97°F
weather icon Clear

Iron chelate bolsters leaves on lemon trees

Question: I have a small lemon tree growing in a large container. I now have many small lemons on it. The leaves are a sickly, yellow color. I used a fertilizer on it in late February that was labeled for citrus. It looks like it needs some iron and/or more fertilizer. What is best to apply now that will not cause the lemons to fall off, or is it best to wait?

Get a 1-pound canister of EDDHA iron chelate. These chelate s are expensive, but the canister is not badly priced. Apply it to the base of the tree and water it into the soil.

Next year, apply it to the soil in January or February just before new growth begins. This should help green things up. Leaves that are already yellow may still stay somewhat yellow, but the growth coming out in the next month should be green.

Make sure you check the soil moisture, and do not irrigate if the soil is still wet. The soil should be damp .

Bob Morris is a professor emeritus in horticulture with the University of Nevada and can be reached at extremehort@aol.com. Visit his blog at xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Fig trees need ample water while producing fruit

We are quickly approaching temperatures (and wind) that require watering figs three times a week. The higher temperatures demand more water for production to continue.

What can be done to help ailing gardenia?

Gardenias have similar needs as roses. Their health and growth respond best to wood chip mulch decomposing on the soil surface.

Some petunia varieties can stand up to our summer heat

There are lots of different kinds of petunias. For instance, the Madness Summer Series can take the heat, but petunias typically are not known for that.

Watch out for hornworms lurking in your garden

Anyone who has been gardening for a while has a horror story or two about hornworms, which infest many vegetables in the tomato family.

What can be done about high boron levels in soil?

Boron is one of the salts commonly found in desert soils. It can be present naturally or it can accumulate over the years in such places as horse corrals.