Garden

[JGalt]

My Meyer lemon tree is wonderful this year...she's as happy as can be...must be because I talk and sing to her daily.  Anyway, last year she gave me one fairly small lemon, but now she has at least 2 dozen mega sized lemons (at least 4" long.)  

Do you wait until the lemons turn completely yellow before picking?  Mine are getting yellow now, but still lots of green.  They feel like they are plump with juice.

There are creatures trying to get her now which I am fighting. This fellow had to meet his maker for munching out on her leaves.

[Kachina624]

@JGalt  Is your tree kept inside or do you live where it can be kept outside?  How fun to raise your own lemons.

[september]

Yes, for lemon trees....you do wait for them to ripen on the tree.

[JGalt]

@Kachina624, my tree is in a very large pot that I wheeled into the garage in front of a window last winter. My garage is not insulated so I wrapped the pot in bubble wrap, but maybe I got lucky because it wasn't very cold last winter. We had limited deep freezes in my south central Texas location.  She was very happy in there apparently because early in the year she prolifically bloomed. While my garage smelled incredible, I worried about the lack of pollinators.  But I nevertheless waited until I felt certain we wouldn't have more freezes prior to moving her outside. 

We had our first cooler temps last night, in the 40s. She was cold but looked no worse for wear. The yellowing of the mega sized lemons is accelerating.  I'm getting impatient to try one, but read the lemons are sweeter the longer they stay on the tree and that they do not continue ripening once cut.

I had intended to build a greenhouse to use this winter, but I am very lacking in skills. I have a tiny yard so no room to put a purchased greenhouse kit.  Maybe I'll try my carpentry again...my tree is big now and will take a lot of space in the garage.  Raking leaves is taking all my energy these days.

[mibo]

I had the very same question - thanks!  My lemons are about half yellow and half green, and I was wondering how much longer I should wait.  I live down south so a freeze is still likely months away so I will try to be patient a little while longer.  I have a good dozen huge ones on my tree, too, and can't wait to use them for lip smacking lemonade or in iced tea!

[esmeraldagooch]

Thanks for the answers.  I have my first lemon tree at my new home also.  Half are yellow green.  

[DiAnne]

Oh how I miss the lemon, lime and grapefruit trees in my backyard when I lived in California.  Nothing else tastes like a grapefruit picked right off the tree!

[Yahooey]

This reminds me when I had a smalled potted (6" pot) lemon or lime tree. i was a kid and every year, it produce 1 lemon or lime. it was green and then turned yellow. We never picked it. I don't know if it was a lime and rotted to yellow or really a lemon. It looked like a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. The lone ornament was my lemon/lime. lol

Send me a piece of myer lemon tart - I bet it will be delicious

[Bellabutterfly]

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@JGalt wrote:

My Meyer lemon tree is wonderful this year...she's as happy as can be...must be because I talk and sing to her daily.  Anyway, last year she gave me one fairly small lemon, but now she has at least 2 dozen mega sized lemons (at least 4" long.)  

Do you wait until the lemons turn completely yellow before picking?  Mine are getting yellow now, but still lots of green.  They feel like they are plump with juice.

There are creatures trying to get her now which I am fighting. This fellow had to meet his maker for munching out on her leaves.

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Hi @JGalt !

Wait until they are really yellow.  I harvested 43 lemons from my Myer Lemon Potted Tree Last Year.  Then I got really sick in the hospital and a very bad frost came and I lost my Meyer Lemon Tree.  I was crying...I loved that tree! 

I will get another, but if there is frost get it inside or if it is too big for you to carry I use to place old towels or blankets over mine. 

They make wonder lemon pies and cookies, I also juiced them would put the juice in ice cube trays...Freeze it and I would have the perfect size to add to lemon pasta, or to make my Chicken Piccata. 

Good Luck! 

[JGalt]

I could wait no longer, just had to taste my lemon. They have varying amounts of a bit of green mottling, so I picked the most yellow.  I love eating something I grew, but since I moved to  sunny Texas, I can't seem to grow anything successfully.

So happy with my lemon tree this year. Taste is wonderful, not so sour like normal lemons. I squeezed some right into my mouth. I thought the taste was like lemon with a touch of grapefruit. I juice a couple lemons and keep the juice in a sealed glass jar in the fridge to use on veggies and for mixing with water to drink.