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My meyer lemon has fruit but dropping leaves

alejandro_limon

16 years ago

Hello, I have my tree on a southwest window, humidifier in room, and water once a week, 18 inch pot. I did put some miracid a month ago, I don't know if this did it. It has fruit, but leaves are turning yellow and falling.

Help!

PS-how can I post a picture so you all can see the plant?

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Comments (3)

birdsnblooms
16 years ago
Hi Alejandro. Did you repot your Meyers in an 18" pot? If so, what size container was it in before?
Never water plants by schedule. 18" is fairly large pot, and depending on soil type, and if you continue watering, it might not have time to dry out. Soil has to dry out between waterings.
If not, you'll have major problems..yellow leaves, insects and root rot.
It's possible leaves are yellowing due to overwatering. Give soil a chance to dry out, remove yellow leaves, (they won't revert to green.)
But to be one the safe side, check plant for insects. Toni
birdsnblooms
16 years ago
Alejandro..leaves yellow for different reasons. I doubt the cause was Miracid..on the contrary, adding fertilizer, especially Miracid should prevent yellowing.
You mention watering once a week..Do you allow soil to dry before adding more water? Watering should NOT be done on a schedule..water when soil is dry..Otherwise, if your soil remains constantly wet, and you add more water, plant will show signs of distress..one being yellow leaves.
An 18" pot is pretty large. Is soil well-draining? If your citrus is potted in heavy soil, it'll take longer to dry. I notice you're in NH..too early to take plants out? If they're indoors, overwatering will cause all sorts of problems..including bugs. Especially Fungus Gnats.
Every so often problems occur, like yellow leaves..unless your citrus is losing leaves daily, I wouldn't worry.
But I think you're watering too much without allowing soil to dry..What do you think? Check the soil before giving a drink..Insert your finger deeply in soil..if it comes out wet/moist, wait a few days and recheck. If it's dry then time to water. Another way is lifting pot..is the pot heavy or light..when light, most likely, soil needs a drink, if heavy, again wait a few days and recheck..
They sell moisture meters, but some people think they're a waste of time. Unless you have two meters, to compare, I tend to agree. The finger and weight test is a sure bet.
Check for insects..especially spider mites and scale..look for webbing..do leaves feel sticky? Check for brown or white lumpy bumps that can be scraped off..

I wish I could help w/pics, but I've no idea..maybe someone else will chime in..Toni
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Your plants are growing through the winter, not dormant, so they still need fertilizer. Without it, they will not have the nutrients they need to grow and sustain fruit. Fertilize as you would through summer, at a reduced strength. You do not need to hand pollinate these. They will do all of that themselves. Citrus blooms contain both male and female sexual organs, so don't need any external help. If the tree is young, it might not support much fruit. It usually takes the third year of fruiting to get a good harvest. In the meantime, you must provide the plants with proper growing conditions. The light is fine, and you seem to have the watering right (just don't let it completely dry out!!). What about humidity? They like humidity in the air, so gravel trays would help. They also don't like highly peat-based soil mixes. A 50/50 mix of potting mix to inorganic matter (course sand/turface/perlite etc) would be fine for a spring repot. Check the roots are not too constricted. Falling leaves indicates Winter Leaf Drop (WLD) so do a search on the forum for this and how to avoid it.
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Julie I had a feeling it compacted. That is a sure sign of decline on just about any tree and sometimes it can take you by surprise and happen over time. I would also look for pests since almost always the two are very much related. If you want to go the easy organic route in lowering the pH solution you provide your trees, try 1 capful of vinegar per gallon of water. That should do the trick. As for fertilizer, there are many recomendations on this, but I say to find one that closely relates to a plants need. I use a liquid fertilizer with micronutrients in a 12:4:8 NPK ratio, which MG does have. It's in a yellow bottle. Foliage Pro is a great choice too which is what I use. You can either purchase a very porous mix, amend one, or make one. I make most of my own. I use 1 part peat or Turface, 1 part perlite, and 5 parts of bark. You can also purchase a good heavier mix which is primarily bark such as Fafard Mixes. Any of these options or others will dramatically improve your growing skills and the vitality of your tree. A mix that allows a frequent oxygen exchange is a must and this happens with a very porous mix. Whenever roots are deprived of oxygen (O2) they soon begin to die, so a mix that will compact rapidly should be avoided. Mike
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alejandro_limon
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Toni,

I think I am overwatering. The plant is still inside, but will take out in a couple of weeks.
My worry is that if it rains it will get a lot of water. It was out last summer and the plant was happy.
The weird thing is that it flowers and gives fruit only during winter.

Thanks,

Alejandro

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