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#1
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Something keeps tipping my citrus trees!
Hi all,
I have a lime, lemon and orange tree that have been in the ground for a year and evrytime they start to get a few new growing tips (and I get really excited) they seem to get tipped by something?! Hence, they are still very small and quite compact - my missus reckons they were mis-labelled at the nursery and are dwarf varieties! LOL The ground they are on is quite hard/clay type soil, so that doesn't help, although I did dig the hole over quite well and planted with plenty of good compost and mulch around the base. Any ideas on what is taking the tips off the trees and/or how I can stop it? Cheers, MC |
#2
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"MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message
... Hi all, I have a lime, lemon and orange tree that have been in the ground for a year and evrytime they start to get a few new growing tips (and I get really excited) they seem to get tipped by something?! Hence, they are still very small and quite compact - my missus reckons they were mis-labelled at the nursery and are dwarf varieties! LOL The ground they are on is quite hard/clay type soil, so that doesn't help, although I did dig the hole over quite well and planted with plenty of good compost and mulch around the base. Any ideas on what is taking the tips off the trees and/or how I can stop it? Cheers, MC Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. |
#3
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Thanks Jim,
I can't see any bugs AT ALL on the trees though?! I did have some leaf miner issues previously, but I used Len's homemade white-oil and this seemed to get rid of them. You don't suppose that the white oil has reacted badly with the tree and the tips have simply fallen off??? Cheers for any further suggestions, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Hi all, I have a lime, lemon and orange tree that have been in the ground for a year and evrytime they start to get a few new growing tips (and I get really excited) they seem to get tipped by something?! Hence, they are still very small and quite compact - my missus reckons they were mis-labelled at the nursery and are dwarf varieties! LOL The ground they are on is quite hard/clay type soil, so that doesn't help, although I did dig the hole over quite well and planted with plenty of good compost and mulch around the base. Any ideas on what is taking the tips off the trees and/or how I can stop it? Cheers, MC Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. |
#4
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"MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message
... Thanks Jim, I can't see any bugs AT ALL on the trees though?! I did have some leaf miner issues previously, but I used Len's homemade white-oil and this seemed to get rid of them. You don't suppose that the white oil has reacted badly with the tree and the tips have simply fallen off??? Cheers for any further suggestions, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Hi all, I have a lime, lemon and orange tree that have been in the ground for a year and evrytime they start to get a few new growing tips (and I get really excited) they seem to get tipped by something?! Hence, they are still very small and quite compact - my missus reckons they were mis-labelled at the nursery and are dwarf varieties! LOL The ground they are on is quite hard/clay type soil, so that doesn't help, although I did dig the hole over quite well and planted with plenty of good compost and mulch around the base. Any ideas on what is taking the tips off the trees and/or how I can stop it? Cheers, MC Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. It sure sounds like Harlequin bugs, they are hard to see when young as they are the same colour as the leaves and as they mature they change colour. You really have to look for them carefully. |
#5
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OK ... I will have another look tomorrow and let you know how I get on.
Cheers, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Thanks Jim, I can't see any bugs AT ALL on the trees though?! I did have some leaf miner issues previously, but I used Len's homemade white-oil and this seemed to get rid of them. You don't suppose that the white oil has reacted badly with the tree and the tips have simply fallen off??? Cheers for any further suggestions, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Hi all, I have a lime, lemon and orange tree that have been in the ground for a year and evrytime they start to get a few new growing tips (and I get really excited) they seem to get tipped by something?! Hence, they are still very small and quite compact - my missus reckons they were mis-labelled at the nursery and are dwarf varieties! LOL The ground they are on is quite hard/clay type soil, so that doesn't help, although I did dig the hole over quite well and planted with plenty of good compost and mulch around the base. Any ideas on what is taking the tips off the trees and/or how I can stop it? Cheers, MC Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. It sure sounds like Harlequin bugs, they are hard to see when young as they are the same colour as the leaves and as they mature they change colour. You really have to look for them carefully. |
#6
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I'm currently having the same problem on my naval oranges with a brown bug
that is also having fun with my peach tree (and blends in with it bloody well too). I usually knock them into a bucket of hot water but have found that spraying with homemade white oil kept them off the trees for about 5 to7 days. Not really sure why, maybe the oil and small amount of detergent in the oil mix made the tree surface unpalatable. The mix was a bit stronger than usual. -- Chris Subsido ergo sum. I lurk therefore I am. snip |
#7
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I can't see any bugs at all ... do I need to get out the magnifying glass?
