That is scale insect sucking sap out of your tree. Treat immediately. If you are lucky the tree may recover. Whether scale is the primary problem can't be determined from the pics, but the staking is all wrong and likely affecting the tree as well. Remove that stake. If the tree can't stand, then you'll need to stake properly. There are trillions of hits on The Google to show you how - pay attention to the directions. If the tree makes it, make the mulch ring larger as well. It is hard to tell if the plant is planted too deeply, but that may be an issue as well. If the tree doesn't make it, when you replace ensure you find some directions on proper planting and follow them. Good luck. Dan

I don't have any idea what might be wrong with your trees, although I do wonder if you're watering too much. Watering an established tree every couple of days, even during a drought, seems excessive... a once-a-week, deep soaking would be better for them than more frequent ones. I don't know if that's what's causing the bark to fall off or not. Emerald ash borer is a huge problem in some areas -- I know you don't suspect borers, but you might want to take a look at this article (link below; scroll to bottom for information on symptoms) and then look closely at your trees, just to make sure. Another source for help is your local cooperative extension service, and/or master gardener program. Copy and paste this link to find out locations, etc: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/ Some states have a pest and disease diagnostic lab as part of their extension service -- great place to get help. I hope your trees are ok -- good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: emerald ash borer

i cant tell if you fert your lawn ... but generally ..... an established tree does not usually need any more fert than what its roots under the lawn can provide ... that said.. production citrus is way out of my ballpark .... and i wouldnt be surprised if it needed constant juicing to perform to expectations... see what i did there.. lol ... find your COUNTY Ag or extension office... it would be beyond belief.. that they cant help you with citrus growing in FL ... dont you think ... they might recommend you start with a soil test.. as a starting point to a fertilizer regimen ... ken ps: i you previously had a bug issue.. and solved it ... you do not have to treat for said problem for the rest of the trees life ... and it is highly recommended that you only treat when you actually find something to treat ... lets hope here.. all your problems are nutrient related ...

I would disagree that you can't fertilize with organic fertilizers in pots, however if you are going to do so you need to be diligent about how you care for your tree, use a medium that is appropriate for and encourages the growth of microorganisms, and avoid plastic pots. You also have to be careful not to use anything that can damage your microorganisms. When you use organic growing methods in containers you absolutely have to treat your soil as, as much of an organism as your tree, and I would not recommend it to someone starting out with citrus. (I grow my own trees indoors in a huge window exclusively under lights and use organic methods. I get fruit every year and my trees grow very well.) Reading your responses it definitely sounds like you have a few problems: water, light, potential overfertilization. You don't "feed" a tree the way you would feed a pet, fertilizer is not "food" in that way, but should instead be applied as necessary to replace nutrients depleted from your soil. Indoors, your trees won't deplete nutrients as quickly due to the low light and slower growth, so you don't need to fertilize as often or at all. As for watering, as mentioned above you should let the tree dry out between deep waterings and watch that your soil doesn't stay wet for too long. (For example: self watering planters are death for many indoor plants). As for lamps, the kind of grow-bulbs or nice looking growing lamps are not going to provide you enough lumens to grow a tree. You could probably use them for little plants that require low light, but a tree needs more than that. A high powered LED lamp is going to be your best bet for a citrus tree. There are options for ones you can install in your house or you could hide them in some way, but if you want your trees to do well you need a lot more light than a standard grow light. I hope this was helpful, and good luck.