New Monrovia Meyer Impr. Lemon with lots of Fruit. What

16 years ago

should I do to keep this baby going and keep the fruit alive! Right now, it's in the original pot with at least 20 key lime-sized green lemons.

I would love to up it in the ground, but in my zone, even with protection, it looks like a no-no.

Can I put the pot directly in the ground and pull it this fall?

Should I repot it now or would I risk losing fruit?

Should I fertilize now?

When I do repot, I'll use the mixes and deep pots suggested here, but I have NO idea where I"ll put it in my tiny house!

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

birdsnblooms
16 years ago
Keep lime tree in the brightest sun possible. Since your tree is doing well, I wouldn't change much.
You can set in the ground till fall, but the problem I found relocating plants in the earth is when digging up, many roots can break. So, it's your choice.
I wouldn't repot unless roots are so tight you find yourself watering daily. Though it's common losing a certain amound of fruit, by repotting you may lose all.
What type of fertilizer do you use? If citrus, there should be a chart listed on side/back panel explaining feeding times and amount.
If you don't mind using plain plastic pots, I buy citrus pots at www.treequest.com They sell various sizes at reasonable prices. One thing I like about these pots is other than their shape which work fine for trees, the pots have exceptional drainage..Toni
silica
16 years ago
Because your tree is producing fruit, it certainly requires extra nutrition. Fruit production takes a lot of energy from the tree. This energy must be replaced, if good tree health is expected to continue. This holds particularly true for your tree, because it is being grown in a container, where the root system is naturally restricted, and therefore, the roots cannot spread out in search for nutrition as a tree growing in the ground is capable of doing. The tree should be kept on a good fertilizer schedule.
Related Discussions
Meyer lemon tree losing leaves and fruit, Hawaii
Q
Comments (7)
Yes, you have a combination of things going on.. The light is not an issue since you said that has not changed, but I tend to think it's that mix.. It looks a little to wet fine, peaty for my trees and that alone can cause severe issues.. It looks like it has had its day, worn out. It has lost its structure and porousity..That alone can be certain death because of reasons I mention here. It can collect salt residue from fertilizing and tap water if you do not flush once a month and fine roots killed off from those salts can cause your tree to starve for fertilizer and or water.. Root rot can also cause this effect.. Which is why I also question whether you have pests or no,t since they are attracted to trees that are rich in sugars and defficient on hydration.. If it were me, I would either flush the mix and keep an eye on how long it takes for your pot to dry out right down to the root zone.. I would also check the root zone to see if it has suffered any root loss which that is a symptom. If the roots are still healthy and the soil works like it is suppose to, then flush the heck out of that mix with fresh water and the fertilize on a regular basis.. If that soil is not doing the proper job, then I would use a very fresh porous mix, rinsing all the old soil mix of those roots.. I would wait about 2 weeks before fertilizing again in this case.I would do a repot a.s.a.p if it needed it after examing every thing and you see a need. It looks like it's in need of some much needed food, for sure to support good growth in all areas, once you make sure the roots and mix are ok.. Good luck! MIke This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Mon, Mar 10, 14 at 19:58
...See More
After Transplant, Loss of Fruit and Yellow Leaves of Meyer Lemon
Q
Comments (9)
Hi Christy, Yes, that MG citrus soil is toxic!! I have no idea why they sell that soil as citurs soil when it is so far from being citrus soil. Here is my experience with MG citrus soil. I used it last spring when I bought my dwarf keylime and my dwarf moro blood orange. A year later, and the dwarf moro blood orange is no more, and lucky for me dwarf key lime has thrived. I would urge you to repot the Meyer lemon ASAP. If the Meyer's roots stay moist for more than 2 days, you run the risk of having root rot and a whole slew of problems. I was turned on to Al's gritty mix. You might be able to make a version of the gritty mix but PLEASE don't use the vermiculite! That is also moisture renentive and therefore will keep your mix moist. From what I have learned from Mike, the point of the gritty mix is to have a mix that drains frelly and dries out completely in 1-2 days. I had a hard time deciding on using this or not. I was concerned about how well my citrus trees would do when I go on vacation since I really don't have anyone to water for me. However, I have seen a rapid big change in the 3 trees that I have this mix in. We should get together and write a complaint to Miracle Grow. They really need to change the name of the mix to just cactus soil!! Good luck with your tree. Once you change the soil to Al's gritty mix, your tree should improve greatly and yes it is extemely important that you remove every last bit of the soil mix before you repot it into the gritty mix. I would take the tree to the sink after you remove the majority of the crappy MG citrus soil. I would have the water at luke warm and rinse all the soil off those roots. I would not wait another minute to repot this tree. I don't remember who said it here, but someone had said that the average life expectancy of a potted citrus is two years because they normally die from root rot. The thing that is really bad is that us newbies don't think that we are doing anything wrong in using the MG soil since it is MG. I have been growing tropicals and other plants since for quite a while now and the biggest lesson that I have learned is that a prepackaged soil is not necessarily a good soil to use. For the past 4 years or so, I have been mixing up diffrent soils based on the needs of the plant. Citrus and mango were the last two fruit trees that I had problems with making a mix for. Andrew
...See More
Meyer lemon tree fruit drop
Q
Comments (13)
Julie I had a feeling it compacted. That is a sure sign of decline on just about any tree and sometimes it can take you by surprise and happen over time. I would also look for pests since almost always the two are very much related. If you want to go the easy organic route in lowering the pH solution you provide your trees, try 1 capful of vinegar per gallon of water. That should do the trick. As for fertilizer, there are many recomendations on this, but I say to find one that closely relates to a plants need. I use a liquid fertilizer with micronutrients in a 12:4:8 NPK ratio, which MG does have. It's in a yellow bottle. Foliage Pro is a great choice too which is what I use. You can either purchase a very porous mix, amend one, or make one. I make most of my own. I use 1 part peat or Turface, 1 part perlite, and 5 parts of bark. You can also purchase a good heavier mix which is primarily bark such as Fafard Mixes. Any of these options or others will dramatically improve your growing skills and the vitality of your tree. A mix that allows a frequent oxygen exchange is a must and this happens with a very porous mix. Whenever roots are deprived of oxygen (O2) they soon begin to die, so a mix that will compact rapidly should be avoided. Mike
...See More
meyer lemon fruit
Q
Comments (3)
I don't consider myself a meyer lemon expert by any means, but I have one that's doing pretty well. I agree with lavernialadybug that placement is pretty important. But I live very close to San Antonio and mine has been in the ground and doing well for 3 years. Having said that, it did take me a couple of times to find a spot that was against a brick wall and doesn't get much wind before this one survived. If you just transplanted it last summer, I wonder if it's had enough time to settle in and get established. Maybe that's why it hasn't produced. And I also know they suggest not letting it set a lot of fruit at the beginning because the weight of the lemons can break the branches. Does it look healthy otherwise? Did it put out new growth after it was transplanted? If I remember right, mine didn't set fruit until the second year it was planted in the ground, and didn't set a lot of fruit til this year, it's third. Maybe someone else can chime in about the soil requirements. My soil is alkaline, but doesn't have caliche like most of SA. Hope this helps - Lisa
...See More
finz2left
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you so much for the very helpful information! I will check out fertilizer recs on this board, and hold off on replanting until I eat my first round of lemons and drink my first glass of lemonade :-).

