topic Re: My lemon tree please help in Community Spirit

My lemon tree please help

julie-in-oz2 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:09:58 GMT

Hi,

Any gardeners about?

I have just purchased my first lemon tree and my husband planted it two weeks ago. It is a mayer dwarf lemon tree and the shrub is looking good except for something seems to be eating it. I sprayed white oil top and bottom of the leaves.

What else do I need to do please?

Thanks in advance.

Re: My lemon tree please help

j*oono — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:26:45 GMT

I can't help but I am interested in any advice. I also bought a dwarf Mayer lemon a few weeks back. I have mine in a pot.

It supposedly grows a good crop of normal sized lemons on a miniature tree which I think is great for planting in a pot. Mine already has a lemon on it (it was there when I planted it) but has yet to change colour. Maybe that one will be no good because of the disturbance.

Edit for typo

Re: My lemon tree please help

freddie*rooster — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:33:21 GMT

Looks like a big green caterpiller grub, search each leaf top and bottom.

Re: My lemon tree please help

freddie*rooster — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:34:05 GMT

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/lemon-tree-caterpillar-30008.html

Re: My lemon tree please help

imastawka — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:34:42 GMT

Your lemon tree looks fine to me. The white oil should fix any problems.

I wouldn't lose sleep over it, All lemon trees bounce with the punches.

The leaves just look like normal wear and tear for a lemon.

But like joono said, it's a dwarf and probably should have been planted

in a large tub not in the ground. Don't move it again though, it will go into

shock. Give it a feed and regular watering (not sporadic) and it will love you.

I would like a troooly good gardener to give advice though.

Re: My lemon tree please help

freshwater-2 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:36:54 GMT

Julie, go out after dark with a torch.

You will find the grub eating the leaves.

By the look of things....it will be fat.

Re: My lemon tree please help

imastawka — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:36:56 GMT

Sorry freddie, those caterpillers are from North America.

Never seen one here

Re: My lemon tree please help

freakiness — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:39:52 GMT

here's some Aussie ones

http://the-riotact.com/caterpillars-monster-my-lemon-tree/41900

Re: My lemon tree please help

julie-in-oz2 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:44:45 GMT

@j*oono wrote:
I can't help but I am interested in any advice. I also bought a dwarf Mayer lemon a few weeks back. I have mine in a pot.
It supposedly grows a good crop of normal sized lemons on a miniature tree which I think is great for planting in a pot. Mine already has a lemon on it (it was there when I planted it) but has yet to change colour. Maybe that one will be no good because of the disturbance.

Edit for typo

Thanks j*oono. We have our first flower, no lemons yet. Picked one without lemons as we knew we were going to plant it in the garden. Nursery said that would be fine, they do well in pots and in the ground as long as well drained. It is a bit exciting isn't it waiting for lemons lol.

Just want to get rid of this muncher before my lemons arrive.

Re: My lemon tree please help

imastawka — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:45:37 GMT

OMFG!! They are truly horrible!!

But I've had Lemon, Lime, Mandarin and Cumquat trees for 35 years and never

seen a caterpillar on any of them. Gall Wasps up to the yazoo, but no caterpillers.

Re: My lemon tree please help

julie-in-oz2 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:47:09 GMT

Thanks everyone I can't see the grub, I have even picked off other leaves that he had a go at, is that ok or should I leave them?

Will try the torch trick tonight many thanks.

Have been using Seasol, any others tips are welcomed please.

Re: My lemon tree please help

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:48:44 GMT

Some info I found -

For a start, don't worry about the grasshoppers, they don't need pesticides because by the time you see them, till the time they go is about the same time that it takes for pesticides to work, so using pesticides is a waste of money; use that money to improve the soil around the tree or, give it more water if it is in well drained natural soil.

The tiny black and white catapillar's are a citrus butterfly, they won't do much harm; probably eat a few leaves but that's all so perhaps let them be.

The ants are probably feeding of black sooty mould on the leaves or aphids; to stop them, water the tree!

Don't worry about the white grubs, they eat the wood chips and are a sign of a healthy environment.

Basically, you have a young tree with lots of fresh mulch that is rotting down. To ensure good growth and fruit, keep the tree well watered, well fed with a citrus fertilizer and don't spray because you will not only kill bad bugs but also good bugs.

If the tree, is in deep sandy, fertile soil, in full sun and you water it regularly and also give it feeds of fertilizer, then you will have lots of nice fruit, don't worry about ants and other critters they will disperse over time.

To add, lemon trees need N P K and 14 trace elements. Citrus fertilisers are good.

Re: My lemon tree please help

julie-in-oz2 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:49:33 GMT

I know, what a free loader.

Re: My lemon tree please help

j*oono — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 04:09:06 GMT

Some good advice there Kopenhagen.

Re: My lemon tree please help

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 04:23:53 GMT

Forgot to mention Gall Wasps.

If the bulbous egg nests of gall wasps are on a part you don't want to cut away, then with a sharp blade slice one side if the bulbous mass so the eggs are exposed to air.

And buying a gall wasp catcher is good if you have them, don't hang one before you have many as it may attract them.

I also put any cuttings with eggs in a sealed plastic bag and in the rubbish so if the eggs hatch we will have less of them.

Re: My lemon tree please help

imastawka — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 04:30:19 GMT

I also put any cuttings with eggs in a sealed plastic bag and in the rubbish so if the eggs hatch we will have less of them.

_____________________________________________________________

If only everybody in my neighbourhood did that, I would be able to get rid of

the bluddy things!

Re: My lemon tree please help

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 04:49:16 GMT

I know and they are particularly prevalent in the eastern belt of Melbourne.

And if there is a neighbor with a large citrus tree and unaware, I have bought them a couple of gall wasp catchers and printed out a leaflet for them.

Under control for many years and suddenly now they are booming again.

Re: My lemon tree please help

julie-in-oz2 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 05:12:03 GMT

Thanks for the heads up. Didn't realise there are so many things that can attack citrus trees.

Is there anything I need to do to protect the lemons? I like to use the skin so if I can spray with something natural that would be

preferred.

Re: My lemon tree please help

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 05:43:37 GMT

Some suggest soap n water with chillies but I don't like to use soap if using the rind.

I prefer garlic and water. Can't be too strong though, it can burn the leaves.

Re: My lemon tree please help

boris1gary — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 06:45:23 GMT

@kopenhagen5 wrote:
I know and they are particularly prevalent in the eastern belt of Melbourne.
And if there is a neighbor with a large citrus tree and unaware, I have bought them a couple of gall wasp catchers and printed out a leaflet for them.
Under control for many years and suddenly now they are booming again.

We get the gall wasp on our Ironbark, Banksia's and Acacias, thankfully they don't really do any lasting damage on these. We've never used any chemicals in the garden (over 20 years), but we do encourage the good insects - Ladybirds etc. You can buy them, (different kinds for different problems) and plant good bug B&B's.