Beautiful tree! Can you take it outside and hose it off...and keep it outdoors for summer? Definitely a deficiency - not sure which? What do you have it planted in? What do you feed it and how often? Others here who know more will help!

Thanks. We took it outside to hose off maybe twice in the past year. At this point, it's getting too large/sprawling to move through doorways, even with two people. It stays indoors year round, otherwise. Planted in a plastic pot full of off-brand houseplant soil; last repotting was some time in late 2014. Fertilized with 24/8/16 MiracleGro (1-2 tsp for 2 gallons of water at every watering.)

Beautiful tree, especially growing indoors all year. Follow John's advice. I think it needs the micronutients which the Osmocote Plus and Foliage Pro will provide. You should see improvement is a few weeks. Ultra Fine horticultural oil sprays will take care of the bugs but you need to spray several times and 7-10 days apart to get all the babies that keep hatching. Many people use Neem Oil sprays, but it does have an odor many people don't like. Soap sprays will help too, again several sprays every 7-10 days must be done to get them all. If you can't spray them outside try giving them a shower in your tub or shower every month or so. It will clean the dust as well as help get rid of any bugs.

Cory

Will try out the fertilizers/Neem oil, and report progress.

(Cory, it would be virtually impossible to maneuver it into our shower stall... here's another picture with the door in the background for size comparison. Which doesn't truly show the circumference -bulk- of the bloody thing. Oh, and it's got some pretty epic thorns to boot.)

Thank you very much, guys. :-)

It sure is a beautiful tree. It must really like it's indoor home!

Cory

I agree with Cory, it's a beauty!!

But I would use a whole different approach.

I know that pests can be a consistent issue even if you treat it if the tree itself is weak. It's weak from many different reasons, but mostly related to so natural sunlight and a poor soil mix.

I say soil because unless you change that soil out every year, it will compact holding in too many salts from tap water and fertilizers..This in itself can cause poor root function which in turn cause poor nutrient uptake and then pests.

What you see is a a problem being caused by poor root function and possible death of fine feeder roots...

This would be my plan of action, if you dare and want a nice very green tree.

I would do a re pot as soon as possible While you are at it I would trim back at least half the roots and re pot it into a smaller pot. I would trim the trim down a bit and then stick it outside in a pot that you can lift for the rest of summer, first in the shade and into weak sunlight for a week and then into stronger sunlight until it's time to bring it in.

Once you know the tree is happy with the re pot, usually about a couple of weeks this time of the year, start fertilizing with a weak strength of something good recommend here. It will do very well since fall is not yet here.

If you decide not too...........Then you have this option.

Change out the entire soil mix, shake out as much as possible and use a fresh mix. The water well and hold back on fertilizing for a couple of weeks. Re pot every late spring to keep the soil open and fresh not allowing it to decompose or hold salts.

If you decide not too.........Then you have this option.

Flush out that mix with a good amount of rain water or tap, but as long as the water flows freely from the bottom a few times. Flush out as many salt deposits as you can and keep a close eye on how long it takes for your mix to dry out. Let us know how long it take between waterings..That will tell us a lot about how well your mix is working and whether or not your roots are getting oxygen.

Have you checked your pH to your tap water and ever heard of using vinegar?

Mike

You should also consider switching your mix to the 5-1-1 (just search it here and it will pop up). It will be much better for the tree and it will be better for you because it is much lighter than potting soil. Potting soil is not a good option for citrus - especially those indoors. I am a liberal pruner, so I would be for pruning it a bit and taking it outdoors for the summer...it will do SO much better.

Ok, so I had not seen all the comments. I totally agree with Mike - prune, switch the mix, and take that tree outside. You will be surprised how much happier it will be. Then start the regular feeding and watch the color turn!

Outside is not an option out here. (House in a city/no back yard. We do have a narrow alley, but it gets no light.) Will check the pH too.

I also think you should think about pruning so you can keep a better handle on the pest situation.

Also did you guys know you can water neem oil in in addition to spraying on the leaves? The plants take the neem up and can actually kill the pests who feed afterward. I always water neem in to help with the foliar spraying. Less messy too!

Yes and therez Neem meal as well that can be added to the potting mix though I dont know the efficacy of the stuff

I was just reading about neem meal too somewhere else, can't remember now. Seemed there wasn't a lot of data on it.

I just posted about this. It would be a good discussion...:-)

I was thinking maybe the soil was harboring the pests, too. You are getting good advice here on repotting and pruning your gorgeous tree, even if you can't take it outside. These trees thrive on pruning, so your foliage won't be gone long!

