As we sift through the many threads on this page, we listed to the panic-stricken tales of many "average" citrus enthusiasts trying desperately to save their poor trees. What i'm wondering is: What is the biggest problem the experts on this page have had to deal with in growing citrus and how did they get through it? I'm certainly no expert, but my biggest problem was "citrus greasy spot" which took me a year to diagnose and cure, which almost cost me my two 7' lemons that i started from seed. Growing citrus trees has been an amazing experience and i have learned an amazing amount. I'd just like to hear how some of our experts got to where they are now. Thanks in advance for sharing
I don't consider myself an expert, but I have learned a lot on this forum and the citrusgrowers forum. I got started a few years ago after a tree I had planted started to die from what turned out to be sooty canker or Hendersonula Wilt. I managed to save that tree, just in time, as I had to cut the main trunk off just a few inches above the graft. But, that got me interested. Since then, I have learned a lot more about citrus. Gardening has been a hobby of mine for 50 years, but I never really knew how different citrus is from most plants. With their nucellar and polyembryonic seeds, and their preference for dry airy soils and their heavy feeding requirements. I have enjoyed learning how to graft them and now have over 25 varieties.
Wow... if i had to cut one of my trees back that hard i think i'd cry, lol. I too have been truly intrigued by citrus, and i've found that since growing it, i just dont look at ordinary houseplants the same. Nothing is as fun and exciting to grow! That's amazing that you have 25 varieties! I have very limited space, especially since i cant grow my trees outside. However, i've managed to grow 5 varieties, and have 24 trees. Here's a very poor picture of whats left of the Greasy Spot damage. Most of the leaves that were affected have long since fallen. Notice the almost see-through spots. if the picture were clearer, you'd notice heavy scabbing all over the leaf, and concentrated around the spots. I'm surprised this leaf hasnt fallen...I cured both of my lemons of the disease last fall, and this spring they are finally covered in new growth- more than i've ever seen at one time!
It did hurt to cut the tree back so hard, but it did have several large limbs coming out below the cut and it has done well since then. I only got 3 fruit last year, but have about 20 this year. As for my 25 varieties, that is on 7 inground trees--one with over 12 varieties on a single tree. I also have a dozen or so seedlings in containers.
Did you graft the varieties onto the tree yourself, or did you buy the tree this way? I want to learn grafting soon, i have a few strong pummelos that i started from seed for the sole purpose of grafting different varieties onto them. I thought this might work well since pummelos are so strong, and grow a thick trunk in a short time.
I did the grafting. I started with T-budding but since then have also done some bark grafting and chip budding on citrus. I had only grafted pecans before that. I have also been quite successful with whip grafting on non-citrus fruit. I did about 40 Tbuds on my first attempt with citrus, I had about 60% take, now I am probalbly closer to 80%.
Squirrel, I don't know if in the past your tree had Greasy Spot or not, but just from what I can see of the leaf picture that you posted above, that leaf certainly does not have the Grease Spot fungus. Greasy Spot inoculum is produced in decomposing fallen leaves. The ascospores are discharged into the air within a few minutes when the leaves are wetted by rain, or irrigation. This Greasy Spot spore life cycle would be difficult to successfully complete in hobby citrus environment in Maine. I have never heard of the disease on any citrus tree located in northern states. - Millet
Millet, My first thoughts was the same in viewing the photo. For grafring I do my own own your best bet would be to get some Flying Dragon and Trifoliata seedlings, or seeds. The seeds should take about 18 months perhaps sooner.
The picture i posted is horribly fuzzy because up until yesterday all i had was a cell phone camera. I just bought a real camera however, so i'll post a better picture soon. All i can say is that the appearance of my leaves and stems look exactly like the examples i found on a citrus disease site, and the description matched exactly. My trees are never put outside, they are kept in a humid tropical sun room environment with 8 t8 bulbs for lighting, which i feel is as close to Florida as they are going to get. I know it is VERY strange to see this disease up here in Maine, the best theory i have been able to come up with is that maybe it originally came in on some fruit i ate? I eat citrus almost daily. I'll post a better picture later today, as well as a link to the picture i used for a diagnoses.
