Lemon Tree Dying - Please help!

[PRC2]

My wife and I purchased our home a year ago, and we love our mature citrus trees. However, I am quite concerned because our lemon tree appears to be having some problems.

Although the tree bears significant fruit, parts of the tree appear to be dying. In the attached photos, you can see that sections of the tree have brown, dry leaves. An entire branch of the tree appeared dead, so my gardener (to my horror) cut off the entire branch after I asked him about what may be happening.

Now, an adjacent section has turned the same way. I love this tree, and I want to see what I can do to help it out. Can somebody please help me?

The tree is planted in the ground, and it is watered a few times a week via downward-facing sprinklers in the ground near the trunk. Perhaps it is receiving too much water. I also hammered two fertilizer sticks into the ground (away from the trunk) in order to help the tree, but it does not appear to have done anything... it may actually be hurting the tree; I am not sure.

Thanks!

[img]https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/w2PWsysSMxA1RXB69_UlpA_qTC9hn1lFP6AMkJBWKWo?feat=directlink[/img]

[img]https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kpmtGyBCfbxUqxvR7iT9Aw_qTC9hn1lFP6AMkJBWKWo?feat=directlink[/img]

[img]https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gDg8gmobR0GXn2A1vL_JJQ_qTC9hn1lFP6AMkJBWKWo?feat=directlink[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

Your links didn't work. I looked at them and can't see why, but check the instructions linked in my signature line, and maybe you can figure out how to make your pictures come through.

Don't know about your lemon tree, except a few times a week does sound like a lot of water. I grew up in Anaheim with orange trees and it didn't seem like they were watered nearly that much. You didn't say how long the sprinklers run. If it is for a long time you could be waterlogging your tree roots. If it is short time, so the water doesn't penetrate very deeply, then you are encouraging the tree to grow shallow roots, which are then very vulnerable. What you want is to water very deeply but less often.

Fertilizing a tree/plant that is diseased or struggling is usually not a good idea. Trying to force growth when it is already struggling doesn't help.

[PRC2]

Thank you for your reply. I am not sure why the links did not work.

I think that you are correct re: the watering as the trees received seven minutes of water twice a week. The adjacent orange tree is doing very well; it is the lemon tree that is having a hard time. In fact, the tree has not been watered since Monday (today is Thursday), and the soil around the tree is really wet. As the tree is planted in a planter box the ground, I am not sure how to increase drainage.

Do you think that merely stopping water for a while will remedy the situation, or is there a larger root issue that I need to address with a professional.

Thanks!

[PRC2]

The pictures should work this time. The soil is still wet, and there is a bit of white mold growing in the corner of the planter box (in one of the photos). I am going to try and remove the Vigoro spike fertilizer that I put in the ground a month ago. Any ideas, please? I desparately want to save this tree

[img]https://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a468/2PRC2/lemon4.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a468/2PRC2/lemon3.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a468/2PRC2/lemon5.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a468/2PRC2/lemon1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a468/2PRC2/lemon2.jpg[/img]

[JONA878]

Hi PRC.
There are a couple of things you could check on your tree.
The damaged leaves that are dying back on parts of your tree.
Are there any yellowish halo like lesions on these leaves or on the fruit ?
This is a sign of Bacterial canker. Extremely contageous and very likely to cause the trees ultimate end. Removal of any sign of damaged limbs are required.

Root rot is fairly common and usually you will see dark crusty lesions on the trunk of the tree , eventually causing the bark to die back and sometimes ooze a liquid from their edges.

Both these deseases will cause die-back.
As is the case in most fruit trees. The best remedy for any wood that is dieing back dureing the growing season is to remove that area back to fresh healthy timber and burn the infected wood removed.

[PRC2]

Thank you for your response. I do not see halo-like lesions on the fruit or leaves. In fact, the fruit on most of the tree looks perfect. I did, however, notice an area of dead bark on the trunk, and it is mostly around the large branch in question. Last, the branch that looks like it is dying shakes more easily than the rest of the healthy branches. Perhaps that is a sign that it is dying (or dead!).

