LEMON Meyer
Hugely popular variety as the most cold hardy lemon variety. Low spreading tree habit with few thorns. Large juicy smooth-skinned fruit. Once tree is established, it will fruit all year round.
Meyer lemons are thought to be a lemon crossed with either a mandarin or orange, so is a sweeter type of fruit, with a lemon-like appearance and flavour.
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Planting | ||||||||||||
Harvesting |
Pollination
All citrus varieties are self fertile so can be planted alone and fruit will be produced. Take care when planting seedless varieties (like Mandarin ‘Miho’) with other citrus trees, as despite the variety being seedless, they can form seeds if cross pollinated with another variety flowering at the same time.
Cutting grown – ‘Meyer’ Lemons are the only citrus suitable for growing from cuttings, as the variety is hardy on it’s own roots. Other types of citrus aren’t hardy enough on their own roots so are grafted onto Trifoliata or Flying Dragon. Cutting grown ‘Meyer’ lemon trees will grow to 3-4m tall.
SOIL |
Prefers deep, well drained soil. |
PLANTING SITE |
Sunny, sheltered and frost-free sites. |
CLIMATE |
Most citrus trees are subtropical or tropical and will not tolerate temperatures below -2˚C. Varieties grown by Waimea Nurseries are generally hardier varieties. Growing citrus in containers and under cover can allow less hardy varieties to grow in more temperate areas. |
WATERING |
Water well during the early stages, during long dry periods and when the fruit is developing. |
GENERAL CARE |
Citrus are ‘gross feeders’, so require regular fertilising with specialist citrus fertilizer. Prune to shape and to allow sunlight and wind movement. Watch for rootstock growth, which needs to be removed carefully due to spikes. |
PESTS & DISEASES |
Citrus generally suffer from few disease problems. Verrucosis is the main disease to watch for. Aphids, scale, mites and mealy bug may need eradicating, especially in warmer areas. |
PLANTING IDEAS |
Citrus are great in the garden as specimen trees, in containers and even as indoor plants. |
FRUIT |
Most citrus produce abundant fruit which matures over several months. Fruit can be left on the tree, but watch for over ripening. |
POLLINATION |
Citrus are generally self fertile. |
TREE SIZE |
Height up to 4m. |