Hello,
My lemon tree has suddenly started dropping dozens of leaves. It is in a
slightly heated conservatory (never below 5) and has been inside since
October. It has just started dropping perfectly health green leaves. Any
ideas what might be wrong or what I might do? I don't see any signs of any
bugs.
Many thanks
Rachael

"Rachael wrote in message
My lemon tree has suddenly started dropping dozens of leaves. It is in a
slightly heated conservatory (never below 5) and has been inside since
October. It has just started dropping perfectly health green leaves. Any
ideas what might be wrong or what I might do? I don't see any signs of
any
bugs.

Doubt it's anything to do with pests or disease.
I expect it's a low light level problem coupled with the cold and possibly
too much water. (I hope not the latter or the roots are damaged too)

Ours are kept at min 50°F/10°C in a small greenhouse for the winter, we have
some orchids that demand such temperatures but the citrus seem to like it
too. Compost is kept just moist (never ever wet in winter or totally dry)
and they are fed with each light watering.
The change in light levels when brought inside will cause some loss of
leaves and ours have lost some too, however, they are also now putting on
new growth and flower buds are forming.

Lemons do like a more acid compost than other citrus so do try to use soft
rainwater when watering and ericaceous compost when repotting.

Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

in article , Rachael Reynolds at
wrote on 30/12/02 2:19 pm:

Hello,
My lemon tree has suddenly started dropping dozens of leaves. It is in a
slightly heated conservatory (never below 5) and has been inside since
October. It has just started dropping perfectly health green leaves. Any
ideas what might be wrong or what I might do? I don't see any signs of any
bugs.

At a guess you're watering it too often. Don't water it until it's just
about bone dry and then let it drain well. Wet, cold roots will kill it
very quickly. We get lemon trees brought back which you could nearly wring
out because people just won't stop 'coddling' them! ;-) The Meyer's lemon we
have is in a small conservatory and it only gets watered if someone happens
to remember to do it, even in the hottest weather. We regularly pick lemons
for our g&t from it and it's a very happy bunny! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

In article , Rachael Reynolds
writes

"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Rachael wrote in message
My lemon tree has suddenly started dropping dozens of leaves. It is in
a
slightly heated conservatory (never below 5) and has been inside since
October. It has just started dropping perfectly health green leaves.
Any
ideas what might be wrong or what I might do? I don't see any signs of
any
bugs.

Doubt it's anything to do with pests or disease.
I expect it's a low light level problem coupled with the cold and possibly
too much water. (I hope not the latter or the roots are damaged too)

Ours are kept at min 50°F/10°C in a small greenhouse for the winter, we
have
some orchids that demand such temperatures but the citrus seem to like it
too. Compost is kept just moist (never ever wet in winter or totally dry)
and they are fed with each light watering.
The change in light levels when brought inside will cause some loss of
leaves and ours have lost some too, however, they are also now putting on
new growth and flower buds are forming.

Lemons do like a more acid compost than other citrus so do try to use soft
rainwater when watering and ericaceous compost when repotting.

Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

Thanks. So it might recover? It does have some flower buds.
Rachael

Our small tree is kept in a conservatory in summer and the last two
winters has been brought into a spare bedroom - and then lost ALL its
leaves! The comment on lack of light seems pertinent and helpful to me,
too.

This year we have left it in the (unheated) conservatory and it's doing
fine - no real cold spells yet, though - Sussex coast.

--
Alan ............

My orange tree started dyeing until I took the root ball out of the pot and
it was crawling with woodlice. I then put it in a bucket for an hour or so,
and they were all gone. It's not doing too bad now.
Steve

"sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
in article , Rachael Reynolds at
wrote on 30/12/02 2:19 pm:

Hello,
My lemon tree has suddenly started dropping dozens of leaves. It is in
a
slightly heated conservatory (never below 5) and has been inside since
October. It has just started dropping perfectly health green leaves.
Any
ideas what might be wrong or what I might do? I don't see any signs of
any
bugs.

