Growing Meyer Lemon Trees in Texas (Zone 8b)

Introduction

Who doesn’t love lemons? They have so many health benefits and can be used in so many ways. At our home we always have to have them in stock. We use them in our water to stay hydrated, in our food, for cooking, for cleaning, as pest control, and in our compost.

With all the ways lemons can be used, if you are in growing zones 8 and above, you definitely have a higher chance at successfully growing lemons in your very own backyard. I’m sure gardeners in growing zones 7 and under have ways of growing lemons in doors but the purpose of this post is to tell you about my 6 year experience of growing lemons, specifically Meyer Lemons in growing zone 8b.

Location

I live in North Texas, growing zone 8b. Summers here are pretty hot and we deal with a lot of droughts staring at the end of July sometimes even into October. Unfortunately, our spring and fall season seam to feel quite short so we have to make the most out of those seasons while we can.

Winters are cold and we get snow or freezing temperatures very scarcely. Lowest temperatures are usually in the 20s but can go down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, unless we go through another record breaking week long freeze like the one in February 2021. Freezing temperatures usually are not here to stay. If we go below freezing, the sun usually melts anything away the next afternoon before temperatures drop again at night.

Yes! Weather here is so unpredictable! I don’t complain about the sun during winter cold days, but I do complain about the sudden drops in temperatures and how it ends up throwing off the health of the plants, the animals and even ourselves.

Sunlight

Meyer Lemons love sunlight! They require 6-8 hours of full sun to thrive. Because my tree is in a wooden barrel pot, I am able to move it to the most convenient location depending on the weather.

In the summer, I am able to move it to a partly shaded area if the sun is scorching hot. In the winter, I can locate my tree where the sun shines the most, to make sure it not only receives 6-8 hours of sunlight but stays as warm as possible.

Growing In Containers

Meyer lemon trees take at least 4 years to mature and bear large size lemons that can be squeezed into 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. My tree, being 6 years old now, just started giving these lemons last year in 2023.

One thing I do recommend is if you are growing your tree in a container, size up the pot early spring before the growing season to allow room for growth. I left my tree in the same pot for 2 years and hardly saw any growth during that time. I realized I was holding the tree back from growing until I put it in a larger wooden barrel and it instantly doubled in size.

Sizing up a tree to a bigger pot can be daunting. The tree can already be heavy and sizing it up to a bigger container will make it even more difficult to move and protect during winter. On the contrary, leaving a tree in a small container will naturally keep it from growing to it’s full potential, so don’t delay your tree from growing and rewarding you with many more lemons. The bigger the tree, the more lemons it can hold!

Cold Hardiness

If you are a fan of citrus, growing Meyer Lemon trees is a must! They are cold hardy down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the most cold hardy citrus trees with beautiful size lemons. The reason Meyer Lemon trees are cold hardy is because they are a cross breed between a true lemon and a satsuma mandarin.

The satsuma gives it a higher tolerance to colder weather, making it a great option for growing zone 8. You get the best of both worlds with Meyer Lemons, sweet and sour!

Pest

Over the past 6 years, I have only encountered 3 minor pest over the years while caring for my Meyer Lemon tree. Not kidding!

The first pest that is practically not even a true pest because they don’t damage plants, are the ants. Ants love to build their mounds in my tree and in all other potted trees for that matter. When the rainy season arrives, they start building mounds in my potted plants and raised garden beds, seeking higher ground as protection from the water.

An ant’s bite is worst than a bee sting because it constantly itches for days so when I discover that my Meyer Lemon tree has been invaded with ants that are in my way of caring for my tree then I have to do something to evict them. I have to pick the proper solution, depending on the flowering stage otherwise I can hurt the bees and other beneficial bugs.

The second pest I have ever noticed attack my Meyer Lemon tree and this just happened last summer was the scale mite. As I watered my tree, I noticed the tips of the branches had tiny brown dots which are the mites. Of coarse, I have never encountered a pest on this tree so I was definitely planning on doing something about it.

To my surprise, I noticed the ants seemed to be somehow taking care of these mites so all I did on my part was to spray water at full blast at the mites, hoping that I was helping the tree since it seemed to be a minor situation. All of a sudden, the mites were long gone. I mean, could it be the water that sprayed them off, could it be the ants that took care of the mites, neither or both?

Truth be told, later I read up on how the ants actually protect the mites because of the sweet honeydew they produce. Could this be true? Some how it didn’t make any sense in my Meyer Lemon tree’s case. The point is I hardly did anything to help my tree get rid of the mites, and nature pretty much did the work for me.

Many pest don’t like citrus so they stay away but the third pest loves to eat my citrus tree leaves. Grass hoppers, locust, and anything in between related to that family of bugs love to eat my Meyer Lemon tree’s leaves. When there are no other crops to munch on, they will start leaving leaves half eaten. On the positive side, they don’t damage the lemons themselves. It’s quite obvious when you have a grasshopper around so I like to locate that pest and blast it off with water, making it fly or hop away in the direction of my flock of chickens. You know what happens next, the chickens love to chase grasshoppers and enjoy a tasty snack.

