Sad Lucy the Lemon

5 years ago

Hi all! New to the forum. I'm living in Zone 5b with a meyer lemon and an orange that I move indoors and out with me. This year, the meyer lemon bore a nice crop of a dozen lemons, but it just looks sad and it keeps dropping leaves. (Meanwhile, its neighbor the orange is showing off looking perfect and sporting a bunch of baby oranges.)

Nothing has changed in my watering routine (letting it dry out between watering so as not to waterlogged the roots), feeding it with Miracid at each watering (which seems to be about biweekly-ish). No pests that I can spot, but I did do a round of insecticidal soap after a nice tepid warm shower to be sure I knocked anything off about a month ago. Still, leaves keep falling. I did one round of a foliar micronutrient spray at the end of October as I brought it in for the winter.

Lucy, as I fondly call the lemon, shares a 4200 lumen, 4000K LED shop light with the orange tree (Ethel), which is on for about 12 hours a day in addition to their south-facing window. Photos follow - they are a couple of weeks aged (fruit is off now).

Any thoughts from the wise experts on this forum? Is it normal to just see a big drop after coming inside, especially toward the end of fruit production? Should I be more worried that it's been inside this long and not adjusting? This is so unlike last year that I'm worried - although last year I didn't have any fruit to contend with. Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

bklyn citrus (zone 7B)

5 years ago

Your fruit is ripe pull it, I have meyers, the one tree that doesn't put out new growth along with blooms, take stress of tree, I feel your pain, hope you have enough leaves until spring - I see your in bloomlock, I'm in that currently, your pots below the sill doesn't get heated up, you need a heat mat or even better 1 or 2 spot lights low heating feeder roots on top of soil. Outdoors they seem to put on new growth and flower......thinking its a heat issue

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

poncirusguy6b452xx
5 years ago
5 years ago I had a seed grown Meiwa kumquat tree I named P.I.T.A.. They lose leaves like Meyers. I never found out what to do. I am listening.

