How much Sun do Lemon Trees Need

You can never go wrong with fresh fruit, especially when it’s grown right in your own backyard! Lemon trees are a wonderful addition to any garden since they bring color and flavor to any food. To care for your lemon tree, you’ll need to know these secrets.

It’s a great experience to grow Meyer lemon trees (Citrus meyeri) in garden pots or in the ground. Both the fruit and the flowers of these plants are a delight, and their lustrous, dark foliage adds a further layer of intrigue.

Meyer lemon trees are native to China, where they grow naturally as shrubs, but they can be simply pruned to become genuine trees. In the ground, they can reach a height of up to ten feet, but in garden pots, the plants are usually smaller and grow in proportion to the pot’s size. Seedlings grow slowly and bear fruit in four years or less on average. After the risk of frost has passed, these trees are best planted in the spring. In order to produce a healthy harvest, they require year-round warm temperatures; otherwise, they must be overwintered indoors.

Meyer lemons are actually a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, unlike the more frequent Eureka and Lisbon lemons. Meyer lemons are sweeter and more flavorful than regular lemons, and their peels can be used in a variety of dishes. In addition, they are smaller and rounder in shape. The skin and plant matter of this citrus fruit, like those of other citrus fruits, are poisonous to dogs and cats.

Care of the Meyer Lemon Tree

Florida and California, where Meyer lemon trees thrive, are popular as low-maintenance container plants both indoors and out. Eureka and Lisbon lemon trees are more cold-tolerant, but they still require a sunny, protected location to grow.

Choose a location with good drainage for these trees, as they don’t fare well in wet weather. A broad mound of dirt or a steep slope might be used to protect your tree from standing water.

Light

When it comes to citrus plants, the Meyer lemon tree is just like the others. When placed in direct sunlight, it will flourish and bear the most fruit; but, it can also thrive in partial shade. At least eight hours a day of direct sunlight are required for this tree to thrive.

Soil

Meyer lemon trees may thrive in a wide range of soil types, provided that the soil has adequate drainage. Soil pH between 5.5 and 6 is ideal for them, as they prefer loam and sandy soils. Before planting, it’s a good idea to conduct a soil test to see if any adjustments are needed. If the pH of the soil needs to be raised or lowered, lime or sulfur might be added.

Water

The proper watering of citrus plants, especially those cultivated in pots, is an essential aspect of their success. The soil around your Meyer lemon tree should be moist but not squishy. Stick your finger at least up to the second knuckle into the dirt to see if it’s time to water your plant. Wait to water if your fingertip feels damp. If your plant appears parched, give it a drink until you see water dripping from the bottom of the container.

If your Meyer lemon tree is indoors, spraying the leaves with water will help it stay healthy, especially in the winter when the heat is on. Plants can become waterlogged if they aren’t placed on pot feet, which allows for water to drain out of the pot and prevent overwatering.

Measurements of Air Quality:

Temperatures ranging from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for Meyer lemon trees. As a result, unless you live in USDA zones 9 to 11, you should bring your tree indoors when temperatures begin to fall below this threshold. If the temperature drops below freezing in zones 9 to 11, the tree needs to be protected. Use a covering that goes all the way to the ground to assist retain heat from the ground.

Humidity levels of at least 50% are ideal for citrus trees. Pour water just below the tops of the rocks into a tray and lay your plant pot on top of the tray to raise the humidity surrounding it if you don’t have a humid enough environment in your house. A tiny humidifier can also be put in the area.

Fertilizer

Feed your Meyer lemon tree with a slow-release all-purpose fertilizer or a high-nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season (early spring through fall). Three properly spaced applications should be sufficient to keep your plant happy, healthy, and producing during the growing season. Adding a liquid fertilizer, such as compost tea, liquid kelp or fish emulsion to the citrus tree’s diet can help it thrive, but this isn’t always a good idea.

Meyer Lemon Tree Pruning

No matter how you shape your Meyer lemon tree, its potential to bear fruit is unaffected by how it is pruned. Some gardeners choose to prune their trees in a way that leaves the trunk exposed, while others prefer a hedge-like appearance.

In either case, do not begin pruning the tree until it has reached a height of 3 to 4 feet. It’s best to hold off on pruning the tree until after the winter ripens the majority of its fruit. Remove any dead or dying branches and thin stems (which aren’t strong enough to hold fruit) from the tree at its base. After that, you can go ahead and remove any branches that are obstructing the plant’s ventilation or preventing it from growing properly.

