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Help! Meyer Lemon tree!

8 years ago

Hey guys after bringing it indoors for the winter (here in NYC Queens) even though was next to a bright area I started seeing these weird stuff on it and it has browned I have watered it.. not too much but just enough every week and it's in a room thats more humid. Now almost no leaves all brown and yellow leaves. Please help! What do I do? Do I bring it out? Still in original pot.

Featured Answer

BarbJP 15-16/9B CA Bay Area

8 years ago

You have a really bad case of Scale insects. And it also looks dry, that watering schedule probably was not often enough.

But it could all be due to the high volume of Scale there.

That's such a bad case I'm not sure I'd even attempt to fix it, especially with so few leaves left. But if you want to try there are a few ways people take care of it. Horticultural oils, Neem oil, and Rubbing alcohol are some of the tools some use.

But as I'm not experienced with getting rid of scale on inside Citrus trees, I'll let someone else give it a go. All mine are outside. Good luck.

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Comments (7)

Ivan Ferdous
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you. I am going to wipe with Rubbing alcohol then. All leaves are done for atm. The trunk is still green... very green.. just top part is dying or is brownish.. I want to take it out.. but will be snowing today (sunday)
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Hmmm, I have the very same problem, the leaves look identical. I saw no mites, as I had checked closely, but, eventually the many leaves went yellow rapidly and then fell off, some did not higher up on the tree. This was a month or two ago, now the tree is outside, and grew several new leaves and buds, but the newer branches are weak and the leaves are thinner and not as green. I changed the potting material to an orchid mix/potting soil that is not supposed to hold water and it drains well... I am stumped. I did have some scale, nothing too bad and I cleaned them off with alcohol including some leaves, I thought maybe that caused the yellowing.. I check for new scale weekly. Toni, I am interested in why you say it's not a mineral deficiency, I, who is not knowledable about plants, would have thought it was, so I used azeal..azail..aezal..rhodadendron fert. I would like to know for the future, what makes you say it's not a deficiency?
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It is probable you are making the classic Meyer lemon container mistake. The Meyer is particularly sensitive to significant light changes; when you subject it to that, it will drop many/most/all of its leaves to later replace them with new leaves better suited to the new light conditions. Treat it well and it should recover. To avoid this in the future move it from inside to full shade outside; after 2 weeks move it to partial sun; and after 2 more weeks to full sun; reverse this in the Fall and you should avoid the heartbreaking leaf loss that so many suffer.
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Can it be tap water by any chance? I used to live on the lake and used to take water from it to water my trees, but I moved and have to use tap water. I can feel chlorine smell and taste in that water.
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Hi John, thank you so much for responding. I'm pretty sure it was grasshoppers, as there were about 5 big ones on the tree when I went out to water it, and all the leaves were gone - I think they finished those and started on the bark (it's not a very old tree so the bark is not thick). The marks look to me like the jaws (or whatever they are) of a grasshopper made them. Here are some photos I just took.
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Ivan Ferdous
Original Author
8 years ago
Anyone? Anyone at all? Please help.
Laura LaRosa (7b)
8 years ago
Ivan, I'm no expert at all, but besides wiping down the leaves (I think most are done for), I'd just trim away and leave only anything that looks remotely healthy. Hopefully you can then take it outside so it can grow new ones. Good luck!
Ivan Ferdous thanked Laura LaRosa (7b)
User
8 years ago
Ivan, do as Laura suggests. Also, remove as much of he scale as you can by rubbing your fingers over it. Then wipe the tree down with rubbing alcohol on both sides of each leaf and wipe down the bark. Make sure to wipe down all surfaces of the tree. Or, you can place newspapers under the tree and spray with neem oil. (Follow manufacturer's instructions for mixing.) Repeat with alcohol or neem every week until you now longer see any sticky sap on the leaves or any where else.
Ivan Ferdous thanked User
Ivan Ferdous
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks guys I've done so and now it's outside away from direct sun. I pray this lives.. or $90 down the drain :'(
Laura LaRosa (7b)
8 years ago
Good luck! Let us know how it works!
Ivan Ferdous thanked Laura LaRosa (7b)

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