Hi all! I am new here. I have a lemon tree in my back yard. I live in Israel. I started to rent this house not long ago. The lemon tree seems ill to me. The leaves curl up and have white on the outside of them and some seem leaves seem to be eaten from the inside of the leaf, I think. What is this and how can I help my poor tree. This is a dream for me to have a garden but I need to learn to care for it as mch as I love it. Thank you in advance for any help.
can you give details of watering/fertilizing? light? the curling and 'eating' on the inside may suggest citrus leaf miner. do a search on google images and see if the pics that come up look familiar. even better, post a pic of some of the leaves here :) im glad you are pleased with your lemon tree. caring for citrus really can become an addiction!
I will take some pics tomorow and add them. I don't know what kind of fert. there is. It is in a regular groud drit, color is brown. I water it with a hose every other day. So it will be moist, it is hot now days, so i water in the evening. The tree was planted in the sunlight. If it is what you say it is, is there a cure for it?
I'm not an expert so I really don't want you to think that is definitely the problem...pics will help clarify. There isn't a cure I don't think. Some people talk about systemic treatments, but it makes the fruits inedible for a time. Others spray horticultural oil on the leaves - it will not kill off the existing miners, but it helps prevent the adults laying eggs on the leaves - very important to not use the oil when the tree will get a lot of sun as this can damage it (I think people use it very early morning). I know one lady who sprays all of her plants with a mix of water, a little citrus juice, some crushed garlic juice and cayenne pepper, and she swears by its effects - says it is good for treating and preventing infestations for a lot of bugs. Might be worth giving it a try! To my knowledge citrus leaf miners are more a problem of aesthetics. They make plants look unsightly but unless it is a large infection, I don't think they pose too much of a problem. Like I said, I am no expert, and I don't have experience with in-ground citrus, but the pics will surely help, and one of the experts on here may be able to shed more light on the matter. I hope everything works out with your tree. If the climate was warmer here in the UK I would love an in-ground citrus!
