Vegas, organic gardening is certainly not a crock and luckily, many hundreds of thousands of growers are willing to go the extra mile to produce organic fruits and vegetables. You should know, though, that you will have to study up on the nutritional requirements of citrus in general...and figure out how to provide them,organically, within the confines of a container. You are going to have to provide everything that your plant needs; citrus have some specific micro-nutrient requirements. I see nothing in the Jobe's product that disturbs me too much, though it does not have micro-nutrients, also called miner elements. Fish emulsion could assist in providing some key elements, when used in conjunction with your Jobe's. HOWEVER! It really isn't intended for container culture. There are no directions that I see on the label as to dose and frequency. Another aspect that is troublesome is that I can see how repeated use of this product would muddy up your potting mix....fill the so important pore spaces with fine particles. If you were looking for a product with a high Nitrogen analysis, you'll have to go with something other than your 'organic' products. Lots of container hobbyists resort to the commercial soluble fertilizers, while still using using organic methods for the rest of the plant care. I'm not saying that you should, but just be aware that you will have to keep up with the fert. in order to provide your citrus with what it needs. Another factor in the yellowing 'may' be the potting medium. Again, container culture is entirely different that growing in situ. Garden soil or compost added to a perfect good potting medium can result in a mucky, slow-to-drain mixture. Roots can function in that kind of environment, which is why we have learned to provide a potting mix that remains coarse textured and porous. I may not be the only one that would love to see you re-pot your plant entirely. I'd also like to warn you that moisture meters are notoriously inaccurate. Most of us have learned to rely on the most sophisticated digital equipment we have....our fingers. ;-)

Okay. First thing - is this little lemon tree getting sprinkled? If so, this is part of your issue. Citrus do not like to be in the path of sprinklers. They do much better with a deep watering via drip once or twice a week (depending upon how hot the temps get). If you're close to the beach, you probably will not have hot enough temps to water more than once a week. Lilly Miller citrus fertilizer is fine. It does contain micronutrients. Vigoro Citrus & Avocado fertilizer with micronutrients (that is the key for you) is also fine. Actually, the best NPK ratio is 5:1:3, but it's hard to find. As long as you've got a higher N (nitrogen) than P or K, as citrus are heavy nitrogen feeders, and you've got micronutrients included, you should be fine. Humic acid will also help, so look for that in your ingredients line up. I would recommend Grow More Citrus Growers Blend and mix it up as a foliar spray to help give your tree a good micronutrient feeding. Repeat in 3 weeks. Do your foliar spray in the evening. I would concur that you're probably looking at a micronutrient deficiency, possibly magnesium. Usually, you'll see a micronutrient deficiency with too much water and cold temps, so I would definitely check the roots of your lemon, to make sure it's not sitting in a puddle of water (i.e., in clay). Even though you're by the beach, you can still have pockets of clay. If you're in more sandy soil, then you're seeing an issue with both macro and micronutrients not staying in your soil, but washing out. If this is the case, then make a nice well around your tree out to the drip line. Fill with some worm castings and then top with compost. Keep both away from the trunk to prevent rot. Put your fertilizer in the well and water in deeply. Fertilize every 3 months and also I would recommend a foliar application with Citrus Growers Blend as well until your tree greens up. Patty S.

Well, if you've read through this forum, you'll nearly all the successful container citrus folks use their own potting mix, as the stuff that comes out of a bag is just much too dense. Moisture meters like you have stuck in your pot can be notoriously inaccurate, and certainly will not tell you what's going on at the bottom of your pot, which can very well be a swamp, while the top of your soil can appear very dry. So, the first thing I would do is re-pot with either "Gritty Mix" or "511 Mix", both formulas can be found on this forum. Secondly, those same container growers prefer to use Dyna Gro Foliage Pro, mainly because it has the proper NPK ratio (it's not just about the N), plus all the micronutrients. Plus, the nitrogen is non-urea based, which is very important to prevent biuret build-up and leaf burn. You can use Foliage Pro either 1/2 strength or full strength with every watering. I would water, first, to moisten the roots, then fertilize. Never apply fertilizer to dry roots. Misting. Again. The myth that will not die. Citrus do not need high humidity. If this were so, they'd never survive in our S. California deserts, where there are still thousands of acres of commercial citrus groves. I have no idea where this myth got started. Yes, you citrus will always benefit from a hosing off, to remove house dust and discourage pests (all house plants will benefit from a hosing off), but you do not need to waste your time misting. And, I would leave your lights on longer. Meyer lemons are rather sensitive to light changes, so you'll see leaf drop, but, your tree looks to me like it's suffering more from compacted soil and lack of fertilizer, than lack of light. So, try fixing those two things, first. Fungus gnats can pop up in any soil, organic or not. They proliferate from too wet soils (which is my suspicion going on with your tree), so re-pot with better potting mix, and if they come back, you can use a product called, Gnatrol. It takes a couple of applications, but it is very effective. Another one of our forum members suggested another very effective product, just can't remember it off the top of my head. Hopefully, they'll post their product for you. Patty S.

Hi guys, I recently purchased a meyer lemon tree and it was doing well until this week when the leaves began to turn yellow. The yellowing appeared punched out and appears more prominent on the sides. I am not sure what can cause this. My soil humidity level is ok, I'm using parrot which helps to prevent over watering. I've attached few photos. Any help is highly appreciated. I really don't want this plant to die. Thank you!