Lemon leaves fall: what to do

Lemon leaves fall or the tops dry due to factors unfavorable for the development of the plant. It is important to recognize the cause in time and correct care errors in order to avoid big problems. Yellowing and folding of the leaves are warned by timely preventive measures.

Why Lemon Sheds Leaves: A List of Possible Causes

Indoor lemons, up to 2 m high, were bred by breeders on the basis of subtropical plants, so growing conditions are not always suitable for representatives of the species. Often, trees react radically to the mistakes of flower growers: the leaves turn yellow, dry and fall off. Before starting a demanding culture at home, lovers should learn the rules for care and avoid the reasons why a lemon turns yellow and sheds leaves.

Violation of the rules of care

Indoor citrus fruits require increased and constant attention. Following the recommendations for caring for a lemon will ensure the normal development of the plant, which is noticeable by the condition of the leaves. If they dry and fall off, the following error options are possible:

• irrigation failures;
• insufficiently nutritious soil;
• a noticeable decrease in the level of illumination;
• unacceptable temperature conditions;
• disease or insect damage.

Is the right place

Lemon leaves turn yellow also if the container is placed in the wrong place. Often, citrus lovers take tub plants to the terrace or balcony for the summer. Returning indoors in autumn becomes stressful for the lemon, then the tree loses some of the leaves or they begin to dry. It is advisable to follow the recommendations for placement in the house:

• if the plant is small, the container is placed on the windowsill, removing heat from the batteries with special curtains, as well as cool air from the window;
• it is necessary to block possible drafts so that the leaves do not fall;
• an adult lemon is placed near the window, and the leaves will not dry if the heat from the battery is covered with a dense screen;
• it is ideal to place the tree in a cool, bright room without additional lighting, where the temperature is not higher than + 10-12 ° C;
• a good place would be a warmed balcony or a special extension like a winter garden in country houses.

Violation of the rules and watering schedule

With erroneous care, the lemon dries at home, more often the leaves fall off due to insufficient watering. Or, conversely, due to waterlogged soil in the tub. Excess moisture leads to compaction of the substrate and soil acidification processes, in which the smallest root shoots die off and cannot feed the entire crown. The tree enters a state of nutrient conservation. In summer, the tub plant is watered every day or less often – early in the morning, as well as in the late evening. Important! This mode of watering will not allow the water to evaporate, and moisture will go to all the leaves. To preserve moisture, use a mulch made of perlite, polystyrene, or shredded bark.

The leaves begin to fall off when the lemon has withered from lack of moisture. Even in favorable wintering conditions, at a temperature of + 10 ° C, the soil is rarely, but regularly moistened. Only an adult 7-8-year-old tree can withstand the lack of watering for up to 25 days without losing leaves due to the accumulation of moisture in the wood. The dried soil is moistened gradually: first, the top layer is saturated with water, then after a few hours in one or two stages for 2-3 days – the lower part of the soil. This avoids stress on the plant. In winter, they are watered with water at room temperature, preventing the earthen coma from drying out, usually twice a week.

From February, the water is heated to 35 ° C so that the plant wakes up. Simultaneously with warm watering, slowly, by 2-3 degrees, increase the temperature in the room.

Poor or poor quality soil

Loose soil with a neutral reaction is prepared in a lemon container, adding some sand to the ground for lightness. When buying ready-made mixtures for citrus fruits, pay attention to the amount of peat. For a lemon older than 6 years, take soil with 10% peat. But for a young plant, peat is not added, since the substance increases the acidity of the soil. The earth is enriched by adding:

• 1 tablespoon of wood ash;
• half a handful of crushed hardwood coal;
• 1 tablespoon of tea leaves or sleeping coffee grounds.

Violation of the microclimate

If the lemon is in the apartment, it suffers from the heat in the winter. The room microclimate is compared by the lack of humidity with the desert. Often, due to such conditions of increased dryness, the leaves fall off the lemon in winter. The tree can not be placed near the battery or you need to close the heat source with a dense screen. At temperatures above + 20 ° C, lemon leaves are regularly sprayed with water or wiped with a damp cloth. To increase humidity without special devices and protect the leaves, bowls of water are placed around the plant.

