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Post by florian on Dec 6, 2023 0:50:04 GMT -5
Hello,
I need help with my apartment lemon tree which is loosing its leaves since I took it indoor for the winter season.
The lemon tree is planted in special sandy soil since about 6 months. Until two months ago I kept it outside and it had no problem. Since I took it indoor, its leaves started to fall. What I am doing: - Every about two weeks I irrigate it with dedicated fertilizer - I daily spray with water its leaves - I irrigate it every 4 days
Not sure what it is missing or if I am doing something wrong.
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Post by gardendmpls on Dec 6, 2023 6:49:49 GMT -5
I don't have direct experience with lemon trees indoors, only outside (when I lived in Texas, but I do know that this is common when moving lemon trees indoors. The change in temperature can shock the plant and it will lose some leaves until it adjusts. Too much or too little water can cause a problem. So can lower humidity indoors (this can be helped by putting it on a pebble filled tray with water in it). There are other things that could be happening, but once conditions are corrected, the leaves will grow back.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 6, 2023 12:19:36 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! How much light is that plant getting? I have 2 makrut/kaffir lime trees I have to bring indoors every year, and what I do is trim them way back (they get huge outside), and put them in front of a south facing window - in the first couple of years, I kept it under a MH light, but it got very large, and I put it in front of the south window, which had enough light. Since yours was doing well outside, I wouldn't think it is the actual treatment or potting; maybe the light it is getting, but sometimes the "shock" of the change of moving can cause leaf drop. Here is a photo of those lime trees - the one on the right is 22 years old! They were trimmed back about a month before this photo, to bring inside, and taking off growing again. If I had brought them inside without trimming, they would have dropped a lot of leaves, though the size of yours shouldn't really require that yet.  Kaffir lime trees, showing the large number of new growths after a few weeks inside. by pepperhead212, on Flickr |
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Post by breezygardener on Dec 6, 2023 13:20:54 GMT -5
It's true that citrus trees (& other trees that summer outdoors) do tend to lose some of their leaves when moved indoors - especially if there's a serious drop in light conditions. I'll also say that from your photo, that soil looks super dry, which can also be contributing to the leaf loss. While the tree shouldn't be kept soaking wet, it really shouldn't be "that" dry either.
I don't have any citrus (except for a bonsai) going at the moment, but used to. My problem was Scale pests, which were impossible for me to control.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 7, 2023 0:29:11 GMT -5
I have had scale insects on those, and my curry tree, and one thing I noticed each time was the ants, which, like with aphids, "farm" the scale insects for that honeydew they produce. Yet, I never got any outside! After I got rid of them, I kept them off I trimmed any low branches, then put tanglefoot on the stalks, so the ants couldn't access the upper plant. If I see a hint of them again, this time I will try some of that STEM spray I got this year, for ants. Maybe it will stop the ants and the scale, though it's been about 5 years since they were inside, KOW.
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Post by johndavis4 on Mar 9, 2024 9:55:35 GMT -5
Hey! Sounds like your lemon tree is throwing a bit of a fit about the indoor life. When you bring plants inside for the winter, they can get all dramatic about the change, especially with less sunlight and drier air from heating. You're doing a bunch right, like the fertilizer and keeping the soil vibes right, but it might just be missing that glorious outdoor sunshine and not digging the dry indoor air. Try moving it closer to a sunny window if you can, and maybe ease up on the daily leaf spray—too much moisture on the leaves can sometimes invite unwanted guests like fungus or pests. Keep watering it like you have been, but always check the soil first to make sure it's actually thirsty. Indoor air can mess with your watering schedule. It's all about finding that sweet spot of light, water, and love. Hopefully, your lemon tree will start to feel the groove and keep its leaves where they belong!
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