Container Grown Lemons in Texas

Citrus trees are not grown outdoors in gardens north of the Rio Grande Valley because they do not tolerate freezing conditions. However, if grown in containers that are outdoors in summer and can be moved into the house, garage, or greenhouse during the winter, they can be productive.

Improved Meyer Lemons are considered a dwarf plant when grown in containers usually not reaching more than 4 to 5 feet tall with a width of 2 to 3 feet. The spring blossoms are fragrant and attractive to bees. The fruit sets quickly and matures in the late fall.

Note: the Improved Meyer Lemon is not actually a lemon but rather it is believed to be a hybrid between a lemon and a sweet orange.

Growing Meyer’s Lemons in Containers

Improved Meyer Lemons for transplant can be purchased at most nurseries in the spring. Choose a container that will be sufficient size for the Meyer Lemon for several years to avoid yearly re-potting. An 8 to 10 gallon container will work nicely. Terra cotta or reconstituted stone containers are fine. However a nice landscape look and tree growing environment can be achieved using half barrels. Be sure the container has a drain hole that allows water to escape the pot.

Before planting the tree, add stones, gravel, or broken pottery to the bottom of the container to keep the roots drained. Fill the container to about half with a good garden mix and then center the tree in the pot. Fill the remaining area with potting soil to about 1 to 2 inches below the container rim. Be careful, the Meyer Lemon has thorns.

Care for Container Growing Meyer’s Lemons

Immediately after planting a Meyer Lemon, add a root stimulator according to directions. Give the tree complete, full sun during the spring. As summer approaches, the plant will appreciate some shade protection from the late afternoon sun.

The Meyer Lemon will blossom in spring with fragrant white flowers that quickly set into baby lemons—usually in clusters of 5 to 6. Since that is more fruit than a branch can sustain, many of the fruit will wither leaving 2 to 3 on a growing branch.

Choose a high nitrogen fertilizer and supplement feeding with trace minerals. Miracid Soil Acidifier is a water-soluble product that many gardeners have been pleased with as it balances out the alkalinity of many Texas water supplies. However any slow-release nitrogen fertilizer is acceptable. Yellowing leaves may be a plant message that it needs fertilizing.

During the growing season, water the tree 2 to 3 times per week. In winter, the plant that is protected indoors requires less frequently watering—twice a month should be enough. Check the plant while it is in storage and do not let it dry out completely.

Meyer Lemons are harvested in the late fall just before the first freeze. The fruit will be firm, heavy, and bright yellow. A good indication that a lemon is ready for picking is if it releases easily from the plant.

Issues

Be sure to purchase Improved Meyer Lemons. The Meyer Lemon before improvement was a source of citrus tristeza virus diseases that could damage the Texas citrus industry according to Texas A&M Horticulturalists.

Texas gardeners can grow Improved Meyer Lemons without extreme effort. A mature tree will produce between 10 and 30 lemons that can be stored in the refrigerator and used like regular lemons in cooking and flavoring. The plant cared for during the winter will be ready to begin producing again the following spring.