Shalom, Yehuda. The first thoughts I have are it may be either an iron or magnesium deficiency. That is the cause of the most common yellowing problems. Here is the States you can buy Ironite, a liquid iron agricultural supplement and Epsom salts which is magnesium sulphate in which many athletes soak their muscles. Apply I tablespoon of Epsom salts to a gallon of water. If you can find the iron supplement, follow the directions on the package.

IMO - when you start adding singular elements or compounds selected to deliver a particular element in a shotgun approach, hoping something will work, the cure is often worse than the disease. There are a number of nutritional and/or cultural issues that produce chlorosis as a symptom. With a little detective work, we can probably winnow the lot to a couple of possibilities, but it will take a bit of dialog & a willingness to answer a few questions. What say you, YJ?

Al

I would like to open up a dialog. I have pictures. I would like to share the pictures with you.
In a different citron plant which had turned a pale green, I added an Iron solution ,and green color is slowly being restored.

Please let me know what is the best way of adding or sharing pictures. I have a word document too showing the progression of the symptoms.

I appreciate your response.

I have never used Optional link URL or Name of the link.

Upload you pictures onto photobucket and once you have done that lets us know..:-)

Mike

Post photos by uploading from your puter to a free hosting site (like Photobucket) and then copy/pasting the hotmail url address associated with the photo into the GW text box where you want it to appear within your text reply.

Here is what I mean about the cure being worse than the reply: We know nothing yet about your cultural conditions, your soil, watering habits, fertilizer you're using ...... You applied FeSO4 (iron sulfate) & think it's helping because it overcame what you think is a deficiency of Fe and all is well because your plants are getting greener. Depending on what you are growing in (soil) and what you are using for fertilizer, you may very well not have had an ACTUAL deficiency of Fe at all. Most fertilizers AND media contain ample amounts of Fe w/o having to supplement, but when pH gets too high, the Fe becomes insoluble & unavailable. By lowering the pH of the soil solution, you can generally make available the Fe already in the soil w/o resorting to adding an Fe supplement. It's very likely that because the FeSO4 lowers pH, it would have made Fe in the soil available, even if it didn't contain any Fe. Adding Fe w/o adding Mn can also cause Mn to become unavailable - an antagonistic deficiency, so by adding Fe w/o adding Mn, it's a distinct possibility that you could be trading one deficiency for another. Since you added a solution to the soil that may not have been needed, it unnecessarily contributes to the EC/TDS of the soil, making it more difficult for the plant to absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in the water.

These considerations are what I referred to when I mentioned the cure often being worse than the illness. Adding singular elements willy nilly in the hope that something might work is more often detrimental than helpful.

If you describe your climate, soil, give an idea of your watering habits, tell us the particulars of your nutritional supplementation, and whatever else you think might be helpful, maybe we could get your plant straightened out.

Al

@ yehudaj. In your first posting you stated.

"best plant started developing a regular edge discoloration pattern which seems to be spreading on the plant".

Is this regular edge discoloration starting on the outer edge of the leaf. perhaps starting at the tip.

I would suggest that you first start off by applying a good brand of "citrus fertlizer" as per package instructions. They usually contain iron, magnesium etc in the right proportions. And make sure that you get ones suitable for containers if that is where you are growing them in as some fertilizers are too strong for potted plants.
Then you can start debugging the problem by analyzing other factors like lighting, watering, diseases etc. Good luck. There are so many experts in this forum who have helped me out constantly.

I finally have a site where I put a word document with pictures. This way the pictures are accompanied by explanations.

The site is
http://sites.google.com/site/yehudagardening/

Please look at the pictures and let me know what you think.

I have loaded my first pictures on photobucket (please , no snickers). The address is below. Some description of the plant history is found in the goggle site,
http://sites.google.com/site/yehudagardening/ ,
where I tried to load a separate document, but it is not listed as a document. Looking forward to comments.

Now on three plants I find about 8 leaves, which could be suffering from leafminer or something leaving trails, and finally moving to the edge. Actually, crushed two larva, one moving , with me own fingers. I may try to load pictures in a spearate photo album. Should one remove affected leaves? Spray with soap solution. Or use confidence.

Here is the photobucket site for the pictures.
Listed in the link below

http://s883.photobucket.com/albums/ac33/YehudaJ/YellowingleavesEtrog/

Photobucket site

Yes, you are dealing with a nutritional deficiency - probably more than one. It's possible that it is a pH issue, too. If it was my plant, I would fertilize with a half strength dose of a soluble fertilizer having a 3:1:2 ratio (as opposed to %s), or a ratio very close to that. If that doesn't green the plants up quickly, I would buy some pH paper and add enough citric acid or white vinegar to your irrigation water to lower the pH to 5.8-6.0. Remember how much of either product it took and add that amount to your water each time you irrigate.

Al

Just ran across this thread and I have been noticing the same pattern on my oro. It is planted in 5.1.1. However, by mistake, I only added 1 tsp of lime per gallon of mix instead of 1 tablespoon. Also, I tested my water using both a meter and ph strip and the ph is 7.8. In order to reduce the ph to the recommended level, I have to add 3 tablespoons of vinegar to 2 gallons of water (which is the size of my watering can). I am also fertilizing with 1/4 tsp of FP per gallon every time I water. The plant has not grown at all since I got it at the end of May. I guess I just need to be assured that adding so much vinegar is the correct thing to do or, should I just transplant using the correct amount of lime? Thanks.

