It appears that my blooms are turning into lemons? I’m assuming that the little green nodules that are left after the petals fall off are the someday lemons?
And, I’m concerned that I’m already behind. I’ve had the tree for four weeks and never considered that it might already need fertilizing until I read this today. It has really been drinking heavily and perhaps it needs more while producing fruit.
Here’s what I’ve read about fertilization: It is recommended to apply 2 to 3 inches of organic matter under the canopy of the tree to conserve moisture. An Improved Meyer lemon tree must be fertilized every four to six weeks from February to August to ensure a healthy grow cycle and be pruned every one or two years to keep them within bounds and easy to pick.
I’ve also read that it needs high levels of Nitrogen.
MeyerMike suggests: 1 bottle top capful of white vinegar per gallon at every watering when using tap water. He also uses liquid fertilizer with micronutrients in a 12:4:8 NPK ratio, which Miracle Grow does have. It’s in a yellow bottle. Foliage Pro is what he uses.
How do you care for your Meyer Lemon trees and am I on the right track?
I bought a Meyer Lemon tree I think last year because my old, mature lemon tree doesn’t have many years left to produce (I think) and because I’m not sure it’s possible to have too many lemons.
Mine is outside so I don’t have to pollinate (and now that I have bees, they pollination in my garden is a lot better) but the soil is heavy clay and I’m not sure it’s getting the nutrients it needs. We fertilise it with chicken poo tea (made from putting our chook’s poo in a hessian bag and soaking it in a rubbish bin of water like a tea bag for a few days) which is supposed to be great for lemons but the leaves are still yellow. We think it is iron deficient so we just tried pouring some iron sulfates on the leaves and soil around it. We may need to work on mixing more compost into the soil to help break down the clay.
Oh, good grief! Almost as much work as having a child. And all for a bit of lemon….
I’m loving my tree. I certainly hope it does well. JoAnn (my only friend with a thriving in-pot Meyer) told me she didn’t get a lemon off of hers for the first 2 years and only green lemons for the next 2 (which apparently taste just like the yellow). Her tree is now thriving so I have high expectations.
Good luck with yours. Let us know how it gets on with the chicken poo.
can I usr 30-10-10-fertilizer?
I really don’t know, Mark. But, when you find out, please let us know!
Most ppl don’t like miracle grow so I’m trying foliage pro with vinegar & water. Hope it works!
Thanks, Christine. Let us know how it goes!
i came up with a novel idea to use lemon peels or skins as a compost for my lemon tree. what say??
I think that’s great! I compost all my raw produce and use that for all my plants. Composting is always a great idea!
Thanks for sharing.