meyer lemon tree

[nomoflunky]

i have a small meyer lemon tree ( i guess you could call it a shrub) on my patio in north florida. i think it is 3 or 4 yrs old and has been producing fruit quite nicely. i think that i need to do some pruning because the branches are small in diameter and require staking to help support the weight of the lemons. any and all info on how to prune this tree would be greatly appreciated. thanx in advance

 

[Diesel JD]

Hey, my boss grows these for some side money at the seafood shop. I will ask him how he prunes. They are pretty unusual, but maybe some of the other Florida or Cali guys will chime in. Did you get yours from a store or plant it from seeds?

 

[nomoflunky]

i bought it at a nursery---it is potted along with a key lime tree-- pretty cool combo to have on the patio

 

[seanymph]

Lemon/Lime planting

Greetings! Would you please share with me the specs on your trees? (Size of plantings and size of pot?) I have space for one tree (8' x8') but I really like your idea of potting the two together. Do you keep them in dappled shade or full sun? Can you share where you found them (I'm in 5-pts. area). Thanks so much. Enjoyed your postings

 

[LightningLoader]

Meyers lemons grow wide and flat by their nature because the branches grow so long and the fruit is so heavy. Don't know what to tell you about pruning in potted situation. Ours is in the ground, and we just skirt the tree every year (cut off the bottom ft of branches/foliage), and hedge it after harvest.

 

[seanymph]

Meyers Lemon as choice

Thank you for your advice. I would like to plant a citrus tree; the neighbor's cut down a massive oak and now the area adjacent to the west side of my garage, while still in morning shade, has full sun from about noon onwards. It's been really hard on my shade plants (cast irons, walking iris, native yellow-flowering ivy). If this tree grows flat and wide, it will be perfect. I just liked the idea of planting with a lime. Is it possible to plant them side by side, treating them as one trunk? If not, what's the minimal distance I should plant them. Oh, can you advise the best lime choice for this scenario? Thanks sooooo much. I really appreciate your wisdom!

 

[LightningLoader]

Thank you for your advice. I would like to plant a citrus tree; the neighbor's cut down a massive oak and now the area adjacent to the west side of my garage, while still in morning shade, has full sun from about noon onwards. It's been really hard on my shade plants (cast irons, walking iris, native yellow-flowering ivy). If this tree grows flat and wide, it will be perfect. I just liked the idea of planting with a lime. Is it possible to plant them side by side, treating them as one trunk? If not, what's the minimal distance I should plant them. Oh, can you advise the best lime choice for this scenario? Thanks sooooo much. I really appreciate your wisdom!

Ideally you want full sun for citrus, but I've seen trees grow in the shade before. They just won't bear much fruit, and may be more prone to fungus. I tend to think that the lemon would crowd out a lime when planted close together if you're thinking like a keylime type tree. The meyers in my side yard is about 8 ft wide. Citrus trees are traditionally planted about 12 ft apart if I'm remembering correctly, but you could get away with planting them a few feet closer since limes aren't as big as normal orange trees.