Contents
Any lemon disease is a potential threat to the life of the plant. Without timely treatment, there is a high risk of death of an ornamental tree or a deterioration in its general condition, a decrease in fruiting.
Indoor lemon diseases: causes and treatment
When growing homemade lemon, owners are faced with diseases and pests. Bacterial and viral infections, parasitic insects interfere with normal growth and fruiting.
Viral
The main reasons that provoke the development of diseases are a violation of the rules for caring for a plant. Due to improper planting, watering or pruning, the lemon’s immunity is reduced, which allows viruses to quickly destroy the tree.
Cancer of citrus
Infection occurs through the mouth of the leaves when the lemon is damaged. As the cancer progresses, dark brown spots with a yellow rim appear on the leaf blades. Citrus cancer gradually spreads to the fruits of the plant.
A diseased lemon at home sheds foliage and stops growing. Photo of citrus cancer:
The shoots gradually die off, the affected fruits stop ripening and fall off.
Tristeza
Translated from Latin, the disease stands for “sad virus.” Young trees are especially prone to tristeza.
The initial symptom of the disease is a deterioration in growth and chopping of fruits. Whitened veins on leaf blades help determine the presence of tristeza. They gradually turn yellow and dry out. In a diseased lemon, leaves fall off, convex furrows appear on the bark, and the plant dies.
There are no varieties of lemons that are resistant to tristeza. The virus is able to remain dormant for a long time and not manifest itself outwardly. This increases the risk of infecting other plantings when using lemon cuttings for grafting.
Effective methods of treatment for tristesis have not been developed, it is recommended to destroy the tree.
Leaf mosaic
Affected leaf plates change their shade: dark and light spots appear on them, similar in appearance to a mosaic. As the disease progresses, they turn pale, lose their shape, young shoots develop with defects, the tree grows more slowly. To distinguish the mosaic from other lemon leaf diseases, just look at the photo. It is ineffective to treat a viral disease: the plant quickly dies. Lemon is moved to quarantine, regular feeding is carried out. A completely affected tree should be destroyed.
fungal and infectious
Fungal spores and harmful bacteria that penetrate the plant weaken its immunity, which provokes its quick death. Their timely identification and destruction allows you to save the lemon.
A favorable environment for fungi and bacteria is a small amount of light and high soil moisture, improper feeding.
Antraknoz
The fungus infects the aerial parts of the plant: small leaf plates turn black, on the finally formed parts of the shoot, pale green spots appear, gradually changing color to light brown.
Lemon disease affects not only the leaves, but also the fruits. From the photo it is possible to evaluate the appearance of a plant with anthracnose.
When a fungus appears during the flowering period, the buds wither and fall off. From the surviving ovaries, fruits are formed with defects and small sizes.
Cracks form at the site of the lesion of the trunk, the color changes to black, and gum disease is possible on young branches.
Therapeutic measures for lemon anthracnose: damaged parts of the tree are removed, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil, watering is controlled. To destroy the fungus, use the drug Previkur or Bordeaux liquid (1% solution).
Malsecco
For a fungal infection, the appearance of yellow veins on the leaves is characteristic in the initial stages. Then the non-lignified shoots wither, the plant gradually dries out. Pycnidia of the fungus appear on the diseased lemon stem, almost invisible to the human eye.
The main symptom confirming the development of malsecco is a change in the color of the core of the shoots to red.
In the early stages of the disease, it is impossible to identify malsecco, therefore, when caring for a lemon, it is recommended to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology. A completely damaged tree cannot be saved.
Root rot
A certain type of fungus destroys a lemon – it is late blight that lives in the soil. When creating favorable conditions for them (high humidity), they affect the root system. The process of absorption of moisture and nutrients is disturbed, which is reflected in the appearance of the lemon.
Characteristic signs: the leaves turn yellow and die, the fruits are small, the bark near the trunk is damaged, gradually exfoliates, gum oozes over its surface. When extracting the roots, a change in their color, the presence of an exfoliated surface, and wateriness are noted.
To treat a lemon from root rot, it is recommended to transplant the plant, before that, cut the affected roots, treat with fungicidal agents, and ensure soil drainage.
destroyed
Young shoots, unripe fruits and leaves are susceptible to wart (scab). The branches are covered with growths, spots appear on the fruits, first orange, and then brown.
To destroy the fungus carried by insects and wind, use the drug Strobilin. Before treatment with the agent, the affected parts of the tree are cut and burned. It is recommended to irrigate the cut site with a 1% solution of vitriol.
For prevention, the primary treatment with the agent is carried out in March, then in June and July. If possible, the plant is transplanted.
