I will give you the link below. I encourage you to read Al's whole opening explanation to understand why he makes the mixes they way he does. But, here are the recipes quoted directly from that post: The 5:1:1 mix: 5 parts pine bark fines, dust - 3/8 (size is important 1 part sphagnum peat (not reed or sedge peat please) 1-2 parts perlite (coarse, if you can get it) garden lime (or gypsum in some cases) controlled release fertilizer (if preferred) Big batch: 2-3 cu ft pine bark fines 5 gallons peat 5 gallons perlite 2 cups dolomitic (garden) lime (or gypsum in some cases) 2 cups CRF (if preferred) Small batch: 3 gallons pine bark 1/2 gallon peat 1/2 gallon perlite 4 tbsp lime (or gypsum in some cases) 1/4 cup CRF (if preferred) I have seen advice that some highly organic (practically speaking - almost all container soils are highly organic) container soils are productive for up to 5 years or more. I disagree and will explain why if there is interest. Even if you were to substitute fir bark for pine bark in this recipe (and this recipe will long outlast any peat based soil) you should only expect a maximum of two to three years life before a repot is in order. Usually perennials, including trees (they're perennials too) should be repotted more frequently to insure they can grow at as close to their genetic potential within the limits of other cultural factors as possible. If a soil is desired that will retain structure for long periods, we need to look more to inorganic components. Some examples are crushed granite, fine stone, VERY coarse sand (see above - usually no smaller than BB size in containers, please), Haydite, lava rock (pumice), Turface, calcined DE, and others. For long term (especially woody) plantings and houseplants, I use a superb soil that is extremely durable and structurally sound. The basic mix is equal parts of screened pine bark, Turface, and crushed granite. The gritty mix: 1 part uncomposted screened pine or fir bark (1/8-1/4") 1 part screened Turface 1 part crushed Gran-I-Grit (grower size) or #2 cherrystone 1 Tbsp gypsum per gallon of soil (eliminate if your fertilizer has Ca) CRF (if desired) I use 1/8 -1/4 tsp Epsom salts (MgSO4) per gallon of fertilizer solution when I fertilize if the fertilizer does not contain Mg (check your fertilizer - if it is soluble, it is probable it does not contain Ca or Mg. If I am using my currently favored fertilizer (I use it on everything), Dyna-Gro's Foliage-Pro in the 9-3-6 formulation, and I don't use gypsum or Epsom salts in the fertilizer solution. Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention XVIII This post was edited by Ohiofem on Thu, Mar 20, 14 at 16:39

Could be a fungus like Vladimir said, could also be an insect egg or just dirt on a bit of fluff. However, I'm more concerned with how dusty the leaves are. I may just be dust or it could be the beginnings of a spider mite infestation. It's a good idea to wash off the leaves from time to time, like maybe every 4-6 weeks. Take them outside and hose them off, or if that's not possible, put them in the shower and shower them off with cool water. Then let them drain well and put them back where they were. It helps prevent spider mites as they're attracted to dusty plants. And your plants love the rinsing off!

I have had a Meyer lemon for about two years- I’m guessing it was 2-3 years when I got it. It is grafted into an unknown rootstock. I bought it from my tree guy at the farmers market. Right now it is very healthy. It is about five foot tall and has about 40 grape sized lemons on it. It is still trying to bloom again and has a few babies as well. It dropped at least half of its baby fruits on its own. It is in a large terra-cotta pot. My question is this.... if I don’t want my tree to grow any more, should I forego thinning and just let all of the lemons mature? Does a tree drop larger than grape sized fruit? It is outdoors and gets lots of sun here in 7b. Also- I seem to have some tiny white flies in the dirt around the base and some spiders spinning webs to catch some random bugs that are on it. I’m not a huge fan of insecticidal soap. Any other suggestions for me. My first two summers with this tree were disappointing. One year I had about 5 good sized lemons and huge storm blew the tree over and knocked odd most of them, and last year I ended up with one lemon that refused to ripped for a year. It was not tasty.

First if you can know the basics you are off to the right start..Usually before I start anything new, I try to get the basics under my belt before I learn along the way with the details.. To help you get started in case you decide to get another tree here are 4 basic requirements for success..In order, the mix you choose being of first and utmost importance. 1. *You will need to grow them in a mix that allows you to water frequently, that does not allow salt toxicity, does not harbor gnats, and that allows the roots to breath, does not break down quickly and one that does not encourage root rot. 2. **You will need an area with lots of sunlight, or an area to store them in cooler conditions with not so much sun. 3. ***A good fertilizer, one that provides all the important nutrients, macro and micros, including Calcium and that can be found in Foliage Pro, not sure about other liquid or powder fertilizers.. 4. **** Learn about pH and what your water provides. Citrus require a good pH water solution in order to keep the nutrients you do supply readily available in containerize conditions. After that, depending on what issues arise, this site to me will help you become even more successful along the way. If you are looking for immediate help with that tree...What I can tell you is what I stated in my earlier post and to use the pot in pot method.. Your trees is going to loose important roots to help it come back unless you find a way to get that mix to dry out faster.Those roots are just sitting in a wet mix and you have not enough leaves to help wick it up through the leaves. You will need something at the bottom to do the job. Putting that pot in another over sized pot filled with mulch, or mix. Place about 1 inch at the bottom of that pot and then set you pot with the tree in it on top an dthen fill all the sides..The mulch in that bigger pot will draw the moisture out from the planted pot.... Watch out that you don't over water by getting the mix wet every time you clean the leaves off...You did mean that you 'shower' off the leaves without wetting the mix, right?