I think you fert. too much. In summer I fert once a month or so & ppl fert in winter if they can give summer conditions & plants are growing.
Right now the citrus is not doing much because I keep them cool. Some suffered WLD (winter leaf drop) - including meyer.

I agree.. The leaf pictures look like fertilizer burn...
Less fertilizer and maybe not a to much acid substratum, and a regrow of the plant will make this things forgotten...

I would fertilize your tree through the winter months *if* you provide the tree with growing conditions (heat 64 to 80F), and light. Fertilizing twice a month, provides a steady level nutrition. However, during the winter what you want to do is split the normal amount of fertilizer that you apply in half, and apply the one half every two weeks. To me the trees symptoms do not look like it is from fertilizer burn. Good luck to this tree. - Millet (1,445-)

You're right, Millet. The tree is not suffering from fertilizer burn since I didn't feed it enough.

I will follow your advice about feeding it during the winter since the growing conditions are right - it is inside and it is in a bay window that has southern exposure so it gets plenty of sunshine.

Since I didn't feed it enough before, should I do "regular strength" fertilizer a few more times to get the tree back to a healthy nutrient level?

I have a Meyer in very similar condition to yours:



I used the 4:1 CHC/peat medium, but as you can see, it still had a great deal of leaf drop. Oh well, it seems almost impossible to avoid that without going to extreme lengths. I keep the temperature at 68 pretty much all the time, water weekly, but perhaps not enough. I think I will try the thorough draining Millet mentioned. I usually give it some soluble "all purpose" fertilizer with each watering, but I think it must be too strong a concentration (not enough water, again). I definitely don;t follow the directions...

Anyway, separate issue is the tree next to it. We got it from Lowes, and it was just marked "Citrus tree". It has been in better shape than the Meyer next to it for most of the time since we brought them both in, but recently I noticed it's leaves look bad, kind of blotchy: (apologies for the terrible blurriness, but you can still make out the problem)



The picture makes the blotches seem more yellow than they really look, to me they seem more like a paler shade of green than yellow.
Anyway, can anyone tell me what the problem here is likely to be? There is also some sticky sap or resin of some kind on some of the branches, and at some of the joints I have found a very odd sort of white, slightly sticky foam. What on Earth is that? I'm hoping these are all symptoms of the same problem, and that there is a single fix for all of them!

I was thinking to put this other tree in the CHC/peat medium too, but don't know if I should wait now.

Tallguy, Meyer Lemons can be a real pain. In my opinion, a Meyer Lemon is the most finicky citrus tree to grow in a container. As your Meyer is in a 4:1 CHC blend, and the leaves are still dropping I would water the tree by setting it in a larger container of WARM water (with or without fertilizer) for ten minutes. This will thoroughly soak the CHC. Then take the tree out and let it drain. Some times with a CHC medium, the water pass through is so quick, that the chips do not have enough time to absorb enough water. - Millet (1,435-)

Yes, I will definitely do that from now on. I did the flush out with copious warm water just now. Once it had stopped draining I put about 1 quart of properly diluted fertilizer with some Epsom salts (1 teaspoon per gallon, right?) just so it did have some nutrients.

My "all purpose" fertilizer is 20-9-20. Should I use less of it than the directions suggest?

Any ideas on the mystery tree's ailment? I also noticed a shoot of young green leaves coming out near the soil level. Should I pinch that off? I would like to leave it, as this part looks so healthy!

Here's the new shoot:

And a bad picture of the weird white foamy stuff that is appearing all over now:

The white foamy stuff are Australian scale (Cottonycushion Scale - Icerya purchasi). You have a very hard attack. Make a research on this site to know how to cure the problem. Don't wait!

The second photo in the first post looks like mite infestation.

The growth at the base of the plant is rootstock and needs to be removed.

The last photo is not very clear, but I would say it is mealybug. http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/public/IthacaCampus/ExtOutreach/DiagnosticLab/Factsheets/Mealybugs.html

Sorry Laaz, it is Cottony cushion scale:



In French "cochenille Australienne".

Lazz as the insects are not primarily hiding in the cracks and crevices, nor in the vortex between the branches and leaf petioles, but they are primarily out in the open, they probably are not mealy bug. - Millet (1,434-)

I had 2 meyers got tons of lemons on one and the other died right away both bought same time planting mix equal fert same but the temp dropped 10 Degrees and poof one bit the Dust.
then the second one did well for 2 yrs temp drop and poof wld.
Grrrr im doing better with the lesbion and the Pink lemon one that is Varigated.
I think Meyers are to Finicky and too stuborn like my dad for me to mess with here in oregon so when i move ill try again .
Tammy

I picked off as many off the blighters as I could see, but my wife insisted I move the tree outdoors. I'm in Oregon, too, so the temperature is a big concern for me now. I also sprayed the tree heavily with "Organocide" which is just a rather weak aqueous solution of sesame oil and edible fish oil. It claimed to be good against "scale insects" and I happened to have it lying around already, so I though what the heck.

Would the mottled discoloration of the leaves also be caused by the Icerya purchasi? As well as the appearance, they feel a little rough to the touch, and some have tiny red or yellow bumps on the underside.