Lemon leaves curl: why and what to do, rules for watering and fertilizing

Improper care, exposure to pests or the appearance of diseases lead to the fact that the leaves of a homemade lemon curl. Over time, they begin to fall off, the plant loses its decorative qualities and may even die. To prevent this, it is necessary to find out the cause in time and take the necessary measures for treatment.

Why do lemon leaves curl?

The leaves of a room lemon can curl for several reasons. Some of them will not pose a serious danger and are easy to fix, while others require special attention and immediate response.

Improper care

If the foliage curls up or down in a boat, falls off and turns yellow, then this indicates an error in care. The plant can be negatively affected by rare and insufficient irrigation, or excess moisture, lack of fresh air, lack nutrients and other factors.

Wrong watering

Incorrect irrigation leads not only to twisting, but also to falling leaves on a lemon tree. Often this reaction manifests itself when using not settled or very cold water. It is necessary to defend it for several days so that all the chlorine comes out. During this time, the liquid should warm up to room temperature.

When watering, it is advisable to add a couple of drops of vinegar to the water. This solution is not only irrigated, but also sprayed on the plant, especially in summer. Do not allow the soil to dry out, as well as stagnation of moisture in it. In summer, the lemon needs more frequent watering than in winter.

Moisture in summer and winter

In hot summer weather, daily spraying from a spray bottle will help prevent twisting of lemon foliage. If it is hot outside for a long time, and the temperature in the room exceeds the recommended norms, then spraying should be carried out a couple of times a day, otherwise, with intensive irrigation, the green mass will be dumped. Also, a tree in hot weather should be watered from the shower 2 times a month.

During the cold season, central heating radiators dry the air in the room, which negatively affects the growth and development of indoor flowers.

Lemon at this time should be provided with high humidity. The ideal option would be to use humidifiers. If this is not possible, then the pot with the tree is placed away from the heaters, and a bowl of water is placed under it.

Fresh air shortage

Lack of fresh air is also the cause of curling and falling leaves on a lemon. In hot summer weather, it is preferable to take the plant to the balcony or to the street, and in winter the room should be regularly ventilated. It should be borne in mind that drafts and sudden changes in temperature negatively affect the condition of the lemon tree. It should also be avoided from direct sunlight. You can not put the plant near the door or balcony.

Infestation by parasitic insects

Lemon leaves often curl and fall due to pest infestation.

Spider mites

The spider mite tends to infect the lower part of a young plant, sucking juices out of it. You can determine the presence of a pest by the web, under which the tick settles. At an early stage, the lemon can still be saved, the web has not yet completely entangled it, and only the tips of the leaves are wrapped.When an entire tree is affected, it begins to wither.

Thrips and aphids

These pests not only cause twisting of lemon leaves, but also lead to inhibition of its development. Insects settle on the underside of the leaf, suck the juice out of it, as a result of which the green mass fades. If aphids and thrips are not destroyed in a timely manner, they will not only destroy the lemon, but will also spread to other flowers.

Shield

With the negative impact of the scale insects, the leaves become sticky and shiny. The pest feeds on the juice of young twigs, therefore, under its influence, the leaves curl and fade. Untimely assistance to a lemon can lead to its death.

Lack of micronutrients needed for full growth

Twisted lemon leaves can signal a lack of trace elements. It could be:

• boron;
• copper;
• potassium;
• magnesium.

What exactly is lacking in a lemon can be recognized by the accompanying characteristics. If calcium deficiency is experienced, then young shoots begin to dry out, but a lack of magnesium causes not only twisting, but also blanching of the foliage. The lack of copper is manifested in an increase in the size of the leaf plates, their darkening, twisting of the tips. If copper is completely absent, then the leaves become noticeably smaller, discolor, and their tips twist.

Boron deficiency is manifested in the withering of the green mass, twisting the leaf plates inward, the appearance of transparent spots on them.

Timely top dressing, which is carried out once every 1-2 months, helps to avoid the lack of important trace elements.

What to do if all the leaves of a lemon have fallen off?

If a lemon tree has completely shed its foliage, then the first thing to do is to figure out the reasons. It happens that the plant simply does not have enough moisture or nutrients. In winter, it should be placed away from the battery, fed, and transplanted if necessary. If rotten roots are found, they are removed, and the wounds are treated with charcoal.

Lemons are sensitive to change of place, lack of light. When dropping foliage, they must be sprayed with "Epin" or "Zircon", to create greenhouse conditions. Another reason for this behavior of the tree may be that the roots have become cold. This happens especially often in winter.

Be sure to check if there are drafts and if the temperature in the room is outside the recommended range. Be sure to examine the lemon for pests and signs of disease.If none were found, and the growth conditions were created comfortable, the plant did not move anywhere and did not turn, then soon it should grow a green mass.

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