Light. Plant in full sun, 15–25 ft from buildings and other trees, on a spot that does not stay wet.
Water. Water every other day for the first week, then once or twice a week for a couple of months. Young trees need water in dry spells of 5 or more days; trees over 4 years only in long droughts.
Soil and feeding. Needs well-drained soil that is moist but not soggy. Feed young trees every 3–4 months the first year and mature trees 2–3 times a year with Citrus and Fruit Tree Fertilizer.
Size. Grows to about 12 ft with a bushy habit. Keeping it 7–10 ft tall makes picking easier.
Pruning. Remove water sprouts, suckers from the base and dead wood. Heavy pruning reduces fruit.
Problems to watch. Lemons are highly susceptible to citrus canker. Citrus greening, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, has no cure.
Good to know. It is self-pollinating, so one tree bears fruit, mostly in fall and winter. It grows well in a container.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Meyer Lemons · UF/IFAS EDIS HS1153: Lemon Growing in the Florida Home Landscape · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Citrus