[cynthia_h]

At this point, it may be worth having a professional gardener come take a look.

Careful: my definition of "a professional gardener" is quite specific. Such an individual will be recommended by an independent, local gardening-supply store/nursery. The staff of the nursery will know the gardener or his/her work and will be able to say something about his/her methods. The gardener will be able to provide local references *and* describe the kinds of work, plants, etc. involved at each jobsite.

In this case, you want someone with experience in citrus trees and their diseases. Since it's August, there may be university-level people on break who have this knowledge. Those gardening supply stores/nurseries know who they are; many nurseries up here require botany/hort/bio backgrounds of their staff.

Sorry not to be of more assistance.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[Sage Hermit]

For better results maybe move this thread over to shrubs and trees. We have our own professionals browsing that lobby every day.

We have a farm in Egypt that grows Lemon trees. Will try and get some info for ya. Never visited my mom's farm yet but she have date trees also.


Nice photos

[PRC2]

Thanks for all of your replies. I went to my local garden store (Armstrong's here in L.A.), and I had a long chat with the specialist. My tree has been overwatered... that is for sure. In addition to the extra bark chips and now once-a-week watering, I have also pruned all dead branches, etc. The tree is looking good for now... fingers crossed that things resolve themselves!

[Werner]

Our Tahitian lime tree looks exactly like the picture of yours. We have had the same watering schedule for over 3 years with no problem but now a whole section of the tree appears dead. Since your post is quite old your findings would be very helpful.
Did you rescue the tree and what was the problem? Mahalo and Aloha from Hawaii, Werner

[rob_tassie]

Hi, I was looking at a website for tips on my own citrus problems shortly before reading your post. Couple of bits on this site that sound like what you are talking about...

https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/ext ... az1492.pdf

Hope that helps.

Rob

[imafan26]

I agree that the problem looks like over watering. Citrus trees require good drainage and like deep but infrequent watering when they are in the ground. I feed my citrus trees when I see a flush of new growth and in the fall after the fruit has ripened. Some citrus produce fruit only once a year, others can produce multiple cycles of fruit.

For people growing citrus trees there are a few significant viruses and diseases you need to be aware of
Huanglongbing or citrus greening disease is a virus that is spread by the Asian psyllid. The disease is fatal and since its' introduction in Florida it has now spread all the way to California. Below is a link of the areas where the problem is known to exist. The psyllids are the vectors and the only control would be to remove the tree and properly dispose of the remains to prevent spreading. It is not possible to totally eliminate the vector.
https://californiacitrusthreat.org/pest-disease
https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/greening/
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfoc ... RkQDsGsgG/
ttps://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_p ... -bound.pdf

Tristeza virus. Tristeza virus eventually will kill citrus trees. The disease is spread by aphids and if you graft onto resistant rootstock, the trees can be productive for awhile, but eventually will succumb. The bark peels back, stem pitting, yellowing and dieback occurs if the bark peels on the branches. Prune dead wood. Once the main trunk starts to peel, it is usually not possible to save the tree. The tree can still be productive for a few years. One of the symptoms is actually an abundance of fruit since the tree is trying to reproduce. As the tree gets weaker, the branches die, fruit quality gets worse and it is usually time for the tree to go. Average tree life 20-50 yrs. Controlling aphids helps to extend the life of the trees. Without resistant rootstock most trees will live an average of 3-5 years. Some types of citrus are more immune to showing the effects of the disease but may still be carriers.
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r107101311.html

About pruning citrus trees. Citrus trees do not like to be pruned. Fruit forms on the new growth, so you will be cutting off your fruit. Severely pruning a citrus tree (by lopping off large branches or half the tree that is hanging over into the neighbor's yard) will usually result in the tree failing to produce fruit for years until the canopy has recovered. If you do prune citrus, prune a little every year and prune mostly off the top to control the height but leave most of the side growth alone for fruiting. Never prune any tree by more than a third at any one time, unless you have no choice, like with dieback.