Something is wrong with this citrus (forum)

David C. starts with ...
Hello, first post here.

I have a small backgarden in Wooloowin, North Brisbane, Australia. When I moved here I transferred some seedlings that I raised from pips and seeds from the supermarket fruit and veg shop. Now only one has survived and I have attached several pictures of it. I believe it is a citrus possibly a lemonade variety and the leaves are all shrivelled. It is a great screening tree at the very least so I would like to take care of it.

What suggestions do you have to make it healthy?
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 14th April 2013 1:09pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Dave C1
Wooloowin
#UserID: 7914
Posts: 3
View All Dave C1's Edible Fruit Trees

Julie says...
You seem to have a bad case of leaf miner David. Try pest oil or white oil - the directions should be on the bottle.



Time: 14th April 2013 4:42pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
#UserID: 154
Posts: 1842
View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees

Phil@Tyalgum says...
Citrus leaf miner is common at this time of year. Buy (or make) some white oil and spray over the entire leaf surface.A couple of applications a few weeks apart should help - keep it up on any new growth as the old leaves won't recover.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 14th April 2013 4:44pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 14th April 2013 8:24pm

About the Author TyalgumPhil
Murwillumbah
#UserID: 960
Posts: 1383
View All TyalgumPhil's Edible Fruit Trees

Dave C. says...
Great thanks for the replies, I have some white oil and will carry out a treatment.

Time: 14th April 2013 7:22pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Dave C1
Wooloowin
#UserID: 7914
Posts: 3
View All Dave C1's Edible Fruit Trees

Dave C. says...
Hello again

I read up a little about these pests (leaf miners), and I found out that you have to trim off the shrivelled up leaves as these will not repair and often still house the leaf miners. Apparently it is hard to kill the leaf miners that are already there so removing the shrivelled up leaves is a good idea. I also found a leaf miner on the tree and three caterpillars (see attached pictures). I treated the tree with this natural spray that I had lying around and as you can see it had quite alot of foilage removed.

By the way is there anything else I can do this time of year to help it through the winter?

Gardener Dave
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3
Picture: 4

Time: 15th April 2013 8:18pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Dave C1
Wooloowin
#UserID: 7914
Posts: 3
View All Dave C1's Edible Fruit Trees

Pauline says...
Confidor guard works very well. That will kill them off, then trim the affected bits off.

Time: 15th April 2013 10:08pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Pauline
Adelaide
#UserID: 1532
Posts: 293
View All Pauline's Edible Fruit Trees

gardenererer says...
That seems like overkill. Confidor is a neo- nicotinoid that is highly toxic to bees and remains active for years. Would not oil spray be sufficient plus/minus malathion.?

Time: 16th April 2013 9:34am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author gardenererer
mt viv
#UserID: 7920
Posts: 14
View All gardenererer's Edible Fruit Trees

John Mc says...
My sentiments exactly, gardenerer. Confidor is also systemic that ends up in pollen and nectar which, in turn is fed to the young bee brood which, amongst a host of other similar products using that same active ingredient, is linked to CCD (colony collapse disorder)

Time: 16th April 2013 12:54pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author JohnMc1
 
#UserID: 2743
Posts: 2043
View All JohnMc1's Edible Fruit Trees

Chris says...
Confidor is not registered for citrus. In fact, if you have fruit and you have used it you are advised not to eat any of the fruit.
On young trees, probably best to leave the leaves on the tree that have been affected. Though they will probably drop off at a later stage, the tree needs all the leaves in order to keep it growing and to photosynthesise.
Removing the leaves will not prevent the pest returning next season. Not sure where you are exactly but here in Sydney, too late to start spraying as the pest has come and gone for the season. Up further north, Pest Oil/Eco Oil regularly on new flush or make your own very simply (see Gardening Australia website).

Time: 16th April 2013 3:30pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 16th April 2013 3:30pm

About the Author Chris
Sydney
#UserID: 2281
Posts: 263
View All Chris 's Edible Fruit Trees

Pauline says...
Well they certainly list it for use in citrus for citrus leaf minor. Not sure why if it isn't registered for use on citrus.
http://www.bayercropscience.com.au/resources/uploads/label/file7605.pdf

Time: 16th April 2013 9:27pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Pauline
Adelaide
#UserID: 1532
Posts: 293
View All Pauline's Edible Fruit Trees

Julie says...
But if pest oil is so effective (and it is, in my experience), why use a nasty chemical?

Time: 17th April 2013 7:52pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
#UserID: 154
Posts: 1842
View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees

Brain says...
i'm gonig to add my 2 cents, the consideration should be, to use the least amount of toxic/poison first. Pest oil, especially the home made version with veggie oil and a bit of detergine is probably a better alternative and relatively 'safe' to the overall environment.

I too have a bottle of confidor and will only use it as a last resort. I certainly wouldn't want my kids to eat citrus fruits laced with confidor or any form of poison for sure, even if its labeled safe for humans etc.

Time: 18th April 2013 9:31am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Brain
Brisbane
#UserID: 6289
Posts: 638
View All Brain's Edible Fruit Trees

Greg says...
If you note from the Bayer link, it has a 20 week withholding period for Commercial growers only.

Time: 25th April 2013 9:34am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Greg
Biosecurity Australia
#UserID: 7573
Posts: 3
View All Greg 's Edible Fruit Trees

Slicko says...
The leaf miner that I have in all my citrus just laughs at white oil or pest oil even when the leaflets first emerge. I apply the oil as soon as leaflets appear and if I leave applying it again for a few days... too late! They have done the deed.

Time: 10th January 2015 8:02pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Slicko
CARINDALE,4152,QLD
#UserID: 1775
Posts: 227
View All Slicko's Edible Fruit Trees

Boris Spasky says...
Use spinosad on new growth if it's a problem on small trees.

Time: 11th January 2015 12:06pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Boris Spasky

#UserID: 7085
Posts: 184
View All Boris Spasky's Edible Fruit Trees

srt says...
Factoring in the cost of Spinosad you may be better off just buying your citrus . Why not just prune off affected branches?

Time: 12th January 2015 5:31pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author srt
giraween
#UserID: 10109
Posts: 83
View All srt's Edible Fruit Trees

Queen Street Farm says...
I spray weekly with pest oil or equivalent from August through to the first frost to control variousncitrus pests, it works but dont miss a week.
Leaf miner doesnt really harm the plant, just looks ugly.


Time: 5th October 2017 8:22pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Queen Street Farm
Marburg
#UserID: 17004
Posts: 1
View All Queen Street Farm's Edible Fruit Trees

Markmelb says...
pest oil and such are now considered to clog the pores on leaves and slowly suffocate the plant - if it recovers try using Eco oil at correct dilution or bit thinner. need to do more often than on bottle but wont suffocate.

Time: 6th October 2017 9:01pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(1) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
People who Like this Answer: ivepeters

About the Author Markmelb
MOUNT WAVERLEY,3149,VIC
#UserID: 7785
Posts: 1192
View All Markmelb's Edible Fruit Trees