Hello,

I just moved into a new flat in Canberra, Australia. There's a lemon
tree in the garden, which is nice, but it's not in the best of health.
Alot of the leafs look chlorotic. Some have brown patches and holes.
Some of the fruit has whiteish stuff on it. I've seen a couple of
white fly type things as well. I sprayed with a pymethrin/oil mixture
to get rid of any insects. I was just wondering whether there maybe a
fungal or bacterial problem as well that may need attention. Here's a
link to some typical leafs and fruit from the tree. Any help would be
appreciated.

Cheers

http://picasaweb.google.com/horner.n...68562734840274

wrote in message

I just moved into a new flat in Canberra, Australia. There's a lemon
tree in the garden, which is nice, but it's not in the best of health.
Alot of the leafs look chlorotic.


Have a look at the rest of them in the region and you'll find they all look
ghastly at this time of year. Give it a good feed - Dynamic Lifter will do
but water it well before giving the feed, wait a day, feed it and then water
it again and mulch it (but not up to the stem - an old plastic pot with the
bottom cut out and slit down the side works well to keep mulch off stems).
Keep it well watered through summer (and fed). In a few weeks you'll see a
world of difference.

Some have brown patches and holes.
Some of the fruit has whiteish stuff on it. I've seen a couple of
white fly type things as well. I sprayed with a pymethrin/oil mixture
to get rid of any insects. I was just wondering whether there maybe a
fungal or bacterial problem as well that may need attention. Here's a
link to some typical leafs and fruit from the tree. Any help would be
appreciated.

May or may not solve it - keep an eye on it or otherwise back to Rodneys you
go. Put a thick band of Vaseline round the trunk and keep it on if you have
any ants around.

wrote in message
...
Hello,

I just moved into a new flat in Canberra, Australia. There's a lemon
tree in the garden, which is nice, but it's not in the best of health.
Alot of the leafs look chlorotic. Some have brown patches and holes.
Some of the fruit has whiteish stuff on it. I've seen a couple of
white fly type things as well. I sprayed with a pymethrin/oil mixture
to get rid of any insects. I was just wondering whether there maybe a
fungal or bacterial problem as well that may need attention. Here's a
link to some typical leafs and fruit from the tree. Any help would be
appreciated.

Cheers


Ah Canberra! How I yearn! Cold in winter, hot in summer, sterile all year
round.

Citrus are pretty marginal in the Canberra winter. Little ones can be
killed by frost and even mature trees can be knocked back severely unless
sheltered. Fungus problems are not common due to the low humidity. My
guess is that this one is weak from general neglect and suffering all sorts
of damage. Citrus are not really 'plant and forget' type trees.

It now being after the last frost (isn't it?) I would feed it with "citrus
food" or bird manure (dynamic lifter is good) and some trace element mix,
and remove the worst damaged parts. Deep water as required and mulch well
before summer. If the top is burnt consider how to shelter it in time for
next winter.

David

Note: If the resident tree pedant idiot wants to tell us that there is no
such thing as "citrus food" because trees don't eat he can find the nearest
spiky lemon rootstock shoot and graft it where the sun don't shine. "Citrus
food" is what you will find on the pack.

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
wrote in message

I just moved into a new flat in Canberra, Australia. There's a lemon
tree in the garden, which is nice, but it's not in the best of health.
Alot of the leafs look chlorotic. Some have brown patches and holes.
Some of the fruit has whiteish stuff on it. I've seen a couple of
white fly type things as well. I sprayed with a pymethrin/oil mixture
to get rid of any insects. I was just wondering whether there maybe a
fungal or bacterial problem as well that may need attention. Here's a
link to some typical leafs and fruit from the tree. Any help would be
appreciated.

Cheers


Ah Canberra! How I yearn! Cold in winter, hot in summer, sterile all year
round.

:-)) Obviously you've never lived there. It's a great place, but don't
tell anyone.

Citrus are pretty marginal in the Canberra winter. Little ones can be
killed by frost and even mature trees can be knocked back severely unless
sheltered. Fungus problems are not common due to the low humidity. My
guess is that this one is weak from general neglect and suffering all
sorts of damage. Citrus are not really 'plant and forget' type trees.

