Is my lime overfertilized or burned by light? - Please Help!!
8 years ago
I have a key lime in a 4 in pot. Its a pretty small plant still. Its been fine over the last year under artificial lights. However, a week ago I did two things: I changed to a top dressing fertilizer you sprinkle on and also put that aluminum mylar reflective stuff on the table under the lights to increase efficiency. Today a few leaves fell off and I noticed there are brown areas on the leaves. I am wondering if it is due to overfertilizing or if the light intensity is too high now. Pics below..
Please help! Can this be fix
ed?
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (13)
8 years ago- 8 years ago
pip -- Im posting a picture of the whole thing. I came home today and the leaves were falling off! I brushed my hand around the plant and all the leaves just dropped off, even the healthy looking ones!! What could that be from? I inspected the roots and they are fine -- white/ta
n, very much alive. Related Discussions
Overfertilized Lawn. Help!
Comments (5)I think you might be going a little too far philes. The research I have seen suggests 1 to 1 and a quarter pounds of quick release Nitrogen as the last feeding of cool season grasses just as they are going in to dormancy. So, the advice is not to over fertilize at all. As I understand it that fertilizer is then taken into the roots, converted into carbohydrates which the plant stores in the crown for the burst of new growth next spring. Presumably a correct amount helps strengthen the roots for and through winter as well. Applying so much as to possibly burn the plant, even if it doesn't happen because of cool weather probably acts to defeat the purpose, i.e. making the plant healthier and stronger now for the winter and next spring. If the grass is taking in fertilizer to the roots and crown, too much is probably bad for that too, even if you don't see noticeable "burn". And, of course, regardless of whether it is good or bad for the grass, we simply don't want to encourage bad practices, like over fertilization that will run off and seep into groundwater. That is one of the principle evils of chemical fertilizers to begin with and why when we choose to use them we should apply only the appropriate amounts (generally meaning the amounts that can actually be used by the plants and retained in the soil.) True over application of chemical fertilizers is likely bad for the plants but definitely bad for our collective environment and should be avoided. Its never good, even if you can somehow get lucky and get your yard to look like a million bucks afterward. Sorry for the mini-sermon. But, leaving an impression that over-fertilization was what was being recommended on the board, any time of year, including the last fall application, needed to be viewed in another light in my opinion....See MoreOverfertilized Established Lime Tree
Comments (2)Time may take care of your tree, but it is too late to do much right now. The damage has been done, unless you can pull any remains of the spikes out. What you CAN do is toss the rest of the fertilizer spikes and never use them again, on anything. The spikes concentrate their fast-release nitrogen in a very limited part of the root zone, almost insuring fertilizer burn. The easiest and very efficient method of fertilization is to simply broadcast a conservative amount of granular product over the entire root zone (which can extend to 2 or 3 times past the canopy) and allow it to water in over time. But please don't do any more fertilizing for a long, long time....See MoreHELP! my kafir lime tree
Comments (13)Nata, I agree slipping the rootball out of a pot is one way to check a plant's roots. You can also inspect dainage holes to see if any roots are growing out of the holes..and if it's really rootbound you'll find roots on the top part of soil, too. If a plant slips out of a pot w/o using something to loosen soil then roots are filling the pot.. Watering is another way to tell..If you find yourself watering the Kafir every other day then the plant is rootbound. Since you're in z9, checking and repotting shouldn't be a problem, since your plant is more likely to grow faster than someone living in a lesser zone. 6 and under.. But, repotting isn't always the answer..in fact, in many cases, ppl tend to repot and feed when something goes wrong w/their plant. This can make matters worse. Have you seen anymore scale, and when did you last use insecticide? Some insecticides can dry leaves, especially if too much is applied. Repotting can sometimes cause plant to go in shock, therefore, more leaves will drop. Toni...See MoreMeyer Mike, weird thing going on with my Dwarf Lime! Help!! lol
