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Lisbon Lemon Tree - branches, leaves, fruit dry out and die


 
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john77-2010



Joined: 14 Apr 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:22 pm    Post subject: Lisbon Lemon Tree - branches, leaves, fruit dry out and die Reply with quote

I have a Lisbon Lemon Tree around 9 yrs old in Phoenix, AZ. Around 2 months ago I notice a branch that was around 4 feet long and around an inch thick just dried out with the leaves and fruit still attached but everything was dried out and dead. This took place in 5-7 days which was real fast and the rest of the tree look fine. At the time I was doing my normal watering of every three days for about 1-2 hours with a water hose with average temperatures of a 110 degrees around that time we had received frequent thunder showers. I was told by my local nursery to cut the branch off but first use rubbing alcohol to clean the blade then clean it again. Next paint the place where the dead branch was cut off. Two months later I find that now the little branches around where I cut the big branch off are doing the same thing. branch, leaves and fruit dry out and turn yellow but still remain on the branch but they are dead. The place where I cut the big branch I notice the bark brittle and falling off. Then I notice in the same area a small amount of dark sap is seeping out of the bark near the cut area.. I was told that it is a fungus because their was too much moisture due to the heavy rains / monsoon season (they told me to cut down on the water schedule to once a week) then another place told me it was a flathead worm and I needed to apply an insecticide. Then I was told that because we are getting into cooler weather the fungus will die and the tree will survive. I am not sure what to believe but one thing for sure my lemon tree is dying. Help before I lose the tree. See pictures. Thanks.


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phoenixtropicals
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Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would be surprised if that tree lives. It looks very close to dead. You were watering it way too much. Watering once a week in the summer is the maximum, and it should only be watered every 3-4 weeks in the winter. The problem is that once it is watered that much the roots rot and its really hard to get it to recover.

Don't believe all of the "disease" stories people tell you. There are really only two things that kill citrus trees around here. Improper fertilization, usually too much, and improper watering. Furthermore, nurseries love to sell expensive chemicals like "vitamin B" and "fungicides".

You'll probably want to think about replacing that tree in October. October is the best time of year to plant a citrus here. Also, I have a lemon tree too, but if you are only going to have one citrus tree, go for an orange. Its hard to find a use for a tree full of lemons (there are only so many gallons of lemonade you can drink), but oranges, my family devours them every year no problem.

I recommend Greenfield Citrus for buying your tree. Their trees are grown locally on sour orange rootstock and will produce much nicer fruit than the trees in the big box stores, which come from California.

Good luck.
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FunInAZ



Joined: 18 Nov 2010
Posts: 3
Location: Goodyear, AZ

PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a meyer lemon tree that looked similar to your images you posted. At first I thought some sort of fungus got to it and cut off the problem branches. The tree did alright for the next couple of months, although it looked like it was having a hard time. After the two month mark it finally died or so I thought...I left it alone for about two weeks and finally got around to cutting it up for the compost pile when I discovered a small off-shoot growing from above the root stock after I removed the trunk wrap!

I will try an post a picture later.

Although super cool, I wonder about keeping it...I think I will most likely replace it in a week or so since now is a fairly good time to plant citrus.

Do you think it's worth keeping? If so how long do you think it will take before it becomes a fruit producing meyer tree again?
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phoenixtropicals
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Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If it is growing above the graft point I recommend keeping it. Just make sure you water it correctly. Once it gets healthy it will grow very quickly. Do not fertilize it for at least a year from now, and when you do, do so very very lightly. I seldom fertilize my citrus anymore and they grow like crazy and are very dark green.
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john77-2010



Joined: 14 Apr 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 10:23 am    Post subject: Update Reply with quote

I would like to give you all an update on my lemon tree. Whatever it was that was killing my lemon tree seems to have stopped. It dried out 95% of the lemon tree. There was on small branch around three feet long with around eight lemons on it that survived! I though it was going to die completely after how fast this disease was killing it. Within 48-72 hours it would take out a complete branch and dry up all the fruit. The lone branch seems to be doing fine with new shoots and the lemons are almost ripe. As soon as I read the reply to my post I moved my watering schedule to once every 10 days. Now i am watering every 12 days. I am puzzled to say the least as to why the tree did not die altogether but I am grateful that it is still alive. Thanks ...............John
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phoenixtropicals
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Joined: 06 May 2008
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Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great to hear! As the weather gets cooler you'll want to move your watering frequency to about once every 3 weeks in mid winter.
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