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Help reviving a dwarf meyer lemon tree

7 years ago

Hi everyone,

I've been growing a dwarf meyer lemon tree for about a year now. It's grown some and produced a few lemons here and there. It did flower quite a bit over the winter (we are in SF, so pretty mild climate). Most recently though, we suffered an infestation of leafrollers, which we were finally able to get rid of but not before they devoured about half the leaves on our already very small tree (we got rid of them by picking them off, removing the leaves with eggs, and coating with a powder pesiticide, allegedly made for fruits and citrus plants). Now we have a pretty sad looking tree. On top of this, some of the remaining leaves are yellowing/browning/curling inwarsd and don't look healthy. I've been reading a lot online and am now making sure to switch to a once a week deep watering. Does anyone have other suggestions? Could it be a nutrient deficiency? Thanks in advance for your help!

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Comments (4)

myermike_1micha
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Robbie, first off get rid of that mix and look through the threads, some as recent as today to see what mix citrus prefer, then you will have a good foundation to solve your other issues...You will only bandaid your problems until you get to the 'root' of your issue.

Nice to meet you by the way. I hope you stick around.))) We can all get that tree growing to it's full potential if you would like to. Let me , us, work with you.

Mike
Robbie Orvis thanked myermike_1micha
Jean
7 years ago
The damage is sunburn -- likely the tree was short of water during warm to sort of hot days, (I know you're in Frisco. But it's all relative.)
Robbie Orvis thanked Jean
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looks like something is snaking on them, my little tree had the same thing and it turned out to be spider mites. im not familiar with the bugs in your area but i would check for that. sift your fingers through the soil and pay close attention because some of the criters are small and hard to notice. also if u havnt repoted it i would recomend doing that. be sure to remove all the old soil from the roots as it can harden there over time and choke out the tree. re pot it in a good draining soil that dosnt hold to much water. theres a recipe for a mix on here called 5.1.1 but you can use a cactus or sitrus soil from a garden center if you wish. if you do find that the problem is bugs you can spray with an insectasidial soap (follow the directions on the bottle) which u can also by at your garden center. you can also ask someone at the garden center for there advice im sure they will be happy to help. keep us posted and let us know how it turns out cheers, chris
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Ariel, I see no one has responded, so I'll try to jump in, here. First, check your tree to see if you have any bugs of any kind. It looks to me like an injury, either mechanical, or possibly from an insect infection. The insects that can cause this sort of injury are sucking insects - aphids, scale, wooly aphids. I don't see anything obvious like that in your photos, but check the undersides of your leaves. Also, check that branch where it branches off the trunk, and look for a mechanical injury. Yes, your tree is chlorotic. You need to fertilize your Meyer frequently, and yes, cooler weather can affect nutrient uptake in our neck of the woods, based on our water having a little bit higher pH (not bad, but sometimes just enough that the pH in combination with colder temps can lock out the uptake of Manganese 1st, and then Iron, 2nd.) So, be sure to fertilize your tree regularly. I like to use DynaGro's Foliage Pro, 1/2 strength in the winter, then full strength in the summer. I also use a slow release fertilizer as well. I used to use Osmocote's product, but it has been discontinued. I would suggest Dynamite's slow release fertilizer, the one formulated for citrus, all-purpose or all-purpose select (whichever has the best spread of micronutrients). Patty S.
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As Steve has mentioned your fertilizer is not ideal. It also appears as though your soil is retaining water, which is killer for Myers (which in my experience can be quite finicky in a pot). I would search the forum for 5:1:1 soil mixtures and repot the plant into this type of soil (which drains much better). Mixing sand into a potting soil mixture often complicates the drainage, and it is for these very reasons why so many folks on the forum are such supporters of 5:1:1 soil mixtures. As for your fertilizer, look up foilage pro and osmocote plus on the forum as well. Good luck! Zach
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That is the very reason I feel so confined to my home until it's time to put all mine outside and hire someone or use a family member to hose them down when ever they want....I don't trust anyone watering mine for that long...I am sorry you lost it and then again you could always start a new) God, just don't let any of the workers from 4Winds see that poor thing, they might have a cry over it..I am sure it once looked spectacular!
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tim45z10
7 years ago
Sunburn is a contributing factor. Look closer and you will see many leaves have been half eaten.

Look closer on the tree and see if there any caterpillars

especially one that looks like bird poop.
myermike_1micha
7 years ago
Robbie...Do you know how to make a better constructed mix? I think your tree would love you for a much more porous one.

Also too, you will be able to fertilize more frequently pushing better growth without fertilizer burn. Too, your tree will be better able to withstand the onslaught of pests if you should get some.

Also, I would suggest to water deeply with a nice sprayer or sprinkler so that all the roots get evenly moist. It looks like you water with a cup or something that leaves part of your mix dry.

You live in a WONDERFUL area, ripe for the best growing conditions a tree could have and your tree should be leaping in bounds!

Have you ever thought of planting in your ground since your area is perfect so that you can take all the hassle away of containerized trees?

Glad you came for a visit. Hope you stick around.

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