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Serious danger to indoor citrus plants may represent the emergence and rapid spread of pests.

They enter the house along with new seedlings or on bouquets of flowers, enter the apartment through the open windows.

There are several pests that can be attributed to the most common.

Mealybug

The body length of an adult is from 3 to 6 mm. When citrus fruits are affected by this pest, a white coating appears on the leaves.

citrus nematode

Nematode - small worm about 300–100 µm long. This pest inhabits root system plants and feeds on its juices. If you dig an infected tree out of the ground, you can see growths and swellings in which the nematode lives.

As a result of the feeding of the pest, the plant dries out, and then the leaves begin to fall.

Ways to fight:

• the use of chemicals: to prevent infection with a nematode, a contact poison containing verkema-ruscamine can be added to the soil;
• heat treatment of the roots: the infected tree must be removed from the soil, immersed in water heated to 50 ° C, and planted in fresh soil (when heated to 40 ° C, the nematode dies).

Regular inspection of plants will allow you to notice the first signs of pests in time and take timely measures to avoid the harm that they can cause to citrus shrubs and trees.

whitefly- It is not difficult to detect a pest: one has only to touch a leaf, as whiteflies immediately fly up and fly to other leaves (plants).

In the places of damage caused by individual individuals, faintly noticeable small yellowish spots are formed, but during mass reproduction, the whitefly strongly inhibits the lemon, which affects the vegetative and generative development: leaves turn yellow and fall off, shoots dry out, fewer fruits are formed.

If there are a lot of pests, then they pollute the leaves with their sugary secretions, on which, in turn, sooty fungi settle, which impede the processes of photosynthesis and respiration, which inhibits the normal development of plants.

Aphids- With the help of a proboscis, aphids suck juices from the tissues of leaves, stems, buds. Damaged leaves curl, deform, partially or completely die off, buds do not bloom or give ugly flowers. The ends of the shoots can be bent, and with a strong defeat they stop growing.

Prevention.

thrips- small mobile insects with an elongated body (0.9-1.5 mm long) dark Brown, with two pairs of membranous wings fringed with long hairs. The pest lays eggs in the leaf tissue, after 8-10 days light yellow larvae emerge, which damage the leaves by sucking the juice. As a result, the top side leaf blade acquires a silvery sheen, physiological processes are disturbed, the plant loses its decorative effect. In severe infestation, the leaves become discolored and fall off. On lemon x and other citrus crops in rooms, greenhouse and tobacco thrips are most common.

Control measures are the same as against spider mites.

- Adult insects and larvae harm indoor lemons. Pests prefer young, recently appeared fruits, therefore, from the moment the ovaries appear, the worms immediately seek to populate them, accumulating and creating colonies on the amniotic calyx, on the peduncle, mainly on those parts that are turned inside the plant. Often, the worms destroy the cells of the stalk with numerous punctures, as a result of which they dry out and the fruits fall off. In places where insects accumulate, the peel of lemons is deformed, cracked, and the fruits rot, and the preserved ones lose their commercial qualities (yellow-brown spots appear on them).

In the absence of fruits, the pest settles on buds, young leaves and shoots, as a result of which the leaves become chlorotic, normal development is disturbed, the tree noticeably weakens and may dry out.

Against pests, the same measures are used as against spider mites or aphids.

- immobile insects, most often affect weakened plants. Pests from the surface are covered with dense waxy secretions and resemble scales. different shapes. The first sign of the appearance of scale insects and false scale insects is the appearance of a sticky sweet liquid on the leaves, on which soot fungi subsequently develop.

Control measures- manual collection, chemical and other available means.

For potted lemons, a certain danger can be earthworms that fall into the container with fresh soil mix.

You can see them after watering, when they crawl out to the surface of the earth. They penetrate the soil with their moves: lemon roots, in contact with air, quickly become covered with a cork layer and can no longer absorb water and nutrients. The most sensitive to the activity of worms are young plants with an insufficiently developed root system.

Speaking of lemon pests, it is worth mentioning podura and sciarids.

Podura- small white jumping insects that live in top layer soil, sciarids- mosquitoes (about 1 mm long). They usually do not cause much damage to adult plants, their appearance usually indicates that the soil is waterlogged and plant residues rot in it.

However, the larvae of these insects can pose a serious threat to germinating seeds and developing seedlings as they feed on growing roots. In this case, young leaves quickly turn yellow and dry out, and then the plants themselves die.

You can also pour a layer of sand 2-3 cm on top of a layer of earth into a pot.

Lemon Care

The best temperature for overwintering lemon is +15 - 18 ºС with moderate air humidity (Appendix A, Table 3). Under such conditions, the plants grow well, the leaves are preserved, the fruits ripen. Lemons do not tolerate too dry air at humid temperatures, especially seedlings grown in the ground.

Spring is a very responsible period in the care of lemons. At this time, lemons, like all plants, begin to grow, enter the budding stage. The buds develop better and give a useful ovary at a temperature of +14 - 17 ºС.

A tree that has begun to vegetate must be placed in the spring in the most illuminated place, otherwise the shoots will stretch.

In the spring, increase the rate of fertilization and watering.

Tree care in summer consists of proper fertilization, watering and pruning, which ensures the necessary conditions for crown formation and harvest.

best temperature for the growth and ripening of fruits + 19 - 25 ºС. More heat depresses plants.

