My well-established Meyer lemon tree is suddenly failing. Within the past week it appears to have ceased taking up water. All leaves and fruit appear to be withering and drying out. --It lives in the ground in our backyard in Oakland, CA and is about 7-8' high. --Was very well established when we moved here 22 years ago. --Has always been healthy and providing fruit pretty much year-round. --We have pruned and fertilized occasionally;never needed to provide add'l water. --About 4 years ago gave it a hard pruning. It had recovered fine. --About 4 years ago put in irrigation not far from it for plants nearby. It never reacted adversely to this. -- Irrigation not on for past 6 weeks due to winter rain. -- Overhanging live oak and been providing increasing shade. --Landscaper/aesthetic pruning professional came to take a look. She said the tree looked clean with no ants or bugs. She wondered if it was old age or maybe fusarium oxysporum. Or maybe it just finally is showing signs of reacting to the irrigation? Would sudden withering to tree all over be symptom of any of this? --I would guess it is at least 30 years old and could be much older. It currently has many fruit that all seem to be of same developmental age. This is a bit unusual in that usually it has fruit on it at all different stages of development. I'm wondering if it just had a big burst of fruiting in its last hurrah before dying of old age? --Leaves are not particularly yellow, spotty or anything like that. --Any thoughts?
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r107100111.html Sounds like a Phytophthora infection though it could be simple flooding damage.
Apologies, I have now read that link more carefully. Could it still be Phytophthora if the decline was sudden and leaves did not change in color before the decline? We have had a lot of rain within the past 6 weeks. But of course, the big question is if I can do anything?
Sudden decline does point to flood damage. However a tree fighting a pathogen can fruit heavily before dying. In either case I doubt there's anything that can be done at this point. Try to determine the cause before you attempt planting any other tree in that location.
Thanks so much-- all this information has been super helpful. This is such a loss -- this has always been the best thing in the yard. To determine the cause before I plant something else in that spot, what action do I need to take? Soil sample? Analysis of some kind?
Have a horticulturist examine the soil for poor drainage and possibly send root samples to the agricultural extension service for possible bacterial or fungal pathogens.
