Hi,

I live in Australia and so its late summer. I have a variegated Meyer Lemon in a large trough that receives about 6 hours of hot afternoon sun every day.

It has lost all its leaves except 6 over the summer; it has always had sparse foliage and hasn't actually made new leaves for a year! Its adequately fertilised and watered. There are no fruit. As you may imagine, its just all twigs!!!

In a last ditch effort, I am going to put it into the ground and in a shadier spot.

Any advice going about it, given the plant's fragility?

Also should it be prune and if so, how?

Sincere thanks for your thoughts and advice!

Is it on rootstock or cutting grown? Check the trunk for borer holes, sap or gum. At the soil level, check for any wound like damage, or flaking bark aka collar rot. Dig some soil away from the trunk and check for all above BELOW soil level. Check for any pink insects infesting the trunk here also.
Is the plant securily anchored by its roots, if not there may be root damage.
If grafted onto rootstock, check the union for signs of incompatability, ie swelling at the union, rootstock outgrowing the scion etc

If you bareroot the plant when you remove it from the tub, check for all of above, and also check for any brown decayed roots. Hopefully you will find a good fibrous root system, and some new white root tips if its ok
With few leaves on the plant, its probably not necessary to prune back?
If last leaves are up high, i would leave it, if down low it may be ok to take off some bare twigs above, to rest the plant from trying to re activate too many buds at once.