Indoor lemon is an evergreen tree. A direct sign that something is wrong with the citrus is leaf fall. It is urgent to determine the cause and save the plant, because a healthy lemon will never shed its foliage.
Important. The leaf plate "lives" for about three years, so do not worry if a couple of leaves fall off - new ones will grow instead.
Reasons for massive leaf fall:
- care errors;
- unsuitable growing conditions;
- illness;
- pests.
Care errors
If you do not follow the rules of caring for the plant, it will get stress and the leaves will begin to fall off. The reasons may be as follows.
- Irrigation regime is not observed, there is no drainage system:
- stagnant water leads to a change in the composition of the soil, a lack of oxygen and decay of the roots, from which the crown also suffers;
- lack of moisture also negatively affects the soil: it cracks, nutrients cease to flow to the plant.
- Unsuitable water temperature for irrigation. If you use a liquid that is too cold or too hot, the plant will begin to stress and shed its leaves. Citrus crops are watered with water at room temperature.
- Depletion of the soil. During the growing season, lemon needs a large amount of nutrients, with a lack of them, foliage suffers. Lemon needs to be fed regularly. Also, a similar problem arises if the plant has not been transplanted for a long time.
- Lack of wintering. Once a year, the plant must be in a dormant state, but many growers forget about this. The wintering place for lemon should be bright and cool (7-8 degrees).
- The lemon begins to bloom three years after planting. If this happened earlier, then all the inflorescences must be cut off, otherwise all the forces of the plant will be directed to flowering, because of which the foliage will begin to suffer.
Unsuitable growing conditions
It is very important not only to properly care for the plant, but also to create comfortable conditions for it, so you should pay attention to these factors:
- The room is very cold or hot. Lemon can be grown in temperatures between 18 and 27 degrees. Ideal indicators are 21-24 degrees.
- Citruses do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature and drafts. Before moving plants to new conditions, it must be hardened.
- Bad light. The lemon tree needs a lot of light, otherwise the leaves will start to fade and crumble. It is better to arrange pots with a plant on the south and southwest windows. During the cold season, additional artificial lighting may be required.
- The air in the room is too dry. Lemon needs at least 70% moisture. In the warm season, it is enough to spray the tree with water every day; during the heating season, it is recommended to use a humidifier or containers with water.
How to help lemon
Sometimes it is enough to fix the errors so that the tree will recover quickly. But in some cases, you need to take serious measures:
- With prolonged stagnation of moisture, the plant should be pulled out of the ground and cleaned of rotten roots, then lowered into a weak solution of potassium permanganate and planted in new soil. Watering should be reduced to 2-3 times a week until new leaves begin to grow.
- Overdried soil should not be immediately poured with a large amount of water - it is better to moisten it in small portions every two hours. Repeat the procedure every other day. The first week, you need to spray the tree twice a day. Then you can water as usual.
- Transplanting a lemon into a new soil will help to recover from a sudden hypothermia. After that, it is recommended to cover the plant with a bag, airing it daily for 15 minutes and spraying it from a spray bottle. Watering at the root does not need to be done - the water should be poured into the pan under the pot. With the appearance of new leaves, the airing time must be increased.
Advice. You can also use specialized recovery medications. They must be used strictly in accordance with the instructions.
Diseases
Falling leaves of a citrus tree are often associated with disease. It is easy to recognize them if you know the characteristic symptoms. Many diseases are easily treatable at an early stage. The main thing is not to start the situation so that the plant does not die.
Anthracnose
Anthracnose is a disease caused by a fungal infection. Its symptoms are the dropping of not only leaves, but also inflorescences.
The treatment is very simple:
- Pluck off all affected shoots, buds and leaves.
- Spray with Bordeaux liquid.
- Treatment is carried out at least three times.
Root rot
Root rot is a fungal disease of the root system. Common causes: planting in contaminated soil, stagnant moisture, watering with cold water. It is found only at the moment when the leaves begin to fall.
What to do:
- Dig up the tree, remove the affected parts of the roots.
- Place the plant in a solution of copper sulfate or manganese for half an hour.
- Plant in disinfected soil.
- Do not water for a week, just spray daily.
Gommoz
Hommosis is a fungal infection that occurs due to excess moisture, damage to the bark, and excessive amounts of nitrogen. It manifests itself in the form of brown spots on the trunk and branches, which then crack and gum appears from them. With this disease, sap flow is disrupted, respectively, the leaves begin to suffer from a lack of nutrients and fall off.
How to treat:
- Cut off all stains with a sharp disinfected knife. With a large number of lesions, the entire branch should be removed.
- Treat the cuts with a solution of copper sulfate and cover with garden varnish.
- Repeat these manipulations three times with an interval of 7 days or until the symptoms disappear.
Tristeza and Malsecco
Incurable viral diseases, weakened trees are especially susceptible to them. The main symptom is falling foliage. Infected plants always die. Prophylaxis can be carried out to keep indoor lemons from contracting these diseases.
Pests
Harmful insects are another reason lemon greens fall off. These are mainly pests that feed on the sap of the plant. At home, three types of such parasites are most often found, but if you know the basic rules of treatment, then saving citrus trees will not be difficult.
Aphid
It attacks lemons in whole colonies, so it is very easy to spot them. It mainly affects young shoots and the back of the leaf. Aphids suck out all the juices from the plant, as a result, the greenery withers, dries up and falls off.
How to get rid of:
- Remove all leaves and shoots on which a large number of pests have settled, and also tear off all dried and wilted ones.
- Wash the plant, covering the soil from water ingress.
- Wipe each leaf and shoot with soapy water with hot pepper or ash, and add this solution to the soil.
- Wash off after five days.
- Repeat one more time.
Spider mite
A spider mite is a small spider that often appears indoors with dry air. It is almost invisible on the plant, but it can be recognized by the twisted leaves covered with light cobwebs.
Way of struggle:
- Wash the plant under warm water, pre-covering the soil with foil.
- Spray the lemon with soapy water, especially the bottom of the leaves.
- After three days, rinse the wood again under the shower.
- Repeat the procedure three times.
Shields
It is a small turtle-like insect that attaches itself to the bark or the underside of a leaf blade.
Procedures for eliminating scabbards:
- Remove areas with a large amount of pest completely.
- Wipe the rest of the plant with a solution of kerosene and water (1: 1).
- Cover with a bag for two hours.
- Rinse under warm water.
- Repeat if necessary.
Conclusion
In no case can you ignore the process of leaf fall on a lemon tree, even if it is not very active. It is worthwhile to find out the cause of this phenomenon as soon as possible in order to eliminate it and start saving the plant.
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