Lemon Tree leaves problem

Hi All - I have a 3 ft Meyer lemon tree that has not born fruits for 2 years, still waiting. The thorns are about 3" long. I noticed today that the some of the leaves are damaged. What do you think is the matter? Weather, rain or insect? Thanks.

Image is a bit blurred, but I could see this as either of 2 problems.
The first could be sunburn, followed by the plant sealing off those damaged parts so they die off. The other might be some sort of leaf miner or skeletonizer sort of critter. Some bug that damages the center of the leaf.
Leaves also look very wrinkled. If it is in a pot, perhaps the container is too small. Might be nutrient deficiency, too.

Is this in a container? Could it have dried out this summer? Citrus do not want to go too dry between watering. Not soggy wet, but there should still be some moisture in the soil when you water it. Good to do a deep, thorough soaking, too. Citrus in the ground can develop some good, deep roots, and deep soaking will encourage that. In containers you want to make sure there are no dry pockets.

The rains we have had this month should have done a reasonable job of deep soaking unless the plant is under the eaves.

There are a few Citrus pests in our area, but they are hard to find. They do a good job of hiding when they are not actively feeding. Looks like the damage was done some time ago, too. While you certainly can look for the pest (if any) I am not sure you are going to find it. Check the soil, and any hiding places on the plant such as under the leaves, or in a tight place where several branches may cross.

I know this is a lot, but here is one of the best links to problems in Citrus in California.

http://ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.citrus.html

Once you are in that link, click on a pest, then go to the Damage paragraph. Many of these have another link (highlighted) that will bring up pictures of the damage caused by that pest.

Look at Earwigs. They can damage young leaves so that when they (the leaves) grow, they grow distorted.

Here is another link to the same site, to a more picture intense page.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/C107/m107apyoungtrees.html


This message was edited Dec 29, 2014 9:54 AM

I have to grow any Citrus inside my greenhouse BUT, I think the temps, watering, position and care is much about the same for you.
I give plenty water from March to end of September, by September I slow down the watering, giving less each time, by November, the weather is very cool, so, I give just enough water to make sure the plant will stay alive, they require a winter rest / sleep to build up strength for making new flowering buds for the next spring.
Feb / March (depending on temp and light) I begin adding more water Building up more each time, after the first buds appear, I give a liquid feed half dose, then when I'm happy the plant is growing well, I give full strength feed.
Always read the dosage given by the product makers as they have done tests etc, its harmful to over feed so never think the more you dose, the bigger / better the plant will be, not true, plants can just die off / shut down as they are over fed and producing soft growth, ALL bugs love soft growth too.
There are several bugs & diseases that attack all Citrus plants, Spider Mites, these tiny little pests are so hard to find, they suck the sap from the foliage, it begins looking pale, then you might notice the VERY fine Webs growing all over the tips of the branches, once the webs are visable, you have had the spider mites for weeks, look underside of foliage, use a looking glass as they are very small and difficult to see, there are several sprays you can buy BUT make sure your plant is NOT setting the fruit. these are mostly chemical remedy's, I mist my plants, especially the underside of the foliage, this does NOT kill the mights but it slows down their reproduction rate, I also give a hand wash by diluting vinegar and water, mix in bowl, use sponge and wash/wipe all the undersides of the branches, especially wipe the wood / stems as this is the passage the mites use to get from leaf to leaf, do this every week till you feel the problem has passed.

The other thing to look for is soft scale insects, they show up as little soft woolly balls sticking to the underside of leaves, use the vinegar wash, the woolly fluff needs to be washed off as the little bug is safe inside this ball, but they suck the sap.

There is also diseases like mould, this becomes a problem when there is not enough air circulating and there is too much humidity, try to alter your watering times when there is humid weather around, maybe water morning instead of night, mornings allows more time for the warm air to help dry off the foliage, I try Never to wet the foliage unless I MUST mist to help cool the foliage, it's also good to mist help keep dust and insects off the foliage, the whole plant smells wonderful and attracts lots of insects that like the sap and NOT the pollen.

Hope this gives you some ideas of what to look out for and what the needs of the cirtus plants are.
Be patient when trying to deal with diseases and bugs, they dont cause damage over night so you cant cure the problems overnight, BUT make sure you keep up the regime you know is working to keep the plants healthy, also as Diana has said, IF the plant is in pots, they drie out faster so use larger pots, the right growing medium and feed when required.
Good luck and Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.

Thanks so much for your input. The plant is planted on a hill and it is exposed to direct sunlight. The plant has grown a foot this year and more leaves. With your comments, I realized that it is probably not getting enough care. We have given it some fertilizer twice this year and some watered it. We are using the drip system but because it is on a hill, we have not examined it closely to check for insects. I am actually redesigning the hill to have better footing around the fruit trees so that we can nourish and properly care for them.

Thank you both. I would also check out the links. Have a Happy New Year!

Full sun is just right in Hercules. However, full sun with not quite enough water can certainly lead to sunburn.

Drip irrigation can really work well, if you design it right, and run it long enough. Many people only run it for a few minutes, and this does not properly deep soak the whole root area. I would make sure the system is running, and monitor it to see how long it takes to deep soak all around the plant. Then mulch to hold in the moisture and keep the weeds down.

Good idea to make the plants more accessible so you can monitor them more closely, and harvest the fruit!

I do not feed my Citrus with the cold weather coming up, but by the end of February I am starting to put out the fertilizer. Irrigation or rain will soak it into the root zone, and by the time the plant has picked it up the weather in moderating.
Last actual frost day can be as late as April 15, but I think it has been MANY years since it was that cold so late!

I don't have lots of experience, but a lime tree my mom grows was attacked by leafminers all over. I pruned about 80% of all the leaves that have traces of them, then spray the plant with a mixture of small amount of neem oil and baking soda. After about 2 weeks there are lots of new leaves growing and the plant is doing good, I think the pruning should help it grow better next year. The plant doesn't get much attention or watering, but it have good cover crop growing around it's base and is partially shaded.

This message was edited Dec 31, 2014 1:44 AM

I usually apply the first fertilizer during February, just like you do, Diana. I'm glad to know I am at least doing something right.

Max, thanks for sharing. I have to remember what you need should my citrus trees get any signs of leafminers. My bearss lime tree that is two years old is 3 ft high, looks very healthy and with over 15 fruits. I have it in a big pot and is still flowering. I bought it from Lowe's in a a tiny 4 qt tiny pot. I'm so happy with it.