Meyer Lemon Tree Propagation

Citrus plants, such as lemon trees, are easier to grow from seed than other citrus trees. However, the method is more likely to succeed if the cutting is taken during active growth when using semi-hardwood cuttings at any time of year. This indicates that the best time to take cuttings is in the late spring or early summer. Any blossoms or fruit on the cutting should be removed before preparing it for use. To start a new Meyer lemon tree, follow these steps:

• The piece should be between three and six inches long and taken from a healthy, mature mother plant.
• All save the top four leaves on the wood should be removed from the cutting.
• Rooting hormone powder can be applied to the cut end of the branch to prevent decay or disease.
• Place a high-quality potting mix that has been carefully watered in a medium-sized pot (approximately 1 gallon).
• Make sure the cut end of the brand is buried in the soil before placing the cutting into the mixture.
• To keep the food moist, place it in a well-lit area after covering it with a plastic bag. Soil moisture should be maintained (but not to the point of becoming soggy) and the cutting should be misted every few days until new roots have formed.
• It’s time to remove the plastic wrap and start treating your plant like a typical houseplant. You’ll want to do this until the following spring.

Meyer Lemon Tree Repotting and Potting

A five-gallon or bigger container with a height of 12 to 15 inches is ideal for repotting a Meyer lemon tree that has grown too large for its original container. Drainage holes should be plentiful in the container.

Put in some potting soil, remove the tree from its original container, and if the roots are tangled, fluff them out a bit. The tree should be placed in the middle of the pot, and the potting mixture should be filled in around the tree’s crown roots, leaving a small opening at the top. You should immediately water the tree when you press down on the dirt. Compared to their in-ground counterparts, potted trees will need to be watered more frequently.

Making Meyer Lemon Juice

To get the best results, you should cultivate a lemon tree indoors and let it be outside in the spring. Make sure your Meyer lemons are ready before picking them off the tree, as citrus fruit only continues to ripen while on the tree.

Mellow and egg yolk-yellow in color, Meyer lemons are ready for picking after they’ve reached peak ripeness. To avoid injuring the plant by removing a larger chunk than planned, cut the fruit from the branch with a knife or scissors.

Plant Pathogens and Pests You Should Know About

There are a number of pests that target Meyer lemons and other citrus plants, including whiteflies, mites, mealybugs, aphids, and scale. Even one of these problems can destroy smaller trees, which are more susceptible to infestations than mature trees. The fruit and the undersides of the leaves are the most common places to look for signs of pests.

Getting rid of pests starts with removing any diseased, dead, or infected parts of the tree from the tree’s crown. In order to get rid of the infection, dilute the horticultural oils with water and reapply them frequently to the plant until all traces of illness are gone.

Getting Meyer Lemon Trees to Produce Lemons

As crucial as it is to get your Meyer lemon tree to produce fruit, getting it to blossom isn’t all that important. For the first few years of their existence, Meyer lemon trees don’t blossom, so keep an eye out for blooms around the third or fourth year of their life. Meyer lemon trees need a lot of light to blossom, and they simply won’t do so if they don’t get at least eight hours of sunlight each day. In the event that you don’t have a single spot in your yard that receives the amount of sunlight your lemon tree needs, consider potting it instead of planting it in the ground.

You may need to adjust your fertilization schedule if your Meyer lemon tree is not blossoming despite receiving ample sunlight. Do not feed your tree more often than once a month; trees that are overfed have just as hard a time flowering as those that are underfed. Citrus plants require a certain type of fertilizer, so look for one on the label.

Citrus and sunshine go hand-in-hand, so why not? A sunny day is just what your lemon tree needs! To get the most sunshine, place your tree on a south-facing wall of your house. It will need at least eight hours of sunlight a day, but probably not less than six. Your tree will bloom and bear excellent fruit if you let it be exposed to the sun.

Allow them to enjoy the heat. Lemon plants, in particular, are more sensitive to cold than other citrus trees. When planting a tree in the garden, keep it close to the home to minimize cold winds.

When the weather becomes cold, bring your lemon tree indoors in a container. Keep an eye out for any nearby vents that could dry out the leaves on your trees, while they enjoy the warmth. There is nothing wrong with using a spritz bottle to add humidity! Give your tree a quarter rotation every few weeks if it’s near a window so it may catch the sun from all sides.

Drink a lot. Once a week or twice a week, lemon trees require heavy watering. Mulch around your tree’s roots will keep moisture in the soil, preventing it from drying out as soon. It’s time for heavy watering if your soil is still a little dry.

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In addition, if you want your Meyer lemon tree to bloom, the temperature is a crucial consideration. Temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit are necessary for your plant to bloom during the winter and early spring.