Help me with citrus trees kumquat, lemon, bitter orange, mandarin

11 years ago

Hello,
I need help with my citrus trees.

Kumquat seems to have some micro deficiency (I hope). The leaves are yellow at the tips. I have had the tree since the beginning of this year. It did well after I planted it in the ground and was fruiting well. Once the heat started we had stress (like most other trees). I pruned dead branches and it responded well with new growth. But then the leaves started turning yellow.

Bitter orange, they said it's narange a big tasty fruit, I thought it was grapefruit (they hardly give proper fruit names, let alone varieties). It got a prob similar to kumquat in addition to pale leaves. It did well in summer as long as it was watered well (slight under watering caused to stress). I pruned lower branches thinking it would help it to grow, but it hasn't grown much.

Mandarin has been here since last year and I can almost swear it hadn't grown an inch. It has curled leaves. I thought it was the heat but am not so sure now. In fact it's leaves are bright green on most part. It's just stunned. I pruned away lower branches but nothing, it just is putting that lower growth back on and very slowly. It bloomed in spring but lost it all a few days later.

Lemon is perfect in the new lower branches (that grow out of control), but the upper growth is yellow. It doesn't seem to grow upward but outward.

I fertilized all plants in May with treated cow manure, fish pellets and chicken pellets (we are told not to fertilize in summer cuz of the heat). A couple of days ago we fertilized with treated cow manure.
I bought Epsom salt in case it would be suggested but haven't used it yet. I am asking here because the only thing people at the nursery would suggest is NPK (chemical fertilizer) or some expensive "vitamins". It's sad but most salespersons here don't even know what they are selling.
Below is kumquat

This post was edited by dubai-gardener on Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 9:48

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Comments (9)

dubai-gardener
Original Author
11 years ago
Bitter orange
dubai-gardener
Original Author
11 years ago
Mandarin
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dubai-gardener
Original Author
11 years ago
Underside of mandarin
dubai-gardener
Original Author
11 years ago
Lemon
dubai-gardener
Original Author
11 years ago
Lemon upper branches
johnmerr
11 years ago
Your lemon is sunburned; it could probably use a shade cloth to protect the new growth until the tree gets bigger and stronger. More water would likely help also. Most of your photos showed significant Magnesium deficiency; so give it a good dose of Epsom Salt. The mandarin has likely been infected with spider mites; a good washing with the hose will help it. Mites like things dry and dirty (dusty). Cow manure and fish pellets are quite good; but you have to use a lot. I would stay away from the chicken, as it is a bit too high in Nitrogen which can cause flower drop.
dubai-gardener
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for your input Johnmerr. So I will go ahead with Epsom salts (they were fine and it happened pretty quickly and I was worried it's some kind of a disease).
In regards to cow manure and fish pellets, how much is a lot? The guys at the nursery always say to use little and not in the summer. I still use more than suggested and I guess that's still not enough (I am now convinced they don't know what they are talking about). Considering we are practically in the desert how often should I fertilize?
In regards to lemon I will probably protect it for next summer. We have extreme heat here in summers, and many plants stress out. Things are cooling down now. And it actually does receive water everyday, the soil is moist all the time, I check it occasionally and never let it dry out (except on a couple of occasions when I couldn't water for a few days).
johnmerr
11 years ago
"practically in the desert how often should I fertilize"... if that means your soil is mostly sand, I would fertilize 5 or 6 times per year and even in the Summer; just be sure to water in well when you do. Does your manure and fish have NPK percentages on the package? How much depends on the size of the trees; but I would probably start with about 1/2 pound of each applied at the drip line, then increase if you see signs of deficiencies or lack of growth. Most organic fertilizers are quite weak and citrus are heavy feeders; so the result is that most people who use organics on their citrus under feed them.
dubai-gardener
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes our soil is pure sand. When I plant the trees I fill the whole with potting soil, compost and manure. I am not sure it has NPK numbers, I'll need to make sure. I'll start with what you recommended, especially now that it's cooling down. Thank you.