Dwarf Meyer Lemon fertilizer question

Last winter, I bought a Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree, and planted it in a 14" pot. It is outside, on the patio. We had a record-breaking rainy winter here in San Francisco, so after planting it I never had to water it until recently. I'm using a water meter, and waiting for it to just go dry before watering. It seems OK, as it has not dropped any leaves. Last time, I did my first fertilizing. I used Miracid, but the directions on the box are unclear. It says
For outdoor plants, 1 Tablespoon of Miracid to 1 gallon of water, soak soil as far as branches reach.
For houseplants, 1 teaspoon of Miracid to 1 gallon of water.

This tree is outside, but it is in a pot. Which amount of Miracid should I use? To be conservative, not wanting to burn the leaves, I used the houseplant formula.

The leaves are yellow, and had been yellow while it was getting drenched with rain every day through most of April. In the last month, I'm sure I'm not overwatering it, so I think I need to use more fertilizer. How much do you recommend?

Your lemon tree does look like it is suffering from nitrogen deficiency, but yellow leaves can also be caused by overwatering, mites, whiteflies, root damage and greasy spot.

Citrus need moist but not soggy soil. With all the rain you received this winter, your poor lemon tree probably suffered from overwatering and possibly some root damage. Don't go in the opposite direction by not giving it enough water. Citrus do need moist soil. Allowing it to go too dry between watering, may result in leaf drop and loss of blooms and fruit.

Citrus are heavy feeders. Use a slow-release fertilizer developed for citrus. It contains all the major nutrients as well as the micronutrients citrus need. Liquid fertilizers get leached out of the soil too fast requiring frequent feedings which leads to salt buildup in the soil. In San Francisco, you may be able to get your Meyer lemon to produce fruit year round requiring fertilizer year round. I used to live in the foothills of San Jose and my Meyer had fruit of all sizes year round.

I recommend getting Sunset's Citrus - Selection Guide, Planting and Care. It has some very useful information. This link,
http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/crops/citrus.shtml
will take you to UC Davis' Citrus page. If you don't find what you need, click on the Backyard button at the top of the page for more information pertinent to the backyard orchardist.
Veronica

Thank you, BettyDee.

I will purchase a slow release, non liquid fertilizer especially for citrus trees. I will also keep my eye out for that Sunset book.

I had downloaded some care information from Four Winds Nursery (which you can find here: http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/growing/containers.html), and the watering section says this:

Watering
Consistency is the key with citrus watering. Citrus trees require soil that is moist but never soggy. Watering frequency will vary with soil porosity, tree size, and environmental factors. DO NOT WATER IF THE TOP OF THE SOIL IS DRY WITHOUT CHECKING THE SOIL AT ROOT LEVEL! A simple moisture meter, available at garden supply stores, will read moisture at the root level. This inexpensive tool will allow you to never have to guess about whether or not a plant needs water.
A wilted tree that perks up within 24 hours after watering indicates the roots got too dry. Adjust watering schedule accordingly. A tree with yellow or cupped leaves, or leaves that don't look perky AFTER watering can indicate excessive watering and soggy roots. Give your tree water less often.
Citrus prefer infrequent, deep watering to frequent, shallow sprinklings. Creating a watering basin around the tree's drip line can aid in deep watering. Deeper watering promotes deeper root growth and strengthens your tree. Generally, once or twice a week deep watering works well for container specimens. Be sure to adjust based on weather conditions!
In general, it is probably best to water in the morning, but if plants are dry or wilted it is better to water them right away than wait until morning. See our watering page for more.

So I have been using the water meter and taking the reading at the bottom of the pot. Is this not correct? Should I be taking the reading, say, 3 inches down? The soil in the pot is about 12.5 inches in diameter, and about 10 inches deep. I have not noticed any wilting or perking up. We do have fierce afternoon winds here.

Thanks again for all your help!

...Sherry

Sherry, I don't use a water meter, and most people I know who successfully grow citrus do not either. Use your finger, either 3 inches down from the top, in the bottom, or both.

Some of your leaves appear to have the inverted "V" of magnesium deficiency, but hard to tell exactly from the photo.

Check out this link on citrus nutrition: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/CH/CH14200.pdf

I would also consider checking the root for root rot given how much rain you had.

Meyers are finicky, I grow several citrus with more ease than Meyers...just my opinion.

SB

Thank you, StressBaby.

I will check the soil with my finger. That was a great link to the citrus nutrition document, thanks!

I also bought today some Schultz Citrus and Tropical slow release plant food, which I will use next time I water. It does have magnesium in it, too.

Keeping my fingers crossed. :-)

...Sherry