Every year my container meyer citrus grows and tries to produce fruit but something is stopping it. I've tried less water, more water, fertilizer, no fertilizer, and more sun, less sun. It will grow new leaves but they soon have problems. I just don't know what I'm missing, so here is a pic in a hope that someone knows what this is.
Mine looked like that but greened up when I sprinkled some "ironite" into their pots (same stuff people use on evergreens & other acid lovers when growing in higher pH soils).
It may also enjoy repotting, either with fresh soil in the same container (maybe a little root pruning) or into a larger container... how large a pot is it in now?
Citrus needs iron, manganese, magnesium and calcium. Can you find a product there labeled "citrus food"? If you can't find citrus food, palm food should do the job.
A little liquid sulphur mixed with water would be good for it too.
Thanks, Calalilly -- I'll look for something like that for mine, too.
This is great news! I will get the proper food for it ASAP, thank you so much. I've had this plant for a few years and been feeling really bad about its condition.
I have been thinking about using bottled water for it, but it just would cost too much. Is tap water really bad? Is there anything I could do to the tap water to make it better for plants?
Tap water varies, but if you're not sure about yours, getting a filter would be far cheaper than buying bottled water. Some years back, I got one of those faucet mount filters that flip up to let you use the faucet normally if you want, and it worked on the really hard, sulfur-filled water in my GA appartment. Even one of those filter pitchers would work for your purposes.
Down here we have those free standing, bring your own container, self service water places. Some of them have 5 gallons of carbon filtered, R-O, UV treated water for 50 cents. It's cheap enough for me to buy it for my fussy stuff like tropical nepentes.
Blazing, does your water have a high calcium carbonate hardness? Is it salty? Salt does more damage than anything.
The way the leaves look a little speckled looks a little like mites. Take a hand lens (or magnifying glass) and look for the little critters on the underside of the leaves. Sometimes you may even see a little webbing. Citrus easily get mites, especially if it is dry. If you don't wwant to use chemicals, you can smother mites with a diluted oil spray, or some people use soaps on them.
Hi There,
I know it sounds horrible but here we are told to get the men to pee on them this apparently gives them plenty of acid which is what citrus want. Sounds yucko but according to the farmers around me they tell me it is the way to go.
Cheers
Windale
Hmm. Since I've now brought mine inside for the winter, I'm not sure if I want to go that route... Not the ambience I'm looking for in the sunroom, LOL! But I'll remember this tip for next summer....
My lemon tree got very much chewed up by grasshoppers last month, so I'm hoping it'll keep putting out new leaves now. It has a huge lemon that's turning yellow, so that's exciting!
I too buy the citrus food, I think it says citrus and avacado on the box. I usually get it at Wal Mart or Home Depot. I don't have the box cuz I dump it into storage containers when I get it home. But I throw a handful in each pot on the first of each month & water it in well. I stop during the winter months & pick up again in the spring. They are such heavy feeders, and then being in pots, you almost HAVE to feed them every month. Good luck! :~)
edited to add a link showing the product I buy:
http://www.homeandgardensolutions.com/ProductCategories/GardenFertilizer/AvocadoCitrusFood/
This message was edited Oct 16, 2005 10:48 AM
another thing is citrus enjoy regular watering but they hate wet feet. put a couple of rocks or shims underneath the pot so that when you water it can run out and away. let it dry out between waterings. debi
