This is a sanbokan lemon that has been potted up for about 6 months in a mix of 1/4 pine chips, 1/4 turface, 1/4 coarse sand and 1/4 commercial potting mix. Most of the newer leaves still look pretty good, but all of the older ones look similar to the pics. It has been fertilized about once a month with Sunnyland citrus fertilizer. Any ideas?

Looks like iron deficiency to me, but I'd wait to hear from the more experienced members here.

Your leaves look much like the leaves in the link below. The leave in the link are infected with Citrus Greening disease. I am not saying your tree does, or does not, have the greening disease. However, your leaves and the link's leaves sure look similar. Greening is becoming rampant in Florida. - Millet

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/diagnostics/greening/mottle.htm

Now you have got me scared. I have a pretty good collection of citrus and that would really suck. I have other trees in my yard that seem fine. Is it likely that if it was greening they would all have it? It seems to be isolated to the two trees I have in pots and not my inground trees. That is why I assumed it was some type of deficiency.

If it does turn out to be greening is there even a point to getting rid of the tree? It would be nice to get a few fruit from the tree before it really goes downhill. It is not spread from tree to tree right? I know the tree gets infected by the citrus psyllids so is there any harm to my other trees in letting the tree hang on as long as it can?

> Looks like iron deficiency to me
Definitely not.

That is "Not" Greening
Check your water levels and hows your temps been there? Your container growing, we see this all the time in our nursery, containers dont disperse water levels the same way as if your field growing You might also want to check your trace elements because they are lacking.

The citrus psyllids do not just eat from one tree. I would have your trees tested. I would also have your in ground trees tested.

That does resemble greening but I don't think it is. I suspect Turtleman is correct. I see the same problem here in container plants too, especially in cool weather. I am not too sure about using Sunnyland fertilizer in a pot either, I prefer a slow release or a soluable liquid feed such as Osmocote or Miracle Grow. (Anyone else having success with Sunnyland in a container?) Millet grows a lot of citrus in pots, and has some fertilizer excellent suggestions elsewhere on this forum.

I would suggest there may be a problem with your potting mix. I can't tell for sure from this vantage point, but it sounds to me like it may lack adaquate pore space.

Last, If you have any idea that you may have greening, you need to contact your ag people (County Extension Agent?) right away.

Ned

I have approximately 100 containerized citrus trees of every variety, which I have grown for 15+ years. I have never seen any leaves on any of my citrus that look like Jsvand5's. However, all of my trees are inside a warm greenhouse during the winter months, and not setting out in the cold as Ned points out in his post. I know that certain elements, such as nitrogen, are taken up less during cold periods, then the uptake resumes as the weather warms. However Jsvand5 leaves do not show a typical nitrogen deficient pattern. I certainly hope turtleman's suggestion is correct. If, as turtleman writes, Jsand5's leaf mottling is cause from some sort of a deficiency, it must be from a combination of deficiencies and weather, the leaf pattern does not fit any of common symptoms for a particular element. Anyway, if turtleman's diagnoses is correct, it would be a much more kindly situation for the tree.- Millet

Thanks for all the info guys. I planted this tree inground and removed all of the affected leaves today to see if the situation resolves itself or comes back on newer growth. It is starting to push new leaves now so I guess I'll know soon enough.

One other question. The mottling and other symptoms of greening are due to the disease not allowing the trees to get the needed nutrients right? I am thinking/hoping if a potted tree was not getting the right nutrition they could show similar symptoms? I have tons of tropical fruit trees in pots that are doing great, but I am new to potted citrus so I am really hoping the problem is my fault.

Of course one cannot definitely diagnose a tree from a photo, but I'm wondering why those who say it is not greening are saying that? In my 30+ years of working in Florida citrus, I have to agree with Millet -- I've never seen such symptoms on any tree, due to any form of nutritional or other problem, EXCEPT trees with greening, and IMHO, it looks exactly right for greening symptoms. I'm not saying it has greening; I'm saying I can't think of anything else that would duplicate those symptoms.

Interesting;
Lets all take a good look at the link Millet posted.. That's Greening!

Now lets take a good look at the posted image, note the difference? See how the leaf yellows from the leaf spine out? not from the foliage of the leaf in?
jsvand5 has too much water or a lack of, a lack of trace elements, or there's been a wide range of temperature change, or a combination of any or all.

In my 30+ years of propagating and growing for commercial and wholesale growers its seems fairly clear.

jsvand5, if indeed your tree has greening, and unfortunately I think it does, it is certainly dangerous to leave the tree growing next to your other citrus. I do not know for sure the legality of knowingly growing a tree infected with greening in Florida, you need to get the tree inspected, and if infected destroy it. Also have them check your other trees. - Millet