Content
Leaves of lemon fall or tops dry due to factors unfavorable for the development of the plant. It is important to recognize the cause in time and correct care errors in order to avoid big problems. Yellowing and folding of leaves is prevented by timely preventive measures.
Why lemon sheds leaves: a list of possible causes
Indoor lemons, up to 2 m high, were bred by breeders based on subtropical plants, so growing conditions are not always suitable for representatives of the species. Often, trees react radically to the mistakes of gardeners: the leaves turn yellow, dry and fall off. Before starting a demanding culture at home, amateurs should study the rules of care and avoid the reasons why the lemon turns yellow and sheds its leaves.
Violation of the rules of care
Indoor citrus fruits require increased and constant attention. Compliance with the recommendations for the care of the lemon will ensure the normal development of the plant, which is noticeable by the state of the leaves. If they dry out and fall off, the following error options are possible:
- irrigation failures;
- insufficient nutrient soil;
- a noticeable decrease in the level of lighting;
- unacceptable temperature regime;
- the occurrence of disease or damage by insects.
Is the location right
Leaves of lemon also turn yellow if the container is placed in the wrong place. Citrus lovers often bring tub plants to the terrace or balcony for the summer. Returning indoors in the fall becomes stressful for the lemon, then the tree loses some of the leaves or they begin to dry out. It is advisable to follow the recommendations for placement in the house:
- if the plant is small, the container is placed on the windowsill, removing heat from the batteries with special curtains, like cool air from the window;
- it is necessary to block possible drafts so that the leaves do not fall off;
- an adult lemon is placed near the window, and the leaves will not dry if the heat from the battery is covered with a dense screen;
- ideally place the tree in a cool, bright room without additional lighting, where the temperature is not higher than + 10-12 ° C;
- a well-insulated balcony or a special extension like a winter garden in country houses would be a good place.
Violation of the rules and schedule of watering
With the wrong care, the lemon dries at home, more often the leaves fall off due to insufficient watering. Or, conversely, - because of the waterlogged soil in the tub. Excessive moisture leads to compaction of the substrate and soil acidification processes, in which the smallest root processes die off and cannot feed the entire crown. The tree goes into a state of conservation of nutrients. In summer, the tub plant is watered every day or less often - early in the morning and also in the late evening. Important! This watering regime will prevent the water from evaporating, and moisture will flow to all the leaves. To retain moisture, use a mulch made of perlite, foam or crushed bark.
Leaves begin to fall off when the lemon has dried out from lack of moisture. Even in favorable wintering conditions, at temperatures from + 10 ° C, the soil is rarely, but regularly, moistened. Only an adult 7-8-year-old tree can withstand the absence of watering for up to 25 days without losing leaves due to the accumulation of moisture in the wood.The dried soil is moistened gradually: first, the upper layer is saturated with water, then after a few hours in one or two stages within 2-3 days - the lower part of the soil. This avoids stress on the plant. In winter, watered with water at room temperature, preventing the earthen coma from drying out, usually twice a week.
From February, the water is heated to 35 ° C for the plant to wake up. Simultaneously with warm watering, slowly, by 2-3 degrees, increase the temperature in the room.
Lean or poor quality soil
A loose soil with a neutral reaction is prepared in a lemon container, adding some of the sand to the ground for ease. When buying ready-made mixtures for citrus fruits, pay attention to the amount of peat. For lemon over 6 years old, take soil with 10% peat. But for a young plant, peat is not added, since the substance increases the acidity of the soil. The earth is enriched by adding:
- 1 tablespoon wood ash;
- half a handful of crushed hardwood coal;
- 1 tablespoon of tea leaves or dormant coffee grounds.
Violation of the microclimate
If the lemon is in the apartment, it suffers from the heat in the winter. The indoor microclimate is compared to the desert in terms of lack of humidity. Often, due to such conditions of increased dryness, lemon leaves fall in winter. The tree should not be placed near the battery or the heat source should be covered with a dense screen. At temperatures above + 20 ° C, lemon leaves are regularly sprayed with water or wiped with a damp cloth. To increase the humidity without special devices and protect the leaves, bowls of water are placed around the plant.
