Q.
I have a Myers lemon tree in a pot on a
south facing patio. The wall near it faces east and there was a large pine tree
out front so it receives shade in the afternoon. There are quite a few yellow
leaves that just appeared. All the new fruit has turned black. It seems to me
that maybe I just need to replace this tree. The lime tree is doing very well
in a similar location.
A.
The picture you sent to me shows a Myer lemon with ready to harvest fruit being
grown in a small container with smaller plants growing around its base. Meyer
lemon typically flowers sometime in January and February. The fruit can be harvested
starting about now (December) with this harvest, finished by January, encourages new
flower development for next year’s production.
Producing flowers and then fruit in midfall
is early for Meyer lemon. Early flower development can be a sign that it is
under some sort of stress. Certainly it’s not normal for this type of tree at
this time of year.
All fruit trees and vegetables need
a minimum of six hours of full direct sunlight. 8 hours is even better. In home
landscapes the best sunlight for it in our hot climate in the summer months is
during the cooler morning hours. Partial shade may be pleasant for people
sitting on the patio but not for many plants that produce fruit or vegetables.
If shade is present during most sunlight hours,
then I would recommend an ornamental plant for that spot with variegated or colorful
leaves, not a flowering or a fruit-producing plant. A non-flowering ornamental
handles shade better than a flowering plant, whether those flowers produce
fruit or not.
Don’t Plant Annuals at the Base of Perennial Trees
Secondly, and perhaps more
importantly, are the smaller plants demand for frequent watering compared to
the tree. Growing a shallow-rooted plant or plants at the base of a deeper-rooted
plant is a big “no-no” regarding how often water is applied. Shallow-rooted
plants “signal” they need water applied more often than deeper-rooted plants, so
they get water applied more often than the watering frequency needed for deeper-rooted
plant needs.
This type of watering can suffocate the
roots of a deeper-rooted plant. Watering a deeper-rooted plant too often can produce
leaf drop, flower drop, fruit blackening, and a tree that’s “loose in the soil”.
Trees that develop “collar rot disease need to be staked after just a few years
of growth. Does that sound like your fruit tree?
I would replace this tree with a
plant that requires moderate to low levels of sunlight. If you want to grow
other plants along with it, select plants with a similar rooting depth and need
for applied water.