I guess I'm beating a dead horse here but I have 5 citrus one of which is a Meyer that has yellowing leaves. I picked it up last september, repotted it into fast draining soil, and as looked health until now. It sits outside and gets about 6 hours of morning sun. It has about a dozen pea sized lemons on it which bloomed this spring and have been noticeably growing. Has not put on any new foliage growth since I've had it. I use scotts citrus avocado and mango fertilizer 6-4-6. It says it has micro-nutrients which I'm assuming is the same as trace minerals (please correct me if I'm wrong). I guess I'm asking if it's not getting enough nutrition or if the fruit is robbing from the leaves. I don't believe it's water damage because I only water when it gets dry a few inches deep.

Too acidic soil?

I dont believe it would be acidic soil. I tested the soil not too long ago and it showed to be close to 7. The tap water is close to 8. But just to be certain I can try it again.

I was able to take some photos this morning.




This is a photo of another Meyers sitting next to the other. This one seems to be doing great.

Notice that the concerned leaves are not any of the newer leaves growing at the end of all the tree's branches. The yellow leaves you ask about look very typical of older Meyer lemon leaves. When a citrus leaf no longer is capable of providing its quota of photosynthates (tree's food) that it is expected to produce it is quickly dropped. There is no welfare program for older citrus leaves. Your tree might have a few more leaves yet to get rid of. Actually, your tree looks quite healthy. - Millet (628-)

The larger tree doesn't look healthy to me. The foliage is yellowing and twiggy, Meyers are naturally dense and compact, this is one of the reasons they are so great for containers. I think you have a insufficient nitrogen and or possibly high PH issue. Ive noticed that Meyers epically, like more nitrogen then some of my other citruses, the 6-4-6 might not be providing enough nitrogen or it is washing out quickly. I don't buy the 5-1-3 period no exceptions rule either and would recommend more nitrogen for Meyers in general. you also mention the PH is at or around 7.0-8.0, this is too high, you want it lower, more like 6.0-6.5. As for the nitrogen, I would recommend foliar feeding with nitrogen + kelp for fastest results. If not possible boost soil nitrogen by 50%

Below is an image of my Meyer, this tree is very healthy. It gets more nitrogen then my other citruses just as I am recommending to you. by the way, nice wooden container!

Thank you for your advice... I will try to up the n and a foilar spray and if it is just old leaves at least the others will get a little boost. Also I've been watering once every 2 weeks with vinegar water. Should I apply that a liitle more often.

FWIW, I've had the same experience as RyanL in regards to Nitrogen. For the last 3 years I've fed my Meyer (in 20" container) the same N as all my other citrus get, including oranges, mandarins, and Eureka Lemon. The Meyer has always looked deficient in N, so I started going heavier N this year. Normally I try to wait things out rather than adjusting fert as over the years I've found problems have been related to other things (like container cold or heat exposure, watering, etc). But in this one case, it's very possible what Ryan is saying may be true for me also.

I've also noticed it does much better in lower sunlight conditions than any of my other trees. I keep it out of my very hot afternoon sun, or do filtered all day long.

Vinegar will temporarily lower pH, however because vinegar is an organic acid, rather than a mineral acid, it breaks down rather quickly in the medium, giving it a short active life. To help lower the pH of your soil you can also fertilize with an acid type of fertilizer, such as used for azaleas. This type of fertilizer releases H+ ions into the root zone, thus lowering the mediums pH a little with every fertilizing. Found in most garden centers and big box stores. - Millet (628)

well ...

1 The soil PH has more often to do with nutrients available to the roots so searching myself on few tests that I made , is that lower/higher ph level offers more problems than the lack of nutrients at all.
By adjusting the ph level in the soil will make the tree happier and healthier.

2 Older leaves from what I've noticed fall off when the tree is in spring flush or in his case the tree is just flowering so maybe it is a lack of nutrients due to one of the above mentioned.

3 RyanL I agree in this case with you , as I said already ph level is very important but when you say that 5-1-3 is not a good ratio or one that should not be taken in consideration I don't agree. I must say that trees grown in pots are not "eating" the same stuff like the ones in the ground , but 5-1-3 (25-5-15) is a big N fertilizer , provinding enough nitrogen to the plant. But there is two faces on the coin , too much N make your tree look weird , bigger leaves - unusual shapes.

I myself had problems only with the salts that builds up inside.


So long story short ....I believe that the spring flush is missing due to the next fact : Ph level not correct/not enough N in the soil

Good luck with your trees!

Danero2004,

I agree with your statement about PH and nutrient availability, this is why PH between 6.0-6.5 is so very important to maintain. This is probably one of the most important factors for citrus health in my opinion.

However, my post above did not say "5-1-3 is not a good ratio or one that should not be taken in consideration" I simply said, I don't buy the 5-1-3 period no exceptions rule.

Its a given that Citrus like a pH of 6.5, but when we are talking about a tree at pH 7 we are not talking about disastrous situation. Citrus all over the world do very well growing in a pH7 mediums. Many growers would be very happy if they could obtain a pH of seven. - Millet (627-

HERE it says "The ideal pH is 5 to 5.5."

RyanL , you're right I didn't said that you said that, I wanted to point it out that 5-1-3 is a high N fertilizer as you suggested.

Evaldas I have 3 citrus trees from them and I'm keeping them arround 6PH and they are doing great.

Does anyone know if the probes used to measure the soil pH are precise? I tryed to measure the pH of my tap water with one of these probes (i bought it today), it says 6 while the company that manages the water in my city gives a 7,5...mmmm...? I think there should be no differences in measurement between pure water and wet soil, in the sense that this probe should be able to measure correctly the pH of pure water too.

Without knowing what type of pH meter you have it is hard to give you an answer. Listed below are things to consider when buying a pH meter.

Resolution: Resolution reflects on how many digits after the decimal place the pH reading will be given. You should be confident of a pH measurement to the nearest 0.1 pH units.

Calibration: Regular calibration is important to make sure the electrode is working properly. If the meter cannot be calibrated with standard pH 4 and 7 buffer solutions, then don't purchase it.

Replaceable Electrode: Generally, electrodes break faster than meters. Being able to replace only the electrode will save you 50% or more of the cost of having to purchase a new meter.

Range: A range of pH 2 to 12 within which the meter is designed to be accurate, will be adequate for all applications.

Readout: There are two types of readouts found on pH meters -- digital and analog. Generally, digital is more accurate and easier to read.

Temperature compensation: The standard temperature for measuring pH is 77F (25C). As you get further away from 77F, the meter encounters decreased accuracy. Meters with automatic temperature compensation measure the solution temperature and pH simultaneously and automatically correct the pH.

COST: pH meters will range in cost from about $50 to well over $1000. Meters cheaper than $100 RARELY have sufficient accuracy and precision, and growers often toss them away out of frustration, soon after purchase.
Millet (625-)