Posts Tagged: lemon tree
Citrus, Earwigs and Tree Wraps
Installing tree wraps on young trees provides protection to the trunk from applications of herbicides during weed management operations. Additionally, the wraps minimize light interception by trunk tissue thereby reducing sucker growth. During hot weather tree wraps provide shade to the trunk and reduce the incidence of sunburn. With the increasing incidence of earwigs, damage to young trees and the tendency for the insect to congregate under the wraps, tree wraps are being removed in some cases. Recent laboratory data from Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell (confirmed by observations in the field) suggests that as the season progresses adults become less and less interested in feeding on leaves (peak of feeding in March and April, declines to next to nothing by June). So, a management consideration would be to check the earwigs in the wraps in the summer, and if there are only adults present there is less concern than if there are immatures present. Another point would be to consider treatment with an insecticide such as Lorsban if wraps are to be left on for sunburn protection.
If wraps are removed a uniform coating of sun protective material should be applied to the trunk to protect against sun damage. Trunk surfaces should be monitored to ensure that a uniform coating is in place. Sun damage to unprotected trunk tissue can result in partial or complete girdling of the tree.
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Lemon Tree
Sometime ago, I wrote about my sad lemon tree that had blossoms and no leaves. Well now it has one green stem with 2 leaves and a small lemon, yes a lemon!
If you remember this is the tree that I consulted a citrus grower, looked on the IPM web site, and contacted Lance Walhem, who wrote a book on citrus, and they were stumped as to what was going on with it and so they could not give me any information on what I could do.
So I decided to let it be and only water it, when I watered my other citrus. I did not even give it any fertilizer as I was sure it would not survive, and it is still a very sad looking tree. I am not sure it is going to survive, but maybe the tree has made the decision to try and survive.
I will be surprised if the lemon it has stays and continues to grow to maturity, but for now it has a lemon.
The lemon on the sad tree. (photo by Betty Victor)
The Story of a Sad Lemon Tree
Sometimes gardening problems really stump me as this one has now, so maybe someone who reads this will be able to help.
I have a lemon tree that some of you might have heard me talk about, if not this is the story.
I was given this ‘Meyer’ lemon about 4 years ago. It had bright, healthy green leaves and over all, the plant looked good. I planted it just like I have planted my other citrus. However, about 7 months later I noticed it was losing its leaves. Not knowing what was going on, I looked in our California Master Gardener Handbook for an answer, and I also went on the IPM website (http://ipm.ucdavis.edu) for information on what the problem might be. I found no answers there either, so I contacted Lance Walheim who had written a book on citrus called Citrus: Complete Guide to Selecting & Growing More Than 100 Varieties. I figured he knows citrus and their problems, but it turns out that he was as baffled as I was and didn’t have an answer for me either.
During this time the tree had blossoms, but no leaves! The next year it had leaves on one side, no blossoms on the other side. Then the leaves fell off and blossoms on one side appeared.
This year again blossoms, no leaves. After exhausting all the places and people for ideas and being baffled I have decided to let the leafless, blossom bearing lemon do its own thing. I don’t know how long it will go on like this as it goes into its 5th year of life. Oh by the way it has never had fruit.