Hi, I have just moved into our new house. We have 2 lemon trees. One is short and sparse but has normal sized fruit and seems fine, situated in an exposed area of the garden. Tree two is tall and large, very bushy and has a LOT of fruit but all tiny. The big tree has turned to custard quickly with big patches of moldy, rotten fruit and leaves. I suspected frost damage but it is in a sheltered part of the garden and that doesn't explain the teeny tiny fruit. Any advice is appreciated :)
I'm no expert ;o) . the leaves & the sort of 'burnt' fruit does look a bit like frost damage. My huge mature lemon tree gets heavily frosted at times & it's the frosted new more tender growth that looks a lot like your pics. The older growth doesn't seem to be affected as much. Small fruit, could be lack of food or water maybe? Hope that helps.
gibbo77,
Jul 16, 4:11pm
Looks like a lime tree
harm_less,
Jul 16, 4:47pm
A large number of abnormally small fruit indicates that the tree is under extreme stress and possibly on its way out. The brown fruit in the photos appear to have brown rot which most commonly spreads from the lower fruit which are susceptible to splashes from the ground but as fruit is affected further up the infection it may well be from frost damage, particularly if it is predominantly on the top side of fruit that has no foliage over it and on leaves at branch tips.
You could try pruning heavily with any dead or dying branches going first. Open up the tree to aid airflow as dense foliage takes longer to dry and harbours fungal and rot infections. Spray afterwards with copper and protect early regrowth from further frosts.
You also have at least one dead branch visible which is likely to be from borer damage. Complete pruning now as citrus borer will be dormant and unlikely to lay eggs on pruning wounds during winter.
Also address any soil drainage issues if applicable as this may be an additional stressor.
Edit: The suggestion above that it may be a lime makes sense. Small fruit, vigourous growth but more susceptible to frost than a (Meyer) lemon. If so pruning still recommended, not too hard but definitely get rid of dead fruit and vegetation.
lythande1,
Jul 17, 7:48am
Mold - scale most likely. Small - feed it. Probably been neglected for ages. Buy some citrus fertiliser and follow the directions on packet
harrislucinda,
Jul 17, 3:02pm
pix 3 looks like a lime other frosted too late to feed now later in spring
gazzat22,
Jul 17, 3:07pm
Give the tree a good dose of Epsom Salts.
lythande1,
Jul 17, 4:15pm
Why? Is it deficient in magnesium then? Doesn't look it, it hasn't got that interveinal chlorosis.
better to feed it. Cut the dead bits off, it should come back just fine.
kmr48,
Jul 17, 5:01pm
When is the best time to "prune" a lemon tree. I am in Dunedin & the one here has & still is fruiting well but I feel it could be opened up a bit. Thanks
gazzat22,
Jul 17, 5:37pm
The OP asked, I told what I would do.
samanya,
Jul 17, 6:32pm
I wouldn't cut off the dead bits just yet in our climate . it's not been established what the problem is yet & cutting it back now, with maybe more frosts to come, would do more harm than good.
cantabman1,
Jul 18, 8:49am
My advise would be to give it a bloody good prone allowing allowing room for a bird to fly through it. remove any bottom branches near the ground, give it a good dose of Ebbs n Salts, and citrus fert, and water in well As for the burnt fruit and leaves, they are the result of frost, so is you want to; cover it up with a frost cloth. [ps] it should be fed twice a year and watered well in the summer.
colin433,
Jul 19, 2:09pm
cantabman1 you have obviously misheard someone pronouncing Epsom Salts. I can see how that could happen, but it's not Ebbs n salts, even though it sounds a bit like it LOL Some people do not speak clearly, and this is how strange words occur
chito,
Jul 19, 2:27pm
Our lemon tree started producing small black lemons after having excellent fruit 6-7 years ago. We gave it a load of mushroom compost last year and now it is laden with healthy fruit.
Put an icecream container in toilet bowl to collect urine. dilute well with water and tip it under lemon tree. I do this when expecting rain so theres no smell and my tree is really thriving.
cantabman1,
Jul 25, 6:56pm
I am just very bad at spelling, but in this case you are correct,thanks.
finelawns,
Jul 26, 7:11pm
The reason your citrus is providing small fruit is possibly because it has not been pruned. Prune your citrus now spray freaky cuts with pyrethrum. Spray neam oil on leaves to help get rid of unwanted bugs. Feed osmocote or blood on bone 2nd week aug then mid oct. also look to cut out rot and bora.
Some uses - Epsom Salts Aids In : * Seed Germination * Tastier Tomatoes * Increase The Nutrient Uptake Of Plants * Helps Plants Overcome Transplant Shock * Epsom Salt Helps Greening Up Foliage * Sweeten Fruits * It Can Help To Deter Pests * Prevent Leaf Curling * Boost Pepper Yields * Prettier Roses * Removing Tree Stump * Why Using Epsom Salt – Magnesium Sulfate Is Good For Tomato and Vegetable Plants The Details
Note it's good for leaf curl, which citrus often gets
De fruit it to take the nutrional load off so it can recover.
figjamto,
Aug 24, 4:00pm
Sun, feed, and lots of water
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