Spiders and worms in my citrus bush, please help!!

9 years ago

Hello everyone,

I am the biggest amateur you will ever find in gardening. As a matter fact this is my first post. I decided the beginning of this year to have my own little kitchen garden. And I had success with growing my rosemary it triplicated its size and lots of basil. I bough in April a little lemon tree that was around 30 cm and now it is thriving but a month or so I noticed little spiders in the leaves (actually I saw the most tiny webs), so I showered and kept spraying in regular basis the lemon tree, also I sprayed with a garlic vegetable oil/water recipe I saw online as organic pesticide. It seemed to help a little at that point but I see in the pot them crawling everywhere and new leaves started falling again. Also I just saw tiny transparent worms in the pot soil and there are looooots of them. I am freaking out.. what do I do?

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Comments (6)

alisou21
Original Author
9 years ago
Here is a picture of the worms in the pot. So upsetting!! Are they good or a pest for the plant??
alisou21
Original Author
9 years ago
I took the worms out of the soil so you can identify it better. Please, what do I do with the worms and spiders? I dont want my little citrus to die!! :(
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Aphids--run your fingers over the bud on which they are located. There--they are dead. In about a week or so, the good bugs (lady bugs) will show up and gobble up any aphids that are left--that is unless your spraying killed off all the good bugs also. In which case, I don't know what you do--maybe wait until next year and don't spray when you see aphids. That way you won't also kill off the good bugs. Green worms--probably rose slugs. Same directions as the previous category. Pick the green worm off the leaf and toss it in the middle of the grass. In a week or two, the good bugs will finally come along and gobble up whatever green worms are still around--unless, of course, your spraying killed of all the good bugs--in which case, live and learn, and hope for a better year next year. Kate
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K. I cut off the sucker. It was actually part of a trunk. All the other branches looked more like suckers... Hopefully I did the right thing. It was only two little branches, so it would be weird if the other parts were the sucker I think. It would make the sucker the actual tree and that would be strange I think. Hopefully I didn't do damage :( I was able to take pictures of the other trees with my cell phone! Ok, so here we have what I am almost positive is a lemon tree: https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747330872321811346 This is the tree that had one lemon last year, though I never tasted the fruit- but it looked like a lemon. This tree also has very bad leaf curl. Here is a pic: https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747330975224339442 I think this was from being really thirsty last summer. I water deeply about once a week, but it doesn't seem to get much new growth and the leaves don't change. Should I do something else? Next pic: https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747330981373239506 I don't know if this is lemon or lime and the shape of the tree is terrible. Is there anything I can do to fix it and get it to look more like a shade tree eventually? Here is a pic of it's baby fruit as well: https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747330979421196178 Next pic: https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747330997258299090 I don't know what this tree is. Here is the fruit pic: https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747331006607107522 Same question about shaping the tree from above. This next tree is only about 3 feet tall, it has horrible thorns like the first tree I told you all about. I'm not sure if I should dig it up and plant shadier trees or if it's worth preserving. I love fresh fruit. https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747331013173657138 This is another mystery citrus tree. I have ever seen fruit on it. https://picasaweb.google.com/heather.leigh.green/May27201202#5747331020964139874 Same question about the shape. Thank you for your help!!! I am very overwhelmed. I haven't even began to tell you about the ash trees and the apple tree... but this is the citrus forum :)
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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!
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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
9 years ago
Is your plant inside or out?

Your 'spider' could be spider mite. I don't have a sense of scale in that pic. Look that one up and treat appropriately. Usually a sharp spray of water (undersides of leaves as well) on a regular basis will help.

Your 'worms' could possibly be fungus gnat larvae. Look that one up. They are often found in potting soils and feed on fungus and decomposing (often overly wet) organic soils, but often on roots as well. And adults emerge and can be annoying in your home.

Look these up and treat.
alisou21
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you for the reply dave_in_nova.
I am pretty sure you are right and the "worms" are fungus gnat larvae. I was re-searching online of ways to kills it but it seems that my plants will suffer as well.. Today I will go to the garden store see if they can help me somehow.

The lemon bush is my kitchen window in a pot. It is the sunniest place I have in my apartment. So, I really want to get those larvae out of the pot. Up to until now, I haven't notice they leave the pot and there is nothing flying around, so I guess the infestation is in the early stages.

Thanks anyways for the help!!
BarbJP 15-16/9B CA Bay Area
9 years ago
Here's something that I've heard can help get rid of fungus gnats. Put about a 1/2 inch layer of sand over the soil. Apparently the sand stops them from being able to hatch out of the soil as adults. And stops the adults from laying eggs too.

But the best long term solution would be to re-pot your plant in better draining soil. Fungus gnats are attracted to and live in soil that is high in peat moss and overly moist.

That kind of soil isn't very good for citrus anyway. If you soil has less peat and drains faster, you will not get the fungus gnats, and your citrus will be healthier. Us the search button on this forum and look up 5-1-1 soil mix. That will work much better and not attract the gnats.
meyermike_1micha
9 years ago
Total agreement with Barb..

That is no insult intended, but the worst soil mix I ever saw posted on these forums for Citrus or any other potted plant..

Did you use soil from outside or compost that you made?
Those bugs could be very damaging to any potted plant, especially in the cooler months rapidly coming.

What is your Zone and are you grow in? It would be much eaiser for give help if we knew that..
Pics was a very smart tjing to do...Thank you for posting pics because that helps too..

Your best bet to get rid of those bugs once and for all is what Barb said...I was make sure to wash off even teh roots, down to bareroot if you are not scared to do so..

Use a sterile mix, even if it's not the 5.1.1 mix..Even a bagged with, soilless that is with perlite is better than that.
Dont' use compost in your pots, it just sours the mix, cause root rot, cyclonic death of your fiborous roots, bugs, and a host of other issues..

If you choose to change your mix asap, it will be ok..If you wait, then I wish you good luck..

It's nice to meet you and hopefully we can help.

Mike

Spiders and worms in my citrus bush, please help!!

Comments (6)

alisou21
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alisou21
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Spiders and worms in my citrus bush, please help!!

Comments (6)

alisou21Original Author

alisou21Original Author

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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A

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GET HELP

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alisou21
Original Author

alisou21
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alisou21
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