EasyBloom Forum

I live in Seattle and received a Dwarf Meyer Lemon as a gift. Unfortunately, I went out of town and returned to find all but a few of its leaves dried up, curling, and falling off. A couple of the fruits fell off, too. I am guessing that the soil got too dry. Now that I am keeping the moisture level in check, the once drooping tips of the branches are firm again. A few leaves and a couple of fruits have hung on. Is there any hope of saving my naked Dwarf? Is it even possible to grow a Dwarf Meyer indoors in Seattle over the winter (no sun)? P.S. I ordered a replacement Dwarf Meyer so that the person who gave it to me doesn't think I'm totally incompetent . . .. Any tips for my new plant??? Thanks much!

Hey Kathie...I'm sorry to hear about your Meyer Lemon. It is true that like other Citrus the Meyer Lemon does best when the soil dries out slightly in between waterings, but it is definitely possible to let them dry out too much. It sounds like this is exactly what happened in your case. It sounds like you have your watering under control now, which is good. Luckily, trees have a good amount of reserves in their trunks and roots so that they can come back from most types of environmental stress (even the dwarf trees have these energy stores). As long as the stress wasn't too severe, your lemon should be ok. Having said that, winter is fast approaching and Citrus do not do well with temperatures below freezing. Also, Citrus are full sun plants and do best with lots of sunlight. These are two issues coming up for you and your lemon tree that you will have to deal with. Normally, citrus can deal with cold temperatures as long as they are above freezing and as long as they are not abruptly put out into the cold. In other words if you had your Citrus in the heated house during a snowstorm and then decided to take it outside in the exposed cold. My recommendation is to keep your lemon tree outside as long as possible, but you will have to be a little more proactive in watching the weather. I grew up in Los Angeles and we had a bevy of Citrus trees in my backyard. Now that I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have to be a little more diligent with my potted dwarf Bearss Lime Tree outside. I do have a trick up my sleeve however. As winter approaches I string up my lime tree with holiday lights. Not only does it give my little tree a festive look, but on especially cold nights I can turn on the string of lights and that will create a little microclimate around the tree that is slightly warmer. I also keep my lime tree close to the house as there will be some residual heat from the home that can keep the Citrus warmer than if it was exposed and out in the open. For you, I would recommend moving your lemon tree indoors especially overnight if the temperatures are predicted to be especially cold even if you too string up your lemon tree with lights. I hope this was helpful to you. If you have any further questions, please let me know. Happy Gardening!!! Robby