It now being after the last frost (isn't it?)

Snort! It's never safe to assume there will be no more frosts on the
Southern Tableslands till after you know who won the Melbourne Cup. Another
month to go yet to be sure, to be sure.

"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
...
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
wrote in message

I just moved into a new flat in Canberra, Australia. There's a lemon
tree in the garden, which is nice, but it's not in the best of health.
Alot of the leafs look chlorotic. Some have brown patches and holes.
Some of the fruit has whiteish stuff on it. I've seen a couple of
white fly type things as well. I sprayed with a pymethrin/oil mixture
to get rid of any insects. I was just wondering whether there maybe a
fungal or bacterial problem as well that may need attention. Here's a
link to some typical leafs and fruit from the tree. Any help would be
appreciated.

Cheers


Ah Canberra! How I yearn! Cold in winter, hot in summer, sterile all
year round.

:-)) Obviously you've never lived there. It's a great place, but don't
tell anyone.


1981-4 Kambah

It had all manner of good things including: a stroll down the walkway was a
suberb adventure playground along with multiple playing fields, picnic areas
etc etc all courtesy of the taxpayer. But no soul.

Citrus are pretty marginal in the Canberra winter. Little ones can be
killed by frost and even mature trees can be knocked back severely unless
sheltered. Fungus problems are not common due to the low humidity. My
guess is that this one is weak from general neglect and suffering all
sorts of damage. Citrus are not really 'plant and forget' type trees.

It now being after the last frost (isn't it?)

Snort! It's never safe to assume there will be no more frosts on the
Southern Tableslands till after you know who won the Melbourne Cup.
Another month to go yet to be sure, to be sure.


But you could renovate now and have a good chance that new growth would not
be hit, couldn't you?

David

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
wrote in message

I just moved into a new flat in Canberra, Australia. There's a lemon
tree in the garden, which is nice, but it's not in the best of health.
Alot of the leafs look chlorotic. Some have brown patches and holes.
Some of the fruit has whiteish stuff on it. I've seen a couple of
white fly type things as well. I sprayed with a pymethrin/oil mixture
to get rid of any insects. I was just wondering whether there maybe a
fungal or bacterial problem as well that may need attention. Here's a
link to some typical leafs and fruit from the tree. Any help would be
appreciated.

Cheers


Ah Canberra! How I yearn! Cold in winter, hot in summer, sterile all
year round.

:-)) Obviously you've never lived there. It's a great place, but don't
tell anyone.


1981-4 Kambah

It had all manner of good things including: a stroll down the walkway was
a suberb adventure playground along with multiple playing fields, picnic
areas etc etc all courtesy of the taxpayer. But no soul.

:-)) You should have tried one of the older suburbs. We lived in Holt for
about 7 years then moved to Watson and there was a world of difference
between the two. Nappy valley vs a mixed and diverse age group of
residents. Since Kambah and Holt would have been of a nearly similar age, I
can imagine why you didn't enjoy Kambah. After a few years in Watson, we
then moved out to a small rural village and it was similar to living in
Watson. We've moved on since then.

Citrus are pretty marginal in the Canberra winter. Little ones can be
killed by frost and even mature trees can be knocked back severely
unless sheltered. Fungus problems are not common due to the low
humidity. My guess is that this one is weak from general neglect and
suffering all sorts of damage. Citrus are not really 'plant and forget'
type trees.

It now being after the last frost (isn't it?)

Snort! It's never safe to assume there will be no more frosts on the
Southern Tableslands till after you know who won the Melbourne Cup.
Another month to go yet to be sure, to be sure.

But you could renovate now and have a good chance that new growth would
not be hit, couldn't you?

You could certainly renovate the lemon tree. Now is an ideal time to do it.

And just to prove my point, we had a filthy frost this morning. All the
spuds that had escaped harvesting had started to poke through the ground and
while they looked great yesterday, they are all blackened today. I had an
elderly chap and his daughter visit my garden today - he had moved here
recently from out west. he was complaining about the frost and how it'd
done for his recently planted tomatoes.

David