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 5^th year of life. Oh by the way it has never had fruit.

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