What's wrong with my lemon tree?

[homedentist]

I have a young lemon tree (I am unaware of what type). This is my first plant and I am really lost. I water when my moisture meter reads 3, and I am sticking the meter about 2 inches deep in different areas. I water until it is 8 and above. Sometimes for humidity, I mist the leaves.

Please help!

Thank you!

https://imgur.com/a/nDAvHor

 

[Chuck]

I have a young lemon tree (I am unaware of what type). This is my first plant and I am really lost. I water when my moisture meter reads 3, and I am sticking the meter about 2 inches deep in different areas. I water until it is 8 and above. Sometimes for humidity, I mist the leaves.

Please help!

Thank you!

https://imgur.com/a/nDAvHor

You are watering too often and the soil where the roots are is staying too wet. If you must use that "moisture meter" read the moisture where moisture counts, at the roots. I've been gardening for decades and decades and I have NEVER seen an even decent moisture meter. Your finger is much more accurate. Citrus does not like being wet, it likes being slightly damp to moist. Stick your finger ALL the way into the soil and pull it out. If your finger feels even slightly damp your plant does not need watering at that time.
The new growth should not be yellow. This is caused by (probably) watering too often or by nutrients leaching out of the soil. But first things first. First, stop watering so often. If that does not fix the yellowing then fertilize. When you water, water from the bottom up. That means to fill the saucer it is sitting in, possibly more than once, with water. Do this until water stands on top of the soil. This will probably take some time but this is the best way to ensure that ALL of the roots have been watered. When water stands on the surface remove the container from the saucer and let it drain. This will not be difficult in a container as small as the tree is in. About the leaves you have circled. They show classic signs of overwatering. These leaves will probably die but don't worry about that. Just remember that you cannot damage a plant by overwatering but you will kill the plant by watering too often.

 

[homedentist]

Thank you so much... How do I know how deep the roots go?

 

[Chuck]

Thank you so much... How do I know how deep the roots go?

Only a few feeder roots will be near the surface. Right now the majority of the roots of a plant that size will be around 3 inches deep but will quickly spread throughout the entire container. Please take a picture of the base of the plant. I can't tell for sure but it appears that the tree is planted too deep and if so will cause future SEVERE problems.

 

[oneeye]

Chuck is right you are over-watering with too much water. Moisture meters I have seen and used are very good at giving miss readings. I have never seen one that worked well enough for me or anyone I know to get accurate readings. Don't use the meter, use your finger and when the top soil is dry, water. Also the lime looking color on the top of the plant or growing shoot is due to using alkaline water to water with. Don't use tap water, use filtered or rain to water and the yellow tip will turn green again.

 

[homedentist]

Only a few feeder roots will be near the surface. Right now the majority of the roots of a plant that size will be around 3 inches deep but will quickly spread throughout the entire container. Please take a picture of the base of the plant. I can't tell for sure but it appears that the tree is planted too deep and if so will cause future SEVERE problems.

Do you mean the pot from a side angle?

 

[Chuck]

Do you mean the pot from a side angle?

I mean a picture of the bottom of the trunk where it goes into the soil.

 

[homedentist]

Sorry for the late reply.

 

[Chuck]

Sorry for the late reply.View attachment 64023

It appears to be planted too deep. Gently scrape away the soil until you can see the big roots starting to emerge from the trunk. The top of these roots should always be exposed. Research Root Flare and you will see what I mean. It also looks as if your tree has a fungal problem. Spray it with a fungicide like Neem Oil. Is this a grafted tree?

 

[PMcP]

Thanks for the explanations, these are golden. Lemon trees are an absolute must have in my future garden, so I'd better be prepared to give them all the care they need, in the way they need it!

 

[homedentist]

It appears to be planted too deep. Gently scrape away the soil until you can see the big roots starting to emerge from the trunk. The top of these roots should always be exposed. Research Root Flare and you will see what I mean. It also looks as if your tree has a fungal problem. Spray it with a fungicide like Neem Oil. Is this a grafted tree?

I removed the dirt until the first root. Do you want a picture of it?

 

[Chuck]

I removed the dirt until the first root. Do you want a picture of it?

Yes