Hi! I'm a brand new member .I've been reading your posts for months and found lots of answers to my tree problems,but this time I fill stuck. My key lime's leaves are turning yellow (witch you heard plenty before) but even though they start with yellow blotches, they end up looking yellow on the veins and green on the edges. The opposite of what I thought lack of nitrogen or other minerals would look like. The leaves drop (no curling),yet there are lots of flower buds comming, some on bare brunches?? Tree is 1 year old (since bought) in 1 gallon container . I repotted it after buying. It spent the summer outside and did great indoors over the long Calgarian winter except about one month ago when the leaves started falling. Except the flower buds there is no growing sign (new leaves). Soon it will have no leaves> The potting soil I use was a mixture made from regular potting soil sand and vermiculite . I have a hard time finding knowledgeable people in the greenhouses here. They sell the trees but you can't find citrus soil or citrus fertilizer. I hope to get some help. I will try and post some pictures tomorrow. I'm just hoping somebody will recognize the symptoms (ha ha after just watching "House")
Members cannot make recommendations on what the problem might be without a picture. However, your tree producing blooms is not a good sign at all. - Millet (1,384-)
Here are some pictures of my key limes They first 3 are from the one most affected. The last 3 are from his neighbor. They both sit near an east facing window between two hibiscus trees (that lately seem to need water more often???) I fertilized with miracle grow all purpose liquid 8-7-6 with 0.10% chelated iron once a month or less . The leaves left seem like they could go anytime I also had been battling mites. I blasted them with water (from the tap)and sprayed them with Safer's insecticidal soap.On my hibiscus I use sometimes End All. Seems more efficient ,it containes canolla oil. I don't usually use it on the citrus because we eat the fruit (even washed I fill eery) I'm agonizing trying to remember if I used it on them by accident To shorten the story,the rest of my citrus plants (I have a Meyer,a Eureka and a Bear lime,IN DIFFERENT locations in the house) seem to be just fine Pictures aren't great I see dust on the leaves.Might look like webs but it's not.It is very dry here .The water is hard and I HAVEN'T let it sit for 24h. Please let me know if more info is necessary. Idon;t know why the rest are fine and those two aren't
Hi everybody! I know it's a busy time for all of us,but I'm worried my trees are running out of time. Could somebody please talk to me? I hope the pictures are good enough to support my description of the problem. Millet! Excuse my ignorance but why is it bad that my tree is producing blooms?
Blooms on a citrus tree are caused by some form of stress, which is common, even with healthy trees, normally by cool temperatures(<68F) during the winter months. Therefore, blooms can also be caused by the stress when a tree is failing. Actually, your trees do not look all that bad. Generally, they just look to be under nourished. Citrus are heavy feeders, and require a greater amount of fertilizer than most other containerized plants/trees. I do not know about the condition of the growth medium (potting soil) that your tree is growing in, so I cannot comment on that, other than to say BE SURE it is, and continues to remain, fast draining. What fertilizer formulation are you using, and how much, and how often do you fertilize your trees? - Millet (1,380-)
Thank's for replying. Iam fertilizing about once a month with Miracle grow liquid 8-7-6 with 0.10% chelated iron .the potting soil is a mix of tropical potting soil with sand and vermiculite. I repoted the plants after I bought them a year ago. I water when dry (whenever this happens) I noticed they don't need that much water lately ,witch worries me because the hibiscus next to them started needing more . Could they be getting to much sun?? I'm afraid the leaves "aren't working" since it is taking longer for the soil to dry. I have them on the east window. The problem started about a month ago.
8-7-6 is not a good fertilizer for citrus. Citrus require a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content (1st Number), low phosphorus (2nd number) and higher potassium (3rd number. Try to find something close to a ratio of 5-1-3. If all else fails you should be able to find a 30-10-10 WITH TRACE MINERALS, (not the best but will do). Fertilize at about 300 ppm nitrogen. During the warmer months you can fertilize every two weeks, PROVIDING your medium is rapid draining. When a citrus tree is properly acclimatized the tree can take (and likes) full sun. If the tree's growth medium (potting soil) is taking longer and longer to dry out, then the mixture must be degrading and becoming more and more compacted. When a medium begins to compact, it also begins to lose its aeration. Without oxygen at the root zone, citrus roots cannot, and do not function. With out soil oxygen, the roots cannot even absorb water. This situation, of course, does not happen over night, but happens over a period of time, and therefore, over time the soil gets tighter and tighter with each watering, and therefore the soil aeration becomes less and less, and the medium begins to stay wet longer and longer. A good citrus growth medium contains a lot of chunky material such as CHC (Coconut Husk Chips) or pine bark chips. But like I said, I do not know you tree's medium. You will have to determine that. - Millet (1,380-)
Hi Milett! We are limited here in what we can find in the stores. I got two fertilzers. One is for Orchids (plant prod) 25-10-10 with micronutrients. The other one is by Schultz 15-0-0 with 6 % iron.Witch one is better?? As for the soil I got orchid mix with pine bark and tropical soil mix with horticultural sand I also have some vermiculite.I know it's not the best ,but I have to work with what's available. Could you give me some suggestions at what ratio should I mix this
Use the 25-10-10 W/TM. I take it that "Tropical Soil Mix" is something like a blend of peat moss and perlite, and the Orchid mix is mostly 1/2 inch pine bark. If so, I would make 3 parts orchid mix to 1 part tropical soil mix. You could add 1 part sand if it is coarse. If your ingredients are what I think they are, it should be a fast draining medium. If it is too fast, you could add 1 more part tropical soil mil. - Millet (1,480-)
Thank you Millet Should I wash off the roots? Do I need to get a bigger pot? They've been in it for a year? Thank you again for taking the time. My plants are part of my family
You can move up 2-3 inches larger, IF your tree's root system has already filled its present container. If the tree has not become root bound in its present container, then you should not wash the roots. Most fertilizers do not include magnesium in their trace minerals. Therefore you need to dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) in a gallon of HOT WATER, then pour the cooled solution into you container ever 4th fertilizing. The best to you and your tree. - Millet (1,380-)
Thank you again Millet, I had been reading your posts for a long time so I knew I'll get reliable information. I will follow your advice and hope for the best. I'll let y know what happened. All the best to you too.
