The flesh is a darker yellow color and is juicier than true lemon. Although it is sweeter than a true lemon, it is still an acid fruit. With its distinctive flavor and aroma, Meyer lemon can provide you with a unique fruit for beverages, baking, and cooking. The tree tolerates colder temperatures and stays much smaller than a Lisbon or Eureka lemon tree, making it more suitable for most southern California gardens.
Because of its smaller size, Meyer lemon can also be grown successfully in a large container. Whether planted in the ground or in a container, it requires no special care. The timing after the lemon tree blossoms is one factor when harvesting your lemons. Rather than marking days on the calendar, the appearance of the fruit is what matters.
Once a lemon tree produces flowers, you generally have to wait six to nine months for the first ripe lemon, but it may be up to a year before the fruits are ready to harvest, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The lemons will continue to ripen on the tree even if you do not have the hot summers required by other citrus fruit. The appearance of the fruit is the biggest factor in when you harvest.
You should pick your lemons as they turn completely yellow, or in the case of the 'Improved Meyer,' yellow-orange. Meyer lemon trees can yield fruit in just two years after planting them. Whether you choose to place one in your lawn or in your patio, your Meyer lemon tree can be both ornamental and a source of citrus sweetness. The first Meyer lemon trees were introduced from China in Unfortunately, this initial variety was very susceptible to disease, especially a fast-spreading virus that threatened the citrus industry in California in the s by infecting nearby healthy citrus trees.
Standard Meyer lemon trees grow to be feet tall, while the dwarf variety grow to be feet. If you grow your Meyer lemon tree in a garden pot, it will grow according to the size of the pot and be smaller. Meyer lemon trees have glossy, dark green leaves and fragrant white blossoms that are purple at the base. Meyer lemon skins are fragrant and a popular ingredient among chefs. Hardiness Zones are the standards gardeners use to determine the best growing regions for their plants and crops.
These are the steps to follow to plant your Meyer lemon tree in a pot. The trees require soil with good drainage and do well in loamy and sandy loam soils. The soil can range between 5. You can amend your soil to reach the desired pH level, either adding sulfur to increase soil acidity or lime to lower overly acidic soil.
Meyer lemon trees thrive in full sunlight, requiring hours of direct sunlight per day, preferably from the southwest, whether indoors or outdoors. Ripe lemons can hang on the vine for months without spoiling. This gives lemon trees a longer harvesting time than other fruits.
Most lemon trees can be harvested all year long, but winter is the most common season for harvesting this fruit. You can tell a lemon is ripe based on its size, not its color. Lemons are ripe when they hit a 2-inch diameter and can be anything from green to yellow in color when ripe.
Treat your lemons gently after harvesting. This fruit gets damaged very easily. You can store lemons in the fridge for up to one week and in the freezer for months. Need even more tips on what to do with all those lemons?
Check out our blog for more advice on growing lemon trees, cooking using lemons, and more tips and tricks for growing fruit. When was the last time you picked your own lemons?
Knowing the right time to pick lemons will make sure you have ripe, delicious lemons to use. These five tips will get you started. Lemon trees can have ripe and unripe citrus fruit growing at the same time. Be careful which you pick! Lemons are ripe when they reach 2 inches in size.
Lemons will have glossy skin and can be green, greenish yellow, or fully yellow when ripe. Lemons are citrus plants that continue to ripen after being picked. This means that ripe lemons can turn yellow after you bring them home.
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