after pruning

I finally bought a pair of pruners and trimmed my Meyer tree. Some articles I read said to trim lemon trees in the spring, and some said that it doesn't matter when lemon trees are pruned. I decided to go ahead and prune since I have already cut off a few branches and it is doing fine. I also didn't want any effort put into growing branches that I was planning to cut off anyway.

Compared to how Meyer used to look, its after-pruning appearance leaves something to be desired. I much prefer the bush I bought to the spindly plant I have now, but from what I've read, this is better in the long-run and will allow for a better crop. The tree has two main branches, and I see the beginnings of a third branch that would form a lovely tripod effect on the tree, so I'm hoping it will grow and strengthen. I also pulled off many of the flowers and fruits it was already bearing so the tree could put its effort into the remaining branches. I left some of the flowers for now, but I'm sure I'll end up pinching those off as well.

This picture also shows Meyer's new home. It's a plastic blue pot that is supposedly fully recyclable. DH drilled some big holes in the bottom, and I bought a cheap clear plastic tray since I couldn't find a matching one. I really wanted a ceramic pot that I saw at Lowe's, but it was $33 and the coordinating tray was $22. I couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on a pot that 1) Meyer would outgrow in ~16 months (according to the grower) and 2) would be too heavy to move.

I'm still in the planning stages of the rest of my balcony garden. DH and I hit up a few thrift stores a couple weeks ago and scored a couple of terra cotta pots and a fun metal container for the garden. The book I mentioned said that you can make a themed garden using colors and containers, but I'm not sure I want to do that. I kind of like the idea of just using a mish-mash of things I find in thrift stores and creating a special look that's mine. I figure if I change my mind, I can switch around the look without too much of a hit to my wallet.