What is wrong with my meyer lemon leaves (photos)

[soupcxan]

I planted this meyer lemon tree in my garden about a year ago and I have gotten a couple lemons off it, but lately the leaves have been looking wrinkled and discolored. There is another of the same type across the walkway that doesn't have this problem. I don't see any pests crawling around. Is it an insect issue or a disease, or something else? Appreciate ideas on how to treat.

 

[mpeirce]

You might look here:

Citrus: Identifying Diseases and Disorders of Leaves and Twigs

Maybe water stress?

I'd snip an affected leaf and drop by your local garden center. They usually have someone who can diagnose local problems.

 

[ronin]

It's the citrus leafminer. It looks ugly but isn't fatal. I've had it for years. Doesn't seem to be much you can do about preventing it although if you are OCD you can go through the leaves and find the active little suckers and squish them one by one. It's not even recommended to remove the affected leaves. Plenty of info on it on the internet.

 

[splitwdw]

+1 what Ronin said, it's leafminers.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/lemons.htm

 

[soupcxan]

Interesting. Pesticide it is!

 

[Lsbcal]

I thought it was frost damage. Thanks for the ID on this. Our Meyer Lemon looks good in general. Will just have to live with nature in this case.

 

[rodi]

We have that on a few of our citrus trees. Our Meyer has it - but still produces lemons in abundance. It seems to hit one part of our yard more than another part. Our neighbor is an uber-gardener and she told us to ignore it. Her advice was good.

 

[Winemaker]

I hope I'm not hijacking the thread... the question was answered.... my mobile 7yo lime trees (inside during winter, outside during summer) gets blossoms in January, tiny limes shortly thereafter, then they fall off. I apologize if I am in wrong..

 

[rodi]

We're in lime season (and orange season) here in San Diego. Our lime tree is an ancient one that produces yellow skinned (green inside) limes in great abundance. We picked about 40 yesterday and I set my sons to juicing half of them and making lime-ade.

I'm thinking of heading over to 99 Ranch and getting some fresh fish to make ceviche with all this citrus.

 

[Another Reader]

You would darken the doors of a Ranch 99? The ones in San Diego must be different than elsewhere. The stench of rotting fish will forever be engraved in my memory....

 

[Badger]

We have 2 trees about 5 years old and get this on occasion. It freaked me out at first since my wife wanted me to plant these and I have to take care of them. They are doing fine now and just finished a bumper crop from one tree that had lemons the size of large oranges or small grapefruit. Just be sure to care for the soil properly. I generally fertilize smaller amounts more frequently throughout the production season.

Cheers!

 

[ronin]

We're in lime season (and orange season) here in San Diego. Our lime tree is an ancient one that produces yellow skinned (green inside) limes in great abundance. We picked about 40 yesterday and I set my sons to juicing half of them and making lime-ade.

Sounds like Persian/Bearss lime. I had a 30 yr old Bearss lime tree that bore heavily all the time but finally succumbed to age. Replaced it with a new little one that has taken over the production. Greatest limes ever. Navels and Valencias are ripe now and in abundance and Eureka lemons are seemingly never out of season. Got to love So Cal for citrus. Looking for a certain variety of pomelo but haven't found it yet. 80+ yr old fuerte avocado full of fruit this year.

 

[splitwdw]

Winemaker, One cause of fruit drop in container grown trees is too moist soil.