Author Topic: Disease / Care Help Needed Please  (Read 1937 times)

telecaster

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Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« on: June 08, 2020, 03:40:12 PM »
Hello first time post,

I have only been learning citrus for about and year and so far have learned much but still a novice.  I think I am practicing good watering and feeding techniques.  Water once a week deeply, feed once a month, adjust the water PH with vinegar.  Plants are inside in winter and outside in summer. 

However lately I have an issue.  I notice some leaf drop and yellowing on my Myer lemon, so I put it in a larger pot with citrus soil and made sure it is well drained (however there could be some water collection but I am trying. not to pull it out of the pot again but the soil drains through.

The yellowing starts as splotchy and then spreads and it was only on one branch but is wider now.  I have looked at a million pictures on nutrients and it doesn't look like magnesium or nitrogen but what do i know.  I fear it is greening HLB.  I have seen one or two very small insects that may resemble the aphid but I am no entomologist (although I am sure my neighbors are enjoying me looking at trees with a magnifying glass).  I did add some epson salts to the water recently just in case but that has only been a few days.

I notice white dimples that look dusty, the leaf discoloration and drop, I have seen a few sticky black spots but not many.  The veins are light colored not dark as the leaves lighten.  I am including photos of my myer lemon and the lime tree.

Any help will be appreciated. (608,609,610, and 607 are the Myer Lemon and the other is the Lime (with lager leaves)

John














Bomand

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2020, 05:01:52 PM »
You stated that you do not think this is a nutrient problem....but...I think it is. Specifically manganese and magnesium. Since these are container trees they are going to need trace elements. For a few treez that are overwintered inside I recommend a all element supplement. They are available at the big box stores. Sometimes Meyer Lemon is sensitive to environmental changes....moving sometimes will cause leaf drop. I do not see hlb in your tree....could have it but I do not see it. Do not see the insects you spoke of. Send us a close up of the insects, your container & soil mix and I will try to help you. Welcome to the forum. Lots of nice folks in here and more useful facts & information that you can use.

Millet

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2020, 05:51:11 PM »
Like Bomand, I also do not see any sign of HLB.  Pictures 1, 2 & 7 just look like old leaves.  The life span of a citrus leaf is approximately 18 months.  When a citrus leaf  can no longer pull its weight, the tree first withdraws any nutrients still remaining in the leaf to re use (nothing is wasted), that is why the leaf turns yellow. then quickly discards it. Their is no welfare plan for old citrus leaves.  Picture 4 could show that the tree either had, or still has, a spider mite problem.  Spider mites are easy to cure.  Just give the tree a good wash down with straight water once a day for 2 or 3 days.  If you have some horticultural oil to spray, that will also work. Spider mites are hard to see, but with a steady hand and a lens you should see them.  Welcome to the forum. Nice having you as a member.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2020, 10:44:08 PM by Millet »

telecaster

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2020, 10:29:06 PM »
Thanks that is a relief    I will go to a garden store here and get a micro nutrient mix.  If you have a specific suggestion that would be great.  I will give a try to getting a shot of the insects.  However after looking at the trees for a while I have only seen a very few.  So I will try a water spray and maybe Neem oil and the micronutrients.  ( if all that at once is cool)

I have added a table spoon of epson salt to a half half gallon of water but only this week. My water is quite alkaline here. 

Thanks for the advice!!   

telecaster

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2020, 08:19:34 AM »
The soil mix for the lemon tree is pictured. It is really only half that because the tree came with something.  This is the soil I added when I repotted the lemon tree.  The lime tree in the larger pot is just some sort of standard mix.  This was my first tree.   Btw should I trim the lower limbs on both trees?  I have a hard time telling which ones are suckers since they are so close to the graft.

Thanks so much for your help.










Bomand

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2020, 09:17:15 AM »
I do not see any rootstock growth below your grafts. This would be the only reason to remove growth from a young tree. The reason for removing growth from rootstock takes nutrient from the part of the tree that you want to thrive. In a lot of cases rootstock  grows faster than the grafted part, causing tbe rootstock to take over the plant. It appears that your planting medium and containers need a little change. Soil mixtures need to be the right combination. Search for container soil mixes on the forum & you will find good mixes. Millet has a winner with his combination. Fill containers within 1 inch of the top and set your tree at the level it has grown at.

telecaster

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2020, 11:53:25 AM »
Thanks for the reply.  I have looked at the soil mix search and it’s clear I don’t have the right setup.  Will grab the stuff for 5:1:1 today when I get the nutrient supplement. When I repot should I actually remove all the old soil from the roots? Or just add the mix around the other mix?

All this information is a big help

Bomand

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2020, 02:58:18 PM »
Take the opportunity to inspect your root system. Look for roots that follow the contour of the pot. Look for pest. Look for a portion of the roots to be white new growth. Wash off all the old medium and repot. Water well.  Look for new signs of new growth to take place in the near future.

telecaster

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2020, 06:29:32 PM »
So yesterday I created a 5:1:1 mix (bark, perolite, peat).  I removed the tree and looked at the roots.  They were in a very tight ball. The soil at the bottom of the pot was very wet even though I had been watering once a week. Apparently the citus mix is really bad for citrus because the drainage sucks.  I didn’t see much white new growth. I washed off the old soil and reported in the new mix.  I also watered with food and the elemental trace mix.  I actually already see a bit of deepening of color (or that is clinical bias).

Pictures below are the tree, the soil, and the only insect I could find in a leaf.

I will keep the thread posted.  I should have taken a picture of the roots but I was juggling allot   








Millet

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2020, 10:15:47 PM »
Now that you have switched from a potting soil type medium to a 5-1-1 you will have to learn how to water the 5-1-1.   Being that 5-1-1 is a free draining medium you do not have to worry much about over watering.   But that does not mean that you should drown the tree.  During a hot summer months,  the tree might have to be watered every 3 days.  When you do water, water the tree well.  Fertilize the tree every 2 weeks or even a little less, due to the free draining medium.  Good luck to you and your tree. Welcome to the forum.

telecaster

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2020, 12:39:55 PM »
Thanks that is great info.  I will increase the watering.  I did notice instantly how much better drained the soil is.  I am currently using a citrus feed as well as the essential elements supplement.   I was going to add in the element support and feed at 2 times per month.  Maybe 3 times until I see the nutrient deficiency fade?  However I don't want to go too hard the other way. 

Can I add the attached feed and the element 3 times a month?

I am using Jack's Classic Citrus Feed 20-10-20 ( has some elements) and Fert-Lome Iron and other micro nuturiets (Cu, Manganese, Zinc (No magnesium in it?, Should I add that? Other elements I need?

If there are other better products let me know

Thanks,
John




telecaster

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2020, 12:11:32 PM »
I wanted to take the time to thank you all for the help.  The tree is doing great now and has new growth everywhere and some buds.  It took a while for it to react but I followed all the instructions and switched to granulated fertilizer.

Great stuff!!!
Thanks








Millet

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2020, 02:53:15 PM »
The Jack's Citrus FeED already has all the trace minerals that your tree requires.  You don't need to add any additional trace minerals.  Good luck to you and your tree

brian

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Re: Disease / Care Help Needed Please
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2020, 06:20:30 PM »
Nice.  Glad to hear it has recovered