When Life Gives You Lemons...Clean Your Pyrex!

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In my neighborhood there is no shortage of citrus trees. Folks in other parts of the country may not believe it, but it can be too much!

This year, in addition to scoring some free at gym, a gentleman who owns several trees near downtown Vacaville said I might try cleaning my Pyrex. I got more lemons!

One year, I got a message from another Master Gardener saying “I have a Meyer lemon tree that has a profusion of fruit on it. I have reached out to neighbors and friends who have taken as much as they can, but the tree is still full. “I went twice, the second time with hand pruners, goggles, and gauntlet gloves. I learned “There be thorns!”

These were Meyer lemons, a hybrid between a mandarin orange and a lemon. Not everyone agrees, but I find its sweetness, low acidity, and fragrance truly special. Their limited shelf life makes them hard to find commercially, and especially cherished in my home garden.

Meyer lemons.

The Meyer lemon grows on a small tree, is frost hardy into the low twenties, with fruit that holds well on the tree. The fruit is smaller in size, with skin a darker yellow to orange hue, and it has a wonderfully fragrant zest.

Yellowing of older leaves is common in the winter. Citrus roots do not absorb nitrogen efficiently from cold, wet soils. If adequate nitrogen is present, the leaves will green up as the soil warms and dries.

Too many lemons? Click here.