Solving Common Citrus Problems

Ants
Keep your tree free of ants! They will farm scales or aphids, etc. moving them from place to place, milking their secretions, and protecting them from beneficial insects. Commercial ant baits that contain boric acid can be helpful.  Natural concoctions made at home can also work.  You can make an insecticide spray that will also repel ants.    

Harmful Insects (Scales, Mealy bugs, Aphids, Mites, etc.)
If you find harmful insects like scales, white-fly, aphids, or mites, all leaves and branches need to be cleaned of all pests AND the honeydew.
Honeydew is sprayed all over the leaves and branches and causes the breakdown of photosynthesis- it is the honeydew that eventually kills the tree, so just drowning the pest in soapy water is not treating the problem they cause.

For a potted tree use a soft cloth and soapy water to scrub off honeydew and remove all pests from the foliage and branches and treat the tree once it is clean with neem oil or horticultural oil. Use a toothbrush in hard to reach areas.

Choosing Insect Pest Treatments
Safer makes an aerosol product with Safer Soap and pyrethrin (a chrysanthemum derivative). Oils and soaps are available in nurseries or garden centers. With any treatment you use, spray the underside of the leaves as well, following the manufacturer's recommendations. Do not use stronger solutions! Repeat as needed to treat insects newly emerging from eggs. It is not advisable to spray when it is above 90°F or below 40°F, or if it is windy.

Systemic Insecticides
Particularly on plants that produce edible fruit, it is important to use all insecticides cautiously and sparingly.  Try to avoid systemic insecticides, since they are moved throughout the plant, and residues may occur in the fruit.
 
Honeydew
A sticky substance secreted and sprayed by pests as they feed on plant sap. These pests sharp mouth-part penetrates the tissue of the tree and spray honeydew
To monitor for pests, look on the underside of the leaves, on stems and in notches of branches. Distorted leaves maybe the first sign of a pest infestation.

Sticky/Oozing Trunk
Older trees may be afflicted by brown rot gummosis at the base of the trunk, caused by a soil fungus called Phytophthera. Typically, you will notice a sticky substance coming out of the tree's trunk. Weed eater and rodent damage can lead to gummy bark secretions.  Keep the base of the trunk dry, and clear away any soil, mulch, grass, or weeds that might be holding moisture at the base.  Trim away infected areas with a sharp (clean) knife, use tree seal to cover the wound and monitor for recurrence.  Remove decayed bark to a point where no discoloration is visible. If water hits the trunk from sprinklers, that can trigger the fungus as well. Make sure water does not stand in a basin around the trunk during winter rains or after irrigating.   Be sure to always clean pruners with alcohol or another antiseptic cleaner between uses to prevent disease spread among trees.
 
White Speckled Leaves
If the leaves on your tree are turning white, or if you see white or yellow 'polka dots,' your tree may have spider mites. The dots are usually the size of a pin head that can spread to give the leaves a whitish look.
Spider mites suck the juices from leaf cells, causing leaves to bleach out.  Spider mites can be controlled with soap and oil sprays, if the problem is discovered early.  A very effective product for spider mite and other sucking insect control is Organic Orange TKO.  This multi-purpose organic cleaner, used at the most dilute rate, will knock down mites and kill eggs.  Be sure to monitor weekly to be ready for any pest recurrence.  You may need to spray about every 10 days for three weeks to kill newly hatching eggs.
Removal of the honeydew is essential

Helpful Insects
Spiders, lady beetles, lacewings,  are some of the beneficial you may see around citrus trees outdoors. You can sometimes buy beneficial organisms, such as lady beetles at local nurseries.

To deterime what pest is on the tree and more prevention and treatment ideas you can look here- https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/pest-disease

Lemon Citrus Tree
866-216-TREE (8733)

In citrus, “Water Sprouts” as they are commonly called, are juvenile adventurous branches that shoot straight up and out of the canopy.  They often have huge thorns and big leaves.  This can be confusing as they often mimic “root suckers” in their growth habit and appearance but there are several vital distinctions to help you identify each type.

