Lemon tree leaves curling is a cry for help . Here ’s how to figure out what your flora motivation .
Laurie Black
When you see yourlemon treeleaves curling , should you worry ? A healthy tree ’s leaves do n’t curl so it ’s emphatically something you should pay attention to . The good news is that most of the potential causal agent have a simple solution so you may restore your tree to health . Here ’s how to compute out what could be causing those lemon leafage to kink and how to fix the problem , whether you are grow your lemon tree tree in a container or the garden .
Credit:Laurie Black
Tia Silvasyis a residential horticultural extension agent for the University of Florida , where she leads the Master Gardener volunteer program .
Causes and Solutions for Leaf Curling
“ Leaf curling is a sign the plant is in distress , ” says Tia Silvasy , an extension broker for the University of Florida . “ It means your gamboge Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree needs your helper . ” kink lemon tree leaves have several potential causes that can be cover or addressed after the problem is identified .
1. Insect Infestation
insect , such as leaf miners , mites , aphids , and thripid , are the most common cause of lemon tree pull up stakes curling , Silvasy says . The insects damage the leafage by sop up the juice from the leaf tissue paper , causing the leaf to curl and discolor .
“ They ’re often bantam louse you ca n’t see well . They look like a speck of scandal . You ’ll see the damage leaves before you see the dirt ball , ” she says . Silvasy recommends spraying leaves — healthy ones and curled ones — with an constitutional pesticide likeneem oilor insecticidal easy lay . lead untreated , the insects will kill your Citrus limon tree .
Like all citrus tree , lemon tree benefit from pre - emptive , even applications of pesticide . “ We call it preventive spraying , ” Silvasy says . “ You should get on a schedule and spray your Citrus limon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree every couple of month , especially when it has a new flush of leaves . ”Inspect leaves regularly for insectsor dirt ball harm , and regale them as soon as you see trouble .
2. Drought
Too slight urine can do Citrus limon tree leaves to curl . When you notice curl leaves , check over the soil wet with a wet meter or your fingers . If the soil is dry more than 2 or 3 in beneath the surface , give the tree diagram a good souse .
“ Lemon tree call for consistent moisture , whether they ’re in the ground or in a green goddess , ” Silvasy says . She recommends lacrimation in - undercoat , established lemon trees once a week . Potted lemon treesneed to be irrigate at least twice a week .
3. Overwatering
Too much water can cause leave-taking to curl , too . “ Overwatering causesroot buncombe , which establish the leaf curl , sicken , and shine off the plant , ” Silvasy pronounce . Let the top 2 inches of soil dry out between watering and get on a watering schedule to allow reproducible wet to the tree .
4. Extreme Temperatures
lemon yellow tree are hardy inUSDA Plant Hardiness Zones8 - 11 . When they ’re exposed to temperature below 32 ° F or above 95 ° F , they can suffer leafage harm that causes the leaves to curve at the edge .
If your lemon tree is in a container , the solution to temperature extremes is simple : Move it to ripe condition . If your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is in the earth , protect it from utmost heatwith a shade cloth or burlap cloth .
Protect an in - land lemon tree from a freeze by wrapping it in frost cloth or , in a pinch , blanket . When temperatures soar , water the lemon tree more often to help it endure heat energy stress . Putting mulch around the baseof an in - background tree helps , too .
5. Nutrient Issues
leave of absence can curl if the lemon tree is n’t get the nutrients it necessitate , so fertilize the industrial plant when you see leaf damage . Keep the tree healthy by using fertilizer regularly . lemon tree and other fruit plants are heavy birdfeeder , so they need your assistant to get the nutrition they need to ride out healthy . Silvasy recommends feed lemon trees quarterly withfertilizer with a 6 - 6 - 6 NPK ratio . Granular fertilizerworks well for in - reason trees , she says .
For lemon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree grow in containers , utilise a coated , slow - release plant food so the flora gets consistent nutrition . plant get in containers are in artificial conditions , so giving them the right nutrition is trickier . Coated fertilizers provide a keep up supplying of food or else of a brief burst of nourishment .
Once you figure out your leaf curling job , keep your maize tree inviolable , healthy , and resistant to future problems with ordered care . “ Lemons like unfluctuating feeding , firm watering , and steady pest controller , ” Silvasy tell . “ Those are the three main things they need . ”
