What’s melting my Santa Teresa leaves?

[Citradia]

What’s this problem? Root rot? It’s rained every day here since spring. Only fertilizing with osmacote.

[poncirsguy]

I think fungus is the culprit with the leaves.  My stems look the same.  Aints Bite the stems and the tree responds with a flower flush.  The ants guard the flower keeping the nectar to them selves.  When the fruit forms 4 or more ants can be found chewing the new fruit off.  I don't have a solution now.  Check for ANTS

[Millet]

Citradia,  you need to slip the tree out of the container and check the root system.

[Citradia]

Ok, Millet. I’ll unpot it tomorrow. Thanks.

[Citradia]

I unpotted the tree today and took photos. The roots look great to me; all nice and white and happily dispersed throughout the miracle grow citrus soil that it was planted in this spring/ May. I just repotted it in same pot with some fresh citrus soil. It is the fast draining kind. I also made the drain holes in bottom of pot bigger. Another dose of osmocote too.

[Citradia]

Just to clarify, the pic of the holes in bottom of pot is before I made them bigger. I wonder if the burnt tips on new growth could be sun scald or burnt from a spray of insecticide/ fungicide I have been spraying on other fruit trees.

[Millet]

Citradia, your tree's roots look exceptionally healthy.   You wrote that it has rained most every day, therefore the damage leaves could be from botrytis fungus.  You can purchase a fungicide for botrytis at most any garden center.

[Citradia]

Thanks, Millet

[Citradia]

I just noticed that the affected new growth has small spots on branches oozing a drop of sap. Could this be a canker or boring insect damage?

[Citradia]

Another pic of a twig with more sap spots:

[Citradia]

Ok. I’m just assuming it’s Botrytis and I trimmed off the affected growth and sprayed with copper. Tree is protected from daily rains now on the covered front porch.

[Laaz]

I've had this happen on lemon trees when it sends up a very vigorous new sprout. It clears up on the next normal flush. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[Citradia]

Thanks, Laaz. It was a lot of new tender growth.

[Millet]

All new growths are always tender.  Some type of fungus has caused the damage..