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Sickly citrus diagnosis

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  • Sickly citrus diagnosis

    Any citrus experts here? Mine is looking decidedly unwell.

    The leaves are covered in pale, almost white mottling. The oldest leaves are worst affected, but even the new leaves have it. I can see no obvious sign of pest attack, but the underside of the leaves on the afflicted plants have some loose white granules on them (not that many per leaf, but they are on every leaf).
    It started around 2 months ago, and has been getting worse since. The one in the picture is a yuzu, which is by far the worst affected. My satsuma is also mildly affected. My three other citrus plants are completely unaffected (no mottling, not white granules). All were overwintered in the same fashion.

    https://i.imgur.com/ran3dO4.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/PP0Y4Pm.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/FWge14M.jpg

  • #2
    Hi, not a citrus expert but been struggling with a couple of mine losing leaves recently. found this lemon tree care post that might be a help?

    It is more directed at lemon trees but the images look a little similar to yours. Could it be a deficiency of some kind?

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    • #3
      I can't imagine it's a deficiency. It doesn't match the symptoms of any deficiencies I can find, and I've been feeding it every couple of weeks. Plus the symptoms spread a bit too quickly to be a deficiency.

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      • #4
        I think that is spider mites of some sort - try looking at the white granules with a magnifying glass.

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        • #5
          I would say an infection of some sort and may well be insect, mite or something.
          Best I would suggest is to take it outside and spray. Leave it for a day then spray again.
          I have found that 1 spray can miss some offending problem whereas 2 a day or so apart is more effective.

          You may at present have trouble locating something to apply, garden centres are closed, try Wilko.

          Looks a bit like lemon - you may be OK to leave it outside at present. Lemons are more tolerant of lower UK temperatures. Oranges less tolerant and limes less again. However I would say the leaf problem is a greater problem then temperature at present.

          Does look like a mineral deficency, shows signs of starting on the newer leaves in image 3.

          What pot is it in?
          My lime lives in a 40cm pot, soon to be a 50cm or bigger.

          Suppose my lime gets little attention. Watering - 2 maybe 3 times a week, and feeding - monthly maybe, is about it. But without it showing problems seems it is OK.

          One aspect of a citrus is I would say they are different:
          Lemons came from the Northern Indian region (cool), Oranges from mediterrean region (dry) and Limes from Indonesian/Malaysian (hot+humid). In effect 3 different areas and conditions. Wondering if you need to alter the cultivation approach to suit. Not sure about grapefruit.

          Expect the attacked leaves to drop off eventually. Actually when (if) it goes outside leaves will drop off - my lemon threw half its leaves each major move out and in. Lime live inside.

          However it would appear to need attention and that attention is inorganic = chemical.
          Would like t see the pot size. They are at the end all Trees. And trees need bigger pots.
          Last edited by Kirk; 08-04-2020, 12:18 PM.

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          • #6
            The pot isn't huge, but then neither is the plant. It was pretty small when it arrived last year, although it has grown some 6 inches since February. I do plan on repotting soon, though.

            It's already living outside (although I shall bring it in if a frost is forecast). It's a yuzu, which are one of the most cold-hardy of all citrus fruit. They grow them in Japan as far north as Sendai, which definitely gets colder winters than I do here.
            Satsuma are pretty cold-hardy, too, certainly even more so than lemons, if not as much as yuzu.

            I already have a general pesticide, so will use that. I'll spray them, and keep them fed, and hopefully they'll be okay.

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            • #7
              That looks identical to the spider mite damage on my yuzu.

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              • #8
                I would agree with the spider mite diagnosis. My little orange tree has a similar problem, and if I run my fingers on the underside of the leaves, they get stained red. I've put it out for the time and will wash the leaves over the weekend.

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                • #9
                  I discovered today that there is now brown powder on the underside of the leaves, only near the leaf margins. I wonder if this might be a type of rust (although it's brown rather than the usual orange)?
                  I've also yet to see any actual spider mites, even with a magnifying glass, nor have I seen any of the webbing they usually produce. It does definitely look like spider mite damage, though.

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