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Post by prodigal gardener on Jul 21, 2007 12:22:31 GMT
Hi, hope someone can help me with this, I have two baby lemon trees. Both are potted in that citrus compost and have been in the pots about 12-18 months. One is doing fine and has some lovely new growth on,   BUT the other one looks really rubbish. Some thing has been having a right good chew on it which is probably caterpillars or something. I dont know whats up with the leaves tho, they get really huge and then go curly and brittle although they do stay green.   Can anybody suggest a possible solution please - I am clueless on Lemon trees (among other things!) I have bought two matching pots that I want to put them into. I seem to think that I have read somewhere they need ericasious compost and summer & winter feed?  Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ;D |
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Post by andy on Jul 21, 2007 14:52:18 GMT
Lemon trees suffer from loads of pests....caterpillars, red spider mite, scale, mealy bug and heavens knows what else.....maybe worth giving them a spray with a broad spectrum systemic pesticide.
Were they shop bought plants or grown from pips ?
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Post by prodigal gardener on Jul 21, 2007 15:44:26 GMT
Shop bought (mothers day pressie) they were a couple of twigs with 2 or 3 leaves! I'm not so concerned about the holes in the leaves as the size of the leaves, they are really big compared to the healthy plant. Looks really odd Been advised to bring them in and let them dry out a bit. Going to put them in my new (bargain) pots and lavish them with attention (when I remember  ) |
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Post by Shrubrose on Jul 21, 2007 17:02:06 GMT
Sorry karlslass, dont know anything about citrus plants. Have you kept them apart - whatever's harming the poorly one could go for your healthy one. And that one looks so good it would be such a shame for it to become affected.
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Post by prodigal gardener on Jul 21, 2007 17:28:34 GMT
Yep -poorly plant in its own corner of the greenhouse now. Have repotted them both (matching pots dontchaknow  ) and give the poorly one a pull yourself together chat. Just have to wait and see now I suppose |
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Post by Shrubrose on Jul 21, 2007 17:54:30 GMT
Couldn't have had too much water (aka rain) could it?
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Post by Chuckles on Jul 21, 2007 19:23:12 GMT
Ooooh dear Karlslass it does look poorly compared to the other one which looks an absolute picture of health. I've seen Lemon trees in Portugal covered in white fly, but have not seen them like yours  I'd use a spray like Andy has suggested, only other thing I would suggest is, it might be worth removing it from the pot and thoroughly wash the whole thing in just plain water roots and all, also the pot and repot it up in fresh compo. Remove anyof the leaves that you feel are past it and keep it away from the other too. Good luck  |
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Post by andy on Jul 21, 2007 19:40:05 GMT
Just remembering a conversation i had with a gardener years ago about growing citrus in mediterranean countries. I'm sure he said that they used to allow the trees to dry right out then every so often, they'd open a valve and flood the citrus field....so they'd get a big hit of water and then be dry for a while. Don't know how true this is but i tried keeping them dry then drowing it over night and it seemed to work....just don't take my word for it though  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 19:57:44 GMT
Spot on Andy! They usually like being outside in pots in normal UK summers, as they tend to get dried out in between waterings (well they do here!). What they hate is their roots in water and let's be honest Mexborough has seen a lot of that in the last two months. A change of compost today, will have helped.
In Winter, they need watering sparingly, but need some humidity (a little spray can is ideal), or they get all the nasties in the World in today's dry centrally heated homes.
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Post by Chuckles on Jul 21, 2007 20:03:07 GMT
You boy's have a good point there. If I think about how they are treated in Portugal they are kept dry and then they open a valve from their water bore holes and flood the fields.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 20:13:39 GMT
Hi Karlslass The second lemon tree you have does look abit on the sad side, although I see it has some new leaves emerging. I wonder if it may be suffering with Scale as Andy suggested earlier. I sometimes find this on the underside of the leaves of my lemon tree, and they kind of look like very small, oval shaped raised blemishes. I usually notice them when I bring the tree out of the greenhouse in Spring. I rub them off with my nail and then give the tree abit of a 'bath' with a weak solution of washing up liquid. There is a granular citrus feed you can buy at the GC, one recommended for winter use and one for summer use - it may be worth giving it a try. BTW - that's some good looking broccoli in the foreground of the 1st photo  |
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Post by prodigal gardener on Jul 22, 2007 19:27:24 GMT
Quick update:- have repotted both lemons in fresh compost and new terracotta pots, they are going to live in the greenhouse until summer turns up or until it get too cold outside for them. Thanks for the advice-just have to wait and see for now. Really hope this works because I really like them, might have to buy an orange tree for company for them I reckon ;D
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Post by prodigal gardener on Jul 22, 2007 19:31:50 GMT
Gardenhammerette - I pulled the brocolli out today ! it all flowered before I could get outside and pick it bloody weather! not to worry - left me a space to fill so I have planted some spring green in pots, some wallflowers in pots, and some carrots in pot and plonked them all there ;D Been great today - managed a couple of hours outside before it started today - wonders will never cease. ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2007 21:18:29 GMT
Gardenhammerette - I pulled the brocolli out today ! it all flowered before I could get outside and pick it bloody weather! not to worry - left me a space to fill so I have planted some spring green in pots, some wallflowers in pots, and some carrots in pot and plonked them all there ;D Been great today - managed a couple of hours outside before it started today - wonders will never cease. ;D Well I don't know what I was looking at Karlslass, but there is was a couple of heads of broccoli I saw that looked just ready too eat  . They are just to the right of the metal planter ;D |
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Post by Chuckles on Jul 23, 2007 14:49:55 GMT
Yes I spotted them too GH, they looked good well I saw them after I clicked on the photo to enlarge it and the had to click on it again to enlarge further, eye sight is terrible these days Hope all goes well with your Lemons KL. BTW your garden looks lovely, must have a look on the Gallery I saw you'd posted but not had time to look yet |
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Any help would be greatly appreciated.
)
) and give the poorly one a pull yourself together chat. Just have to wait and see now I suppose 
. They are just to the right of the metal planter ;D