Things You'll Need:
- Container Stones Soil Light Sponge Paintbrush or cotton swab Clippers Fertilizer
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Step 1
Plant your Meyer lemon tree in a container. A 10- to 15-gallon container will allow the tree to grow up to 10 feet tall. If you want your tree to be smaller, keep the roots "root bound" by planting it in a smaller container that is slightly larger than the root ball on all sides. Before planting your tree, place a layer of stones along the bottom and fill with a soil that is a slightly acidic and sandy. At first, use enough soil so that when you put the root ball in, the soil will barely cover the top. Place your tree's root ball in straight and fill the rest of the container with soil.
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Step 2
Keep your Meyer lemon tree in ideal weather conditions. Your tree will thrive in temperatures that are 70 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night. Below 55 degrees, your tree will become dormant and stop growing. Keep your tree in full sunlight at least 8 hours per day or use 40-watt fluorescent lights 10 to 12 hours per day if you are growing your tree indoors. Some people keep their Meyer lemon tree on the porch during ideal weather conditions and move it indoors for cold and extremely hot weather.
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Step 3
Keep your Meyer lemon tree well watered. Keep your soil moist at all times. Do not let it dry up and do not overwater it. Also, spray your tree with water or wipe its leaves with a wet sponge every once in a while if you are keeping your tree indoors.
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Step 4
Pollinate your Meyer lemon tree. If your tree is indoors, every once in a while, you will need to rub the pollen in the flowers with a paintbrush or cotton swab. This will increase the tree's chances of producing fruit.
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Step 5
Consistently remove the little shoots, often called "suckers," that grow out of the soil near the trunk. Gently break at the trunk or clip with small clippers or scissors.
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Step 6
Prune your Meyer lemon tree. You really can prune this kind of tree any way you'd like since damaging the tree is difficult. Wait until winter when all the fruit is ripe and pick any leftover fruits off the tree. Clip all dead, damaged and weak branches and stems. Take a step back and see if your tree looks even and prune some more if it isn't. You can prune your tree into different shapes; however, if you prune the tree so it is smaller on top and larger on the bottom, more light will reach all the branches, which will help your tree and its fruit thrive better. If you want lots of fruit, remove more lateral branches, which may not be as aesthetic but will increase airflow and sunlight to the middle branches.
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Step 7
Fertilize your Meyer lemon tree. Buy a citrus or avocado fertilizer. If you cannot find this kind of fertilizer, purchase one that has two times the amount of nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. Citrus trees thrive on nitrogen. Follow the manufacturer's directions for fertilizing since fertilizers come in different strengths and release rates.
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Step 8
Harvest your fruits when ripe. Meyer lemons are ready to be picked about 3 to 4months after the first bloom when the fruit turns a complete yellow and no green is visible.