Steve
Related Discussions
Trying to revive inherited, sad-looking lemon & mandarin trees
Q
Comments (1)
hi Slashy with old established citrus, I would agree that digging around would not be good. I have about 100 citrus trees and all I ever do (once they are established) is add mulch or compost every year. This does so many good things for the soil including helping lighten it up a bit so that water can work in a bit better. I simply add a thick layer on top the soil, about a hands width will do. Put it all around the tree, reaching out about a 1/2 meter past the reach of the limbs. Sprinkle a bit of water over it to let the nutrients wash down into the soil. In time the mulch will work its own way into the soil (amazing how that happens). Just water enough that some water does make it into the soil. Be careful not to over water as citrus does not do well with wet roots. If the trees are green, how are they getting water now? Keep it up. RE the fruit on the lemon, just start a good mulch and modest water. I believe you will see flowers soon enough. Lemon can flower 2 or 3 times a year, it may surprise you yet.
...See More
Sad lemon tree with pale yellow leaves
Q
Comments (0)
I've been trying to nurse a lemon tree back to health. I'm in northern Los Angeles (Zone 10). The previous owners of my house planted a young lemon tree under another tree (in complete shade). In October, I transplanted it to a sunny area of the yard. The leaves have always been pale and yellow. I have two other citrus trees (including key lime planted in the ground nearby) - both have rich green leaves and are flowering/fruiting. The lemon tree has had a little bit of new growth since the move, but no blooming. Since March, I've been deep watering once every couple weeks (if it's dry), and the sprinkler runs twice a week. I've fertilized a couple times with fish emulsion and a few handfuls of worm castings. Last month I fertilized with 10-6-4 citrus fertilizer (expecting the leaves to turn green if it was a nutrient deficiency), and it still looks about the same. It seems like no matter what I try, it looks about the same (where as the same treatment is working wonders for the two other trees - no need for citrus fertilizer) The pictures may be a bit deceptive since none of the leaves are really green. There are leaf miners on some of the leaves (but a gardener friend said to leave the leaves alone and the worm castings would eventually help) Any suggestions? Are the leaves of a lemon tree different color from other citrus? Should I dig down and try to look at the roots?
...See More
Suddenly sad Meyer lemon -yellowing/dropping leaves
Q
Comments (18)
I very strongly doubt that your tree has a phosphorous deficiency. I have NEVER heard of a phosphorous deficiency in container citrus, when it is regularly fertilized with a NPK fertilizer. Phosphorous does not leach from a container, as does nitrogen and potassium. Nitrogen and potassium are both VERY water soluble and readily leach with every watering, but not phosphorus. All of the leaves that are turning yellow, and dropping are the older leaves on the tree. Your tree is withdrawing the nitrogen from the leaves (thus they are yellowing) to reuse in other part of the tree before discarding them. When a leaf no longer is capable of supplying its expected quota of energy to the tree, it is quickly discarded. There is no welfare program for citrus leaves. However, your tree is also under fed. If the tree's problem was other than aged leaves, you would be seeing yellow dropped leaves from the new leaves also. Also it is not wise to add this and that chemical in hopes of coming across a cure. First ascertain what the problem actually is then correct it. I'm sure it was also not helpful to the tree to let it remain in the same container and "soil" for 5 years. Fertilize the tree using a high nitrogen fertilizer. You can add vinegar if you wish, but there are much better ways to acidify. Organic acids such as vinegar, have an extremely short life.
...See More
Sad Meyer Lemon
Q
Comments (4)
Indeed please do protect those trunks as Johnmerr says. They still have time to grow and come back before the cold season hits. The timing could have been much worse. You will need to watch the water requirements closely. This happened to a friend of mine's citrus in Scottsdale. A "reputable" landscaper pruned (really butchered) and killed an established 15 ft. tall Lemon tree - he did it just before a freeze hit. Same with my neighbor's lemon. "pruned" by landscapers in December just before our freeze season. (guess what happened) I find that landscaping service companies are even worse when instructed to plant citrus. Fire them and find someone who actually knows what they are doing. Good luck, George K
...See More
Vladimir (Zone 5b Massachusetts)
5 years ago
It is WLD -Winter Leaf Drop. http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=13332.0
User
Original Author
5 years ago
I've pulled the fruit off at this point to reduce the stress (these pictures are a little dated.) Yes, I am getting some stress blooming. I didn't think of warming the soil - and no one has suggested that. Thanks for that idea!
dbarron
5 years ago
Please post back if that helps your issue. I'd like to know for future reference.
johnmerr
5 years ago
Well, you have probably made some of the classic Meyer lemon errors. First, when you dramatically change the light conditions a Meyer will drop most, if not all its leaves, to replace them later with leaves better suited to the new light conditions. To move a Meyer from outside to inside without the leaf loss, you need to move it from full sun to partial sun for 2 weeks; then to full shade for 2 weeks; then indoors; reverse the process when putting it out in the Spring... and please DO put it out, if you can; you will be rewarded with a happy, healthy plant.
Second, when you bring it indoors to a sunny window, the plant gets warm; but the roots generally stay cool; and citrus roots don't like to grow into cool soil... the solution is to put some sort of heater to warm the soil, or to put the plant a little further from the window. The thing to remember is first the roots grow; and then the leaves and branches.
Laura LaRosa (7b)
5 years ago
Welcome to the forum. I am happy to see that I am not the only crazy person who names her trees..lol . You've been given good advice. I hope they improve for you!
User thanked Laura LaRosa (7b)
User
Original Author
5 years ago
Actually, I did make the gradual adjustment from outdoors to in. Although I am newer to the meyer lemon, I am no newbie to horticulture! In addition to Lucy, I also have an orange tree, an olive, a potted french lavender, and an avocado tree - all of which I move from indoors to out annually. Lucy is the only one who is suffering this year.

I've never had issues with soil warming, but I've also never had the stress of fruit production at this point in the year as well. Happy to report back that with the fruit removed and the heat lamp on, dare I say Lucy looks to be bouncing back? Couple more weeks should give us the real answer! I'm thinking of adding a heat lamp to Olivia the avocado as well. Ethel the orange is happy as can be - don't know what her deal is, but she has always been easy (except for a nasty bout with scale when I first picked her up from the nursery - ugh. That was a royal pain!)
bklyn citrus (zone 7B)
5 years ago
Just my personal observation on my 2 meyers, they love and adore the heat and light more than oranges and most certainly mandarins. A little extra love is required with them.....

Sad Lucy the Lemon

bklyn citrus (zone 7B)

Comments (9)

poncirusguy6b452xx

Related Discussions

Vladimir (Zone 5b Massachusetts)

User
Original Author

dbarron

johnmerr

Laura LaRosa (7b)

User
Original Author

bklyn citrus (zone 7B)

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Sad Lucy the Lemon

bklyn citrus (zone 7B)

Comments (9)

poncirusguy6b452xx

Related Discussions

Vladimir (Zone 5b Massachusetts)

UserOriginal Author

dbarron

johnmerr

Laura LaRosa (7b)

UserOriginal Author

bklyn citrus (zone 7B)

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

User
Original Author

User
Original Author