Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi All! Any idea what is happening to my lemon tree? It got sooty mould a month or so ago, but I managed to wash it all off & everything seemed OK, but recently it's leaves are yellowing & dropping along with the fruit & flowers. I looked online & tried the most recommended remedy which was epson salts, but it is fed properly & watered as needed, but gave it a sprinkle but no improvement.

I collected the dropped fruits & any near ripening on the tree to save what I could by juicing & freezing, but today I noted what looks to me to be something eating them. This fruit I picked off the tree, so I can't blame slugs or snail taking advantage. When it had the mould I read that sap sucking insects cause the problem; any idea what they could be, where they hide & what they might look like. I've grown it from a baby & it's taken over a decade to get fruit. I do have a big pot empty after loosing an apricot tree so I could pot it on, but unsure how citrus takes to this when older? It was potted on a few times when smaller but I think that could have been the reason I waited so long for fruit.

Cheers as usual!

The pests are probably Scale insects….little flat things, that look like they are part of the stem/branch!
If it is Scale insect, you should be able to carefully scrape them off….

I was thinking the same. Also, you can swab them off with isopropyl alcohol and cotton buds.

My wife grew 2 from pips both got to the flower stage before they grow fruit and died sorry I can’t help you