Meyer Lemon Leaves Yellowing from Inside Out

8 years ago

Hi All,
The past few weeks my indoor Meyer Lemon has been struggling, with the leaves turning yellow from the veins outward. I had pruned it a few weeks ago as well, and at first I thought it was just dropping some older leaves due to focus on new growth after the pruning (it's sprouting 5 or so new side shoots just under where I pruned), or that it was dropping some leaves for winter. However, it's lost probably 40% of its leaves now, so I feel like something else is going on.
Any ideas?

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Comments (5)

Fletcher Liverance
Original Author
8 years ago
For some additional info, lighting is the same (13 hours of a 24W LED lamp/day), water about once every 2-3 weeks, about 1-2 quarts per watering using tap water + a little vinegar to bring the pH down to ~6.5. Haven't done any fertilizer in about 6 months, before that was about a cup of citrus-tone mixed into the top 2-3 inches of soil. The nearby clementine and key lime are doing quite well in the same lighting/humidity/temperature.
TheyCallMeDave
8 years ago
I would give it some fertilizer.... if it's indoors, you can fertilize.... If you give 1 spoon of fertilizer in the summer, I'd step down to half spoon. Perhaps cutting back on the vinegar may be needed...
Fletcher Liverance thanked TheyCallMeDave
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PacNorWreck
8 years ago
Looks to me to almost certainly be not enough light. The central vein yellowing is usually a sign the plant is reclaiming nutrients in anticipation of dropping the leaf, and the timing (the day before the winter solstice, when days are at their very darkest) seems to lend credence to it being a light problem. Is this location getting any natural light? A 24W led is probably not enough. I'd try more light and see if that helps and definitely don't over water.
Fletcher Liverance thanked PacNorWreck
Fletcher Liverance
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you for your advice!

I gave it a dose of liquid fertilizer (generic Miracle-Gro 24-8-16), yesterday, and I came in today and for the first time in ~2 weeks it hadn't dropped leaves, hopefully it keeps up. I'm ordering some additional citrus specific ferts as well as I know the miracle grow is not the right balance and I doubt it has micronutrients Citrus needs.

The tree receives indirect light from the window, almost all of its light comes from the LED grow lamp and the office fluorescents. The heating vents are right above the windows, so I keep it 5-10 feet away from all the windows. I checked it with my light meter and it's ~500 (I think it's in lumens) where the yellowed leaves are, full sun in summer by the windows is ~1500, and in winter (right now in Michigan) it's around 350 by the windows. I'll move over another lamp and see if it helps.
sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
8 years ago
Not enough light and if the container is placed on the floor, floor level air is cold, especially in the winter.