Curly Mandarin leaves (forum)

amanda starts with ...
Hi All...I was wondering if anyone knows what causes this? These are two separate mandarin trees in my orchard...thanks in advance for any help :)
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Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 14th September 2009 7:54pm

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About the Author amanda19
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Harpo says...
Hai Amanda,
Yes I have seen this problem before. You must have Camels nearby. See they like to lick the moisture from the leaf and because they have a sticky tongue they stretch the upperside of the leaf and cause it curl. I had this problem on my property before I culled them with my lazor.

Time: 14th September 2009 10:52pm

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Jason says...
I would agree, Camels......Amanda can you take pictures of them in action licking the leaves. Its probably happening now under the cover of darkness.

Time: 14th September 2009 10:59pm

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amanda says...
Crikey - and I thought they were just cow-pats in the orchard!

Time: 15th September 2009 9:01am

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itdepends says...
Some of the leaves in picture 2 (those that are folded longways) look like they may have been affected by citrus leaf miner- any squiggly silver tracks underneath the leaves?

Don't know about the other ones- we don't get camels down here............



Time: 16th September 2009 10:50pm

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amanda says...
He he...we don't get them either (camels that is..) I did some googling and found only one reference to this which said Aphids..interestingly the tree does have aphids (but none on those leaves)...I guess I had better get my act together n spray!?
Haven't got leaf miner this year (yet...)


Time: 17th September 2009 9:26am

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Julie says...
My mandarin doesn't have aphids, but the leaves have been curling back like this for a couple of years. I'd really like to know why.

It hasn't affected the fruit though - had a normal crop.

Time: 17th September 2009 3:01pm

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amanda says...
Maybe it's just a mandarin "thing"? None of my many other citrus have it? It only just started on mine very recently - they are 2.5yrs. I reckon it's really weird! There is some info on a virus infection that can distort leaves like this - but if it aint broke why fix it?! :)))

Time: 17th September 2009 8:47pm

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Speedy says...
Some species of thrips can also cause lvs. to curl,
thereby giving the little critters protection.
Some Ficus spp. are commonly affected , but I dont know about Citrus spp. and thrips.
There are thousands of species thrips so who knows?
If not thrips, you could try seaweed soln. spray on leaves to deter any nocturnal camel activities.
They (nocturnal camels) also dont like the smell of chook poo,
so you could try spreading some of that around the base of the tree.
:-?



Time: 18th September 2009 9:52am

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amanda says...
Thanks Speedy...can't see any thrips either but they are tricky little things. I can use my homemade brew do u think? It's coming along nicely - has a really strong seaweed smell! I thought it would really stink and smell rotten - but not at all - I am pleased about that as we do get a revolting bush fly invasion in summer and didn't want to encourage them with rotten smells :-/

Time: 19th September 2009 10:27am

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HappyEarth says...
Hey Amanda, Is it affecting new growth or the older leaves as well? It looks to me like damage caused by some sap-sucking insect.

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Time: 19th September 2009 2:19pm

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About the Author HappyEarth
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JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Amanda,

You could send a sample to dept of agriculture, at the bottom of this document

http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/pw/gard/fruitdis.pdf

good luck.

Time: 19th September 2009 2:43pm

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amanda says...
Thanks for your help guys! I had a very close inspection this morning and noted a few different types of bugs - and that bean fly has made it's yearly appearance now too.. :( There was also a little round brown bug I haven't seen b4...god knows what that is...

I have treated with a good squirt of water and sprayed with my homemade seaweed brew - so I will be sure to post if I get normal leaves.
There was red spider mite on my capulin cherry tree too.

It's interesting what u find when u take the time to look closely!? ;) It's the worst time of the year for bugs..here at least..I wait with bated breath for my ladybirds to have their population explosion!

Time: 20th September 2009 5:00pm

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HappyEarth says...
You do it tough out it Geraldton Amanda - with the poor soils and low rainfall, and now all these bugs, i probably would have given up long ago. A credit to you!!!


Time: 20th September 2009 6:42pm

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About the Author HappyEarth
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Dekka says...
Hi Amanda,
Do you remember what fertilising regime you used? The reason I am asking is that sometimes leaves will curl instead of burning from too much fertiliser. Is growth normal otherwise?