There are other risk factors for citrus fruits:

• lemon leaves also dry in a too cold room, at a temperature below + 10 ° C;
• leaves may fall from the tree if the tub is in the draft zone during ventilation;
• the reaction of a lemon to sudden changes in temperature day and night, within 8-9 degrees, will be dropping leaves.

Lack or excess of lighting

In the subtropics, there is much more sunlight in winter. Lemons do not shed their leaves en masse. Therefore, gray late autumn days are another stress factor. The lemon tree falls off in the house if it lacks lighting. It is better to place the plant near a window that faces south, and install fluorescent lamps nearby.

Violation of the rules and schedule of feeding

If lemon care is not followed at home, the leaves turn yellow if the amount of minerals in the soil has decreased. For normal development, citrus, like any other plant, needs a balanced content of macro- and microelements:

• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• nitrogen;
• magnesium;
• iron;
• manganese;
• cobalt and others.

Due to the lack of minerals, even adhering to the watering regimen, gardeners complain that suddenly the lemon dropped its leaves. Falling is preceded by visible changes on the leaves, which must be looked at:

• yellowish spots appear;
• the leaf acquires a paler color;
• the leaf blade becomes lethargic or curled;
• the edges of the leaves dry.

Lemon is fed from spring:

• in April-May they give nitrogen preparations or organic matter;
• in June, nitrogen fertilizing is repeated;
• a little later, phosphorus agents are added;
• in early August fertilize with potash;
• microelements in summer are applied monthly in mineral complexes;
• in autumn, complex fertilizers are used once every 60 days.

Diseases and pests

Lemon leaves may dry and fall off due to fungal diseases. With alternariosis, the veins turn brown and blacken, spots appear, then the leaves fall off. Due to another disease, brown glossy formations are noticeable. Late blight fungi infect the roots if they were in the ground taken for the tub. Diseases are controlled by treatment with fungicides containing copper. Sometimes traces of hardening gum are visible on the bark. The place is cleaned, treated with copper sulphate, sprayed with complex preparations.

Lemon is damaged by insects:

• aphid;
• shield;
• citrus Asian psyllid;
• as well as spider mites.

There are special sprays against insect pests, sometimes they succeed by spraying the leaves with a solution of laundry soap. Tick ​​infestation is recognized by the presence of a barely noticeable cobweb near the leaf cuttings. Microscopic pests on lemons are disposed of with the help of Fitoverm. And then replace the top soil.

What to do if a lemon sheds leaves

Noticing that leaves are falling from a homemade lemon, and the rest are drying, they resuscitate the tree. After determining the cause, correct the errors:

• when the air is dry, humidifiers are installed, the leaves are sprayed or wiped once in 6-8 days, and a bag is pulled over a small tree like a mini-greenhouse;
• they do not quickly transfer lemon from a cold room to a warm one – they give time to get used to it in a room where the temperature gradually rises;
• fill the soil in a tub until acidified, transplant it into a container of the same size, checking the roots for rot;
• a diseased lemon, whose leaves dry and fall, is resuscitated with the Epin preparation according to the instructions.

Preventive measures

A homemade lemon will not dry and fall leaves if:

• provide temperature + 10-14 °C;
• in a warm room, air humidity and additional illumination with special devices are observed;
• water no more than 1-2 times a week;
• anthracnose is treated with Fitosporin;
• with chlorosis, Ferovit is used;
• they feed only in a healthy state – they begin to support the preparations “Zircon”, HB 101, “Epin”;
• transplantation is carried out in February-March;
• on the street, they are treated with fungicides 2 times in the spring.

Conclusion

Lemon leaves fall when stressed. Only by providing the tree with the required conditions, they rejoice at its good development. Preventive inspections and treatments of citrus fruits, a comfortable temperature, sufficient light and competent watering will bring the expected results.