Sometimes it happens that a tree of indoor lemon or other citrus crop suddenly begins to shed its leaves intensively. What to do in this case, how to help the plant?
In this case, obviously, some mistakes were made on your part. It is necessary to analyze the current situation, take a critical look at the growing conditions and quickly correct the mistakes. Consider three options that involve a sharp loss of foliage:
- The lemon was recently bought in a store (greenhouse).
- The plant has been growing at home for a long time, but suddenly "leaf fall" began.
- The plant "walked" all summer in the fresh air (at the dacha, on the balcony), and in the fall, once it got back into the apartment, it flew around.
So, let's analyze each case step by step.
Citrus flew after purchase
The most likely reason is the stress of the plant, which fell into a difficult environment for the apartment after a comfortable life in a greenhouse. Citrus fruits are very susceptible to sudden changes in light and temperature and, in particular, to a decrease in air humidity. Remember that these plants are native to the tropics of India and China, so their reaction to dry air and dark location is understandable.
How to fix the situation?
- It is believed that from a newly acquired plant, before putting it on the windowsill, you need to remove almost all the fruits, leaving a minimum of small ovaries, otherwise the lemon will give all its strength to pouring the fruits and wither.
- First of all, you need to provide the lemon with a very well-lit place: in winter - a window sill facing south or east, in summer - a western or northern window (or close to the southern window sill, but not directly on it). In addition, in winter, it is imperative to provide supplementary lighting with a fluorescent lamp for at least 12 hours during the day. This measure gives very good results, the foliage stops falling off.
- Next, you need to set a comfortable thermal mode. In winter, the lemon should be dormant. For this, the temperature of its content should not exceed 18 ° C (for other citrus fruits, even less - from 10 to 15 ° C). In summer, lemon grows well at temperatures up to + 25 ° C.
- After purchase, it is advisable to treat the plant with an anti-stress drug. As such, use the drug Epin - Extra or HB-101.
- Provide lemon with optimal watering as the top layer dries, using settled water at room temperature. He will also like the regular spraying from a finely dispersed spray bottle.
- Do not forget about regular feeding 2 times a month with special fertilizers for citrus fruits.
Citrus suddenly flew around after growing long and successfully in an apartment
- Check if the growing conditions have changed dramatically (moved from window to window, ventilated on a frosty day, poured cold water).
- Pay attention to the presence of pests on the leaves. Spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects - all these insects (although the mite is not an insect, it is an arachnid) can quickly lead to the death of even a large specimen of a plant. Treat lemon with Fitoverm (or Actellik) by mixing it with some stimulant (Zircon, for example). Carry out the treatments three times at intervals of a week, at the same time spray all nearby plants and soil with an insecticide. Wash pots, windowsills, and glass thoroughly.
- If the plant has not been transplanted for a long time, transplant it into a slightly larger pot and add fresh soil.
Citrus flew around after being moved from street to window
- After bringing the lemon home, immediately immerse the pot in warm (40 ° C) water to allow the roots to absorb moisture. Otherwise, the leaves in a warm room begin to evaporate intensively, and the roots in the soil cold after the street do not provide them with moisture. As a result of the imbalance, leaf fall.
- Be sure to treat the lemon with insecticides against pests that can get on the plant from the street and multiply quickly.
