Home lemon diseases: causes and symptoms, what to do for treatment

The lemon tree is exposed to various infectious, viral or fungal diseases, like any plant. Diseases that occur in a homemade lemon are always reflected in its appearance, the condition of the fruit, young shoots and leaves. Early detection of the problem and assistance to the plant will help prevent infection of the entire tree and even save it from death.

Lemon diseases and methods of their treatment

The first symptoms of the disease are easy to detect if the condition of the plant is monitored daily during cultivation. Compliance with simple rules of care and maintenance, preventive measures will increase the durability of the tree.

Leaf mosaic

This is a dangerous viral disease that is transmitted to neighboring plants. It appears on the leaves of the lemon tree in the form of spots, mosaics, strokes from light to dark shades. At the same time, growth is noticeably inhibited, and the leaves gradually become pale in color, turn white, lose their shape, and become lethargic.

Leaf mosaic is not treated. To reduce the symptoms of the disease, it is recommended to feed the plant with fertilizer for prevention, and remove it from other flowers in the house for quarantine.

Important! If top dressing does not help, then the indoor lemon must be destroyed.

Citrus cancer

It is easy to detect cancer on a homemade lemon: brown spots appear on the leaves and fruits. In the advanced form of the disease, young leaves do not have time to grow, because they are deformed, take on an ugly shape. Fruit ovaries wrinkle and stop developing.

Citrus cancer treatment is impossible. In order to prevent and prevent the disease, lemon is sprayed with liquid copper fungicide. It is best to carry out this procedure in the spring, when the plant is actively growing.

Tristesa

Weak immunity leads to the occurrence of the tristesis virus disease. The main symptom is the fall of all foliage. Then the trunk and young shoots become covered with brown spots and gradually die off. Tristeza is not cured, but can be transmitted from an infected plant to a he althy one. Therefore, when the first signs of disease are found, the tree should be destroyed.

Important! Some varieties of homemade lemon tolerate the disease, while they themselves do not get sick. A cutting cut from a carrier of the virus will destroy a he althy plant.

Gommoz

Gummosis disease begins at the bottom of the trunk, then gradually rises up and descends into the root system. How it appears:

• gommous bags are formed - these are swellings under the bark, in which brown or yellow gum accumulates over time;
• then these areas crack, and the gum comes out, hardening in air;
• characteristic wounds appear on the trunk of the plant, the leaves gradually fall off.

In its advanced form, gommosis affects the young leaves and fruits of the tree. Brown spots appear on the surface, gradually increasing in size. At the same time, the lemon continues to produce a crop, but the fruits lose their taste properties. They become small, the skin darkens, the flesh inside rots and emits an unpleasant odor. It is possible to treat a plant for gommosis, but this is a lengthy process. To do this, cut out all areas of the affected bark and carefully clean the places from the gum. Wounds are treated with a 3% solution of copper sulfate, then Bordeaux paste is applied (copper sulfate, quicklime and water, mixed in a ratio of 1:2:12).

Anthracnose

The disease occurs due to damage by Ascomycetes fungi. Symptoms appear as brown, brown or whitish spots on the surface of the leaf plate. A characteristic feature of the spots is the presence of a dark rim that grows to the sides and merges with others.

Reasons, or why anthracnose occurs:

• high soil or air humidity;
• lack of potassium or phosphorus in the soil (appears as rust on the leaves).

At an early stage, antifungal drugs are used to treat lemon: Cumulus DF, Fitosporin, colloidal sulfur, 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.

Scab

Distinguishing scab is very easy, outwardly it resembles convex warts. First, parts of the plant become covered with a yellow crust and sores, irregularly shaped spots appear, and the skin of the fruit peels off. Over time, the affected leaves die off. To combat scab, the affected areas of the plant are removed and treated with one of the means: 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture, copper sulphate, Strobilin.

Melseco

Melseco is an infectious disease that cannot be cured.After infection, the plant begins to dry out from the tips of the branches, a red tint appears on the sections, the leaves massively crumble. Cause of infection: lack of artificial or sunlight in the room during the winter.

Root rot

This is a fungal disease that appears at the base of the plant. The trunk darkens, then the infection descends into the roots and affects the entire root. At the same time, the complete fall of all leaves and the death of citrus are observed. Reason: waterlogging of the soil, stagnant water in the pot.

