Why lemon leaves curl and how to solve the problem

The indoor lemon tree is demanding to care for. To make it feel comfortable, develop harmoniously, blossom and bear fruit, it is important to follow the rules of agricultural technology and constantly monitor its condition. Any mistakes in grooming become visible on the leaves.

If the leaves of the lemon are curled, then the plant feels uncomfortable. This is due to a violation of the rules of care, infection and pests. Let's consider how to determine the cause of such a problem and correct the situation.

Why do lemon leaves curl

What to do when lemon leaves curl? First, find out the cause of the problem. The list contains the most common mistakes:

1. Waterlogging... With increased humidity, the composition of the soil changes, it becomes swampy, the necessary substances cease to enter the plant, the roots rot. Lack of nutrition leads to leaf curling.
2. Rare watering... Lack of watering is the most common cause of curling and falling leaves... Lemon is a moisture-loving plant that needs regular moisture.
3. Low air humidity... This is another common mistake made by citrus growers, causing the leaves to curl and dry out. This usually happens in winter, when the heating makes the air very dry, especially if the plant is near a radiator.
4. Drafts. Lemon does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature and drafts. From the cold wind, the culture begins to curl the leaves and turn yellow.
5. Poor soil... The lack of trace elements immediately affects the state of the leaves. By exactly how the leaf plates look, they determine which element the lemon is missing.
6. Diseases and pests. Twisting of leaf plates is a symptom of some diseases and insect damage.
7. Lack of fresh air. This problem usually appears in winter.

What to do if lemon leaves turn yellow and curl

If the lemon leaves begin to curl, it is important to analyze the mistakes in the care and eliminate them. In most cases, this is enough to remedy the situation.

If homemade lemon is in poor condition, and its crown has already begun to fall off, more serious measures are taken. Waterlogging, prolonged exposure to drafts are factors due to which the plant will have to transplant... The citrus removed from the pot is examined. Remove rotting and damaged roots, transfer the culture to disinfected soil.

The transplanted citrus is watered only after the soil dries out. A root formation stimulant is added to the water. Spraying is carried out with a growth stimulator. In the first week, it is advisable to use additional lighting and keep the tree in a greenhouse environment (under a bag or film).

Attention! Lemon does not tolerate stress well. A sharp change in temperature or technology of care, even for the better, leads to a deterioration in the condition of the plant. Therefore, it is better to correct the situation gradually.

If the soil has been overdried, it is important not to water the tree with a lot of liquid at once, so that it does not start shedding leaf plates. The soil is moistened gradually, pouring in 1/2 tbsp every 2-3 hours. water.

Proper care of homemade lemon

To understand why lemon leaves curl, it is important to learn the right technology for caring for it.Then it will be easier to notice and eliminate the shortcomings that most likely caused the problem.

How to care for lemon:

1. Watering. Citrus is moistened as the topsoil dries. In the warm season, this is done once every 1-2 days, and in winter - 1-2 times a week. Use only warm water (to prevent iron deficiency, add a few drops of lemon juice to the tap water to soften it). A drainage layer and holes in the bottom of the pot will help to avoid stagnant water and waterlogging of the soil.
2. Top dressing. Leaves are often present at the same time, inflorescences and fruits. This takes a lot of nutrients. To prevent their deficiency, during the growing season, the plant is fed every week, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers.
3. Humidity. The humidity in the room should be high enough - 60-70%. In the summer, daily spraying helps to create optimal conditions. Air humidifiers or water containers are installed during the heating season. The plant is not left next to the battery.
4. Temperature. The room temperature should be + 19 ... + 27 ° C. It is important to protect the plant from its fluctuations. Before taking the lemon to new conditions, it is taught to them, gradually increasing the residence time.
5. Airing. Be sure to ventilate the room daily. At this time, the citrus is taken out of the room so that it does not get caught in a draft. In the summer, it is best to put the pot outside your yard or garden.
6. Crown washing... To remove dust from the leaves and prevent infestation, they are washed once a month under the shower, covering the soil with foil. Once a week, the leaves are wiped with a damp cloth.
7. Transplants. If the plant is in the same pot for a long time, insoluble salt formations form in the soil, and the root system becomes cramped. This leads to the fact that the nutrients that come with top dressing are not absorbed. Therefore, before flowering, the tree is transplanted every year, and after the first flowering - once every 3 years.

If even one of the points is incorrectly performed leaving there is a risk that the leaves will turn yellow and curl. Therefore, when such a problem arises, it is first of all important to make sure that the agricultural technique is correct.

Attention! Leaves that have already curled up often fall off even when the factor that caused the change in green mass is eliminated. Healthy greens grow in their place.

Fertilizer

According to the state of the leaves, it is determined which element the plant lacks and what kind of fertilizer will have to be used:

1. Potassium. In this case, young shoots dry up and curl at the top. To compensate for the lack of an element, potassium sulfate (20 g per 10 l) or other fertilizer with a similar composition is applied.
2. Bor. With a shortage of boron, the leaf plates curl inward, translucent specks appear on them. Complex fertilizing with boron is used, spraying with boric acid is carried out (2 tablets per 1 liter of water).
3. Copper. Lack of copper leads to enlargement and darkening of the leaves, their folding inward along the edges. Complex fertilizers with a microelement are used, foliar dressing is used, spraying the tree with 1% copper sulfate.
4. Magnesium. With its deficiency, the lemon begins to twist the pale yellow leaves in a boat. To replenish the element, fertilizers are used with it. Some people use an infusion of magnesium-rich banana peels.