If I had to take a blind guess I would say high pH water/soil. If you cant test your water, just add a table spoon of vinegar to the 2 gal water for a while. If you have already added micronutrients and it is respondind ignore my advice. But if it is the water/ soil pH, it does not matter what else you put on it.

Yep... Repot it into the 5-1-1 or gritty if you can manage it. It is quite a nice tree!

Pruned it about by half; waiting until life isn't busy as heck to repot. (Probably within a week.) Spider mites flared up since the pruning, so Neemed it again.

No special lighting, Esmeralda-- just full southern exposure in a large first-floor window.

Hi Esmeralda.

Foliage Pro 9-3-6 (FP) is a fertilizer
that contains all of the nutrients that citrus trees require. Each
time you have to water, add 1 Tsp. of FP /gal of water and use that instead of
pure water. Get a cheap pH testing kit - the kind
used to test the pH of swimming pool or aquarium water. If your tap water is
above pH 6.5, add enough vinegar to adjust it to about pH 6.5. You will only
have to add give or take 1 Tb/gal. So, you will be watering with a mix of
vinegar and Foliage Pro every time the tree needs water.

Check to see if it needs water by
shoving a shishkabob skewer halfway between the tree and the wall of the pot
and all the way to the bottom. Pull it out and if you see particles on it, then
does does not need watering.

When repotting into a different kind of
soil mix, remove the old soil mix by dunking the root ball in and out of water.
You may have to use a garden hose to gently force the old soil off.

People on this forum use either the gritty
or 5-1-1 mix. The ingredients for 5-1-1 are easier to find. This is what I use:

My version of Al Tapla's 5-1-1 Mix

· 5
parts pine bark mulch (remove ½” pieces through 1/2 inch screen)

(Some people use Repti Bark instead of
mulch. This does not require screening but may require more frequent watering.)
Be sure to soak the bark overnight.

· 1
part sphagnum peat

· 1
part perlite (coarse, if you can get it)

· 1 Tb garden
lime /gal 5-1-1 mix (measure the 5-1-1 mix)

· Osmocote
plus (follow manufacturer’s instructions

·
Moisten well and wait at least 2 days before using

Vladimir..Fantastic advice..Much appreciated. Pray for rain tonight)

Thank you valdmir

im so appreciative I've bought so much and think I'm causing problems. I will do this instead. Will repotting the trees have an affect on them since I recently just got them ?

Is there a pre mixed soil that's somewhat like the 5-1-1 mix?

iluv

The simple answer is no; might be a business opportunity for someone.

No...I know it seems complicated (and I resisted initially also), but it is easy peasy! The ingredients for the 5-1-1 are easy to find and it will be sooo much better for your trees. The only way I deviate from Vladimir's method (and what he said is the ideal way to do it) is that I only soak the reptibark. I then stir in the dripping bark into the other ingredients. The most expensive ingredient is the reptibark, but Amazon often has it on sale for $15.99 for the big bag.

Yep John...you are right!!

I'm not sure I will get it right, and really mess things up for my trees

You will not! You can use any container to measure. I use a small plastic pot. 5 reptibark, then one of each perlite and peat moss...a scoop of oscomote plus, 1/2 scoop of lime (the scoop in the oscomote container, not the big pot ;-), mix and plant! Piece of cake! I may mix some up tomorrow if you want pics.

That would be great . Thank you

I know it sounds pretty complicated but it really is not as bad as it sounds. And you have a bunch of wonderful people on this forum who are eager to help you every step of the way. You can do it!!!!

Laura, I don't think the way I prepare 5-1-1 is any different from the way you prepare it. I soak the Repti-bark overnight. Add all the ingredients. I then ad enough water to just moisten the mix. Don't you add water at this point also? Otherwise it would be too dry for the lime to react and increase the pH.

Vladimir, I scoop up the dripping reptibark so the mix is moist, however, I do not wait two days to use it and do not add additional water after that. I just mix and use it up immediately. Then I water thoroughly once the plant is in there. I tried watering it once and letting it sit and it just made such a huge mess and I felt like I wasted some of it also. I realize the lime does not have time to react, but that is ok...it does not seem to hurt my plants.

OK The import thing is that the mix is moist once you are done adding everything and mixing it in. I wasn't sure the Repti-bark held enough water. So, our methods hardly differ at all.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gritty-Mix-Potting-Soil-Bonsai-Succulent-Turface-Gran-i-grit-Pine-Bark-Fines-/252043353103?hash=item3aaef45c0f:g:eqQAAOSwwbdWHAUO

Here's the gritty at least which lasts a lot longer in case your interested))