Some varieties of lemon trees grow tall and wide, making it difficult for the home gardener to grow one at home. There are certain species of lemons--like the Meyer lemon--that lend themselves to home and container gardens. The Meyer lemon is a hybrid cross between a mandarin orange and a true lemon. The result is a sweeter, less acidic lemon. The tree requires no special care in order to grow showy, tasty lemons.
Meyer lemon trees grow well in the south. There are many Meyer lemon groves in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas; so many in fact, that Texans refer to the Meyer lemon as "Valley lemons." In cooler climates, the Meyer lemon tree can grow indoors as a house plant.
The Meyer lemon tree is grown as a small tree or large shrub. The leaves are deep green and shiny, and give off an intense citrus scent when crushed. The branches of a juvenile Meyer lemon tree are thorned.
Meyer lemons are round, smooth and lightly dimpled. They are not as oblong as true lemons, and do not have pronounced nippled ends.
Meyer lemon trees prefer daytime temperatures of 70 degrees, and overnight temperatures of 55 degrees. If the overnight temperature dips below 55, the tree will go into dormancy and will not grow until the temperatures warm up.
Growing in Containers
Meyer lemon trees are small enough to grow in containers. Growing Meyer lemon trees in containers gives the gardener control over the tree's lighting and weather conditions, in that they can move the container out of bad environments and into better ones . This is particularly important in the north, where winters are too brutal for citrus trees.
Regular pruning of a Meyer lemon tree keeps the tree healthy and encourages new growth of branches and fruit. When pruning, all the dead and sickly branches should be removed, as well as any branches that extend up or out beyond the natural shape of the Meyer lemon tree. In areas where there are fruit clusters, snip off all but one or two of the fruits so that the remaining fruits will develop properly.