Comments (9)Thanks, Mike. I am doing quite well now. I didn't have much of a garden this year because I had both my hip replacement surgeries done. Now that they are both done & over with, and I have no more pain, I plan on making up for the mediocre garden I've had the past two years with a vengence! =) Anyway, back to the dwarf lime. I brought it in thinking it would go dormant again until early Spring like it has done the past few years, when put into a somewhat controlled basement environment. I'm glad to see that it looks like you don't think it growing over this Winter (instead of being dormant) is a bad thing. Houston's point is a good one. Despite the temperature difference, it is getting light where normally in its Winter dormancy it would get almost none, therefore probably spurring the Winter growth somewhat. I am not using grow lights on it, as like I said, I was expecting it to be dormant. Should I be using some? The mix I have it in is a good fast drainable soilless mix. Mainly pine bark fine based, with some perlite, a little peat, etc.. (I can get the exact composition, if needed). The temps it's in are typical indoor temps, around 70 (+/- 2-3 degrees at times). It has lighting, but it's almost all indoor lights (I have it in a corner in my kitchen). It doesn't really get any sunlight in there. CFL bulbs I believe. I will get my fertilizer out, as I had put it away for the Winter & make sure to give it a light application on a monthly basis (or whatever you think it might need). I imagine the answer may be no to this, but better safe than sorry, so I'll ask. I have been using my typical veggie 9-3-6 with it (Foliage Pro) when I do fertilize it during normal growing months, Spring through early Fall. Is that the right NPK to use for a lime tree? If not, please let me know what ratio fertilizer you would use. It seems to have been playing well with the lime tree, as a fertilizer. She's getting pretty big, so if I see buds this year, I'll probably supplement with a 0-0-3. I will also make sure I water it like I would during a normal growing season, not barely watering it if any at all, like I have been doing in its Winter dormancy. Hope all is going well with you & thanks again for the help! :) - Steve...See More- 8 years ago
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago- 8 years ago
pip -- I just did a full unpotting and this is what the roots look like. Very crowded/jammed looking. lll replace the soil. But should I pot up to 6'? Or just leave at 4?
8 years ago- 8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
8 years ago- 8 years ago
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago- 8 years ago
- 8 years ago
Related Stories
SELLING YOUR HOUSE10 Low-Cost Tweaks to Help Your Home Sell
Put these inexpensive but invaluable fixes on your to-do list before you put your home on the market
Full Story
MOST POPULAR7 Ways to Design Your Kitchen to Help You Lose Weight
In his new book, Slim by Design, eating-behavior expert Brian Wansink shows us how to get our kitchens working better
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDESDownsizing Help: Color and Scale Ideas for Comfy Compact Spaces
White walls and bitsy furniture aren’t your only options for tight spaces. Let’s revisit some decorating ‘rules’
Full Story
TURQUOISESummer Color Combo: Turquoise and Lime
These Two Eye-Popping Hues Will Cool You Off on Hot Days
Full Story
EDIBLE GARDENSAn Edible Cottage Garden With a Pleasing Symmetry
The owners of this cottage garden in Australia grow vegetables, herbs and fruit to delight their family and friends
Full Story
MOST POPULAR9 Real Ways You Can Help After a House Fire
Suggestions from someone who lost her home to fire — and experienced the staggering generosity of community
Full Story
LIFEDecluttering — How to Get the Help You Need
Don't worry if you can't shed stuff and organize alone; help is at your disposal
Full Story
COLORPick-a-Paint Help: How to Create a Whole-House Color Palette
Don't be daunted. With these strategies, building a cohesive palette for your entire home is less difficult than it seems
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDESThe Most Helpful Furniture Piece You May Ever Own
Use it as a table, a seat, a display space, a footrest ... and indoors or out. Meet the ever-versatile Chinese garden stool
Full Story
WORKING WITH PROS3 Reasons You Might Want a Designer's Help
See how a designer can turn your decorating and remodeling visions into reality, and how to collaborate best for a positive experience
Full Story
pip313