I've been away because I'm so disgusted with myself. I bought what was supposed to be a sour orange tree; two limon indio and some similar ones. I took our gardener so I would make no mistakes. Hah!
The trees are just all plain old orange or lime. But worse, they all started getting very curly new leaves at the end of each branch. I was too busy to check but I thought the gardener would. He did not. Turns out that's typical sign of aphphids, I guess a special citrus aphid. I examined them and of course they were aphids. So I sprayed and malathioned and clipped and thought I had things under control..
No way. The non-curly leaves rolled up like cigar wrappers and then the branches began to die. This was happening to the older two trees as well as the new ones. The gardner left, no fool, he. but his "disease" or whatever has now spread to the anonnas and, as the final blow, the Jamaica bush died over a two day period and as it grew back in from little seedlings, it looked like winter. Covered with what must be mosta blanca. I can't think of the proper name.
Now, a far distance away the pomegranates and getting covered with sticky white stuff, too. What's going on? Help!
RE: sick citrus II clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
Posted by pepino Werribee Vic (My Page) on Thu, Apr 7, 05 at 18:40
I have just found a link I saved some time ago with sick citrus symptoms and pics of what they look like.
Here is a link that might be useful: A Guide to Citrus Nutritional Deficiency and Toxicity Identification1
Citrus trees dying from tips of branches moving in
in barbados we have a problem with a pest called citrus leafminer which causes the leaves to roll up like you describe then the plant gradually dies back. whether its leafminer or aphids i don't think malathion will help, i think you need a systemic insecticide of some sort. you could check the labels or ask at the store. i hope this helps.
Bingo! Citrus Leafminer. I'm going out tomomorrow to find some Imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus, and Vegetable Insect Control). Thank you!
bbode, The Bayer does help. I used it last year. The problem is timing. Studies show that Imidacloprid is toxic to bees, so you should wait until the trees are done flowering, and it does take some time for it to be absorbed by the tree.
Thanks Occarol for the alert. Only one of my nearly dead baby Limon indios has a tiny blossom. As suggested, I'll pinch it off.
My main question at end of all this blather is: what is soil drench?
But as for the bees, I must say, I think the Yucatan honey bees and their marketers owe me a percentage of their take. I have a Zapote -- some 50-75 years old -- and far too tall to reach to pick the fruit. Every morning I scrape up the remains of the fruit left by the honey bees. I give them a two or three day grace period because they work so hard in this hot weather I don't have ther heart to take the newly fallen fruit from them. The fruit smashes on my patio and first come the big honey bees, then the little black bees and then the flys. The clouds of tiny fruit flies out in the garden are like flags marking where the fruit has fallen in the grass. The iguana seem to get those first.
But back Imidacloprid. From what I've read digging holes around the base of the trees and filling them with Imidiacloprid is the most effective...particularly when used with a drip irrigigatinon system. Alas, I am the irrigation system and I know I don't have the patience to drip around 14 or more trees. I just discovered those leaf miners have hit the saramullo, too, and they aren't even citrus.
But then several articles I read suggested soil drenching. It sounds easier and quicker.
As for timing, I'm in the tropics and don't have any idea what time of year this is from the trees' point of fview. The bigger ones are well beyond flushing and the branches are dead, dry dead. So I figure I can't do much more harm than has already been done to them.
Some writers claim mixing the imidacloprid with Neem oil or fish emusion helps. I have a big Neem tree but other than helping to hide the neighbors' back yard full of basura. I've never been impressed by its ability to keep away biting bugs or flies. I mention it, however, in case, you do think an oil mixture would help a soil drench....if you can tell me what that is.
You've been terrific. Thanks!
Barbara (no photos...I can't bring mysel to shoot the dying trees.)
A soil drench is simply pouring the stuff on the soil around the plant and watering it in so the roots can take it up. The Bayer product has good instructions. As to the timing, I just try to wait 'till the tree is done blooming...pretty tough with my lime as it blooms sporadically throughout the year.
You're wonderful!
Mine have all stopped blooming and each has had a fruit or an attempt at a fruit, except for the one tiny plant I mentioned. The directions say to apply the stuff between 6 & 8 at night. I'll let you know how it goes. Muchismas gracias!
Barbara
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