Time: 20th September 2009 8:51pm

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About the Author Dekka
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amanda says...
Hiya Dekka - good point... I have fed the trees thru the fertigation system probly about a month ago and more recently. I have to be honest and say that I fertilise like I cook ...no recipe and a bit of this and then a bit of that..! (within reason tho' - I don't give them anything that I don't think they need)
I also find it really difficult to know how much to put thru the liquid system - I can't find any recipes on the net. I thought I was conservative - but maybe not.
Could this be why some of my trees are dropping perfectly healthy leaves all of a sudden do u think? Can too much nitrogen do this perhaps?

Thanks HappyEarth - it's probly the price I pay for not having fruit fly, at least! :)))

Time: 21st September 2009 10:38am

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About the Author amanda19
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Fishy says...
Hi amanda, did you get a fix for your curly mandarin leaves? ive got the same on a dwarf lemon tree

Time: 30th June 2010 9:25pm

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amanda says...
Hi Fishy - yes - they are perfectly normal now...I had a problem with a boron deficiency (mainly) I have since fed the whole orchard (thru my fertigation/retic system)liquid "Hi Trace" element feeds every couple of months.
I have also given them gypsum and calcium nitrate (as they were pretty hungry too) and changed my watering pattern so that the topsoil gets wet more regularly.
Try some trace elements first and see if it helps? Would really like to hear back from u sometime, if it does please? It was impossible to find info on this on the Net, books etc. If it wasn't for my plum trees showing classic a boron deficieny I don't know if I would have ever thought of it.
It would be great to confirm a diagnosis with others trees.

Time: 1st July 2010 9:36am

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AM says...
Hi Amanda,

I live in Centreal West NSW and my potted Mandarin has these curling leaves also. I have been trying to find out what causes it also. I certainly dont have any camels here. So might do what someone else recommenced and send a sample to the Dept of Ag.

Time: 11th October 2010 10:21am

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Brad says...
AM - look at Amanda's response to Fishy directly above yours. I suspect I've got the same issue, but the green looks really healthy so its not a priority right now

Time: 11th October 2010 12:19pm

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amanda says...
Hi AM/Brad - I googled this topic to death once and never did find out what causes it. Barely found any reference to it all actually. I still get the odd one's but the trees are really healthy - the orange trees on either side of the mandarins don't get it at all.

It was worse on my Imperial than my Emporer - what type have u guys got?

Time: 11th October 2010 12:33pm

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grub says...
hi amanda i just read this thread and was going to mention it only happens on my imperial mandarins and i have it now, my leaves are green and healthy so i put it down to the cold weather we had this year ...an old citrus grower told me that if they get a lot of wind it will cause the leaves to curl

Time: 11th October 2010 10:00pm

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VLR says...
I think what grub says is true. The older leaves on my Eureka lemon were curled during the winter but they seem to be straightening out now. I have a bunch of other citrus trees growing but the lemon's in the most exposed area (gets the full southerly winds).

Time: 11th October 2010 11:08pm

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amanda says...
Thanks guys. that would explain lots - pretty windy in Gero as u know!

Time: 12th October 2010 10:11am

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Pauline says...
Yes, cold can make citrus leaves curl. For some reason it seems to affect some plants more than others. My lemonade tree has had it, but the new leaves coming through now it is warming up are fine, but my limes were perfect all winter.
I am an obsessive bug checker and the only thing I have found on my curled leaves all winter is the odd spider living in the curled leaf (resulting in the odd squeal from me lol).

Time: 12th October 2010 7:04pm

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About the Author Pauline
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Gabby says...
Curly Leaf -Daisy Mandarin- 20 fruits on tree size of golf balls but now showing some marks but mainly still dark green like blemishes ?? also curly leaves --no camels within miles planted in tub ,watered plenty ,sun plenty ,first year for fruit What do I need to fix Thanks Gabby
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Picture: 1

Time: 31st January 2012 10:34pm

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amanda says...
This is intense sun/UV stress Gabby...(unless the camels are hiding out somewhere? hehe) My lemon has it for the very first time this year also - in this heatwave.

Just up the water a bit - I am watering fairly well in this heat - but semi-lighty morning and evening - to keep the humidity up arouns the trees? It is not a deficiency - in my humble opinion. It is possible (I suspect) that the heating may be interefering with some nutrient uptake (maybe calcium or such)..there is not really much u can do about that.

There are sun-block products for trees. Can't say I have tried them - it just doesn't seem that necessary. The branches and trunk are more important tho...if they get sunburnt then much damage can follow.

Come the cooler weather the leaf curl should stop...

Time: 31st January 2012 10:53pm

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