There are more risk factors for citrus fruits:
- lemon leaves also dry in a too cold room, at temperatures below + 10 ° C;
- leaves may fall off the tree if the tub is in a draft zone when airing;
- the lemon's reaction to sudden changes in temperature day and night, in the range of 8-9 degrees, will be the dropping of leaves.
Lack or excess of lighting
In the subtropics, there is much more sunlight in winter. Lemons do not shed leaves en masse. Therefore, gray late autumn days are another stressor. The lemon tree falls off in the house if it lacks lighting. It is better to place the plant near a window that faces south, and install fluorescent lamps next to it.
Violation of the rules and schedule of feeding
If you do not follow the care of lemon at home, the leaves turn yellow if the amount of minerals in the soil has decreased. For normal development, citrus, like any other plant, needs a balanced content of macro- and microelements:
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- nitrogen;
- magnesium;
- iron;
- manganese;
- cobalt and others.
Due to the lack of minerals, even adhering to the watering regime, gardeners complain that suddenly the lemon has dropped its leaves. The fall is preceded by visible changes on the leaves, which must be looked at:
- yellowish spots appear;
- the leaf becomes paler;
- the leaf blade becomes lethargic or curled;
- the edges of the leaves dry.
Lemon is fed from spring:
- in April-May they give nitrogen preparations or organic matter;
- in June, nitrogen fertilization is repeated;
- a little later, phosphorus agents are introduced;
- in early August fertilized with potassium substances;
- microelements are introduced monthly in the mineral complexes in the summer;
- in the fall, complex fertilizers are applied once every 60 days.
Diseases and pests
Lemon can dry and fall off the leaves due to fungal infections. With Alternaria, the veins turn brown and black, spots appear, then the leaves fall off.Due to another disease, brown, glossy formations are visible. Late blight fungi attack the roots if they were in the soil taken for the tub. Diseases are fought by treatment with copper-containing fungicides. Sometimes traces of hardening gum are visible on the bark. The place is cleaned, treated with copper sulfate, sprayed with preparations of complex effects.
Lemon is damaged by insects:
- aphid;
- shield;
- citrus Asian bean;
- as well as a spider mite.
There are special sprays against insect pests, sometimes they are successful by spraying the leaves with a solution of laundry soap. Tick infestation is recognized by the presence of a barely noticeable cobweb near the leaf cuttings. They get rid of microscopic pests on lemons using Fitoverm. And then replace the top soil.
What to do if a lemon sheds its leaves
Noticing that the leaves are falling from the homemade lemon, and the rest are drying, the tree is resuscitated. After determining the cause, the errors are corrected:
- in dry air, humidifiers are installed, the leaves are sprayed or wiped every 6-8 days, and a bag is pulled over a small tree, like a mini-greenhouse;
- do not quickly transfer lemon from a cold room to a warm one - they give time to get used to in a room where the temperature gradually rises;
- filling the soil in a tub until acidification, transplanted into a container of the same size, checking the roots for rot;
- a diseased lemon, whose leaves dry and fall off, is reanimated with Epin according to the instructions.
Prevention measures
Homemade lemon will not dry out and leaves will not fall off if:
- provide a temperature of + 10-14 ° C;
- in a warm room, the humidity of the air and additional lighting with special devices are observed;
- watered no more than 1-2 times a week;
- anthracnose is treated with Fitosporin;
- for chlorosis, Ferovit is used;
- they are fed only in a healthy state - they begin to support with the drugs "Zircon", HB 101, "Epin";
- the transplant is carried out in February-March;
- on the street they are treated with fungicides 2 times in the spring.
Conclusion
Leaves fall off when stressed. Only by providing the tree with the required conditions, they rejoice at its good development. Preventive examinations and processing of citrus fruits, a comfortable temperature, sufficient light and competent watering will bring the expected results.
