Unsuitable growing conditions or violations of care rules provoke the development of citrus diseases. Infection of plants with diseases leads to their death and reduced fruiting. Depending on the characteristics of the infection, appropriate control measures must be applied.
Citrus diseases
When growing citrus trees at home, a number of diseases may occur. Each disease is characterized by certain symptoms and has different effects on plants.
Citrus cancer
Symptoms of the disease appear on the leaves, branches and fruits of plants. At the primary stage of development of citrus canker, small spots form on the underside of the leaves, which eventually spread to other parts of the plantings. As a result of the influence of infection, the affected parts begin to darken and die.
Anthracnose
The disease affects all above-ground elements of the plant. Signs in the form of brown spots appear on the leaves, after which they spread to the trunk and fruits. Due to the deepening of the spots, an obstacle is created for the movement of nutritional components. When the ambient temperature is high, cracks appear in plants affected by anthracnose.
Scab (citrus warts)
The development of scab can be detected by the formation of translucent warts on the entire above-ground part of the trees. As the disease develops, the warts become larger, and the affected elements become deformed, lose nutrients and die. Fruits infected with scab fall prematurely and lose their taste characteristics.
Melsecco
Signs of the disease are chlorotic leaves and drying out branches. The development of melsecco leads to complete drying of the tree. The causes of infection are:
- irrigation violation;
- excess fertilizing;
- freezing of shoots;
- incorrect agricultural technology.
Gommoz
When growing citrus fruits at home, gommosis affects large roots and bark. A sign of the disease is the release of gum from the trunk, branches and leaves. Severely affected plants begin to shed their leaves.
Gommosis slows down the delivery of nutrients to the shoots, so the lack of control leads to their death.
Late blight
Late blight, a common disease, is characterized by the appearance of dark spots with plaque or mold. Affected citrus fruit elements begin to die, causing the entire plant to die. Over time, the fruits lose their presentation and taste characteristics. Late blight can spread from one plant to another.
Melanosis
Infection of citrus fruits with melanosis leads to the appearance of small brown spots on the fruit and foliage. Due to the effects of the disease, the fruits do not reach their maximum possible size, and their shape is distorted. Old trees are most susceptible to melanosis. Damaged parts of plants must be destroyed.
Mycospherellosis
The fungal disease mycospherellosis causes blistering spots to form on the undersides of leaves. Infection leads to leaf drop and damage to the fruit skin. To control the disease, it is necessary to regularly remove fallen leaves, reducing the source of new spores.
Root rot
The cause of root rot is excessive soil moisture or fungal penetration. The presence of infection can be detected by dark spots on the trunk from which liquid is released. Over time, the bark in damaged areas collapses and peels off.
Tristeza
The impact of tristeza extends to all parts of citrus plantings. The primary symptom of the disease is partial or complete cessation of growth and change in leaf color. Gradually, the leaves and branches begin to die, and the shoots emanating from the trunk lose their strength. In some cases, tristeza damage to the roots is observed.
Citrus tree pests
In addition to diseases, harmful insects pose a danger to citrus trees. The negative impact of pests leads to the following consequences:
- tree growth retardation;
- death of plant parts;
- reduction in harvest.
The main reason for the appearance of insects is improper care. Other causes include sudden changes in temperature, pronounced aroma of fruits and the presence of plant residues in the soil.
Shchitovka
Small insects stick to the leaves and suck the juice out of them. As a result of the action of the scale insect, the leaves gradually turn yellow, curl and fall off. If you do not start treating the plant in a timely manner, it will stop developing and die. In rare cases, the scale insect damages the fruits, after which they become unfit for consumption.
Spider mite
Due to their small size, it is very difficult to detect mites on citrus fruits. A sign of its appearance is the formation of a thin web with which insects cover fruits and leaves. Pests are able to hide in the soil or in leaf axils.
Greenhouse thrips
The greenhouse variety of thrips is a small pest that lives on ripening fruits and leaves, absorbing nutritional components from them. Blotches and black spots form on the affected parts. Due to the impact of thrips, plant productivity decreases, and the inflorescences become deformed and begin to fall off.
Whitefly
Citrus trees are damaged by adult whiteflies and their larvae. Pests absorb plant juices while on the underside of the foliage. Affected leaves lose strength and fall off. Whitefly larvae excessively absorb sap and secrete liquid, which leads to a deterioration in photosynthesis.
Mealybug
Mealybugs leave a white waxy coating on the surface of the ground parts of trees.Adults also absorb sap from young shoots, which leads to slower growth.
Aphid
The most common pest is aphids, which attack citrus fruits at the time of intensive development of new shoots. The insect sucks out nutrients, slows growth and causes early leaf fall. When settling on indoor plants, aphids carry various infections.
Garden slug
Slugs occur in damp areas and gnaw through fruits and foliage. Insects hide in dense foliage and damp shelters, crawling out to vegetation during the dark period.
Earthworms
The appearance of earthworms is accompanied by liquid sticky secretions that can harm trees. At the same time, insects aerate the earth, providing air flow to the roots. The presence of earthworms near citrus fruits is beneficial, so if you find insects, you should inspect the plantings and their condition more often.
Citrus nematode
Nematodes are parasitic worms that attack the root system of citrus fruits. The absorption of parts of the root causes growth inhibition and further death of plants.
The main reason for the development of the citrus nematode is initially contaminated soil and a lack of organic fertilizers.
Why do the leaves curl?
Curling of citrus leaves is a consequence of the influence of a number of diseases and improper care. In particular, leaves curl with insufficient or excessive watering, lack of fertilizing and low lighting levels. Having discovered a problem, it is necessary to find out the exact cause of its occurrence and provide favorable conditions for growth.
Causes of spots
The appearance of spots of different colors on citrus leaves is a common problem that occurs due to waterlogging of the soil or exposure to pests. Having noticed spots, it is necessary to constantly inspect the plantings - if the spots increase, it will be necessary to spray with fungicidal or insecticidal preparations.
Prevention measures
In order to promptly detect the development of diseases or pest damage, you should constantly monitor the condition of the plants. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to spray the trunk and leaves with a solution of Bordeaux mixture with a concentration of 1%. It is also important to apply mineral fertilizers and biofungicidal preparations, which are added to the water for irrigation.
