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Citrus Container Gardening garden

Help ID leaf/nutrient issue on meyer lemon

2 years ago

Any idea what could be causing this? At first, I thought maybe it was grow light burn but am now highly doubting that is the case. I’ve used the same grow light for about 3 years now and haven’t had an issue before. Yellowing is effecting (mostly) the bottom half of tree and has remained on the tips of the leaves so far. Noticed this maybe 2 weeks ago, doesn’t seem to have gotten worse.

I’m in the Chicago suburbs, plant has been inside all year in southern facing window, potted in 511 mix that is about 2 years old now? I use dyna-gro 9-3-6 but have been very inconsistent with it…. The reasoning behind that is because I may(definitely) have way over fertilized about 9 months ago. I planned on repotting in new 511 but never got around to it plus it seemed to recover from me pretty much poisoning it so I let it be. After I accidentally drowned it in fertilizer, I did flush the soil in the shower at each watering- maybe 3 times after & have since pretty much let it be. I can’t remember if or when I fertilized again after that, I’m sure I have but it’s been a while now.

I have fertilized again with the last 2 waterings because of the yellowing and the lemons that are still on the tree. I’m just at a bit of a loss because I have no idea where my nutrient levels could possibly be at now. I may still have too much of something but lacking other things. I guess my tree is finally trying to scream the answer at me but I cannot figure out what it’s saying! Can anyone translate please?

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Comments (4)

Vladimir (Zone 5b Massachusetts)
2 years ago
Plant seems healthy to me. The small yellowish spots are of no concern. I se no nutrient deficiency. Do not worry. Stop fertilizing. It doe not need it and may be causing harm.
bklyn citrus (zone 7B)
2 years ago
I second that. Its normal to lose a few leaves that slowly yellow off, especially if they are old and you are holding fruit which needs nutrition. Growing indoors, I almost always use a dilute liquid fertilizer solution at 1/4 strength plus vinegar at each weekly to 10 day watering (depends on time of year/actual tested dryness per pot). Once a month I flush with water only with or without vinegar. Not knowing what's in your pot, its hard to advise on fertilizer. I also add some osmocote slow release to my pots. I'm in the dilute solution more often camp. I wouldn't worry that much.
Grace Romito thanked bklyn citrus (zone 7B)
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First, don't despair. Your Meyer, which by most standards is a bit sensitive when grown as a garden tree, has suffered from probably being too long in the same pot, from being moved to new light conditions, and then transplant shock being planted inground. The good news is now that it is in the ground, and in one place, it will recover nicely. FYI, since you planted it in the ground, the roots have been growing; first the roots grow, and after that the leaves and branches grow. Have a little patience, water it deeply about once per week in the Summer, and give it some good citrus fertilizer 3 to 4 times per year per label instructions. Keep us posted as it grows and produces blooms next Spring and fruit next November... yes, I actually know when it will bloom in Northern California, unlike many other latitudes and altitudes.
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Scale "bugs" feeds on the plant and then secrete a waste product called honeydew. You can google this and read about it. The ants come around to feed on the sweet, sticky honeydew. If you have a big infestation of scale and you walk under a large tree with it, it will "rain" down on you. Yuck. I generally physically remove as many creatures as I can. I try to prune off heavily infested branches, and keep the plant open and airy. I try to keep the plant as healthy as possible with compost and organic mulch, and pesticide and herbicide-free so beneficials including birds will come and help. I would put the scale that I removed and the pruned peices into a bag and discard. I probably would not compost this. Most plants can survive a moderate infestation, most plants are never entirely pest free. I agree horticultural oil acts by smothering the scale. Most folks feel these oils are fairly low toxicity. If you practice IPM you wouldn't really use them. Some folks make a homemade oil and water mixture. Not sure if this is less toxic, use olive oil? If you do use an oil, yes you should spray the undersides of the leaves where the scale hides. I think you would have to repeat after a time as the eggs hatch. I vote for enticing beneficials into the garden with organic practices and plant diversity. I think your Meyer will be OK. Laurie
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no... its sporadic watering. You let it dry out too much in between watering and then deluge it.. That's why the outer cells in those leaves burst and now are turning brown. Also when overwatering, you remove valuable minerals from the soil... hence the yellowing leaves with greenish veins. It did need light which is why it responded to additional light. its fine now. so this what you should do. Do not overwater. Just damp but not soaking through. let it dry but not too completely in between. give it a weak tropical fertilizer because it's fruiting. When it fruits is will need more nutrients. Don't worry if the older leaves drop off, for as long as new leaves continue to come out.
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Thanks a lot for your advice. I am gonna research both the gritty mix and the 5-1-1. Since I need to re-pot because my soil is wrong, do you suggest that I shake or remove much of the old soil from the roots when I replant? When I was videos on re-potting, they seem to transfer much of the soil but I'm concerned that it will also carry the problem to the new pot. I wasn't able to find the 5-1-1 online. Do you have a suggestion on where to get this?
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Grace Romito
Original Author
2 years ago
@bklyn citrus (zone 7B) why do you flush monthly? Never heard of anyone doing that. Salt build up? Thanks! I held off on fertilizing for a long time but am starting to add a little with waterings again. I’ve seen a lot of people add vinegar too but have never tried before. Maybe i’ll start. I added osmocote when I made my soil but that was over a year ago. How often do you add that?
bklyn citrus (zone 7B)
2 years ago
Most fertilizer is in a form of salt and it can build up. Vinegar acidifies tap water slightly so acid loving trees can actually use the fertilizer. I do osmocote once on a repot and maybe once in summer heavy and once in late late winter. I dont use recommended dose. Less than half.

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