I had a Meyer lemon, bought it for it's compact size. The lemons were beautiful but only good for lemonade, no good for pies,cookies & frostings(not enough lemon taste to tell it had lemon in it) I moved it 3 times so they don't die easy!! I finally cut it down. My neighbor to the side said he'd cut his lemon tree back so it didn't hang over my wall, I said, please don't they are wonderful lemons. So if you want really good lemons get a normal tree, think you can get semi-dwarf, It seems like they are called Eureka lemons but maybe not.

I appreciate your comment.

My Meyer lemon tree has been moved four times and abused a lot, but it always springs back to life. I actually rescued it from a relative who was throwing it away - cut to 10 inches high with 2 inches of roots. I nursed it back and 6 months later it is flowering in my yard right now. So, don't worry about it being pruned. Spring would surely jumpstart it.

Improved Meyer is a very fast grower and unlike most citrus, bears young. However, if you want fruit quickly you might want to get an unpruned one, at this time of year it's not uncommon for Meyers to have flowers, bud fruit, and ripe fruit all at the same time.

Unlike sunnyca we PREFER Meyers to Eurekas or Lisbons. They are sweeter, more aromatic, less acidic. If you are cooking with them you should cut down on the sugar measurement. They are amazing in anything fresh, or lightly cooked, such as chicken piccata or salad dressing. If you are making preserved lemons, my Turkish friends will use only Meyers, as they are the closest to the native variety they grew up with in Turkey.

What recipe would you use to preserve them?

I have both a Meyer and a Lisbon lemon tree. I wouldn't worry about the meyer lemon being pruned. Maybe it won't bear in the first year after planting it in the ground (although mine did), but definitelly in the second year. Feed it well. They like to be fertilized and they grow fast. You'll see in the spring. As far as preferences between Meyer and regular lemons, I like both for different uses. One disadvantage of the Meyers is that the skin is thiner and they don't last as long after being picked. If they're in a dish or something where the fruits are piled on top of each other, they will look bad after a while. Lemonade made with them is great though. I think I do prefer the Lisbon/Eureka lemons though, maybe because my tastebuds aren't as sensitive, so it takes a stronger flavor for me to enjoy it. The Meyers seem a bit bland to me.

Kumquat1, they really do grow fast. We planted 2 Meyer Lemon trees in-ground last spring. It was amazing to pick so much fruit the first year planted.

However, both of our trees were growing straight up (about 4-1/2 to 5 ft) and not very bushy. Yesterday, I pruned both of them back to about 1-1/2 to 2 ft. There were actually a few branches that were already budding.

Do you think I pruned them back too much? I'll never hear the end of it if those trees don't produce fruit this year! LOL I read somewhere online that young Meyers should be pruned back to promote stronger branches to support the fruit.

Good luck with your tree, Kumquant.