Kaffir Lime Bush help

 


Hi

Could anyone give me some advice please - my lime bush (which was on my
window
sill but i've moved it outside and is still in its pot) has lost
a lot of
leaves, there are little bumps now all up the stem which i'm
guessing is some
kind of infestation?. Since i moved it outside it has
starting growing leaves
but they are reddy/brown - does this mean it
has a deficiency?

any thoughts?




--
Slugs&snails

 



 Those little bumps that don't move much are Scale.  Some folks Touch
with isopropyl alcohol.  I just place them out on my porch where ants
seem to protect them.  But come fall they are clean and ready to be
eaten by larger vermin.

 Bill perhaps new potting medium  as mine are green all year but sad
come late spring so out to nature they go.

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
 -Philo of Alexandria

http://www.youtube.com/usnationalarchives

 


Did you move it from indoors directly into full, outdoor sun?

Red brown in the leaves suggests sun stress. Lots of plants when sun-
stressed will develop a red colour in the leaves.

Follow David's recommendation regarding the possibility of scale.

I wonder, after you rule out scale, if the little bumps are dormant buds
activating.

 


Hello, thank you for all your responses they have been helpful. From
your
description i believe the bumps are scale and i have been able to
remove the
majority of them quite easily. I would prefer not to use
sprays as i use the
leaves in cooking - will the scale stop coming back
if the plant is more healthy?

I dont think it is root bound as it is only a small bush but perhaps
there is
not enough goodness in the soil? I was watering and feeding it
weekly until the
leaves started to drop and then i began to doubt what i
was doing and stopped.
So havent fed it for a couple of months. So
should i still repot it? How often
should i water / feed?

Also should i cut it back or not? - it looks a little stragly now that
most of
the leaves on the branches have fallen with only the end leaves
still hanging on

What position is best for it? I bought it in january (winter) and it
was on my
windowsill doing really well until spring time around april
(when i guess the
windowsill gets too much sun) I  moved it in the
garden to an area which
probably was still too sunny so expect that was
why the leaves were truning red
so i have now placed it in a more shaded
area.

Just in response to some of your questions i moved it outside when the
frosts
had finished and i had seen the scale and was worried they would
hatch into
loads of  flies in my house! From what you have said i think
it couldnt cope on
the windowsill as the weather got warmer / sunnier
and with it being in a small
pot there was little nutrients in it.




--
Slugs&snails

 

On Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:24:51 +0100, Slugs&snails


Kaffirs are notorious for scale, especially when over wintered
indoors. I have two and must keep vigilant. (other indoor citrus are
susceptible, too). If you have scale on the stem, though, you likely
have it on the underside of the leaves as well. Scale must be removed
by hand, scraping each one off, or using a q-tip and rubbing alcohol.

Kaffirs also tend to get aphids when kept in a warm, dry house over
the winter. You can spot this by the shiny, sticky exudate on the
leaves.

The ruddy-colored new growth you see may just be the tiny new leaves,
as when they emerge, they are reddish in hue and will green-up as they
get older. If the reddish color all over, or in sports, almost like
rust on existing growth?

They are not difficult to grow in pots. I use larger pots, but ones
that are pretty easy to move around and keep on the windowsill, surely
not tubs as some of my other exotics here in NJ are kept in.

I get my other potted citrus to bloom and fruit, but alas, not the
kaffir. All are fertilized with a special citrus mix.

Boron