Any growth below the graft is not a water sprout it is a sucker. Always locate and become familiar with the graft or bud union on the trunk of the tree.
A water-sprout will not kill a tree, but a sucker will eventually, as it depletes and exhausts the moisture and nutrients from the tree.
The grafted area will have a notched V shaped area and the wood will look different,- it could also look like a branch was removed in the area or a knobby area.
Any growth below the graft needs to be removed.  I also remove the growth directly on the graft
Suckers can also shoot straight up from the potting soil or ground near the tree, these need to be removed immediately.

To view a photo of the graft area- https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/pest-disease

Lemon Citrus Tree
866-216-TREE (8733)

Fruit Drop
Some fruit drop is normal for an immature tree. As it gets older the tree will drop less fruit.
If fruit or bloom drop is excessive, proper watering is often the solution. Extremely hot, dry, windy weather will trigger fruit drop. Be sure trees are well watered in these situations. Excessive fruit drop accompanied by splitting fruit is the result of too much water uptake.

Leaf Drop/Twig Dieback
Leaf drop and twig dieback can be caused by lack of light. Citrus trees need a minimum of 6 hours of direct full sun to grow.
If growing indoors, your trees will do better with a supplemental lighting for the winter.

If your tree receives adequate light, and experiences leaf drop, improper watering is probably the culprit. Check out the watering recommedations in this FAQ section.

Should your tree lose all its leaves, don't despair. You can prune it back lightly to help push new growth; then, with improved growing conditions (adequate light, correct watering) it should recover. Remember also to feed regularly with a good citrus fertilizer (3:1:1 ratio or similar).

Check your tree regularly for pests. Severe infestations of scale insects, or mites can cause defoliation. Regular monitoring will help you to take action in time, before severe stress (defoliation) occurs.

Lemon Citrus Tree
866-216-TREE (8733)

Yellowing foliage usually indicates over watering, lack of fertilizer or a pest has caused problems.
Continued overwatering will cause root tips to rot, rendering the tree unable to take up nutrients. Total defoliation can result if the problem is not corrected.

Read our recommedations in our FAQ section on proper watering

Citrus are heavy feeders and require a constant steady source of Nitrogen, especially to look good and be productive.  Make sure you fertilize regularly according to label directions with a quality citrus/avocado fertilizer.  Make sure the ratio of any fertilizer you use has a higher amount of Nitrogen, relative to the other two elements.  A 3:1:1 or 4:1:1 (N:P:K) fertilizer, plus trace elements is ideal.

If a pest is the culprit,  read our FAQ section on pest treatment.

Lemon Citrus Tree
866-216-TREE (8733)

If the leaves on your dwarf citrus are curling, there are three common possibilities:

1. Some insect pests will cause some leaf curl. In spring, aphids might do this on soft new leaves. Look inside the curl for presence of insects. Leaf miner will cause leaves to look curled.
   
2. Underwatering can cause leaves to curl or cup INWARD. Also, stress from very hot weather will cause leaf cupping
3. Sometimes leaves will cup DOWNWARD in the late fall or early winter. This is not a problem to worry about, as the new growth will come out with normal shaped leaves in the spring.

Lemon Citrus Tree
866-216-TREE (8733)

There are a number of possible reasons:

• Is the tree growing in the shade or indoors? Light is essential for fruit production. Foliage growth can occur in the shade, but leaves will tend to be larger than normal and shoots longer than normal. At least six hours of full sun a day is required.  Provide 8 or more hours of sun per day for optimal fruit production.
• If your tree grows at a rapid rate and has for years, it's possible that a rootstock sucker has taken over.
• Have there been blooms on the tree that haven't set fruit, or small fruit that haven't developed to maturity?

Also, be sure to supply appropriate fertilizer and water. Citrus cannot bear fruit if they lack the nutrients.
Fertilizer recipe - https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/citrus-blog/2015/08/11/feeding-recipe-for-a-happy-tree/

Lemon Citrus Tree
866-216-TREE (8733)