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Bizarre Leaf Drying / Wilting Santa Teresa Lemon

PacNorWreck
6 years ago

Hi Everyone,

Another week, another new / weird citrus problem.

I brought my Santa Teresa lemon inside a few weeks ago. The tree came with some insect damage but no visible insects, and was in a little bit of a slow decline since I received it about 6 weeks ago, but things have gotten worse since the tree came inside. Since then,
the leaves have proceeded to wilt and dry out, and I can’t for the life of me
determine the cause. If I were experiencing root rot, I’d expect the leaves to
show some yellowing and I’d expect the leaves to drop - instead, they're a dull green and stuck to the tree still. If I were experiencing
fertilizer / salt burn, I’d expect burnt leaf tips. I still cannot find evidence of mites, scale, or other insects. I’m concerned the tree may
not make it through the cool seasons, and it’s only been inside for a few
weeks! Can you tell at all from my description and the attached photos what
might be causing this? The tree itself is in my usual citrus mix, which has allowed my Yuzu and Rangpur to thrive - my Lakeland limequat is doing much better recently as well. The Rangpur next to the ST is apparently getting plenty of light, as
it’s in the midst of a heavy growth and flower flush. There is a window behind the camera in these photos, so there's also natural light in addition to the T5 grow lights hanging above.

My plan
is to water only when the potting media is nearly completely dry, and not to
fertilize until I see some new growth or signs of life. What do you make of
this bizarre situation? Do you have any recommendations? I'd feel better if I understood what is happening.

This tree was impossible to find and I had to wait over a year for FWG to get them back in stock, I'd greatly appreciate any help in figuring out what's happening and helping the tree to recover. Thanks so much!

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