I have a dwarf Meyer lemon tree in a container on my patio, it is about 2 feet high and has recently begun to drop leaves there are no obvious pests. Is this a normal part of its cycle? I haven't had it very long. Any ideas or suggestions???
Container w/ lemon tree
Meyers do drop leaves from time to time. If the stem supporting the leaves stays green it is most likely a normal cycle.
are the leaves that are dropping towards the trunk of the plant? do they turn yellow before they drop?
The most common reason for leaf drop is watering, too much or not enough. If the rootball dries up, it is difficult to rehydrate the the soil. Put the pot in a tub of water until all the bubbling stops or lay the hose near the trunk with the water turned on to barely a trickle. Leave it on for at least an hour or until the rootball has expanded to fill the pot again. Lack of water usually shows up as a slight graying of the leaves. They droop and will soon dry to a crisp if not given water. If this happens too many times, the leaves will yellow and drop. If the soil stays wet all the time, then overwatering could be the cause.
Lack of fertilizer will also cause yellowing and leaf drop. The color and pattern on the leaf is an indicator of what the tree is lacking. The best thing to do is look at photos of nutrient deficient leaves. Citrus fertilizer that contains micronutrients should take care of this problem. I find that I have to add some Ironite to my potted citrus once a year. Chelated iron is easily absorbed.
You said you haven't had it long. It could be adjusting to its new environment.
Yuska is correct about year round leaf drop. Decidious trees lose their old leaves all at once, but evergreen trees shed their old leaves a few at a time. So it could be a natural occurrence.
Check the underside of the leaves for little critters.
These are possiblilties. You have to look at your watering habits, whether you have fertilized it, and examined the underside of the leaves. If you are dealing with only a few dropped leaves, It's probably just part of the normal cycle. Hope this helps.
BettyDee
Thank you all for your wonderful advice -- we did have a wetter then normal winter so it must have been too wet. I will fertilize it as well because I have had it for nearly one year. Thanks everybody!
Hi Erin and all,
My Citrus have been diagnosed by DG friends as over watered and they sound like yours! I was told to slice off a bit of branch to see if it is actually rotting in there! I saved mine from rotting but although
My Myer kicks out the flowers constantly, fruit won't set.
Any ideas out there?