Light
Full sun, eight hours if you can get it. Indoors, the sunniest window you have, or a grow light in winter.
Growing guide · Edibles
Citrus × meyeri
How to grow Meyer Lemon 'Improved Meyer'.
Lemons, minus the pucker.
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Zones
- 9–11
- Size
- 6–10 ft in the ground; 4–6 ft in a pot
- Spacing
- 8–10 ft apart in the ground. In a pot, size up every couple of years.
- Pets
- Not pet-safe; keep out of reach
Water
Water deeply when the top 2 in. of soil is dry. Citrus hates soggy roots more than it hates thirst.
Planting and soil
In the ground in zones 9–11, in fast-draining soil, slightly high. Anywhere else, a pot with drainage holes and a citrus or cactus mix, one size up from the nursery pot.
Feeding
Citrus fertilizer with micronutrients, every 6–8 weeks from late winter to early fall. Yellow leaves with green veins mean it wants iron or magnesium.
Pruning
Little needed. Remove suckers below the graft and anything dead or crossing, after harvest.
Through the year
Fragrant bloom in spring and again in fall. Fruit ripens over winter.
If something's off
Scale, mealybugs and spider mites, mostly indoors. Leaf drop usually means a sudden move, a cold draft or overwatering. Bring it in when nights drop below 40°F.
Grown for California gardens.
The Improved Meyer lemon, grown for California. Thin, fragrant skin and sweeter, less acidic juice than a standard lemon, on a compact evergreen tree that often flowers and fruits at the same time.
Why we stock it: The classic backyard lemon for California's coast and valleys.
Improved Meyer Lemon Tree (California)from $99.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it
Improved Meyer Lemon Tree (California)from $99.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it