Mark, I suggest you delve deeper. The fact that you say they drain water out of the bottom almost immediately makes me wonder if the water is just going around the root ball and not really penetrating. The leaves turning yellow could even be a sign of overwatering. With your original method, you say the soil got a little dry between waterings, but this is just what is recommended for citrus. They don't like to be continuously wet. I think it would be helpful to remove the trees from the pots briefly, trying not to disturb the roots too much, and try to see what the soil is like in there. Is it dry as a bone in the center? Is it soggy wet? Are the roots white and healthy or brown and dead? Sniff it for rotten smells. Then you'll have more data to go on. Let us know what you find!

Thank you! I did fertilize it with an slow release organic all-purpose fertilizer (10% nitrogen, 2% phosphate, 8% potash, 1.8% calcium, 3% sulfur) when I first repotted it so, so maybe it's hitting the tree now? I was worried that the cause was fungal, overwatering (although I've been very good about not "overloving" my tree) or even some nutrient deficiency/imbalance. Would it be better to leave it be (let the existing fertilizer leach out) or should I "treat" with a citrus fertilizer? Thanks, again, for your advice!

Hi Matt, There could be a few issues going on. First how much sun are you giving it? When a tree is young and in a container, it's generally better to give it some afternoon shade (both container and leaves, but especially container). The fact the yellow portions are all on the same side of the fruit indicates sun burn. Generally once the tree has a lot of leaves and can protect it's trunk, branches, and container is when it's good to put it in more sun. When it comes to containers in summer here in AZ, I always say more shade is better, to an extent of course :) Another issue is if they get that much watering, they also need more feeding. When I have plants that I water frequently (most of my potted plants), I give them bursts of nitrogen through the month by adding some ammonium sulfate to their water. I should note that Citrus like a period of dryness (or just constant surface dryness) when they are in the ground, but this doesn't apply as much in containers and can be very risky if you let the soil dry out too much (especially with that much perlite). It might be worth it to try waiting on watering for a few days once the soil is very saturated, but keep in mind to not ever let it completely dry out. It's much safer to give them surface dryness once you start using larger containers (10 gallon or larger). In summary, I think it's mainly too much sun for a containerized lemon tree. I would change that factor before changing the watering or anything else. Even one that's young and put into the ground does well with a little shade at first. Eventually when they get bigger they can handle, and love, lots of sun. They don't need much fertilizer and if the tree spikes are doing their job, it should be enough. Another thing, the sun will be getting less intense right about now and into winter so it might not be too bad for it to get a little sun now, but try to keep it to morning or late afternoon sun while it recovers.

Your tree looks lovely. How your plant will respond to your repotting will depend on what you do. If you bare root it into a completely different medium like 511, it may go into shock. If you just upgrade it into a larger pot, lightly loosen the roots and add fresh growing medium, I don't think your tree will drop too many fruits. Maybe none because your tree will be happier. It may even drop some fruit naturally in the future because it can't support them all. Fruit drop may occur when you put it outside and something triggers it to drop some more for whatever reason. Meyers bloom all year if the growing conditions are right. If you lose a few with the repotting, you may get more blooms later after it settles down. Don't put so much emphasis on keeping the fruit, but rather on the health of the tree. I would repot it now and let it settle into its new environment. Spring is almost here and soon you will put it outside. New blossoms will be sure to be forthcoming then. I repotted my 15 year old Meyer lemon 2 weeks ago. It was severely root bound and blooming as well. I pruned 2" of roots off the bottom and even removed some around the sides. It has shown no adverse side effects. I admit that I live in middle GA and did this when we had a 2 week warm spell. I have also been taking my tree in and out of the house for some sun and fresh air since the repotting.