Gommoz
The main symptom of lemon disease is gum disease. Brown spots appear on the trunk, in place of which the bark gradually dies off, and yellow gum is released from the cracks formed.
The cause of gommosis is a deficiency in the soil of potassium and phosphorus, an excess of nitrogen. Provoking factors are shallow drainage and improper planting.
For the treatment of gum disease, the damaged bark of a lemon is cleaned with a sharp knife, then the wound is treated with copper sulphate (3% solution). A garden pitch is applied over it.
Sooty fungus
This type of mold is characterized by the appearance as a result of the activity of aphids and scale insects. Pests distribute a pad on leaf plates, on which fungal spores that are previously in the ground multiply.
The fungus is characterized by the appearance on the leaves of a black coating resembling soot. Due to the activity of bacteria, other diseases often join the soot fungus.
To get rid of soot fungus, you need to get rid of scale insects and aphids. After disinfection, the aerial part of the lemon is washed with Neem oil.
Indoor lemon pests and their control
It is impossible to prevent the attack of harmful insects. They are prone to rapid reproduction and the desire to destroy the plant. To prevent their rapid spread through plantings, regular inspection of trees is important.
root aphid
A small insect, whose place of residence is the root system, damages the plant, which, due to the activity of the pest, is not able to fully receive nutrients.
When a root aphid appears, signs of the death of a lemon appear: the fruits and ovaries fall off or do not develop, the leaf plates curl.
To get rid of aphids, it is important to regularly destroy weeds that favorably affect the reproduction of the pest.
Damaged plants are recommended to be destroyed, or if the disease is detected early, treat the lemon with insecticides Akarin, Fufanon or Guapsin. As a result of spraying, aphids are paralyzed, and they die.
Aphid ordinary
Among the diseases and pests of homemade lemon, aphids are the most common occurrence. The result of her life is the destruction of leaf plates. The insect damages their lower part, gradually moving upward, sucking out the juices. Castings dry out and fall off.
To get rid of aphids, the affected shoots are cut off, after which complex fertilizer is applied to the soil. With a massive pest attack, the lemon is irrigated with an insecticide or garlic infusion. To prepare the last 4 heads of garlic, pour 5 liters of water and insist for a day. The plant is sprayed with the prepared solution.
Shield
The pest appears on a lemon that is grown at home, penetrating from the street. It is brought along with flowers or fruits, contaminated soil.
Scale insects are very small and move quickly, so they are hard to see. With a massive accumulation of the parasite on the leaves, you can see tubercles of a brown hue. As a result of the vital activity of the scale insects, yellowish spots remain on the leaves.
Among the mechanical ways to get rid of the indoor lemon pest, it is recommended to clean the tree from insects with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol. Aktara or Aktellik preparations are used as chemical treatment.
spider mite
This insect is an almost imperceptible representative among the diseases and pests of indoor lemon. The size of the tick does not exceed 2 mm, it is possible to see it through a magnifying glass.
The pest feeds on the sap of the plant, living on the underside of the leaves. As his activity, the shoots dry out. Yellow spots and cobwebs can be found on the sheet.
Common chemicals for dealing with spider mites:
- Demitan;
- Fitoferm;
- Actellic.
Among folk methods, it is recommended to use a soapy solution, which is used to wipe each leaf of lemon, then the pot and all nearby surfaces.
How to treat lemon from pests
Carrying out preventive measures against insects is one way to protect a lemon.
It is recommended to wash the tree once a month under the shower using a soapy solution. Before the procedure, the soil in the pot is covered so as not to damage the root system.
Contributes to the prevention and disposal of pests indoor lemon mustard solution. The powder is poured into 1000 ml of water and infused for 72 hours, after which the wood is treated. Before the procedure, the product is diluted with 3 liters of water.
Effective against pests and infusion of tobacco with soap. To prepare it, 50 g of tobacco is poured into 1000 ml of boiling water and infused for 24 hours, then boiled for half an hour, cooled. Add 1 liter of water and 1 tablespoon of soap chips to the solution. The resulting product can be used for spraying or washing.
A set of preventive measures
The main way to prevent pests and diseases from appearing on a lemon is to follow the rules of agricultural technology. The tree must be planted in well-drained soil, it must be provided with sufficient light and moisture.
It is regularly required to inspect the lemon: all damaged shoots are removed, wounds or cuts are treated with garden pitch.
Conclusion
Any lemon diseases can lead to the death of the plant, so the timely care of the tree and the implementation of preventive measures play a decisive role. Most insecticides and antiseptics have a wide range of applications, so they are used for the same diseases. The success of the treatment depends on the degree of damage to the lemon and the resistance of the plant to the disease.
