I grew a couple of bushes from some pips I took out of a lime which I had
bought in a market and they've grown well and are about 3 feet in height.

One of them has many flowers and roughly four, very small (about the size of
a pea) limes but the leaves are turning yellow and quite a few are dropping
off.

I have drenched the bush (as per instructions on the packet) with chelated
iron on the assumption that the problem is iron deficiency but I don't know
for certain.

The bushes are fed regularly with a soluble citrus feed (again as per
instructions on the box) specially bought for the purpose.

Can anyone suggest what the problem might be, please? I have many general
gardening books and books on bushes and trees but nothing specific to citrus
bushes or trees.

I've searched the Internet (always my first port of call!) but nothing have
I found that will help me. I'd be grateful for any help as I fear the bush
may die.

Regards,

John

In article ,
"John Vanini" writes:
| I grew a couple of bushes from some pips I took out of a lime which I had
| bought in a market and they've grown well and are about 3 feet in height.
|
| One of them has many flowers and roughly four, very small (about the size of
| a pea) limes but the leaves are turning yellow and quite a few are dropping
| off.

Overwatering is a common cause. They hate waterlogging.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Thanks Nick,

I'll watch how much I water, in future.

regards,

John
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"John Vanini" writes:
| I grew a couple of bushes from some pips I took out of a lime which I
had
| bought in a market and they've grown well and are about 3 feet in
height.
|
| One of them has many flowers and roughly four, very small (about the
size of
| a pea) limes but the leaves are turning yellow and quite a few are
dropping
| off.

Overwatering is a common cause. They hate waterlogging.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"John Vanini" wrote after
"Nick Maclaren" replied to
"John Vanini" who asked
| I grew a couple of bushes from some pips I took out of a lime which I
had
| bought in a market and they've grown well and are about 3 feet in
height.
|
| One of them has many flowers and roughly four, very small (about the
size of
| a pea) limes but the leaves are turning yellow and quite a few are
dropping
| off.

Overwatering is a common cause. They hate waterlogging.


Biggest cause of citrus deaths, waterlogging. If you use a water tray it's
almost a certainty. Best not to use a water tray with any citrus just let
them drain through, if it's unavoidable put the pot on bricks inside the
tray so it can never be in contact with water in the tray.
You also say you use feed on a regular basis which is correct as they are
also gross feeders, but do you flush the compost through every now and then
with plain water to ensure there isn't a mineral salt build-up from the
unused feed?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

No, Bob, I don't and I haven't flushed the compost through but will do it in
future, however, with all the rain we've had I would assume that the soil
has been flushed out naturally.

The pots are outside and on blocks to keep them off the ground to allow for
drainage and to (hopefully) stop woodlice from climbing inside. There are no
water trays so if there is a problem with drainage it shouldn't be for that
reason.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to change the soil at some stage. I believe
I used John Innes No 3 when I first potted them on. I assume that's okay.

Could the pH value be an important factor?

Regards,

John
..
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"John Vanini" wrote after
"Nick Maclaren" replied to
"John Vanini" who asked
| I grew a couple of bushes from some pips I took out of a lime which I
had
| bought in a market and they've grown well and are about 3 feet in
height.
|
| One of them has many flowers and roughly four, very small (about the
size of
| a pea) limes but the leaves are turning yellow and quite a few are
dropping
| off.

Overwatering is a common cause. They hate waterlogging.


Biggest cause of citrus deaths, waterlogging. If you use a water tray it's
almost a certainty. Best not to use a water tray with any citrus just let
them drain through, if it's unavoidable put the pot on bricks inside the
tray so it can never be in contact with water in the tray.
You also say you use feed on a regular basis which is correct as they are
also gross feeders, but do you flush the compost through every now and
then with plain water to ensure there isn't a mineral salt build-up from
the unused feed?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

"John Vanini" wrote
No, Bob, I don't and I haven't flushed the compost through but will do it
in future, however, with all the rain we've had I would assume that the
soil has been flushed out naturally.

The pots are outside and on blocks to keep them off the ground to allow
for drainage and to (hopefully) stop woodlice from climbing inside. There
are no water trays so if there is a problem with drainage it shouldn't be
for that reason.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to change the soil at some stage. I
believe I used John Innes No 3 when I first potted them on. I assume
that's okay.

Could the pH value be an important factor?


Citrus like slightly acid soil so I always use an Ericaceous compost as I
live in a hard water area and sometimes have to resort to tap water, I also
add wood chips (as used by Orchid growers) to the compost to increase
drainage but not the weight of the pot.
The use of an ericaceous compost is often recommended if you have a sickly
citrus plant and it's general use for all ours has never caused us any
problems. I top dress with fresh compost each year.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

In article ,
"Bob Hobden" writes:
|
| Citrus like slightly acid soil so I always use an Ericaceous compost as I
| live in a hard water area and sometimes have to resort to tap water, I also
| add wood chips (as used by Orchid growers) to the compost to increase
| drainage but not the weight of the pot.

I used to but stopped bothering, and it hasn't bothered mine. Admittedly,
I am pretty bad at citrus, and the only one I really care for is the
kaffir lime I grew from seed. However, my soil here is only just
alkaline, and I use tap water only on occasion. None of my citrus
showed any chlorosis.

My mother did the same with a lemon, watered it with alkaline water,
and that grew into a large plant of a few decades. I would assume
that Citrus vary in their dislike of lime, but don't have a clue which
are lime tolerant and which are not. Certainly, lemon and kaffir
lime seem fairly tolerant.

I lost my lemon from frost, one orange from drought, and a grafted
orange (on Poncirus) seems to be giving up the ghost in rather a weird
way. It threw a strong sucker, which I removed, and its leaves have
gone dull, pale and curled, but NOT fallen off. My wife doesn't care
for it much, and we are short of space in the winter, so I am not too
worried. But it is very odd.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.