My eyesight is pretty good and I can't see any bugllies on the leaves at all Cheers, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Thanks Jim, I can't see any bugs AT ALL on the trees though?! I did have some leaf miner issues previously, but I used Len's homemade white-oil and this seemed to get rid of them. You don't suppose that the white oil has reacted badly with the tree and the tips have simply fallen off??? Cheers for any further suggestions, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Hi all, I have a lime, lemon and orange tree that have been in the ground for a year and evrytime they start to get a few new growing tips (and I get really excited) they seem to get tipped by something?! Hence, they are still very small and quite compact - my missus reckons they were mis-labelled at the nursery and are dwarf varieties! LOL The ground they are on is quite hard/clay type soil, so that doesn't help, although I did dig the hole over quite well and planted with plenty of good compost and mulch around the base. Any ideas on what is taking the tips off the trees and/or how I can stop it? Cheers, MC Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. It sure sounds like Harlequin bugs, they are hard to see when young as they are the same colour as the leaves and as they mature they change colour. You really have to look for them carefully. |
#8
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Thanks Jim,
I HAVE actaually seen that bug around the garden in recent months - but usually up the front around the passionfruit vine, not up the back by the citrus trees. I suppose they could get around quite a bit hey?! Although i have seen 'em in my garden, I haven't seen any around the citrus, so should I just get any that are in the vicinity and deal with them? Cheers, Mick "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... I can't see any bugs at all ... do I need to get out the magnifying glass? My eyesight is pretty good and I can't see any bugllies on the leaves at all Cheers, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Thanks Jim, I can't see any bugs AT ALL on the trees though?! I did have some leaf miner issues previously, but I used Len's homemade white-oil and this seemed to get rid of them. You don't suppose that the white oil has reacted badly with the tree and the tips have simply fallen off??? Cheers for any further suggestions, MC "jim" wrote in message ... "MC" mcathomalidotcom wrote in message ... Hi all, I have a lime, lemon and orange tree that have been in the ground for a year and evrytime they start to get a few new growing tips (and I get really excited) they seem to get tipped by something?! Hence, they are still very small and quite compact - my missus reckons they were mis-labelled at the nursery and are dwarf varieties! LOL The ground they are on is quite hard/clay type soil, so that doesn't help, although I did dig the hole over quite well and planted with plenty of good compost and mulch around the base. Any ideas on what is taking the tips off the trees and/or how I can stop it? Cheers, MC Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. It sure sounds like Harlequin bugs, they are hard to see when young as they are the same colour as the leaves and as they mature they change colour. You really have to look for them carefully. |
#9
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"jim" writes:
Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. This is exactly how I'd describe the bronze citrus bug. Are you sure that Harlequin bug is the correct name for the pest you are describing? Bronze citrus bugs/beetles start off as tiny and green, as they grow they turn orange, and in their mature winged state they are flat and about the size of a Christmas beetle, but matt black and quite menacing-looking. These can squirt acid when grabbed. A grub that likes citrus tips is a black and white one which looks like a bird turd on the leaf. I don't know what sort of butterfly it develops into, but in the grub stage it can devour a lot of leaf in one night. You will often find them under a leaf during the day, near a site of leaf damage. Pick off and squash. Aphids like the red/green tips of citrus, and can congregate there in such numbers as to totally cover the new foliage. The OP should look closely to see that these are not the source of the tip problem. -- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email) |
#10
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Thanks for the info John,
