Troubled Dwarf Lime and Lemon

Question

I have one each of potted dwarf Meyer lemon and Mexican lime, and while they seem to be growing happily (great small, perfect looking foliage, strong stems, good blossoms and fruit set), the fruits it grows contain NO acidity! You cut them open and they are juicy and smell wonderfully of lime or lemon from the rind, but the insides are sugar water. The pots they are in are quite roomy: the roots are not bound up and appear healthy to the tips. I’ve tried the fruits as soon as they fully color and months after, and they are still the same flavorless blah. Should I repot them in a specific mixture, or amend with something to get them to tart up? I use a citrus tree fertilizer several times a year already.

Answer 1

It sounds like you may be being too kind to your trees. A combination of just a tad too much water and too much fertilizer can cause this. The fruit grows so fast that the flavor does not have a chance to concentrate. Meyer lemons are already on the sweet side, so it does not take much to push it over the edge. I would recommend just cutting back on the fertilizer. That should help concentrate the flavor more.