Lemon tree curly leaves

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by Corlia, Dec 1, 2008.

  1. Corlia

    Corlia Member

    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Johannesburg, South Africa
    Good day

    Can somebody please help me identify this pest on my lemon tree? I am a rookie with lemon trees, well with gradening. I get so excited when my lemon tree gets new leaves, but not long after the leaves grows, these pest appear at the bottom of the leaves and make these leaves all curly. I spreads unbelievable quickly. I am trying to cut them out, but my poor lemon tree has only a couple of leaves left and can't even produce more than I am cutting out. Please give me some advice how to treat this pest.
    IMG_7300.jpg

    IMG_7294.jpg
     
  2. rudell

    rudell Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    114
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Bathurst, NB
    wow...what have you done up to now for this??......what I do when I think I"ve got bugs is take a water spray bottle that contains a few drops of dishwashing soad and to really soak the plant ..and I also give a watering that contains a drop of soap also...I would try this a few times...
     
  3. Corlia

    Corlia Member

    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Johannesburg, South Africa
    Thanks for reply, but I have tried the water and dishwashing liquid, but the bugs keeps coming back. My only resort was to cut off the affected leaves, but now my little tree does not have many leaves left. If I can just find out what this is!!! The bugs are very transluent under the leaves, and they develop into this small flying bugs.
     
  4. rudell

    rudell Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    114
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Bathurst, NB
    have you tried a store bought pesticide or ?? cutting the leaves well like you say you won't have anything left
     
  5. StarLoc

    StarLoc Active Member

    Messages:
    57
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Liverpool, UK, zone 9?
    Spray with water, with a spoon of cooking oil and a spoon of neem oil, a tiny drop of dishwash liquid, it works on most, the cooking oil suffocates the pests, the neem oil stops them feeding and also suffocates them
    If its a suitable size, fill a bowl big enough to put the top of the tree in (not the pot) with the oil/water and scrub all the pests off the leaves with a small brush, do all the stems as well

    If that doesnt work, use something such as bayer `provado ultimate bug killer`, it kills most things,
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2008
  6. Corlia

    Corlia Member

    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Johannesburg, South Africa
    Thank you Starloc and Rudell

    I will try the this over the weekend and hopefully it kills all the bugs.
     
  7. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

    Messages:
    826
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Pensacola, USA
    I'm not sure that is bugs. It could be a disease.
     
  8. Dylan G

    Dylan G Active Member

    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    It might be some sort of citrus psyllid? The damage reminds me of what I have seen on Syzygium paniculatum.
     
  9. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,698
    Likes Received:
    5
    Location:
    Denver,Colorado USA
    Some pest injuries can resemble disease symptoms, but I'm pretty sure this is caused by a bug, and probably a psyllid, or more correctly a psyllid nymph. Some psyllids, such as the one that transmits greening disease in Africa, causes a distinctive blistering and malformation of leaves. Nymphs of Trioza erytreae feed mostly on the underside of young leaves, and the leaves react by forming blisters. A corresponding depression forms on the opposite leaf surface. I would not recommend picking the leaves off the tree, as doing so completely stops the tree from producing its food. The damage has already been done. - Millet
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2008
  10. mr.shep

    mr.shep Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,424
    Likes Received:
    24
    Location:
    San Joaquin Valley, California
    The lower photo (on my browser) above
    shows leaves that may be a crinkly virus
    caused condition. Citrus Crinkle (generally
    observed as a disfigurement and puffiness
    of young and tender growth) is equated as
    being a graft transmittable Psorosis leaf
    condition.

    It is what I am not seeing in the petioles
    and branch that precludes the notion, for
    now, that the haloes seen on the surface
    of the leaves may be a Citrus Canker or
    a Citrus Greening. The concentric, raised
    puffy areas in the first photo are a little
    extreme. Not sure what caused this at
    this time, as it could be an insect that
    is also at work here. I went through
    Pretoria's diseases of Citrus information
    and came up empty for photos showing
    anything close to the puffy symptoms
    shown in the above two photos but the
    disfigured leaves in the lower photo
    reminds me of Citrus Crinkle.

    Jim
     

Share This Page