At a guess you're watering it too often. Don't water it until it's just
about bone dry and then let it drain well. Wet, cold roots will kill it
very quickly. We get lemon trees brought back which you could nearly
wring
out because people just won't stop 'coddling' them! ;-) The Meyer's lemon
we
have is in a small conservatory and it only gets watered if someone
happens
to remember to do it, even in the hottest weather. We regularly pick
lemons
for our g&t from it and it's a very happy bunny! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

Almost certainly your problem is your compost is too moist for the temp and
light levels right now. Desist watering immediately. If your plant is small
enough I would recommend you lift and shake off as much excess as you can
without too much root damage and substitute with extra dry compost to soak
it up. Simply raising temp with current light levels will not dry any
excess fast enough. With current light levels the plant will not be fooled
in to extra growth by presence of new compost. Looking further ahead, do
ensure your plant is not pot bound. Blood, fish and bone is good if worked
in to compost during repoting.

"Mike Gilmore" wrote in
message ...
Almost certainly your problem is your compost is too moist for the temp
and
light levels right now. Desist watering immediately. If your plant is
small
enough I would recommend you lift and shake off as much excess as you can
without too much root damage and substitute with extra dry compost to soak
it up. Simply raising temp with current light levels will not dry any
excess fast enough. With current light levels the plant will not be fooled
in to extra growth by presence of new compost. Looking further ahead, do
ensure your plant is not pot bound. Blood, fish and bone is good if worked
in to compost during repoting.


Thanks for everyone's help. Should i get it one of those natural light
bulbs and put it on a timer perhaps?
Rachael

"Alan Terry" wrote in message
Our small tree is kept in a conservatory in summer and the last two
winters has been brought into a spare bedroom - and then lost ALL its
leaves! The comment on lack of light seems pertinent and helpful to me,
too.

This year we have left it in the (unheated) conservatory and it's doing
fine - no real cold spells yet, though - Sussex coast.

--
Alan ............

So your's recovered without any leaves left at all? That sounds a bit
hopeful.
Rachael

In article , Rachael Reynolds
writes

"Alan Terry" wrote in message
Our small tree is kept in a conservatory in summer and the last two
winters has been brought into a spare bedroom - and then lost ALL its
leaves! The comment on lack of light seems pertinent and helpful to me,
too.

This year we have left it in the (unheated) conservatory and it's doing
fine - no real cold spells yet, though - Sussex coast.

--
Alan ............

So your's recovered without any leaves left at all?

Yes - twice.


That sounds a bit
hopeful.

I put it down to skill - wife puts it down to luck.

I suspect I'm wrong (

--
Alan ............

On Mon, 30 Dec 2002 15:45:36 -0000, "Sue & Bob Hobden"
wrote:

SNIP
Lemons do like a more acid compost than other citrus so do try to use soft
rainwater when watering and ericaceous compost when repotting.
SNIP

I recently bought a lemon tree from a specialist citrus grower who
assured me that it required a special compost , and specifically NOT
ericaceous. !!

SNIP
Lemons do like a more acid compost than other citrus so do try to use
soft
rainwater when watering and ericaceous compost when repotting.
SNIP

I recently bought a lemon tree from a specialist citrus grower who
assured me that it required a special compost , and specifically NOT
ericaceous. !!

Fine, I guess that's the same specialist that said that to me too this year.
They also use the same feed winter and summer.
Personal choice, but I will stick to the methods I have found gets me good
results.

Whilst they must have some calcium in their diet, citrus like, and Lemons
especially prefer, a slightly acid compost and to give them what they want I
use ericaceous compost with added bark chippings (orchid compost type) for
good drainage. I water occasionally with hard tap water to provide the salts
needed.
If you use rainwater all the time then probably ordinary compost with added
drainage would work too but that's not my method because I can't store that
much rainwater and I have other plants that demand it.
Like most of gardening there is always more that one way to achieve your
goal.

The leaves of most citrus when growing well are the same colour as
camellias, dark glossy green, with Lemons a bit lighter, any growing method
that achieves that goal is OK.
regards
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.