Hey all, So I don't know if I actually need help or not, but I seem to have bad luck with plants no matter how well i follow directions on care. So to take some preventive measures I wanted to get an idea if there is anything i need to do besides the usual care for citrus trees...here are some pictures of my tree, i tried to get close to anything that looks like a potential problem. Thanks for checking it out!
The tree looks healthy enough, however , I believe from looking at the 1st and the 5th picture, the tree has an insect (scale) problem. You need to spray with a horticultural oil spray, either Ultra Fine or Volk oil, both of which you should be able to find at Home Depot or a good garden center. Spray a citrus tree only in the EARLY morning, just before dark, or on a darker cloudy day. - Millet (1,200-)
Thank you! My only other concern, is as you can see in the second picture some of the newer leaves are growing all curled up like and yellow. Then they fall off after they turn completely yellow. Any ideas on that? The overall tree still looks healthy, just a few of the leaves.
From looking at the second picture, I think I can see scale insects along the mid rib. You need to clean this tree up. With container citrus, scale, aphids, mealy bugs and spider mites, can alway be a recurring problem. Horticultural oil ( I prefer Ultra Fine), will control all of the above insects. - Millet (1,197-)
Sorry, but I cannot find these for sale anywhere...i found the volck oil concentrate on amazon, but do you know if there is anything ready to use that I can order online? Or where I can find the Ultra Fine oil? Any links to products would be very much appreciated.
I'm trying Neem Oil on my scale issue right now. I found it at the local department store, as well as every local nursery supply, and likely all sorts of online suppliers.
Volk oil would be OK, mixed at a 1 percent solution with water. Spray ONLY early in the morning or just before dark, or on a fully cloudy day. I normally find UltraFine oil at most Home Depots, or larger garden centers. Try typing the word "UltraFine" (no space between Ultra and Fine) in your Internet search browser. - Millet (1,194-)
Thx for the help! I believe everything is going smoothly. How can i tell if the scales are gone? Will the black stuff disappear or does bark have to kind of grow around it over time? A lot of leaves dropped due to the colder temps i believe but that has stopped now. Thats nothing to worry about right?
GardenNub, were you able to find UltraFine? I live in central NJ and need to battle a slight case of container scale. Also, I've read of some success in using a homemade horticulture oil: For a gallon of water, add 1 T vegetable oil and 1 t non greasing liquid dish soap. I haven't tried it myself, and was wondering if anyone has... ?