I love the site for pots -- I will order from them when the time comes!

Cheers.
anneteele
15 years ago
I also have 2 citrus trees in my balcony garden -- a Calamondin and a Kaffir Lime -- and I've left them in the same 6-inch pot that they came with when I bought them in Merrifield Garden Center, Fairfax, VA around May 2008. They were about 18-24 months old then. They are thriving very well in my south-facing balcony and are laden with fruit, especially the calamondin. I haven't harvested yet -- I'm waiting for the calamondin fruit to be about ripe (just about to turn a bit yellow), then harvest them and "preserve" them a la Mediterranean way. They last forever "preserved" in a jar and impart a very nice and different taste to stews -- you only use the rind and scrape off and discard the pulp as you use them for cooking. OK, I don't want to get carried away with that.

I've been using a water meter just to be sure I don't overwater them and have fertilized them whenever I water them (every 2-3 days) with a mild fertilizer called "Algo Flash" from megagro.com.

Here's my question and the reason I'm writing. Is it safe to repot them even while they're laden with fruit? I can see some roots shooting out of the side holes of the pots they're currently in (Monrovia plastic pots). It will be cold here soon and by end October we may have temps as low as 45 (not sure of that now because of global warming). But I just learned from this forum that I can safely leave them out in that temp range. Should I wait until I've harvested (probably thru November) and then repot or do it now? The plants are about 24 in. tall now and both are bearing fruit.

New Monrovia Meyer Impr. Lemon with lots of Fruit. What

Comments (4)

birdsnblooms

silica

Related Discussions

finz2left
Original Author

anneteele

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

New Monrovia Meyer Impr. Lemon with lots of Fruit. What

Comments (4)

birdsnblooms

silica

Related Discussions

finz2leftOriginal Author

anneteele

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

finz2left
Original Author