Potted Lemon Trees

caascher2 · April 8, 2007

Has anyone ever grown potted lemon trees, like Meyers lemons? I could put them outside during the summer and they will do well, but how will they fair when I have to pull them back inside for the winter? Do they produce well?
What about potted orange trees, etc? The same questions there.
Thanks,
Carol

ddsack · April 8, 2007

Carol,

I have a potted lemon, orange and lime tree that I got as bare root slips at least 15-20 years ago from Gurney's catalog. They do just fine being outside from mid-May through September (depending on frosts of course.) They are next to east facing windows during the winter, so get indoor sun until around noon here. The lemon and lime get full sized fruits when grown outside, those maturing mostly in the house are smaller, but still usable. Once the pots reached the size I can barely carry up and down stairs, they don't get repotted! Amazing how well they can do with just pruning and fertilizer.

Lime tree: (it's a bit droopy, needed watering here, the root-bound plants dry out fast. The pot is not as shallow as it appears here, I have a 4-5 inch high green dollar store dishpan under it instead of regular saucer )

Lemon:

One of these years I may do some root pruning and repot into the same size, if I ever have time. You can expect some leaf drop when you bring them back in the house, but they will regrow, and the scent of blossoms in the house in the winter is wonderful!

Orange blossoming this Feb.

The only problem I have run into is scale, which I introduced into the house from a Yucca plant many years ago and have been fighting ever since. I think two of the citrus plants are finally free since last fall, but I'm still picking white immature scale shells from the lime tree. Once the weather warms up enough, I will bring it out and saturate the leaves and stems with a stronger than normal Safer's soap spray and let it dry for a couple of hours before hosing off. That did the trick last fall for the other two. I don't really want them to grow any bigger than they are now, just wouldn't have room in my living room.

Dee

feldon30 · April 8, 2007

They can be completely defoliated by freezes (30 and below), setting them back a year or more. I'm astounded at the citrus trees in this area that suffered temperatures of 27 degrees and did not drop any of their leaves, so maybe they are more forgiving than I thought.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/patiocitrus/

caascher2 · April 8, 2007

Thanks Dee and Feldon. Great pics. I've seen lemon, and lime at our local nursery and wanted to give it a try.
Carol

garnetmoth · April 8, 2007

there is a guy at another forum I read, eyecker, who has several citrus in VA beach. in fact, there was an expo near the Aquarium, a Dr. Mocota (sp?!) has several cold-hardy citrus in ground in your area.

I have several citrus, calamondin, kumquat, and meyer lemon now producing. Most important is not getting or leaving the roots too wet. CHCs is a great planting medium.

soil_lover · April 9, 2007

I have to slowly aclimate my lemon trees to tolerate lower light levels in the fall. Late summer, I start out by placing them under a shade tree for part of the day. A few weeks before the first expected frost I keep the trees inside for part of the day. The trees sit by a south facing window in the winter,

I learned this method after losing a few trees to fast changes in the amount of sunlight they get.
I do not lose any leaves with the above method.

akgardengirl · May 20, 2007

My Meyer lemon tree's leaves are turning yellow. They used to be a nice dark green and now since I harvested one solitary lemon, they are changing. What is lacking in the soil? I just repotted it but the leaves were already turning at least a month before. Any special amendments I could add? I have one new lemon about the size of a quail's egg on it presently. I've been occasionally using the Fox Farm organic big blossom fertilizer.
Thanks,
Sue B.

Husbear · June 18, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by akgardengirl

My Meyer lemon tree's leaves are turning yellow. They used to be a nice dark green and now since I harvested one solitary lemon, they are changing. What is lacking in the soil? I just repotted it but the leaves were already turning at least a month before. Any special amendments I could add? I have one new lemon about the size of a quail's egg on it presently. I've been occasionally using the Fox Farm organic big blossom fertilizer.
Thanks,
Sue B.

