Last August I planted a 2 foot high dwarf Meyer lemon that, based on a tag on the tree was apparently grafted to its root stock in November, 2006. The tree was in full bloom when I got it and produced about 40-50 lemons which are now about 3/4" in size. At this point the tree is once again blooming and appears to be quite healthy. I read that lemons typically mature in 6-9 months. Should I have thinned out the crop to ensure that the remaining lemons get sufficient nourishment to mature or can I leave them on and assume they will all mature eventually? I assume the new flowers will also (hopefully) set fruit. Thanks for any guidance you can provide.

Welcome to the Citrus Growers Forum. Thank you for joining, we are glad to have you as a member. Whether you thin or not, you will wind up with approximately the same amount of actual eatable fruit. Thin and the fruits will be larger in size, do not thin and the fruits will mature smaller in size. The tree will naturally, only hold the amount of fruit it can mature. - Millet (1,403-)

Thanks for your prompt response. How long should it take for the lemons to mature? Also, will the new flowers develop into fruit if there are already so many lemons on the tree? Finally, will I need to support the fruit clusters as they get heavier - I don't want to damage the tree. Lots of questions, the result of no experience with citrus trees.

If the fruit is turning yellow now, or already yellow it is ripe. Once Meyer lemons start to turn orange they get a off flavor to them. Some of the new blooms should produce fruit.

As millet said, if you thin out the fruit, they remaining fruit will get larger in size. I have a Meyer in the ground that is about 12 ft tall. It produces great quality fruit, some almost as large as grapefruit.

I know Meyer lemons are productive, but are some more so than others? I assume a lot of the improved Meyer lemons are clones, and so produce the same but maybe there are some that are not as productive.