The Tropical Fruit Forum

Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: poncirsguy on April 27, 2021, 03:31:58 PM

Title: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: poncirsguy on April 27, 2021, 03:31:58 PM
Can anyone tell me what this translucent blob is doing on my Fukushu kumquat tree branch and what caused it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/hfmP1LwH/IMG-0225.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hfmP1LwH)

(https://i.postimg.cc/rK5Mr8RT/IMG-0225c.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rK5Mr8RT)
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: brian on April 27, 2021, 03:56:56 PM
the oozing goo looks like phytophthora to me, but I have never seen it on a fresh green branch like that.  I'll wait for somebody else to comment.

If it is phytophthora you can treat with Monterey "agri-fos/garden-fos"  phosphorous acid.  I have had it before and this treatment worked well for me.

(https://mk0citrus4iqeh7tvu64.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Citrus-Phytophthora.jpg)
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: incubator01 on April 28, 2021, 02:08:28 PM
I have seen this before, Did you check the plant for aphids or ants?

Check out this article:
https://www.thoughtco.com/aphid-herding-ants-1968237 (https://www.thoughtco.com/aphid-herding-ants-1968237)

also, does it feel resin like or is it soft and mushy? If resin-like then it's what the article says, if not then I don't know.
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: Yorgos on May 03, 2021, 02:00:10 PM
Hard to tell from the picture.  Snail eggs? They can be laid in a gelatinous mass like that.
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: poncirsguy on May 03, 2021, 02:38:29 PM
This surprised me because the tree is in a near airtight enclosure and doesn't get wet till I remove the enclosure.  It is hard and the stem is wider as if something borer in and the stem split.  There seems to be no ill affects on the tree so I did not trim it off.  Snaild can come out of the soil to lay eggs on the tree but outside insects are barricaded out side.  phytophthora could get anywhere.  It is free of ants and free of aphids. Overall the tree looks better than ever before.
(https://i.postimg.cc/v1DSc5p3/IMG-0234.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v1DSc5p3)
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: Millet on May 03, 2021, 04:12:24 PM
Beware of making the enclosure too air tight.  The tree requires air to supply the tree's need for CO2
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: 850FL on May 05, 2021, 12:40:21 PM
I used sulfur on phyto and it worked well.
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: poncirsguy on May 05, 2021, 08:07:52 PM
My basement window is open to the greenhouse and some air squeezes through the edges of glass'  Nothing larger than a tick can get in.
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: John B on May 07, 2021, 12:42:12 AM
the oozing goo looks like phytophthora to me, but I have never seen it on a fresh green branch like that.  I'll wait for somebody else to comment.

If it is phytophthora you can treat with Monterey "agri-fos/garden-fos"  phosphorous acid.  I have had it before and this treatment worked well for me.

(https://mk0citrus4iqeh7tvu64.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Citrus-Phytophthora.jpg)

Pretty darn sure Brian is correct. I have had this on my kumquat and Tahoe Gold mandarin (on old and new shoots). In my case, it was all my fault!

During a period of switching out the flagging tape for the tanglefoot on both trees, ants starting farming black scale. I got busy for a couple weeks and came back to find both trees infested with the damn scale. So I squished all the ones I could see with my finger nail. I figured I'd spray 'em down right before reapplying the tanglefoot. Within a week, I noticed the same hard oozing coming out of the general area where I killed the  scale. I'm pretty sure I also created a place for the spores to enter.

It did actually damage both small trees pretty bad. The green fresh shoots ended up dying and the older, more woody pieces died back considerably. I lost all the mandarins, too. Luckily they are both growing like weeds now. I did not treat it with anything. I just severely pruned my trees (little bushes). Lesson learned.

I think you may have had something nick your tree, which provided a place for it to enter, but it was not severe. I personally would cut it off so it cannot spread.
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: 850FL on May 11, 2021, 11:28:37 AM
Ive had boring beetles dig holes into my citrus saplings some years when their season  was strong. They mostly went after the stonefruits and avocados, but also some citrus. The trees reacted by oozing sap, which looked and hardened like amber.
But the tree I had a real phyto problem with was a kumquat, which developed it right near the graft union where it looked like a branch was ripped off. The phyto was goopy and didn't harden. I wiped off the goop and slathered sulfur on the area. I believe i also drenched the root zone with a lower strength sulfur solution.. May have also sprayed some leaves. Anyway that got rid of it pretty quick
Title: Re: Blob on citrus tree
Post by: sea4 on May 24, 2021, 06:19:17 PM
If there is little risk to treating for phyto. with sulfur, you might want to try that.
Hard for me to see your pics, but I had a mostly clear, gel like, substance that looked like distinct blobs. I assumed it was an insect issue, did no treatment, and the plant is still alive. I had previously seen similar stuff on a kumquat fruit where a caterpillar had eaten into the fruit and left the blobs ‘behind’.