Gg24,

What have the temps been like there?

Why are you adding more lime when the pH of your water is that high?

Why are you using vinegar at this stage?

Remember too, that your "oro" is a very slow grower. But once it kicks in, it grows a huge flush of growth and flowers..Then it stops for a couple of months or so..They grow much different than all my other citrus..

Andrew can attest to this...

Mike..:-)

Hi Mike:

Temperatures here in CT have been incredibly hot and humid...at least in the 90's every day though is is finally supposed to cool off tonight and be in the low 80's high 70's for a few days.

Transplanting and adding more lime wouldn't make much sense at this point. Duh to me. LOL.

I thought I was always supposed to add a tsp of vinegar per gallon at each watering? I read Taplas post of August 4 above and the ph of my water is definitely way too high. Adding the vinegar would lower the water to the correct range. Am I wrong?

Thanks Mike!

Excellent..Just testing you about the pH..You got it!

I wouldn't worry about the mix with that much lime....It will all balance out..

You will notice though that your tree will start to improve in color now that the temps are getting cooler..Are your pots in full sun, and are they black?

Sometimes when the roots get too warm or have no cooling period at night, it does affect the fertilizer you give it, no matter what..It even affects the sugars they need to be healthy..

Watch how great they start looking once the temps stay in the 70's to 80's on a consistant basis,and night temps dip to the 60's and 50's..

One of my plants that was yellowing during tne heat wave, is turning green faster than lightning speed...That FP has every single thing your plant nees to be in tip top shape..;-)

You are doing a fine job...

Mike..:-)

Al: Also wanted to mention that my 2 potted fig trees are having an incredible season thanks to the info I picked up from you too. Thanks again.

GG

Hey gg24,
I have to agree with Al and Mike. They both have never given bad advice. I am 32 years old. i have been growing tropicals since I was a teenager. I kind of just thru my self in and all i can say is I really developed a passion frow growing these citrus trees. I have read some really good books and just studied up on it. It amazes and frustrates me that these trees are so particular about there needs. You are definetly in good hands here!
I want to direct this next comment to Tomcitrus,
since I have been coming to this forum, I have recieved nothing but encouragment and good sound advice. There were times when I had my doubts but sometimes you just have to open yours ears and listen. My trees have done nothing but flourih. Mike has shown me pictures every time he has tired something new. When him and Al have learned a new technique or they have tried a new fertilizer, they come here and tell every one here just for the purpose of helping our knowledge grow and grow. The only satis faction they get, is not with there selves but with us US people who come here to share and learn. Not to put anyone down or try and deliberately be malicious and hurtfull. I am not here to judge you, but to just let you know that us members are a great bunch of people. We all are respectfull and helpfull as a hole. We all inspire us and encourage us. We also come here and proudly post our pictures. All I am asking for is that you try and redirect your negative opinions to something else. Not here! It really has hurt, and most of all offended most of us. Some people don't want to speak up, but I will let you know that this place should be a positive place!
Andrew

Andrew

Very well said - and said with tact and sensitivity. This forum is a place for those of us who have questions and need help to connect with people with experience and for all of us to share our experiences, sucesses and failures. Sure there will be times when opinions or advice differ and we can choose what advice to follow or methods to try. There is no reason for personal attacks, especially on the people who devote so much time and effort to help those of us who are new to citrus growing and who go out of their way to be kind and encouraging. I have been offended by the things Tomcitrus said, not because he disagreed with others, but because he tends to call people names and personally attack. What a shame because he seems to have some experience growing citrus but I don't recall any pictures, just posturing. The forum has been very quiet today and I am hoping it is not because things got negative. Hopefully we will be back to the sharing of information very soon. Everyone does not have to agree on exactly what works and what doesn't but I think 99% of us agree that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Thanks for reaffirming that this should be a positive place Andrew.

Hopefully the OP has had his questions answered. If not, hope he comes back and can get some answers.
Kim

GG, Andrew, and Kim..

It's nice to see such support and kind words for those who give so much of their time to help us, and ask nothing in return.

The kindness and patience of certian people here have led me to try new plants I never whould have in the past. And i've never been happier.

Kim,
I think part of why it's so quiet (all over GW) is alot of us..myself included have been running around like crazy getting kids ready to go back to shcool! UGH!! LOL!

Monday for mine.

I too hope the OP has gotten the help he needs, and returns if not. There will always be a handful here ready and willing to help.

JoJo

Hey everyone: Though a few years older than you Andrew, I too have been growing tropicals and other house plants my entire life. I guess I was inspired by watching my Italian immigrant grandfather tend to his garden and fig trees while growing up. I never fell in love with a plant, however, until my nose led me to my Meyer lemon while visiting my local nursery in May. I had never even thought about citrus but I had to have it. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. Of course, there were a few minor problems but they led me here. I really enjoy this forum and though I don't post much, I do check it a few times a day. So now I have my meyer, 2 oro (the first one was damaged badly during shipment and Four Winds sent me another) and am trying to restrain myself from buying a moro blood orange. I enjoy this forum so much and am glad that peace is prevailing once again.