Posting photos is perhaps the best way in dealing with problems along with a good posting describing the problems. It's better to get another 1-2 other opinions.
Ok, here are some new pictures: Note the translucent spots on the upper sides of leaves, with black spots on the bottoms. it doesn't look too serious simply because all of the later-symptom leaves have long since fallen. these are the leaves that were only mildly infected before i cured the trees. Here's a link to the site i used for diagnosis. My trees leaves looked exactly like these when they were heavily infected. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/greasyspot.htm
No that is not Greasy Spot. The dark spots on the leaves look like what frequestly results when a citrus leaf has been sprayed with a copper based fungicide. Anyway, the tree's now look quite healthy. - Millet
The leaves appered much worse than that long before i ever started using copper spray. But anyway, yes they are quite healthy now, and i'm very proud of them :D
The speckling on the top side of the leaf from the second photo above is an indication of Magnesium deficiency. Rather common to see it on the young, emerging growth of certain family Mandarins that have willowleaf in their parentage such as Kinnow. The puffiness on the undersides of the leaves showing a bronzing can be a Copper deficiency and it can also be due to a short term Copper toxicity. We can tell more of which one we've got later on when we see what the new growth looks like later. Keep in mind that what may first appear to be Calcium deficiency, as seen on old growth leaves, may not be present in the young growth. If we see the same symptoms on the new growth then we know we have a nutrient imbalance working. Ground applied elemental Copper is a better choice to relieve a Copper deficiency in Cara Cara for example. Spraying Copper sulfate for fungal diseases can actually make the Copper situation worse for the near term for this Orange, unless chelated form nutrient sprays are also mixed in and applied along with the Copper spray. Can a Magnesium and a Zinc deficiency lead to Greasy Spot becoming a problem in humid, indoor conditions? Yes. Adequate amounts of both nutrients in the plant serve as protection for Greasy Spot. Millet has mentioned over and over in this forum and elsewhere the importance of nutrients, even to the point of advising people to fertilize once a month or for some people even once every week to two weeks. Sustaining nutrient levels in Citrus has been known to be a disease preventative for many years. Foot rot does not generally impact a healthy plant and neither does Greasy Spot as examples. The already weakened nutrient stressed plant becomes more susceptible to ground based and air liberated fungal pathogens. Whatever, I am glad you seem to have your growing issue behind you for now. No, this fungus does not come from store bought fruit. The AggieHort photo does show what Greasy Spot looks like with the raised colonies on the surface of the leaves that can be removed by hand using a liquid dishwasher soap or detergent or vinegar mixed with water.. Jim
I fertilize with osmocote 19-6-12 according to a heavy feeding schedule, and give epsom salts once a month. Nutrients are not the issue, trust me, it was a fungal problem without any doubt. Once i sprayed with cooper, it stopped, and all of the diseased leaves fell off. New growth has since taken its place, and the trees are very happy. whether or not it was greasy spot, we will never know i suppose. all i can say is that the pictures and discriptions matched EXACTLY. Remember, the pictures above were of leaves that were barely affected and survived the attack that was over a year ago.
I am not doubting that your tree(s) may have had Greasy Spot at one time. I gave you an idea how a nutrient deficiency can help you get it from your soil under indoor growing conditions, to which you still have symptoms of the same nutrient issue showing in the new growth, albeit not as severe an issue as you had at one time. What helped you clean these plants up was the fungicide spray, the Epson salts and the application of nutrients from the Osmocote. It has been standard procedure for some time to give Citrus and other plants added nutrition after a fungicide spray when dealing with a curable leaf disease dilemma by enabling or forcing the plant to put out rejuvenate, less or not disease impacted at all, new growth. Jim
Yes- the new growth looks just fine now, thankfully (except for some pesky spider mites that come back now and again :P ) Thanks for the nutrition info!