Flowering

I kid you not! Meyer Lemon trees flower about 4 times a year! The beautiful white flowers it produces are so fragrant that the bees can’t get enough of it. This is the tree that gives bees pollen when everything else hasn’t flowered in the spring, and during the fall when many crops are done and harvested for the season.

Because there are multiple flowering times, the lemons are growing at different rates and are different sizes, meaning they will be ripening at different times as well.

Mulching

Mulching your Meyer Lemon tree once in the spring before the growing season and once in the fall before the coldest weather is essential! Retaining moisture during the hottest months of the year and staying warm during the winter is important to it’s health. Wood chips, leaves, dry grass clippings, finished compost are all great mulching options for your tree. Not to mention, you can get a lot of those options free from your very own lawn, garden, and local tree cutting companies.

Wood chips can be locally sourced for free through a company called Chip Drop. They provide gardeners with free wood chips with one exception, you can’t decide how many wood chips you want. You have to be willing to accept a whole truck load pretty much on your driveway, without complaints.

Leaves are a great mulch but only available during the fall season, so be ready to collect your leaves and store them for future use. Leaves will also provide nutrients to your Meyer Lemon tree as they decompose. It’s best to avoid leaves from matting down so a rough shred with your hands or lawn mower is a good idea.

Dry grass clippings are a great mulch option high in nitrogen! Citrus trees are heavy feeders and can really benefit from the the nitrogen that the grass clippings provide. Do remember though that it’s best to let the grass clippings dry first so they don’t mat down and create an air and water barrier. Like leaves, a rough shred can help keep any future problems from occurring.

Finished compost is only free if you are able to make it yourself. If you are not able to compost or don’t make enough, there are still economical organic compost options like the living earth organic compost that costs about $4.00 for a 2 cubic feet bag at your local living earth location. Also, be sure to check your area for local companies that may provide more compost for less with personal pick up.

Pollination

Meyer Lemon trees are self pollinating, meaning they don’t require another citrus tree to cross pollinate with. One tree is enough for your lemon tree to bear fruit, even though having more trees can help with a higher yield.

As I mentioned, the bees do most of the work with pollinating this tree. Its so fragrant that you can smell it from far away. If we can smell it easily, the bees can definitely smell it and are drawn to start pollinating.

There is hardly any flower that does not get pollinated. Most flowers will go from a flower to a tiny green lemon fairly quickly. If growing your Meyer Lemon tree indoors, you must hand pollinate the flowers for better fruiting results.

Fertilization

All citrus are heavy feeders! High nitrogen fertilizer is needed during the growing season to feed the Meyer Lemon as well. A natural organic plant food specifically for citrus or any organic plant food high in nitrogen and phosphorus like chicken manure or a combination of bone and blood meal are great options to give your tree at the beginning of March before the growing season. Every month after, you can give your tree a small fertilizing dose to keep your tree happy.

Bearing Lemons

After flowering, the bees pollinate the flowers, the flower petals drop and turn into tiny green lemons. I don’t personally thin them out because the tree itself does that naturally. It will favor certain lemons to continue growing and some will fall on their own.

If your tree is not mature enough to bear a large harvest, don’t be surprised that the tiny green lemons may look like they are beginning to grow and all of a sudden, they fall off, leaving you disappointed and wondering what you did wrong.

If you provided your tree with all the nutrients needed to stay healthy, then your tree may simply need to mature to a 4-6 year old tree.

Harvest

The harvest time is usually a long 9 month wait! The harvest time starts in November when the weather cools down and the lemons start turning yellow. The harvest time can extend to March depending on the many times that your tree flowered and produced more fruit.

Because it bears lemons at different times, the lemons grow at different rates and ripen at different times as well. You can harvest them gradually while they ripen or as they are ready to be used.

Signs of Ripeness

As the weather gets cooler, the lemons start turning from dark green to lighter green and finally yellow. The cold weather is what changes the color from green to yellow so it usually starts in the beginning of November.

The texture of the lemons start off very tough and rough but as they ripen, the skin thins out and feels smooth. 

If you give the lemon a squeeze, it feels firm yet you can still feel the juices inside. 

Now, smell the lemon and if you can smell the lemon’s fragrance then its ripe and ready to be harvested. 

Size has nothing to do with ripeness. Most lemons will be around the same size, with a 3 inch diameter, while only a few will be slightly smaller depending on how many months they had to grow.  

In-Ground Planting

Can you plant your Meyer Lemon citrus tree in the ground in growing zone 8b? Sure thing! Plant it in the sunniest location and make sure you have a plan on protecting your tree from the elements. During the summer, it may need protection from the scorching sun but especially in the winter from the freezing temperatures. Always check the “feels like” temperature because many times it can be a lot colder than the actual temperature says, especially on a windy day.

That being said, I would say that its easier to leave your trees potted and bring them indoors, in a greenhouse or a garage during the coldest days but if you have the time and capability to try different cold protecting methods for your citrus then by all means give it a try and plant one tree in the ground to see how that works for you.

Conclusion

When life gives you the opportunity to grow lemons in your local growing zone, don’t shy away from giving it a try. You may be surprised at how much easier citrus is to grow in Texas than it is to organically control other tree and plant pests and diseases in our area.

Most of the worry is in protecting your lemon tree from the cold weather, so make sure you pick the correct variety, the Meyer Lemon!