1 have a newly purchased 3 gallon meyer lemon and i have a half whiskey barrel will the half whiskey barrel be to large to put the meyer lemon in now?
it has always seemed strange to me that you can't plant a "smaller" plant in a large pot, but you can plant it i the ground i'm sure it's the moisture difficulty (???)

I have no particular expertise with citrus, and only have a single plant, but I would not think that would be a problem at all. After all, citrus are grown in the ground, so what's the big deal about a large pot/tub/barrel? You still need well-draining soil and plenty of large drainage holes in that barrel.

I am sure others will have more experience and not just give you a "guess".

thank you that was my first thought ....

Wait for someone much more expert than I. I wouldn't want to have given you poor information.

Here is a list of ATP members who own a Meyer's Lemon tree.
http://garden.org/lists/plant/...

@lisam0313, @Lavanda and @Gothicgardener, can you advise Rita in Angleton, TX, Zone 9a, whether a newly purchased 3 gallon Meyer Lemon should be potted up directly to a half whiskey barrel, or if some other method is preferred?

I grow Improved Meyer's Lemon in a pot. It is 3 years old. I was told to transplant it from the 5 gallon pot into a 10 gallon pot and keep it there for 5 years if I planned to keep it as a potted plant. If the pot is too large, the tree will concentrate on it's root system instead of growing branches, flowering and fruit. So far, so good. It has enjoyed a sunny spot on the front porch all winter and his flowers on it now.

On that note, I also have a Miewa kumquat tree. It was in a 7 gallon pot when we got it at 4 feet tall. Hubby wanted one before he went into th hospital for 3 months. That was 2 years ago. Needless to say, I didn't have much time to transplant it into a new pot.

After his discharge, we were busy with Physical Therapy, doctor appointments, my work, and chores etc.. It is still in the 7 gallon pot but has been producing like a Champ. I think it's earned it's new home this spring!

There is a lot of information on citrus on this grower's website. They've been around since I was a kid ( a loooooong time!).
https://www.fourwindsgrowers.c...

Citrus for me, have always done better in the ground than in containers, but it's been more of a nutrient issue. I've been fertilizing this year like crazy, a dwarf Naval I've got in a container, and it's finally coming back around. Once a year just doesn't seem to do it...

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning w/ the smaller container that Cheryl gave.. but 4 Winds recommends against a pot too large so that you have better control over the moisture. They do need good drainage and don't want to stay wet, which I could see happening with an over large container. What we do in California could be very different from your climate too..

I'd love to get a Kumquat... when I worked in nurseries, we'd pretty much strip the bushes by munching on them whenever we'd walk by.. I do grow a Satsuma mandarin, which I would recommend to anyone that can grow citrus. They ripen in December/January here.... are sweet, peel easily and have virtually no seeds. I'm at the tail end of them now.

Experts advise fertilizing 3 times a year here, Sherry. Spring, summer and fall.

Mind you, the climate here is very different, and we do get lots of heavy rain in the summer to leach away nutrients. Combined with a lot of places having nothing but sand for soil, drainage is not an issue but nutrients do need to be added/replenished regularly. I'd think a pot with good drainage would be a similar situation.

Sadly, nobody's planting citrus here these days. Everybody's got The Plague. (Citrus Greening disease - Huanglongbing) including my lovely little Meiwa kumquat, which as you say was very handy for snacking upon.

I didn't think much about the size of the pot when I planted mine -- except I had a very large pot on the porch with nothing in it -- and I brought the Myer lemon home and put it in there. I'd say the pot was at least 5 times the size of the rootball (pot probably knee high and very wide). This is the first year for it - and I planted it in Sept. It's been in the GH all winter - growing taller and producing tons of little lemons. Maybe it was just "dumb luck" - but I suspect that pot would have been considered too large at the time -- glad now that I don't have to transplant it.

The problem with potting plants up into much larger containers it that it can take a long time for the roots to fill the new container. This almost always results in watering problems. If you plan to keep your lemon tree in a pot I would suggest go up one size and re-pot often as the roots fill each container. While in smaller containers it will need frequent watering, possibly daily if the plant is outside in the sun.

thiemcathe. That is generally true, particularly dealing with houseplants. My rule of thumb is to increase the pot diameter 2" when repotting. Orchids are different though. I might increase the pot size only 3/4"-1". Plants that are normally outside (full-sun plants) are also different. Does one limit their root growth when grown in the soil, outside? The main things to remember is to have the potting soil really well-draining, have plenty of bottom holes or at least one large one, empty the catch-saucer after watering, and allow the top two or so inches of potting media to dry out before re-watering. Within reason, I really don't think you can over-pot a citrus tree if you follow those simple rules.

OK, I am prejudiced... I LOVE Meyer
lemons, aka Valley lemons. Love to eat them raw, like candy <3.

We have ours in the ground.

But if you live in a climate where they will more than likely freeze in the winter, having them in a large pot that you can bring inside in the winter will be preferable. Bu t keep in mind the weight you will be dealing with. Also think about the space where it will be placed.

They enjoy a cool, but not freezing, climate in winter, which is when they begin the bloom cycle, and plenty of sunlight.

If you jostle it around a lot while moving in & out, you will have much blossom drop.

Meyers are quite hardy. Ours are in the ground
outside, in a sunny, south-exposed spot, protected from the wind and in a warm micro-climate.

They survived the past two horrid winters, but
just barely.

Good luck with yours.