Get an abundance of the tastiest lemons from your Meyer lemon tree with proper care. Here are some useful tips on growing and caring for Meyer lemon trees.

Perhaps the dish you're cooking for dinner needs some added zing. Or maybe you're mixing a cocktail and need a peppy garnish.

You know what you need — a lemon.

And you can have the go-to citrus fruit on hand all the time by cultivating them in your backyard with Meyer lemon trees. Care for Meyer lemon trees doesn't have to be difficult, either.

How to Care for Meyer Lemon Trees

It's all about location when you plant your Meyer lemon trees. They'll grow up to 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide unless you sow them into pots. In that case, they'll remain a bit smaller.

Either way, proper Meyer lemon tree care yields the sweet lemons that you can use for their fruit and peels.

Here's what to consider when planting them so that you're plucking fresh lemons in no time.

1. Light

Meyer lemon trees don't just love the sun — they need it to grow correctly. Even an indoor tree can thrive, so long as you give it plenty of sunlight. Inside and outside, Meyer lemon trees prefer to face the southwest to soak up the sun.

Try and get your Meyer lemon tree about eight hours of direct sunlight each day. If you can't, invest in some grow lights to mimic the sun's rays.

Our Grow Light Recommendation

We love SANSI 24W LED grow lights. They have a clean white light because they are full spectrum. They have all the right mix of light spectrum for growth, leaf flush, flower blossoming, and fruit set. 24 watts is a good amount of power for indoor lighting. We recommend placing the grow light anywhere from 6 to 18 inches away from your tree.

Your tree needs 12-16 hours of light a day. You can be very flexible with your light. You can keep it on for many days straight. However, all citrus trees need some dark time.

You can easily use one grow light for 1-3 trees. An easy way is to use one light on a tree for 24 hours at a time.

All grow lights get hot. We prefer SANSI because they use ceramic sinks to dissipate the heat. We have found the majority of grow lights on Amazon to have disturbing safety profiles. Use standard safety precautions, don't let babies and pets stare directly into the light or touch the heat from the grow light!

Our socket/clamp Recommendation:

We recommend the following clamp for your tree. It has a UL certified socket, electrical cord included as well. And it fits the Sansi bulb!

2. Watering

A proper watering schedule is just as essential to your Meyer lemon tree as its sun exposure. Over-watering can be seriously damaging to your lemon tree. Leaves will turn yellow and feel brittle.

You can figure out if your tree needs water by sticking a finger into the soil and digging it two knuckles deep into the dirt. If it feels dry, it's time to water. The trick to growing a Meyer lemon tree is to keep the soil moist, but not wet.

Indoor plants will like it if you mist them regularly, too, especially if it's winter and the heat's on. Or, place your Meyer lemon tree on top of a tray filled with rocks and a bit of water to create the humidity they crave. There are plenty of other methods for raising humidity for your plant, too, such as popping it in the shower.

3. Temperature

On that note, regulate the temperature in which you grow your Meyer lemon tree. They prefer to grow in spaces that stay between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you've potted Meyer lemon trees outdoors, you'll have to bring them inside during the winter if temperatures dip below 50 in your area.

4. Picking Fruit

Here's the fun part — eventually, your Meyer lemon tree will yield fruit for you to pick. You have to make sure you are using it at the right moment.

If you plant your tree indoors, it will take about a year for it to bear fruit. You shouldn't pick the lemons until they're ripe, as they won't continue to mature once they're off the tree. Wait until they turn a color similar to egg yolk. Then, harvest and enjoy your Meyer lemons in many delicious Meyer lemon recipes!

Plant and Enjoy

Now you know how to care for Meyer lemon trees — all that's left to do is plant and wait for your fruit to grow.

For ready to enjoy citrus fruit, try our new citrus subscription box for sale, packed with a variety of our ripest Texas-grown citrus fruit based on season!

Growing Trees is fun, and every tree we send comes with a 20-page care guide.