My Eureka Lemon does this every year. I have read this is normally caused by nitrigen being depleted.
To amend the soil, I "brew" up a cow manure compost tea with some slow release citrus fetilizer mixed in for good measure.
I pull back the mulch, slowly soak the soil with the tea and replace the mulch. After about a week the tree starts all sorts of new leaves and branches.

Tomstrees · June 18, 2007

When I first met my fiance, we were sitting together on her apartment balcony (at the time) and we were enjoying a cocktail.
We were having such a good time that we wanted something to remember that day by: so I pulled out 3 pits from a lemon that was in my drink, and I planted them in some moist soil....

Well who would have thought that they would sprout, but they did! lol ~
So I've been the proud owner of a lemon tree for about 5 years now !
I know it may never fruit, and if it does the lemons might not taste good, but I think lemon trees are as cool as it gets for potted trees fruit or not!

I prune it in the spring and fall as well as root prune it, so its manageable come winter in the house ~

~ Tom

caascher2 · March 23, 2008

I bought a Meyer lemon tree finally. I hope to keep it on the deck all summer and bring it in when the weather cools. Hopefully it will be productive to use for drinks, and cooking with.

gardenpaws_VA · March 30, 2008

Have fun - mine has suffered the most appalling insults in the 20-odd years I've had it, and is still alive. When I'm nice to it it blooms and fruits, at about 20 inches tall! (Yes, it's the dwarf Meyer strain.)

I've also got Rangpur "lime", raised from seed from my cousin's tree, and it is both taller and more reluctant to fruit. However, it has matured two fruits, enough to tell me it did come true (as many citrus will). The big problem there is the thorns - I have to go through and prune off the 1" thorns so it's safe for two humans and 4 cats during the winter (when both citrus live cramped lives in the kitchen).

akgardengirl · April 25, 2008

My uncle brought me back a 3 yo Meyer Lemon tree from Arizona, driving it up to Alaska in his travel trailer. It has the potential to be nice and bushy like ddsack's in the picture but it's missing all of the bottom leaves and what's left on the top has turned yellow 1/2" around the border. I gave it a good drink, added some organic dry citrus fertilizer on the top and topped it off with some good potting mix and then another big drink. It was showing roots on the top of the soil so that is why I added more. Question is: what happened to the leaves? Is this another nitrogen deficiency and if so, what do I add to make it go away? Does this plant need repotting? It is approx. 18" wide and 23" tall and in a 3.6 gal. pot. which is more tall than wide. Help please!
Sue

April 8, 2007	#1
caascher2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Va. Beach, VA Posts: 178	Potted Lemon Trees Has anyone ever grown potted lemon trees, like Meyers lemons? I could put them outside during the summer and they will do well, but how will they fair when I have to pull them back inside for the winter? Do they produce well? What about potted orange trees, etc? The same questions there. Thanks, Carol

May 20, 2007	#7
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	potted lemon tree My Meyer lemon tree's leaves are turning yellow. They used to be a nice dark green and now since I harvested one solitary lemon, they are changing. What is lacking in the soil? I just repotted it but the leaves were already turning at least a month before. Any special amendments I could add? I have one new lemon about the size of a quail's egg on it presently. I've been occasionally using the Fox Farm organic big blossom fertilizer. Thanks, Sue B.

June 18, 2007	#9
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	When I first met my fiance, we were sitting together on her apartment balcony (at the time) and we were enjoying a cocktail. We were having such a good time that we wanted something to remember that day by: so I pulled out 3 pits from a lemon that was in my drink, and I planted them in some moist soil.... Well who would have thought that they would sprout, but they did! lol ~ So I've been the proud owner of a lemon tree for about 5 years now ! I know it may never fruit, and if it does the lemons might not taste good, but I think lemon trees are as cool as it gets for potted trees fruit or not! I prune it in the spring and fall as well as root prune it, so its manageable come winter in the house ~ ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 23, 2008	#10
caascher2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Va. Beach, VA Posts: 178	I bought a Meyer lemon tree finally. I hope to keep it on the deck all summer and bring it in when the weather cools. Hopefully it will be productive to use for drinks, and cooking with. __________________ Carol Mom to Lindsay, Eric and Elyse

