Citrus Growers Forum

Millet · Posted: Tue 20 Jan, 2009 12:17 am

Jsvand5, do what you think best, but in all the years I have been on this forum, and all the previous years on another forum before this one, I have NEVER EVER known Dr. Manners, who is a professor of citrus at Florida Southern College, to be wrong. Again my best advice is have the tree inspected, by proper citrus authorities. - Millet

A.T. Hagan · Posted: Tue 20 Jan, 2009 11:52 am

Malcolm_Manners wrote:

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.

turtleman wrote:

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.

What this would tell me is that I should get that tree checked out right away by persons who know what they are talking about who can see it in person. Hopefully it is a trace element or weather related thing, but if it really is greening then better to get top of it right away than to wait a day longer.

For what it's worth my Key limes are droppping leaves right now that look a lot like the ones in the OPs photo, but at the same time they're putting on new leaves as fast as they can go and they look entirely normal to me. I'm not about to try to diagnose from a photo so I second getting the tree checked out in person as soon as possble.

.....Alan.

Ned · Posted: Tue 20 Jan, 2009 12:03 pm

Jsvand5,

No matter what this problem turns out to be, it is obvious that from the responses here, that you contact the proper authorities in Florida to have the problem evaluated there. I think that such an evaluation would be done without charge and is simply the right thing to do.

It would be interesting for you to do that and to let us know afterwards what the finding turns out to be.

Ned

Ned · Posted: Tue 20 Jan, 2009 12:16 pm

Sorry Alan, we must have sent our posts at about. the same time.

Jsvand5, You should be able to get some help here:

http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/contacts.html

jsvand5 · Citruholic Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 66 Location: FL

Thanks for all the info guys. I'll guess I'll have to call the office. I am just leary of calling after hearing stories in the past of them ripping out peoples tree's whether they are diseased or not. I have removed all of the branches with discolored leaves which I know will have no affect if the tree does in fact have the greening disease, but right now the tree looks visually perfect. Would the inspectors be able to tell anything with all the leaves looking perfect right now? Do they take samples to have them tested or do they just yank the tree? I am wondering if it would be best to wait and see if the discolored leaves return on new growth? I am not all that concerned about losing this one tree if it is infected, I just don't want them yanking all of my tree's if I call them. I got over 300 meyer lemons, about a 100 satsuma's, and a ton of grapefruit and minneola's from my trees this year. I would just hate to see my perfect and productive tree's get yanked if I call them about one that may have a problem. The tree in question is starting to put out a nice new growth flush right now so I should be able to see how the new leaves form pretty soon.

jsvand5 · Citruholic Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 66 Location: FL

I noticed a something on the underside of the leaves today. Any ideas? I saw there was a thread in the disease forum that looked very similar, but it did not get any responses.
Here is a link to the disease forum thread that I think looks similar:
link

Millet · Posted: Wed 21 Jan, 2009 12:16 am

Have you sprayed the tree with a copper fungicide? - Millet

jsvand5 · Citruholic Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 66 Location: FL

No, I have never sprayed any chemical on this tree. I have only had it for about 6 months. Purchased from Lowes.

Malcolm_Manners · Posted: Wed 21 Jan, 2009 10:40 am

The larger, brown blotches toward the edges are citrus greasy spot disease (caused by Mycosphaerella citri). Are the tiny black spots raised, so that when you run your finger over them, it feels sandpapery? If so, they are melanose disease (Diaporthe citri). That would be somewhat surprising on a young tree, but if it has some dead wood, maybe. If they are not raised bumps, I can't tell from the picture what they are.

jsvand5 · Citruholic Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 66 Location: FL

The bumps are definitely raised. There is no dead wood on the tree. I am starting to think this tree may be more trouble than it worth. I have another Sanbokan so I may just end up burning this thing up with some yard debris that I was planning on burning this weekend anyway.

Malcolm_Manners · Posted: Wed 21 Jan, 2009 8:08 pm

Well it may not be melanose, if there's no dead wood. UNLESS these leaves were produced at the nursery before you acquired it, and perhaps the tree was sitting under the shade of a big citrus tree with dead wood there. (or if you have a bigger tree with dead wood nearby, in your yard, that could be shedding spores). But melanose spores don't move much, horizontally; rather, they tend to move mainly straight down, in drops of rain or other falling water.

Another possibility -- if the tree were drought stressed at some point, then was overwatered at just the right time in the development of those leaves, they may have developed edema (=oedema). It's unusual on citrus, but on a young, containerized nursery tree, maybe.