Improved Meyer Lemon: edges of leaves turning yellow (Pics)
FlowerRebel
12 years ago
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mgk65
12 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
12 years agoRelated Discussions
After Transplant, Loss of Fruit and Yellow Leaves of Meyer Lemon
Comments (9)Hi Christy, Yes, that MG citrus soil is toxic!! I have no idea why they sell that soil as citurs soil when it is so far from being citrus soil. Here is my experience with MG citrus soil. I used it last spring when I bought my dwarf keylime and my dwarf moro blood orange. A year later, and the dwarf moro blood orange is no more, and lucky for me dwarf key lime has thrived. I would urge you to repot the Meyer lemon ASAP. If the Meyer's roots stay moist for more than 2 days, you run the risk of having root rot and a whole slew of problems. I was turned on to Al's gritty mix. You might be able to make a version of the gritty mix but PLEASE don't use the vermiculite! That is also moisture renentive and therefore will keep your mix moist. From what I have learned from Mike, the point of the gritty mix is to have a mix that drains frelly and dries out completely in 1-2 days. I had a hard time deciding on using this or not. I was concerned about how well my citrus trees would do when I go on vacation since I really don't have anyone to water for me. However, I have seen a rapid big change in the 3 trees that I have this mix in. We should get together and write a complaint to Miracle Grow. They really need to change the name of the mix to just cactus soil!! Good luck with your tree. Once you change the soil to Al's gritty mix, your tree should improve greatly and yes it is extemely important that you remove every last bit of the soil mix before you repot it into the gritty mix. I would take the tree to the sink after you remove the majority of the crappy MG citrus soil. I would have the water at luke warm and rinse all the soil off those roots. I would not wait another minute to repot this tree. I don't remember who said it here, but someone had said that the average life expectancy of a potted citrus is two years because they normally die from root rot. The thing that is really bad is that us newbies don't think that we are doing anything wrong in using the MG soil since it is MG. I have been growing tropicals and other plants since for quite a while now and the biggest lesson that I have learned is that a prepackaged soil is not necessarily a good soil to use. For the past 4 years or so, I have been mixing up diffrent soils based on the needs of the plant. Citrus and mango were the last two fruit trees that I had problems with making a mix for. Andrew...See MoreSuddenly sad Meyer lemon -yellowing/dropping leaves
Comments (18)I very strongly doubt that your tree has a phosphorous deficiency. I have NEVER heard of a phosphorous deficiency in container citrus, when it is regularly fertilized with a NPK fertilizer. Phosphorous does not leach from a container, as does nitrogen and potassium. Nitrogen and potassium are both VERY water soluble and readily leach with every watering, but not phosphorus. All of the leaves that are turning yellow, and dropping are the older leaves on the tree. Your tree is withdrawing the nitrogen from the leaves (thus they are yellowing) to reuse in other part of the tree before discarding them. When a leaf no longer is capable of supplying its expected quota of energy to the tree, it is quickly discarded. There is no welfare program for citrus leaves. However, your tree is also under fed. If the tree's problem was other than aged leaves, you would be seeing yellow dropped leaves from the new leaves also. Also it is not wise to add this and that chemical in hopes of coming across a cure. First ascertain what the problem actually is then correct it. I'm sure it was also not helpful to the tree to let it remain in the same container and "soil" for 5 years. Fertilize the tree using a high nitrogen fertilizer. You can add vinegar if you wish, but there are much better ways to acidify. Organic acids such as vinegar, have an extremely short life....See MoreYellowing Leaves on Meyer Lemon Growing in Al's Gritty Mix
Comments (12)Actually, I didn't make that implication. I mentioned that foliar applications of nutrients have a place and can be effective, usually within a very narrow set of parameters, and to varying degrees depending on plant material, what nutrient is deficient, what you're using, how it's applied, often WHEN it's applied. A grower's program might be described as 'willy nilly' when the grower uses foliar applications of nutrients w/o answers to critical questions and especially when they don't even understand the questions, the answers to which determine efficacy. That's simply flying blind, and makes willy nilly is a fair adjective. Foliar aps of nutrients can't/don't work unless there is actually a deficiency of the nutrients you are supplying. In the case where multiple nutrients are being supplied, it's possible that a deficiency mighty be corrected at the same time a toxicity is being introduced because you're supplying a nutrient that is already amply available, which means that more of same has only the potential to limit. A well-reasoned approach to nutrition would find the grower answering a number of questions related to the potential to improve things or add to the number of factors that are potentially limiting. Absent tissue and or soil analysis, if foliar applications have a notable value when used on plants that can actually absorb nutrients from foliar applications, it lies more in its ability to act as an aid in identifying a deficiency than actually relieving one, but the act of applying a number of nutrients all at the same time eliminates any potential help from that quarter because when all is done, you won't likely have fixed the issue and still won't know which nutrient applied. Linda Chalker-Scott is a horticultural scientist with a PhD. She is probably most noted for helping the growing community by debunking horticultural myths, one of which is the assertion that foliar applications are an effective/efficient way to provide plant nutrition. How well and how thoroughly we qualify our offerings with facts rather than observations/statements that are often very subjective or biased serves not only to illustrate our grasp of the topic, it also serves to keep our credibility intact. When we actually have the best interest of the grower at the forefront and are providing reliable, well-qualified information, what sells it is our credibility. I've always limited myself to operating only within the limits of my knowledge, which is why whenever anything I say is challenged, I have all the facts I need at my disposal to back my offering. I never have to rely on selling my offering by using statements like "It works for me" or it might not be the best way, but ........ Dr Scott takes on the topic of Foliar Feeding, here. If you take the time to peruse her offering, you'll find her and my qualifying information amazingly close to the same, so it's not as though I'm a lone voice in the wilderness on this topic or operating beyond the limits of my knowledge. The crux of the issue is, it's very unlikely you'll gain any real traction via foliar feeding, and more likely you'll end up worse off than when you started, even if the plant ends up looking prettier (I qualified that statement above, too). I hope Dr Scott's offering helps us get to the point where we needn't keep belaboring this and similar points. Al...See MoreMeyers lemon leaves turning yellow & dropping
Comments (39)Graham, That really stinks that you can't put it outside..I can imagine you wanting to for sure. You are trying your best. I would say you are getting the reverse effect of a lack of DIRECT sunlight. Is the sun way above the window at this angle giving that tree just sunlight, not direct sun? If anything, if that tree can hang on another month or two, which it just might as long as you watch your watering habits and that mix is porous, it will probably actively start growing once the sun dips below the top of your window and start shining directly in it as the sun angle lowers... That is exactly what use to happen to my sisters when she had to keep hers inside all summer. Please, keep us update, As long as the roots are ok, it might have a chance. I just hope the roots will survive long enough without leaves to help them along. Keeping my fingers crossed for ya....See Moresilica
12 years agojean001a
12 years agohoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
12 years agomgk65
12 years agomeyermike_1micha
12 years ago
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