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Growing Meyer Lemons in the San Lorenzo Valley
Honest answer first: the San Lorenzo Valley is a poor fit for citrus in the ground. Redwood shade, acidic soil, and cold-air frost pockets all work against a Meyer lemon. There is a real workaround, but it is a container on a sunny ridge, not a tree in the canyon.
Growing Meyer Lemons in the Santa Cruz Banana Belt
If you garden in the county's warm sunny pocket above the fog, you have the easiest place in Santa Cruz to grow a Meyer lemon. More heat, milder nights, and rare frost add up to sweet, well-sized fruit with very little fuss.
Growing Meyer Lemons in the Santa Cruz Coastal Fog Belt
Along the Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Aptos coast, a Meyer lemon will live happily, but cool foggy summers and short sun slow ripening and thin the skin. It works here. It just asks for patience and a sunny spot.