Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Lemon Tree very pretty….


Having a lemon tree on my patio reinforces the belief that I live in gardening paradise. I know we get a lot of rain and days & days with no sunshine but we can still grow lemons on our patios or in our house! What a hoot!
It is the easiest fruit tree to grow next to figs, but that’s a previous blog.
My plant is a Meyer’s Improved Lemon. This Improved variety is resistant to a virus that affects commercial lemons. The Improved Meyer’s Lemon was developed in 1970 is the best for containers. It is a cross between a lemon, a type of orange & a mandarin.
This fruit is the best lemon to use for baking. It has a very flavorful juice & zest, the yellow part of the rind. The flowers have a delicious fragrance that fills the air. I sometimes carry the plant indoors for a few days just to get that aroma in my house.
Lemon plants & Citrus plants in general need at least 8 hours of sun.
Water regularly & let dry down a bit. The first two inches of soil can dry out. Make sure the water goes through the entire pot & does not stay in the saucer. The plant’s roots may rot if left sitting in water.
Fertilize in spring & early summer when the plant is actively growing.
The best part is the Meyer’s Improved Lemon bears fruit as young as 3 years old. You may remove some of the fruit when small so the remaining fruit gets larger.
The other great fact about lemons is that they are hardy to 25F.
I left my plant on my covered patio for most of the winter. I just took it into the house on the coldest nights in January. I would then put it back out the morning. It was very happy!
Think about adding a lemon tree or orange or lime to your patio plants. With just a little care, you can be reminded of a garden paradise.

Take Care,
Judy

No comments: