits, some sort or orange and some sort of "quat" maybe a loquat. .one of the grapefruit trees was great...and now that seems to be dying...but I think that's because the original owners put a tomato cage around it when it was a tiny tree and it actually cut into the trunk...it's wounded)
gardensurvivor13
Original Author
9 years ago
Another pic This shows the two trees...
The one in the middle is not on my property...its right on the borderline and is the tree that's shading these poor guys out.
Will try to trim what's on my side overhanging it.
The yellow leaves on the right are from the little baby tree that I mentioned in my last post...that will be cut out.
thanks so much for taking the time to help me
I look forward to becoming knowledgeable about citrus
gardensurvivor13
Original Author
9 years ago
Really can't wait to see what you think after seeing these pics.
This is the last one I'll post...but if there is anything else you need to see to help give me advice...just let me know. I have a picture of the other trunk...it's not so tangled as the first one.
This is the part of the one that I pruned recently.