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crowley66

Am I loving my lemon tree to death?

3 years ago

I have a small potted lemon tree. It had only been just okay for a couple years, and then started flowering and growing fruit. But the fruit has grown so slowly, and there's little new growth. I added a single Jobe's potted citrus fertilizer spike. No change. I then noticed the leaves getting sticky and small scabs along the underside so I hand washed the entire plant to wipe off all pests, and sprayed with an organic insecticide. I was then inserting another fertilizer spike when I discovered the old one had become a truly foul smelling slime! I've asked the manufacture if this is normal but haven't heard back.


At this point, it has three golf ball sized fruit. Last year, I'd put it outside and something ate all the small fruit. So I hoped they were big enough to be safe, and placed the plant outside again. But now the leaves are blanching -- something I've never seen it do before. And there's some sort of scab on one of the fruit, and I'm seeing small scabs along the top spine of the leaves.


So... Did my fertilizer turn rancid? Is that where the flies came from? Am I over-fertilizing it? Is something else eating it now? I'm truly at a loss for how to make this plant happy.


P.S. I'm located in Boston.








Comments (11)

  • 3 years ago

    Actually your tree looks quite healthy. The insects along the mid rib look to be scale. You can kill them with a horticulture oil spray, soapy water spray, or neem oil spray. The large spot is caused by birds picking on the fruit.


    Chris Crowley thanked Silica
  • 3 years ago

    😅 Thanks! Any guess why the leaves are turning white?

  • 3 years ago

    I agree about scale. Did you gradually put your tree outside or just straight into direct sunlight? I would also advise against the spikes. Jobes granular works just fine and it's cheaper too. The spikes just don't seem to do as well.

    Chris Crowley thanked bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
  • 3 years ago

    I may be wrong, but I am slightly dubious that the green bumps along the leaf veins are scale. Do they come off very easily with a finger nail? If not I suspect oedema.

    Chris Crowley thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
  • 3 years ago

    Thank you all.


    @bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening, I did just move the tree outside so instead of 2 hours of afternoon sun it's now getting about 6 hours of morning sun and midday heat. Does that shock the plant? Having done that a few days ago, should I just leave it be for now?


    I think @floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK might be right about the non-scale. They don't wipe off easily, and there is none on the underside. I'll make sure to drain its saucer when I water and see if it improves.

  • 3 years ago

    floral_uk may be right about the oedema, looking at it again on my tablet it looks a little less like scale. As for putting the tree outside, just like you'll get a sunburn if you're indoors all winter and then go spend all day outside in 90 degrees, trees can get sunburned if you don't acclimate them to outside gradually. I suspect that may be some of the lightening you're seeing on your leaves. Once the damage is done, it's done, so now I'd just water as usual. If the plant is outdoors, I wouldn't place it on a saucer, I'd just let it freely drain over the ground. Maybe elevate it a bit so that it can drain more freely. Elevating the pot can also keep the populations of undesirables from the ground down a bit. I've dealt with sunburn even on my own trees this summer just with how intense the sun has been this year when it's been around. Not much you can do other than just let the tree grow.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    oedema in citrus normally shows up on the back of a citrus leaf, not the front. Further the swelling spots of oedema are much larger, than the spots shown in Chirs's photo. Whatever, Chris has nothing to worry much about her tree. It looks healthy. As to the question Chris asked, the answer is Yes, Chris you are loving your tree to death.

  • 3 years ago

    If they don’t wipe off they’re not scale.

  • 3 years ago

    First thing, don't use fertilizer spikes. Dig out the old gunk, and switch to a liquid fertilizer and a slow release supplement such as Osmocote Plus.


    Josh

  • 3 years ago

    I agree with Josh! I was thinking the same thing.


  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Photo 1, 2, 4 - this is from the sun.

    Photos 3, 5 - other, describe what you did in more detail. What and when you sprayed?

    I ask you to donate the originals of these photos, send them by Email or in another way.

    Can't find a way to send a private message.

    Look at my name, in parenthesis E-mail, instead of () insert @

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