Meyer Lemon Tree

If you live in a climate where you can plant your Meyer Lemon Tree in the ground outdoors, we suggest you plant your newly purchased Meyer Lemon Tree in a hole twice as wide as the root system but not deeper. The most common cause of plant death after transplanting is planting the new plant too deep.

Depending on the quality of your existing soil, you may need to add locally sourced compost or topsoil to the back-fill soil. Adding compost or topsoil will help the young feeder roots of Meyer Lemon Tree to spread through the loose, nutrient-rich soil, much easier than if you used solely the existing soil, which more times than not will be hard and compacted.

If you live in a northern area, outside of optimal citrus growing regions, we recommend that you grow your Meyer Lemon Tree indoors or in a container outdoors and bring it indoors for the winter. If you choose to plant indoors, you must select the correct size pot with adequate drainage holes. 

A 2-3-year-old citrus tree typically wants to grow in about a 12 inches diameter nursery pot. A large terra cotta pot is ideal for your Meyer Lemon Tree because it will allow the roots to dry out between waterings. Potting correctly is very important for the proper growth of citrus trees. 

We suggest putting a layer of stones or gravel approximately 1 to 1.5 inches thick to allow for proper drainage. If the mix contains a large proportion of dense, absorbent material, such as peat moss or worm castings, amend with 1/4-1/3 volume of pine bark. Add Bio-tone starter fertilizer to the soil and mix thoroughly. 

This tree is a hybrid cross of Citrus limon (lemon) and Citrus reticulata (mandarin orange). It is less acidic, juicier, and much sweeter than the standard (grocery store) lemon. They lack the rough textured lemon peels and pronounced nipple of the true lemon. Meyer Lemons are a great fruit for juicing and Lemon meringue pie! However, the juices of these fruits can be substituted for one another, especially in baked goods.