Can You Plant A Meyer Lemon Bush Outside?

Q: Can you plant Meyer lemon bushes outside? I’ve had mine for three years. My husband is tired of moving it in and out and wants to know if I can just plant it outside and leave it. 

A: I know your husband would wish for another answer, but Meyer lemon doesn’t have a chance of surviving a Georgia winter. Farmers in south Georgia are planting Satsuma oranges because they tolerate cold temperatures down to 15 degrees, if properly acclimated. You could order a small Satsuma tree online, plant it in a sheltered spot, and stand ready to cover it on cold nights. Even so, my bet is your husband would tire of that pretty quickly too.