Citrus Refresher

Juicy Meyer Lemons

Meyer lemon (Citrus limon ‘Meyer’) is a hardy lemon that can produce lots of fruit over much of the year. The decorative yellow juicy fruit is sweeter and less acidic than other lemons such as Eureka and Lisbon, so is perfect for juicing.

Meyer lemons can grow up to 5 m tall or around 2.5 m for dwarf grafted trees, which are ideal for growing in smaller spaces and pots. They’ll grow in all but the coldest areas and do best in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine a day. In addition to the bright yellow fruit, Meyer lemons also have glossy green leaves and sweetly perfumed white flowers in spring, so they’re both beautiful and delicious!

Spring is an ideal time to plant a new citrus tree like a Meyer lemon. When planting citrus into containers, choose a well-drained pot that’s at least 40 cm in diameter and use a good quality potting mix like Yates Premium Potting Mix.

When planting a new citrus tree into the ground, mix some Yates Thrive Natural Citrus Fruit Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food into the bottom of the planting hole. Yates Dynamic Lifter improves the quality of the soil and supplies the newly planted lemon with gentle, organic nutrients as it establishes.

Keep the new tree well-watered, particularly during its first summer. It’s also beneficial to apply a few centimetres of mulch over the soil (or potting mix) surface, which will help the root zone stay moist. Keep the mulch a few centimetres away from the trunk to allow good air flow and reduce the chance of collar rot disease.

Lemons, like other citrus, are heavy feeders and require lots of nutrients to support all the foliage, flowers and developing fruit. While trees are flowering, growing new foliage or carrying fruit, feed every week with Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food. Dilute 1 – 2 capfuls in a 9 L watering can and apply around the root zone.

Curled Citrus Leaves?

A common question about citrus trees is how to control curled leaves. Unfortunately, once the leaves are twisted the damage is permanent (until the leaves naturally fall from the tree). Early treatment is the key!

The insect pests that often cause these deformed leaves are aphids. They are small sap sucking insects, which can be green, brown, grey or black, that typically congregate underneath vulnerable new citrus leaves and stems, depleting them of important sugars and nutrients. Aphid damage can ruin the look of a tree and aphids can also attract the disease sooty mould, which grows on the sugary honeydew that aphids excrete.

During the spring foliage flush, new growth needs to be protected from aphid damage by spraying the leaves with Yates Nature’s Way Organic Citrus, Vegie Ornamental Spray Ready to Use. Spray lightly, just to the point of run off, including undersides of the foliage, as soon as aphids appear. Respray each week while aphids are active.

Yates® Nature’s Way® Organic Citrus, Vegie & Ornamental Spray is indispensable during spring as it will help control multiple citrus insect pests including mealybug and scale.

Feed Your Fruit!

Fruit trees like apples, pears, stone fruit and tropical fruit are using a lot of energy during spring, producing new foliage, flowering and developing fruit. To help promote the best possible growth feed fruit trees with a complete plant food that’s been specially designed for fruiting plants, like Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food. It contains a balanced blend of nutrients, including nitrogen to encourage healthy leaf growth and extra potassium to promote lots of flowers and fruit.