Improper care, exposure to pests or the appearance of diseases lead to the leaves of homemade lemons curling. 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 indoor lemons can curl for several reasons.Some of them will not pose a serious danger and are easy to fix, but others require special attention and immediate response.
Improper care
If the foliage curls upward or downward, falls off and turns yellow, this indicates mistakes in care. The plant can be negatively affected by infrequent and insufficient irrigation, or by excess moisture, lack of fresh air, lack of nutrients and other factors.
Improper watering
Improper irrigation leads not only to curling, but also to falling leaves on the lemon tree. Often this reaction occurs when using unsettled 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 or stagnate moisture. In summer, lemon needs more frequent watering than in winter.
Moisturizing in summer and winter
In hot summer weather, daily spraying from a spray bottle will help prevent lemon leaves from curling. If it is hot outside for a long time, and the temperature indoors exceeds the recommended norms, then spraying should be carried out a couple of times a day, otherwise intensive irrigation will result in a discharge of green mass. Also, in hot weather, the tree should be watered from the shower 2 times a month.
During the cold season, central heating radiators greatly dry the air in the room, which negatively affects the growth and development of indoor flowers.
At this time, lemon needs to be provided with increased 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 heating devices, and a bowl of water is placed under it.
Lack of fresh air
Lack of fresh air also causes lemon leaves to curl and fall off. In hot summer weather, it is preferable to take the plant out onto the balcony or outside, and in winter the room should be regularly ventilated. It should be taken into account that drafts and sudden changes in temperature negatively affect the condition of the lemon tree. You should also avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. You cannot place the plant near a door or balcony.
Infestation by parasitic insects
Lemon leaves often curl and fall off due to pest damage.
Spider mites
Spider mites tend to infect the lower part of a young plant, sucking the juices out of it. The presence of a pest can be determined 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 the entire tree is affected, it begins to dry out.
Thrips and aphids
These pests not only cause lemon leaves to curl, but also lead to inhibition of its development. Insects settle on the underside of the leaf, suck the juice out of it, causing the green mass to wither. 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.
Shchitovka
With the negative impact of scale insects, the leaves become sticky and shiny. The pest feeds on the sap of young twigs, so under its influence the leaves curl and wither.Untimely assistance provided to a lemon can lead to its death.
Lack of microelements necessary for full growth
Curled lemon leaves may indicate a lack of microelements. It could be:
- boron;
- copper;
- potassium;
- magnesium.
What exactly lemongrass lacks can be recognized by its accompanying characteristics. If there is a deficiency of calcium, then young shoots begin to dry out, but a lack of magnesium causes not only curling, but also paleness of the foliage. A lack of copper is manifested in an increase in the size of the leaf plates, their darkening, and curling of the tips. If copper is completely absent, then the leaves become noticeably smaller, discolored, and their tips curl.
Boron deficiency manifests itself in wilting of the green mass, curling of leaf blades inward, and the appearance of transparent spots on them.
Timely feeding, which is carried out once every 1-2 months, helps to avoid a lack of important microelements.
What to do if all the lemon leaves have fallen off?
If the lemon tree has completely lost its leaves, then the first thing you need to do is understand 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 replanted if necessary. If rotten roots are found, they are removed and the wounds are treated with charcoal.
Lemons are sensitive to changes in location and lack of light. When dropping leaves, they must be sprayed with “Epin” or “Zircon” and 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.
It is imperative to check whether there are any drafts and whether the room temperature is outside the recommended range.Be sure to inspect 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 or turn, then it should soon grow green mass.