Actually, to my horror, I think I found some aphids this morning on the tips of the lemon tree. There was such a quantity of them (little black things that kinda looked like small ticks?!), that I decided it would be best to pull the whole tip off (bugs and all) and I then crushed the bugs and placed the tip and crushed bugs into the wheelie bin! Was this the right course of action? I hope so! Despite this find, I'm not convinced this is what has been taking ALL the tips, as I haven't seen the aphids on my trees AT ALL in the past! (And the trees are only small and I check them almost daily!) Oh well, any futher ideas? Cheers, Mick "John Savage" wrote in message om... "jim" writes: Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. This is exactly how I'd describe the bronze citrus bug. Are you sure that Harlequin bug is the correct name for the pest you are describing? Bronze citrus bugs/beetles start off as tiny and green, as they grow they turn orange, and in their mature winged state they are flat and about the size of a Christmas beetle, but matt black and quite menacing-looking. These can squirt acid when grabbed. A grub that likes citrus tips is a black and white one which looks like a bird turd on the leaf. I don't know what sort of butterfly it develops into, but in the grub stage it can devour a lot of leaf in one night. You will often find them under a leaf during the day, near a site of leaf damage. Pick off and squash. Aphids like the red/green tips of citrus, and can congregate there in such numbers as to totally cover the new foliage. The OP should look closely to see that these are not the source of the tip problem. -- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email) |
#11
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"MC" mcathomalidotcom writes:
Actually, to my horror, I think I found some aphids this morning on the tips of the lemon tree. There was such a quantity of them (little black things that kinda looked like small ticks?!), that I decided it would be best to pull the whole tip off (bugs and all) and I then crushed the bugs and placed the tip and crushed bugs into the wheelie bin! Was this the right course of action? I hope so! The right course of action is ALWAYS DO A GOOGLE SEARCH before chopping! :-) Everyone has their favourite aphid treatment. Mine is to spritz the tips of roses and citrus with a mixture of 2:1 water and methylated spirits. The aphids die instantly and the foliage is unharmed. If you wish, you can 5 mins after application hose the dead aphids off, but this is not necessary. The usual recommendation is to spray the aphids with soapy water but I have not tried that. Here's your chance to compare the two treatments. -- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email) |
#12
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John Savage wrote:
"jim" writes: Harlequin bugs are notorious for attacking citrus, they suck the sap out of new growth and it withers. Hard buggers to get rid of, you can either spray but need to thoroughly to get them as they hide under the leaves. I do it the tried and true way. Firstly you need goggles and rubber gloves and old clothes or overalls and a pair of tongs, (these bugs when you threaten them they squirt and acidic and very smelly liquid at you) have a bucket of water handy and when you catch them drop them in it and drown them, eventually you will get them all, do a little bit each day. This is exactly how I'd describe the bronze citrus bug. Are you sure that Harlequin bug is the correct name for the pest you are describing? Bronze citrus bugs/beetles start off as tiny and green, as they grow they turn orange, and in their mature winged state they are flat and about the size of a Christmas beetle, but matt black and quite menacing-looking. These can squirt acid when grabbed. The damage does sound like these (harlequin bugs are different- brightly coloured and the most common one attacks cotton and its relatives, not citrus). I am surprised you can't see any. Look closely for tiny entry/exit holes, as you could have a tip mining moth, though I don't know of one that attacks citrus. Other than that, I'm stuck A grub that likes citrus tips is a black and white one which looks like a bird turd on the leaf. I don't know what sort of butterfly it develops into, but in the grub stage it can devour a lot of leaf in one night. You will often find them under a leaf during the day, near a site of leaf damage. Pick off and squash. That one grows into the citrus swallowtail butterfly- very attractive beast, but a bit too voracious to leave on small trees. Aphids like the red/green tips of citrus, and can congregate there in such numbers as to totally cover the new foliage. The OP should look closely to see that these are not the source of the tip problem. Cheers Dave |
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