Teeny Tiny Meyer Lemons - Ask Extension
I live in Florence, 1 mile from the ocean. I've had this meyer lemon for 5 years or so. I put it in a bigger container 2 years ago. It's been kept u...
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Teeny Tiny Meyer Lemons #833055
Asked May 31, 2023, 7:16 PM EDT
I live in Florence, 1 mile from the ocean. I've had this meyer lemon for 5 years or so. I put it in a bigger container 2 years ago. It's been kept under cover on a patio over winter. Last year and this year, it's produce tiny lemons the size of a walnut. Is there something I can do to help it along?
Lane County Oregon
Expert Response
Make sure your Meyer lemon is getting at least 6-8 hours direct sunlight each day (more is better). This is critical to good fruit formation. It grows best in temps between 50 and 80 deg F. You should fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer high in nitrogen and specially formulated for citrus. You should probably water weekly during dry periods.
It probably needs to be repotted every 2-3 years in well-draining soil with a pH 5.5-6.5. When you repot, make sure it gets an upgrade in size, e.g., from 5-gal to 7-gal.
For now you can try to thin fruit clusters to one or two fruits when the fruit is marble size. This will hopefully help increase fruit size. Once the tree is 3-4 feet high and after any lemons have ripened, prune out any dead or diseased branches and remove any stems that aren't strong enough to hold fruit.
It probably needs to be repotted every 2-3 years in well-draining soil with a pH 5.5-6.5. When you repot, make sure it gets an upgrade in size, e.g., from 5-gal to 7-gal.
For now you can try to thin fruit clusters to one or two fruits when the fruit is marble size. This will hopefully help increase fruit size. Once the tree is 3-4 feet high and after any lemons have ripened, prune out any dead or diseased branches and remove any stems that aren't strong enough to hold fruit.
