Photo attached

Photo 2

Now, a very important question...What kind of mix is it in??????????

Do you think it might be holding salts too long or not allowing enough oxygen to the roots which inhibit nutrients? Do you see fungus gnats anywhere near that pot? Do you water in sips? Do you fertilize, how often and how much? With what kind?

Ok, great pic..That's a start..What about my other questions since those are important to know so we can help you further.? I can already guess what's wrong, but more info would confirm that for us)

L N,

It's the roots beneath the soil level that do all the bull work, the finer roots per say. If those roots are not happy, they will not function properly and cause many issues , one of them being as pictured above..

Do you see the white all over your pot? That is salt and chemical deposits....You can address that with using a much more open mix and or flushing the mix out that tree is in as we speak...have you ever run fresh water through it so that the water drains out for at least a couple of minutes...? Try that..What Zone do you live it?

I would a re pot, but not a total bare root at this time...You can do either or but for someone new, a re pot is better until the spring and then we can show you how to do a bare root... A re pot would mean that you gently shake out as much of that mix as possible without disturbing the roots and just pot into something similar going up only about one size of that root ball..This is just to provide a fresh mix devoid of pests and salts and that is not compacted to hold you over until spring.

That mix looks worn out. If you see a couple of flies, I can almost promise you they are gnats which too can stress your tree roots..

If you choose to bare root no matter what, then you can do some reading before you do it on the 5.1.1 mix that most use here..If you need links just ask..But type in 5.1.1 mix in the search field and you will find much info..

Don't fertilize again until you first make the roots happy..If they can breath, without being burned away by salts, they will do wonders for you)

This is your first step. Too, clean the surface of that mix off of all that debris and keep it clean since it can harbor pests...

Mike

Where do you live? Clay pots in cooler climates tend to create cool soil due to evaporation through the clay. Cool soil inhibits uptake of some critical minerals, most notably manganese, which would create symptoms like yours. You might also look at the pH of the water you are applying, as high pH also inhibits uptake of critical minerals, especially in cool soils.

My God..There should be no reason there is anything wrong with your tree except unhealthy roots! Let's get this thingy started, ok?

Where are your other posts? I have like over 300 various plants of all sorts and rare species...I would be willing to take a peek.

Oh! If you click on my username above (L N) you can see all posts. Thank you!

Johnmerr, I agree with you, you have hit the problem on the head. It indeed looks like a manganese deficiency. The usual practice of treatment is to apply a Manganese foliar spray, such as manganese sulfate, to overcome the deficiency. The foliar spray should take care of the problem for year. I can see no symptom of damage caused by high soluble salts. BTW Dr. Earth is certainly not a good fertilizer to be using on a container citrus tree. Citrus are heavy feeders and require more nutrition than most other plants.

Silica, I figured you would say the opposite or make my advice seem invaluable. Let the members see for for themselves..What a joke,........I hope this person chooses wisely since I have never had to spray anything on my foliage, ever, not since I discovered the right mixes and fertilizer after years of doing this previously before coming here. Listening to the advice of what you and other so called professionals say lead me to dead ends before spending years at the container forums with the right people. I have been growing problem free Citrus Trees for years, and have proved that here and yet I have yet to see yours over the years. You fought with me over bark saying that Coconut Chips was far better than bark and yet you stopped using them after you failed in them while encouraging others to grow in that instead of the 5.1.1 mix. You never like me for encouraging I tlothers to use it. You say you used the these mixes for years when you never did You never documented it or have proof you did.If you want people to run out and try this or that to correct issues when it can all be done with one good fertilizer, the right regimen and in the right mix,that's fine. I've tried to reach out to you and work with you and yet you still refuse. That's fine too

You are probably getting a kick out of it since most new ones here have not got a clue that you have been doing this to me for years, staying in a different page than I here. I can promise you that I will not give up helping others while I presume that it would satisfy you if I did. . When was the last time you agreed with anything I had to say or complimented my years didicated or consistent efforts here? Your only purpose to me has been to quash my credibly here lately, and I'm not the only one who sees that now you move in and look like the good guy deliberatly being xtra nice to the ones that I've gotten to know or help to rally them on to your agenda?

Please, let it be known, that I too can copy and paste many articles that you have been putting together here from Google and the tropical forums to pretend you know it all. At times word for word on what Millet says......I've known you for years and you have never had a fondness of me or my ability or desire to help others with the methods I've learned here for years. Thanks.,

L.N . Everything grows just right, perfectly well, as long as the roots are running correctly, their needs are met, and the nutrients are able to be utilized..I would rather help others address the root of their problems, than waste their time or money to bandaid them just to have them keep reoccurring. As the pot shows it is salt issues, and the soil of choice causes that if no proper flushing of them is done, and the clay pot if exposed to cold temps as John says are most likely the cause. But I assume most of the time your climate is warm which would not be an issue with clay.

L.N If you would like to e-mail me, please do so. Since I have helped dozens of members here for years with success, I would be willing to help you. My e-mail is

milerno_1@yahoo.com

If you choose to do it Silica's way, you have that choice and I wish you all the luck)))) It was great to meet you.

Guys...is the full moon still out...?? Lol...I read all of the comments, and agree with ALL of you. I think Silica and John probably diagnosed the deficiency correctly, but Mike is telling you what to do to avoid the problem in the future. If it were my tree, I would:. 1) repot the tree now like Mike said and then in the Spring, do a bare root into the 5-1-1 or other porous mix. I do worry though that in your zone, the 5-1-1 may drain so quickly that you will have to water daily because it is so hot down there, however, a fast-draining mix does help with roots and 2) I would treat with something to help with the deficiency also. I have a post going now titled something about my being frustrated with a few of my trees. In it, I have had many helpful and thoughtful comments that have caused me to think carefully about how best to address those issues. I equate your tree to someone with high cholesterol. Taking drugs without addressing the underlying issues (bad diet, lack of exercise, etc) will not solve the problem. You can lower your cholesterol by taking the meds initially to solve the acute problem, but then gradually change your lifestyle and wean yourself off the meds. The solution is a mix of Mike + Silica! Now guys, be friends!

Boy-O-boy Mike, I don't know what all that was about. I simply looked at LN's pictures and agreed with Johnmerr that the photos showed the classic symptoms of a simple manganese deficiency. A very common deficiency in citrus that is among the easiest to cure.

No salts? Opposite? Don't address the soil issue? Opposite. No Mike is right,? Never ever.............I'm done You can be responsible for L.N and their success or failure unless they e-mail me... I'm done here, just as you wished.

Laura its not me after all these years. I've reached out and nothing works.. if you knew his history with me and why he does not like me or ever did, he would not have you fooled. He has 98% percent always disagreed with me about every thing I have ever taught here..Many see he has an agenda against me and to me it's worth worth the aggravation to help anyone here..He can have it all, his way is always right...Millet moderates the other forum and maybe he should moderate this one.Sorry

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LN, he listed it above in his long post.

The mix appears pretty collapsed to me, as well. I'd say it's almost always a good idea to promote a quality appropriate potting mix; after that, it's simply a question of *when* is the most appropriate time to re-pot.

A tablespoon of fertilizer every couple months is clearly not enough for a Citrus!

Josh