Key Lime Seasonal Leaf Drop and Leafminer: Normal Cycle and Organic Management

Situation Stevens 5-ft Key lime (Key West): sprinkler irrigation 10-15 min every other day. Recent leaf drop and leaf curling. Leaf Drop: Normal Seasonal Cycle Probably losing inner leaves right now to make room for flo

Dwarf Key Lime Transplant Shock: Overwatering in Oversized Pot

Problem Sequence Amandas dwarf key lime: thrived in small pot, transplanted to 10-gallon plastic pot (Miracle-Gro soil). Since then: no growth, leaves browning from edges inward, dropping at 1/4 leaf progression. Root C

Emerald Green Arborvitae Leafminer: Systemic Treatment and Fertilization

Symptom Pattern Julies 2004-planted arborvitae (VA Beach): tips browning outside-in since late summer, now sparse and terrible. Close-up shows tip damage. Diagnosis: Arborvitae Leafminer Worm → moth lifecycle killing p

Sanbokan Lemon Indoor Care: Watering Precision for Container Citrus

Gift Tree Crisis Sherris 42 Sanbokan lemon (East Texas, 10 pot, 10-13 fruit all dropped, now leaves falling). No visible leaf spots/disease. Indoors by large bay window. Weather fluctuates daily. Primary Issue: Water Ma

Pecan Scab Disease: Fungal Management for Nut Quality

Annual Problem Brendas pecans turn black every year. Diagnosis: Pecan Scab (Cladosporium caryigenum) — most common/damaging pecan disease. Disease Details Small olive-green to black spots on leaves, petioles, nut shuck

Euonymus Scale Persistence: Dead Scale Recognition and Neem Oil Alternative

Current Status Dianes euonymus: sprayed dormant oil for scale. Now brown dots covering barky limbs — new pest or dead scale? Dead Scale Test Press fingernail into brown dots Liquid/bleed = alive Dry/crumbly = dead (alr

Mature Meyer Lemon Decline: Root Rot from Flooding Suspected

Symptom Complex Johns 5-year-old Meyer lemon (FL west coast, near Peace River): prolific until October return from travel. Broken branches (fruit weight?), fewer leaves, cracked/peeling bark at base, fruit scaling, now l

King Sago Palm Asian Scale: Regional Epidemic Management Reality

Symptoms Bonnies large king sago: white substance under all fronds (base to tip), some fronds with upper spots. Maryland, overwintered in workshop. Diagnosis: Asian Scale Epidemic Same as Article 2526 — Asian scale (Aul

Robellini Palm Frost Damage and Scale: Pruning and Neem Oil Protocol

Frost Damage Assessment Meebers 4-trunk Robellini (Apopka, FL) with brown leaves from recent freeze. Also white scale on branches (petioles). Previously hosed off and used horticultural oil. Pruning Guidelines Remove o

Indoor Lime Tree Fruit Drop: Bloom Fungus and Water Consistency

Problem Summary Marios 2-year-old lime (New Jersey, indoors winter) flowers well, sets tiny fruit, but all drop. No visible pests/disease. Tree otherwise healthy. Hidden Cause: Bloom Fungus Fungus in flowers — invisible

Dwarf Meyer Lemon Container Care: Watering, Fertilizer, and Pest Management

Current Situation Jerrys 5-month-old dwarf Meyer lemon (12 clay pot, Vortex Ladybug soil, east-facing porch, Austin, TX). Watered deeply every 7-8 days. Lutz Perfect Spike fertilizer in November → bloom → fruit set. Now:

Orange Jasmine Hedge Whitefly Infestation: Insecticide Rotation Strategy

Problem Analysis Orange jasmine hedge (height unspecified) yellowing, never fertilized. Whiteflies flying around. Leaves clean but yellowing, dropping. Whitefly Damage Mechanism Nymphs suck large sap volumes → weaken p

Euonymus Scale: Dormant Oil Failure, Systemic Solution Needed

Persistent Problem Third year battling euonymus scale. Dormant oil spray (nursery recommendation) fails. This year horrid infestation. Why Dormant Oil Fails Scales shell protects from contact sprays Timing critical (cr

White Root Threads: Beneficial Mycorrhizal Fungi, Not Disease

Observation Jim found bright white thread-like structures on roots of dead avocado and orange trees, plus on bark mulch in vegetable garden. Concerned about soil fungus spread via shared tools. Diagnosis: Mycelium — Lik

Sago Palm Asian Scale: Persistent Pest Requiring Vigilant Management

Regional Epidemic Lesley asks about white scale on sago palms. Kathy reports: Asian scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui) spreading through central/south Florida. Infestation Reality New areas: 6 months from first sighting to

Cocoa Plum Scale Infestation: Identification and Systemic Treatment

Field Diagnosis South Florida cocoa plum hedge opposite whitefly-prone shrub. Leaves show sooty mold; stems covered in small black bumps (like ground peppercorns when removed). Pest Identification: Scale Insects Test:

Maple Trunk Mushrooms: Internal Decay Indicates Hollow Tree

Serious Diagnosis Raymonds maple: bark loss at base, mushroom-like growths at base and higher on trunk, woodpecker holes. Wood under bark appears sound. Critical Finding Mushrooms/fungal conks on trunk = fruiting bodies

Crepe Myrtle Sooty Mold: Sucking Insect Control with Systemic Insecticide

Problem Analysis Two crepe myrtles with black trunk/branch areas, poor performance last summer. Neighbors trees unaffected. Eastern exposure. Diagnosis: Sooty Mold from Sucking Insects Black fungus = sooty mold Grows o

Leyland Cypress Needle Blight: Cercospora Identification and Copper Treatment

Symptom Pattern Leyland cypress hedges browning from inside out, spreading through trees, top growth still green. Classic Cercospora Needle Blight (Cercosporidium sequoiae). Disease Progression Starts: Lower crown, nea

Cedar Spruce Sap Sucker Damage: Bird-Caused Holes Misidentified as Borers

Damage Pattern Recognition Cedar spruce with 2 cm holes, 4 cm apart, encircling trunk in horizontal rows (string of beads). Holes only in bark, not wood. Too high for children. Adjacent poplar unaffected. Diagnosis: Sap