Citrus tree yellow leaves?

9 years ago

I bought the orange tree around 5 months ago, planted it in a huge hole dug in our clay soil, mixed the clay with 40L of compost and put it back in the hole with the tree planted in a raised mound above ground. Covered exposed ground with pine needles, lawn clippings and compost, careful not to let any touch the trunk of tree. Tree receives full sun everyday. Deep watered once weekly. It Is spring here. There is a citrus tree growing healthy next door, as well as numerous healthy citrus trees through the neighbourhood.

When I bought the tree, only its top two leaves were completely yellow, I was inexperienced so thought it was from lack of sun and bought the tree. After some time planted in ground, all the leaves went yellow. I researched, and came across deficiencies. First I sprayed all leaves lightly with iron chelate. Tree is now flowering (which I'm removing to encourage tree to focus on growing). The yellowing is now random, some leaves are full yellow, others yellow with green veins, while some are green, and new growth leaves also light green, some leaves have holes, some are deep yellow and have brown at the tips, others are green with yellow at the tips. (insane!!) This makes me question if its a single deficiency or multiple?

I have fed tree with blood & bone, Potash, Dried Blood, Epsom salt and iron (not all at once) I am looking for Foliage Pro in garden centres. Anything else I can do? I have posted links with pictures of my tree, photos taken today.

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Comments (5)

Ken "Fruity Paws" (N-Va 7a)
9 years ago
Joe,

My experience in my clay soil here is that plants/trees that don't like wet feet don't like clay unless properly prepared. I've got persimmon, cherry, and pears planted in the clay directly. But it is only clay backfill and the sloped so no pooling of water. they're doing great. Since you dug out the hole and mixed backfill, if the clay doesn't have good drainage (which what clay does?)... then you may be swamping out the roots. Did you do a drainage test in the clay before you put the tree in? My citrus are in pots, but for my plants which are wet feet averse, I plant in raised bed or mounds above the clay.

Besides water retaining in the clay, you may also want to check your pH. Uptake of many nutrients is inhibited without a slightly acidic pH. Foliar application may help short-term if your pH is off, until that can be corrected.

The holes look like physical damage (mine get hole that from fluttering leaves and spines). But you might look underneath for any critters.

I'm sure the pros will chime in shortly (I'm a hobby grower).

Cheers

Ken
Farmer Joe thanked Ken "Fruity Paws" (N-Va 7a)
poncirusguy6b452xx
9 years ago
After the flowers set into fruits you will need to break them off so the tree puts its energy into roots and foliage. The yellow leaves will never green up but they are still producing food for the tree. Mounding up was a very good idea. Remove the support stick holding the tree up. My citrus tree turned yellow and lost all of its leave early this spring. It just leafed out about a month ago and looks fine now. The stems are green and produce food.

6b Steve Cincinnati, Oh
Farmer Joe thanked poncirusguy6b452xx
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Farmer Joe
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you both for your help, and just out of interest, would the reason to wait until fruit sets before breaking them off, rather than breaking off the flowers, be so the bees have a food source? Or would it damage the tree, breaking off the flowers?
Sammers510
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What I've read/know about it is if you pull the flowers off, the tree will just try and make more flowers but if you wait until the fruits are marble sized the tree won't try and replace them and then focus energy into the roots and branches.
Laura LaRosa (7b)
9 years ago
Sammers is right. If you pinch the flowers, it will just grow more!