In the complete absence of copper, the plant behaves differently than when it is deficient. Citrus leaves do not grow larger, but shrink. Their edges are deformed and twisted into a tube.

Leaf pests

Twisting of green mass is also observed when citrus is damaged by pests. Insects enter the apartment from other infected plants, through a window, non-disinfected soil and planting material.

Spider mite

Spider mites are most commonly found in indoor citrus fruits. At home, its red variety usually starts. Low air humidity is considered a provoking factor.

The insect feeds on the juice of young shoots and leaves. The defeat begins from the bottom of the crown. The inner side of the leaf plates is covered with a cobweb. Soon the edges begin to roll inward. Without timely treatment, diseased leaves curl up into a dense tube, in which spider mites are located.

While the leaves are not yet wrapped in a tube, in order to get rid of the pests, it is enough to wash the plant in the shower, covering the ground with foil. After that, the tree is sprayed with a decoction of bitter herbs or a soap-ash solution at least 3 times. The interval between procedures should be a week.

Important! If folk remedies do not help, use insecticides. In this case, the fruits that were on the tree during processing are not consumed. When using "Akarin" lemons become edible in 2-3 days.

If the leaves have already curled up, all the affected parts of the plant are cut off. After that, the tree is washed under the shower and treated with anti-mite agents.

Aphid

Aphids are an insect that feeds on plant juices. It breeds quickly and settles on lemon in whole colonies. Prefers young greens and shoots. It is most often found on the seamy side of leaves and tops of branches.

When infected with aphids, the green mass first turns yellow, then the leaves roll up. Inside such packages are aphid eggs or their larvae.

To get rid of the problem, the most affected parts of the plant are removed. The tree is washed under the shower, trying to remove all harmful individuals.

After washing, the lemon is sprayed with soapy water, a decoction of bitter herbs, an infusion of onions and garlic or hot pepper. The procedure is carried out until the problem disappears, but at least 3 times. An interval of 5-7 days is observed between treatments.

Shield

It is more difficult to deal with a scabbard than with a spider mite or aphid. The larvae of this pest attach to shoots, bark and leaves of citrus and are covered with a chitinous layer. They feed on plant juices.

A sticky, shiny coating appears on the affected parts of the tree. Due to a lack of moisture, the leaves begin to roll up, turn yellow and dry up. They soon fall off the plant.

Unlike aphids, thrips and spider mites, the scabbard cannot be washed off with a stream of water, since the larvae are firmly attached to the plants. In this case, the most affected parts of the plant are first removed. To remove the remaining insects, they are killed, after which they will easily detach from the tree. To do this, use the following methods:

1. A bag is put on the tree, which is fixed with tape on the pot, leaving a hole on one side. Dichlorvos is injected into the hole. After 2 hours, the bag is removed, and the dead scabbards are removed with a damp cloth. The tree is rinsed under the shower.
2. Problem areas are wiped with kerosene diluted with an equal part of water. The plant is covered with a bag and left in this form for 2 hours. Dead pests are washed off with water.
3. Use systemic insecticides.

After the procedure, be sure to carefully examine the lemon. If live pests are found, the procedure is repeated.

Thrips

Thrips are another type of pest that causes folding of leaf plates. Insects are small, adults have an elongated body, and small ones are transparent. They feed on plant juices, multiply rapidly.

On the underside of the leaves of affected plants, not only the insects themselves are found, but also their eggs. There are large numbers of transparent individuals in the ground, from where they move to the plant.

The affected parts of the lemon curl, become covered with silvery spots and smudges. To get rid of the insect, the plant is washed under the shower. Then they are taken out of the pot, completely cleaned of the old earth and washed again under the shower.

Lemon is transplanted into a new pot, in disinfected soil. They are treated with agents that are used to combat aphids and spider mites. At least 3 treatments are carried out.

Sooty fungus in lemon and its treatment

The cause of yellowing and twisting of the green mass of citrus is not only care errors and pests, but also infection... This usually happens when the lemon is affected by a sooty fungus.

It is simple to detect the disease: the affected leaves are covered with a black bloom. At the initial stage, it can be easily washed with a damp cloth. If the disease is started, the green mass dries up and curls up.

To cope with a fungal infection, the twisted parts of the plant are cut off. Black spots are washed with soapy water. Afterwards, they are treated with copper sulfate or fungicide.

Conclusion

Rolling leaves is a sign that the lemon is feeling uncomfortable. The problem can be caused by improper care, inappropriate conditions, infection with diseases and pests. If you do not pay attention to this symptom in a timely manner, the plant will die.

If twisted green mass is found, the tree is checked for pests and diseases. If the suspicions are not confirmed, the care is analyzed and all errors are eliminated. If this does not help, transplant and growth stimulants are used.