October 10, 2011

1st Lemon

I found a lemon on the ground the other day. It had fallen from my potted Meyers Lemon Tree.

My 1st Meyers lemon. Looks pretty good on this side.

It looked pretty good on one side, but on the other ...

Not so good on this side. :(

It has a big soft, brownish spot. Disappointing. There are 5 more fruits on the tree, all at various stages of ripening.

I blogged about it blooming last December. It was loaded with flowers. Most of the flowers turned to little fruits, but many of these were self-pruned, until I had half a dozen left. Probably the right number for so young and small a tree. They certainly seem to take a long time to ripen. In fact for awhile, Dan was positive I actually had a lime tree instead of lemon.

Dan said this one was delicious in his iced tea. What I'm hoping for, is to be able to make my great-grandmother's lemon cream pie. A lemon lovers to die for! Traditionally I make it once a year for Christmas, though I have been known to make myself a lemon pie for my birthday instead of cake. I just hope the rest of the lemons turn out all right.

19 comments:

Evelyn said...

Could the lemon have been too ripe on the tree? How large a pot does it grow in? Would love to see a photo of the tree. I planted a few Meyer lemon seeds and have 3 growing. Don't know if they will do anything, but I love trying.

Lynda said...

Kinda' looks like a sunburn! My Meyers' are covered with lemons again this year. The Eureka lemon is a bit sparse..they usually are flush one year and then hit and miss the next. None of my citrus will be ripe until December. Lucky you having one so early!

Anonymous said...

It is a really good size though! I have a young tree, but have only had ones 1/4 the size of my palm. Bright yellow and ripe, just tiny. I hope the rest of them stay good!

Leigh said...

Evelyn, from what I read, Meyers lemons will ripen on the tree and keep. IOW, they won't over-rippen before picking. I think Lynda may have the cause.

Lynda, I've had sunscald on tomatoes and peppers, but didn't think it would happen to the lemons. Especially since they're shaded most of the day! But it does look like sunscald. The tree needs to come in soon for the winter, but next year I'll find a better location.

Thewritinghouse, I was amazed at the size! Especially since the tree is still so small. Have you tried any of yours yet? Our first one was really tasty.

Theresa said...

Well, it's a big one for sure and glad it was tasty!
The pie sounds quite yummy!

Nina said...

Sweet! That lemon is huge! I've not been able to find a replacement lemon tree. When we had to sell the house, I sent mine to live with my daughter and she forgot to water it.
Enjoy and when you make that pie, please share the recipe. mmmmmm

trump said...

Good morning folks, and maybe that lemon looks like that beacuse of the crazy weather that we had this summer?.Or maybe i really dont know what im talking about,lol. Richard

Sherri B. said...

Congratulations, how exciting! I so love the Meyer lemon but know I will never be growing any up here, at least I can enjoy as you share with us. xo

Woolly Bits said...

we've grown two citrus trees from seeds and nothing happened for years. then we had a few flowers - and one fruit. which turned out to be a very small grapefruit:)) it was extremely sour in taste, but at least we knew what it was. unfortunately they suffered a lot in the dome during the first hard winter - and the second one gave them the last push. one of them died off altogether, the other one sprouted a few tiny leaves - which were devoured by a slug:(( I think that was the final insult, because nothing happened after that. you can sometimes buy small lemon trees in garden centers here, but they are extremely expensive and to risk them being killed off by frost again - I prefer to buy my lemons in the shop:))

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

Wish I could grow a lemon tree here in NC it's warm but not that warm..

CaliforniaGrammy said...

Oh how I miss our lemon tree. We had a Meyer planted in the ground right outside my kitchen window for thirty years while we raised our family in Southern California. That's the one thing I miss the most since we sold it twelve years ago. I'm amazed at the cost of a lemon in the grocery store! Now that we've relocated we have great plans on planting lots of fruit trees, and at the top of the list is a lemon tree!

Susan said...

I have a Meyers tree that is covered with lemons - but they are not turning yellow. How long did it take for yours to ripen? That is a large lemon!

NancyDe said...

They take a good long time to ripen. You can pick them a bit green and they will continue to turn yellow off the tree. Your lemon looks like that because it was on the ground.

In colder climates, lemons/citrus take a long time to mature and bear fruit.

Leigh said...

Theresa, I'm truly amazed at the size. It is very tasty though. I can't wait to try them in my pie!

Nina, I will definitely share the recipe. And pics! Sorry to hear your lemon had an untimely demise.

Richard, your guess is as good as mine! :)

Sherri, thanks. I wasn't sure if I could grow one either. The real challenge will be keeping it alive as it gets bigger. The pot is pretty heavy right now as it is.

Bettina, how odd! Maybe it was a hybrid lemon(?) We will have to move ours indoors before first frost. Hopefully I can keep it alive all winter.

Ginny, mine is potted. It only stays outside in summer. During the winter, it has to live inside!

CaliforniaGrammy, how wonderful to be able to grow one outside. Mine is potted, so I know it's growth will be limited, which probably means it's lemon production will too.

Susan, it bloomed last December, so it's been 10 months! Seems like a long time, doesn't it?

Nancy, thank you for the info! We do have hot summers, but our winters are not friendly to tender plants. I will have to pick the other lemons before they fall. I thought I read somewhere that Meyers lemons stay ripe on the tree without overripening for quite awhile. That may not be the case!

Cat Eye Cottage said...

I bought a Meyer lemon tree this year, and it has probably 5 fruits on it. They are not nearly that size, and not yet ripe. I know I'll probably have to put it in the greenhouse soon, so I'll see what happens to the fruit. Congrats on yours!

Leslie said...

That is a good size Meyer lemon! The one thing I miss from the last house we lived in is our Meyer lemon tree. It was always loaded with lemons of varying stages. Hope your next will be a good one, take care!

Scented Leaf said...

Congratulations for your lemon crop. Mine lemon trees bonsai (maybe it is my fault) did not keep their lemons till ripe them ;-) It is great to make tea with lemon picked from your own tree.

Leigh said...

Candace, mine took a terribly long time to ripen. I admit I am amazed at the size. Maybe it was the compost(?)

Leslie, mine is still pretty small and sadly must remain a potted plant! Would love to have one outside my door. The flowers have an absolutely heavenly scent.

Scented Leaf, thanks! Most of the lemons on this one dropped way early. Still, I'm happy for the few that remain. The last four are still ripening, but looking pretty good.

Unknown said...

Meyer Lemon grow in pot.