April 25, 2008	#12
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	potted lemon tree My uncle brought me back a 3 yo Meyer Lemon tree from Arizona, driving it up to Alaska in his travel trailer. It has the potential to be nice and bushy like ddsack's in the picture but it's missing all of the bottom leaves and what's left on the top has turned yellow 1/2" around the border. I gave it a good drink, added some organic dry citrus fertilizer on the top and topped it off with some good potting mix and then another big drink. It was showing roots on the top of the soil so that is why I added more. Question is: what happened to the leaves? Is this another nitrogen deficiency and if so, what do I add to make it go away? Does this plant need repotting? It is approx. 18" wide and 23" tall and in a 3.6 gal. pot. which is more tall than wide. Help please! Sue

April 8, 2007	#2
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Carol, I have a potted lemon, orange and lime tree that I got as bare root slips at least 15-20 years ago from Gurney's catalog. They do just fine being outside from mid-May through September (depending on frosts of course.) They are next to east facing windows during the winter, so get indoor sun until around noon here. The lemon and lime get full sized fruits when grown outside, those maturing mostly in the house are smaller, but still usable. Once the pots reached the size I can barely carry up and down stairs, they don't get repotted! Amazing how well they can do with just pruning and fertilizer. Lime tree: (it's a bit droopy, needed watering here, the root-bound plants dry out fast. The pot is not as shallow as it appears here, I have a 4-5 inch high green dollar store dishpan under it instead of regular saucer ) Lemon: One of these years I may do some root pruning and repot into the same size, if I ever have time. You can expect some leaf drop when you bring them back in the house, but they will regrow, and the scent of blossoms in the house in the winter is wonderful! Orange blossoming this Feb. The only problem I have run into is scale, which I introduced into the house from a Yucca plant many years ago and have been fighting ever since. I think two of the citrus plants are finally free since last fall, but I'm still picking white immature scale shells from the lime tree. Once the weather warms up enough, I will bring it out and saturate the leaves and stems with a stronger than normal Safer's soap spray and let it dry for a couple of hours before hosing off. That did the trick last fall for the other two. I don't really want them to grow any bigger than they are now, just wouldn't have room in my living room. Dee

April 8, 2007	#3
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	They can be completely defoliated by freezes (30 and below), setting them back a year or more. I'm astounded at the citrus trees in this area that suffered temperatures of 27 degrees and did not drop any of their leaves, so maybe they are more forgiving than I thought. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/patiocitrus/

April 8, 2007	#5
garnetmoth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: cincinnati, oh Posts: 492	there is a guy at another forum I read, eyecker, who has several citrus in VA beach. in fact, there was an expo near the Aquarium, a Dr. Mocota (sp?!) has several cold-hardy citrus in ground in your area. I have several citrus, calamondin, kumquat, and meyer lemon now producing. Most important is not getting or leaving the roots too wet. CHCs is a great planting medium.

April 9, 2007	#6
soil_lover Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Eureka MO Posts: 15	I have to slowly aclimate my lemon trees to tolerate lower light levels in the fall. Late summer, I start out by placing them under a shade tree for part of the day. A few weeks before the first expected frost I keep the trees inside for part of the day. The trees sit by a south facing window in the winter, I learned this method after losing a few trees to fast changes in the amount of sunlight they get. I do not lose any leaves with the above method.

March 30, 2008	#11
gardenpaws_VA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northern Virginia, USA - zone 7+ Posts: 161	Have fun - mine has suffered the most appalling insults in the 20-odd years I've had it, and is still alive. When I'm nice to it it blooms and fruits, at about 20 inches tall! (Yes, it's the dwarf Meyer strain.) I've also got Rangpur "lime", raised from seed from my cousin's tree, and it is both taller and more reluctant to fruit. However, it has matured two fruits, enough to tell me it did come true (as many citrus will). The big problem there is the thorns - I have to go through and prune off the 1" thorns so it's safe for two humans and 4 cats during the winter (when both citrus live cramped lives in the kitchen).