Meyer Lemon leaves dropping! Help!

9 years ago

I have a potted dwarf meyer lemon that I keep on my deck in the summer (phila., pa) and under grow lights in winter. It's been struggling the past few years with different ailments but this summer it really leafed out a lot and started looking good and healthy! Then about 2 weeks ago, the leaves started yellowing and dropping off at an alarming rate! I have fed it with espoma citrus-tone per package instructions and have it in soil marketed for citrus. What is wrong with my Caroline? Yes, I name my plants! Please help! See photos!

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myermike_1micha

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hgonet....Unfortunely for me it's better to put my trees in the shade when I take off for a few days than to leave them in the sun. Sometimes your pots stay wet even though it's hot because the roots will just shut down and stop taking up moisture which leaves them left to die in a sea of plenty, especially with constant moisture..If the roots are healthy enough, they will start to take up moisture again once they cool off a bit. Hopefully they were not susceptible to spide mites at a time when the leaves were weak...Do check for them and until the roots cool off, don't fertilize to make it worst...

As for mites, just because you don't see webs, does not mean you do not have them. BY the time you see webbing, it can be too late to save any plant or to stop and epidemic of them from killing your tree and other plants near by. That is why you need a magnifying glass to examine the underneath of the leaves very carefully It should be a monthly ritual to check for them, especially in winter. Prevention is always the best cure...One treatment does not rid them for good either...You need to do several days apart to kill the adults and hatching eggs too..At this time of the year, spraying down the leaves almost every day in the a.m can go a long way preventing mites from taking hold.

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Comments (9)

johnmerr
9 years ago
You may be keeping it to wet. You should also check it with a loupe for spider mites.
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hgonet thanked johnmerr
pip313
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That upside down bottle is for watering? If so John is probably right and your keeping the soil too wet. As bad as drying out is, being constantly wet is far worse. Dry roots will recover faster than rotted roots.
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hgonet thanked pip313
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hgonet
Original Author
9 years ago
Okay, maybe that's it. I did empty out the bottle and will try to let it dry out. We had a few very hot weeks here and I go away on the weekends so I thought the bottle would help. It is inserted into a terra cotta "plant nanny". Hopefully if I let it dry out it will recover! As for spider mites, it did have them before over the winter. I thought I got rid of them as I do not see any webbing now. I treated it with horticultural oil just in case because I didn't know what was wrong with it. I really don't want it to die!
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pip313
9 years ago
People are so dramatic, even heavily webbed plants will be fine. Just kill them when you see them.
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myermike_1micha
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Pip, you're too funny. I wish I had that same mental attitude about mites..They have always been my nemesis, therefore never a problem with me if I can help it.. Enjoy the day)
hgonet
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks all for your comments. Mikerno... when you suggest spraying leaves in the am, do you just mean with water?
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pip313
9 years ago
I have Crohn's disease. Used to have my medical marihuana card. Had spider mites many times, sometimes real real bad. Never lost a plant. Ever.
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myermike_1micha
9 years ago
Pip, I am sorry to hear you have that. My Nephew has it and it can be very painful. I hope you have been ok and have been keeping it at bay. That's great you never lost a plant). I still hate the suckers...lol

Hgonet, you are welcome. When you spray anything with oils in it, always spray as early as possible, and never when the temps will reach over 90 that day. I like to treat mine with any type of oils at night and then in the a.m I do a rinse with just water to wash the excess oils of the oils..
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hgonet thanked myermike_1micha