3' indoor Kumquat leaf problem, any thoughts?
JOhn ng
6 years ago
It has been living in door for almost 2 years now. Its leaf just doesn't look healthy. It is losing its green but It doesn't turn yellow and fall off. The total volume of leaf is less also. I am sure there is no pest. Any idea? Anyone know what is going now? is it nutrient deficiency? This is my second kumquat, the first one die when I moved it in door over the winter. Thanks for your help.
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JOhn ng
6 years agoRelated Discussions
any seed grown, potted kumquat trees that fruit
Comments (37)Damp-off of very young seedlings has never been that much of a problem for me, but I think the reason for that may be how I germinate them to begin with. It's a cue I took from my mother, which is basically to put the seeds in the same pot (around the edges of the pot) with an adult plant then water the adult plant the way I normally would. It means I don't use bottom heat and whatnot, so things sprout when it naturally becomes warm enough for them, but pretty much I don't worry as much about damp-off because there are older roots using the same water in the same pot. It's when I take the babies out that I experience problems. As I mentioned, I actually put some young Calamondins back with their Rangpur Lime host plant to recover after this winter. The other thing I practice quite a lot is the theory that it's not dead until it's dead and even if I'm sure its dead, it's worth a shot. You wouldn't believe the number of citrus seedlings and cutting grown figs I had come back to life after the moving issue the spring before last. I actually use the much maligned self watering pots, but not as self watering pots. The designers would say I'm using them totally backwards. I'll go down my line of trees and tip them to dump the water if I notice water actually standing in any of the reservoirs. (I can't imagine using them to "self water" because what that really does is create a high water table for root rot.) If you've ever taken a moment to look at one of those things empty, the bottom of the pot that sits inside the reservoir is like a pasta strainer. So long as the reservoir is always empty, drainage isn't a problem....See MoreKumquat leaf drop and possible disease
Comments (5)Thanks for your replies. Here is another photo of the damaged leaves. By now, they have all fallen off, and most of the remaining leaves have the white, flaky substance that I posted in my previous photos. I did contact the local extension office, and they said that it looks like aphids (the white stuff is from their molting stages). I've hosed down the tree with water and have been spraying it with some soapy solution, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it helps it retain the few leaves it still has left....See MoreIndoor Mango Leaf problems
Comments (2)First, before using any pesticide get a proper diagnosis because the pesticide may have unintended consequences, like taking aspirin for the pain caused by a bleeding ulcer. Many people think that because water runs out the bottom of a potted plant that the soil is totally wet. Nothing is further that the truth. Most, if not all, are made of dried shredded plant material which does not absorb water readily. Thing of a dry sponge, it does not absorb water when first place on it so you "force" the water in. So how do you accomplish this feat with soil in a pot, simple. Take the pot, set in the sink, stopper the sink, fill with water to 7/8 the height of pot, let soak until the surface is moist (2-4 hours), drain the water and allow the pot to drain. Now you know the soil ball is holding all the water it can....See More3 trees, 3 options...your thoughts on the best route
Comments (15)John - no problem digging longer roots, except that you want to maintain the soil around the roots as much as possible (vs exposing them) to help maintain the small hairline roots - these are the roots that absorb water and nutrients and oxygen from the soil. And soil is heavy, especially wet soil in the spring. Digging around the roots, lifting the soil and roots, --and transporting this mass without it falling apart -- is a key problem. Access is usually difficult, beech seldom seems to grow near the edge of the forest (unless the area has been cleared) -- likes a bit of dampness , and when you are digging up your specimen, if possible you don't want to destroy other saplings. Generally, smaller diameter stems are easier to transplant, and have better survival rates - like 1 - 2 inch diameter. Larger stems demand a larger root-soil mass, and volume being a cubic function, weight increases fast. As others have mentioned, beech is a finicky tree about where it grows. It seems to prefer well drained soil, with a bit of dampness and deeper layers of humus with rotting leaves above does help with survival. I have seen Beech grow on clay -- with difficulty. Carefully examine the site where your specimen tree is growing, and try to duplicate it as much as possible for best success. And you want the newly planted root mass to be at the same level as the area it grew in., If you succeed, beech is a great long-lived tree. Sorry, I can't help you with mail order. I am based in Ontario, Canada -- well away from New Jersey, BUt, a local nursery or a landscape architect or a possibly a local arborist could name some good sources. If the company you normally deal with hasn't got what you want, it may be that what you want hasn't got a good survival rate, or such a good survival rate, there is no point carrying the species....See More
cf03
6 years agoEverything I've read says that damaged leaves will not improve so maybe it's just wishful thinking that's got me seeing the green bits on the bleached out leaves slowly expanding ;-) .
It dropped a lot of leaves but there's new growth with flowers and fruit developing so it's definitely recovered from the spider mites. Maybe a few weeks behind in growth but could also be due to the lousy spring weather we had.JOhn ng, take your kumquat outside and give it a good spray with water. If you can leave it outside for the summer, it'll do wonders ;-)
JOhn ng thanked cf03JOhn ng
6 years ago
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