To treat root rot, do the following:

• take a lemon tree out of its pot and inspect the root system;
• if damaged, dark, soft or moldy roots are found, cut them with a sharp knife;
• the cut point is crushed with pre-crushed charcoal;
• transplanted into another container, with fresh dry soil.

The transplanted tree is not watered for two weeks. This will help prevent reinfection.

Plant pests and how to deal with them

Pests that are dangerous for homemade lemon cause no less damage to the plant than fungal and viral diseases. Both chemicals and folk remedies are used to fight.

Spider mite

If you find a thin cobweb on the leaves of a lemon, it means that the plant has been attacked by a spider mite. It is not possible to see it with the naked eye due to its small size. The arachnid insect feeds on the sap of the tree. This causes the leaves to turn yellow over time.

Important! The reason for the occurrence is insufficient humidity in the room.

To combat the spider parasite use:

• acaricidal chemicals: Actellik, Fitoverm, Neoron, Flumite;
• folk remedies for spraying: infusion of garlic or onion, soap solution.

Also carry out a three-fold treatment with a 1% solution of boric acid, with an interval of 5-7 days.

Shield

The defeat of a lemon with a scale insect is easy to establish by the presence of sticky leaves and black dots on them. Microscopic parasites settle on the reverse side of the leaves, tubercles form on the surface. The larvae that hatch from the eggs laid by the female quickly spread throughout the plant.

Adult scale insects are covered with a special shield that protects them from insecticides. Therefore, they are removed from the plant manually. Using a soapy solution and a cotton swab, wipe the surface of the leaf plate on both sides and the stem.

Then the young larvae are killed. To do this, use such insecticides as: Bankol, Inta-Vir, Aktellik, Aktara. After a week, it is recommended to repeat the re-treatment to avoid re-infection.

Worms

Mealybug is visible on the plant due to its white color and powdery coating on the back. These are sucking small insects that infect young shoots of a tree, leaves, ovaries. As a result, it weakens and withers.

At an early stage of damage, when there are a small number of pests, folk methods are used:

1. A cotton swab is moistened in soapy water and the leaves and trunk are wiped.
2. Sprinkled 3-4 times a day with tobacco infusion, cyclamen decoction, garlic infusion or pharmacy calendula tincture.

It is not possible to get rid of parasites in a neglected form with the help of folk remedies. To do this, use chemicals such as Confidor, Mospilan, Ankara, Calypso.

Common aphids

Young leaves and shoots of a lemon tree love to hit aphids. An adult pest has wings with which it flies, and a light green color, therefore it is clearly visible on the plant. First, he sucks the juice from the bottom of the leaf, then moves to the outer surface. In places of infection, sticky drops appear, which gradually cover the entire surface, the leaves curl and gradually dry out.

If the entire lemon tree or most of it is already infected, then chemical agents are used, since folk methods are not very effective, for example:

• Karbofos;
• Aktofit;
• Inta-Vir;
• Commander.

With a small degree of damage, cut the twig along with aphids and destroy.

Root Aphid

This pest is found when a tree is transplanted into a new pot or by external signs. The plant becomes lethargic, yellow spots appear on the lemon leaves, growth slows down. The root aphid is white in color and parasitizes in the soil, damaging the young suction roots.

To get rid of this variety of aphids:

• take a lemon out of the pot, inspect the root system;
• cut damaged roots and gently wash under running water;
• then dipped in an insecticide solution (for example, potassium permanganate) for 10 minutes.

The lemon tree is transplanted into another pot with a new substrate. The old pot needs to be disinfected and the soil thrown away.

Prevention measures

Timely preventive measures will help prevent infection of the lemon tree with bacteria and pests.

What action to take:

1. To kill the larvae, decontaminate the soil. To do this, the substrate is steamed at a very high temperature: +80 … +85 ° С for 25-35 minutes.
2. Quarantine will help prevent bacterial and viral infections. A new purchased flower is placed away from the others, and observed for two weeks.
3. Create optimal conditions for growth: air temperature - from +15 … +25 °С, humidity - 75-85%.
4. Irrigate with soapy water once a month.
5. They use water for irrigation with the addition of Phytosporin, a biological fungicide that feeds the plant.

The use of special complex fertilizers will help strengthen the immunity of homemade lemon and make it resistant to disease.

Citrus tree is susceptible to attack by parasites and diseases of a fungal, viral nature. The reason may be a violation of growing conditions or infection from other plants. To avoid the death of a tree, regular preventive measures are carried out, top dressing, spraying and inspection of a homemade lemon.

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