Pests and diseases of citrus fruits

Pests and diseases of citrus cause great damage to the quality and quantity of the crop. In closed ground are formed ideal conditions for their existence and reproduction. Therefore, in greenhouse conditions The control of pests and diseases of lemon is of paramount importance in order to avoid crop losses.

To prevent the appearance of pests and diseases in the greenhouse, preventive measures are constantly taken. From May to August the greenhouse is ventilated natural ventilation. During the year, plants are inspected for the timely detection of pests and disease infestation. All side walls concrete racks smeared lime mortar, glass coatings in summer time washed with a solution washing powder or soda ash. We cannot talk about disinfecting the soil by steaming or replacing the soil mixture, since lemons are perennial plantations. Since lemons bear fruit throughout the year, a periodic analysis of the fruits is carried out by the laboratory of Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance. As a result, conventional pest and disease control measures are not possible in in full. Once every six months, the soil is spilled with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect the soil. When transplanting plants - 1% solution.

In the block of the household building there is a special unit for preparing solutions of fertilizers and chemicals. Spraying is carried out using motorized, backpack sprayers depending on the amount of work.

In the greenhouse - lemonaria, the following pests are found: spider and red mites, soft false scales, citrus whitefly, aphids, mealybugs.

Such methods of struggle were used that are safe for human life:

1. Fumigation with tobacco dust. Tobacco factory waste in the form of a brown powder is spread evenly throughout the greenhouse in cans. Then tobacco dust is set on fire and a smoke screen is created. Processing time 4 - 5 hours.

The first information on the treatment of citrus fruits against citrus whiteflies dates back to 1890, when tobacco infusion was used against eggs and larvae. This method is also used in this greenhouse.

2. Washing with soap and soda emulsion. A pre-prepared solution of soap and soda is supplied through the sprinkler system, at the rate of 30 g per 1 liter. water. Sprinkling in each section is carried out for 3-5 minutes.

3. Washing the crowns of trees in the early morning with a jet of cold water.

4. Watering the soil with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate.

An important measure that ensures healthy growth, normal development and good fruiting of lemons, is the fight against diseases and pests.

Citrus diseases can be divided into three groups:

Fungal diseases;

Infectious diseases;

Diseases are viral.

Black. The disease is caused by black sooty fungi, which most often develop on sticky sweet secretions, insects (aphids, whiteflies, thrips, scale insects, mealybugs). The disease is not dangerous for the plant, but spoils it appearance: on the affected organs of plants, a plaque appears in the form of dark brown or black spots, similar to powder, because. called "soot". Sooty plaque clogs the stomata on the surface of the leaf blade and thereby complicates the photosynthesis of the plant. The plant weakens, its growth slows down.

Control measures: “soot” is washed off with a wet swab from all leaves, and then the whole plant is washed under strong warm shower, while not only the remnants of soot deposits are removed, but also insects and their secretions that caused the disease. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to start fighting insects.

Control measures: the affected leaves are removed, the plant is treated with a systemic fungicide, the lemon is not sprayed for several weeks, the volume and frequency of watering are sharply reduced.

Anthracnose. It affects leaves, shoots, branches, sometimes fruits. On the leaves, already at the beginning of the first spring growth, light brown rounded spots appear. In the future, black dots form on the spots on the upper side - fruit-bearing mushrooms. The disease leads to leaf fall and drying of shoots. Its development is facilitated by various unfavorable conditions: Cold winter, excess moisture, lack of nutrition.

Control measures: pruning of affected shoots, collection and destruction of fallen diseased leaves, digging trunk circles and spacing. Spraying with 1% Bordeaux liquid.

powdery mildew . fungal disease, which manifests itself in the form of a white powdery coating on the leaves. As a result, the leaves curl, turn yellow, plant growth slows down. This disease, like anthracnose, rarely affects indoor lemons.

Control measures: the affected leaves should be removed, and the rest should be sprayed on the plant with a solution blue vitriol(5 g of copper sulfate per I liter of water).

Gommoz - infection. The disease is characterized by the formation of small cracks in the bark and the outflow of gum from them, especially at the root collar. These cracks gradually expand to the size of wounds, the bark in the affected areas gradually dies off.

As it dries, the bark falls off, exposing the wood. Often the disease spreads higher along the trunk, can move to the root, causing gum disease and the death of the bark. This disease can lead to the death of the tree. Sick trees have yellowish foliage and this differs from healthy ones.

The main causes of gommosis are mechanical damage, frost damage, heavy, highly moistened soils, and deep planting.

Control measures: elimination of the causes causing gommosis. When gommosis appears, it is carried out thorough cleaning affected areas to healthy wood with subsequent disinfection.

scab (warty). Affects fruits, leaves, branches. At the beginning of the development of the disease, very small warts appear on the leaves on the underside, flat on top and somewhat depressed in the center, pinkish-yellow, brown or brown. Affected leaves fall off. In the center of the growth of fruiting, mushrooms appear in the form of a plaque.

Control measures: prevention of spraying with a 1% solution Bordeaux liquid and destruction of affected tissues.

Chlorosis non-infectious. The disease manifests itself in the yellowing of the leaves. Plants affected by chlorosis weaken, lag behind in growth and may die. Chlorosis can be caused by a lack of zinc iron in the soil, abnormal water regime, severe prolonged drought.

Control measures: elimination of causes, disease-causing, and the introduction of a complete mineral fertilizer in combination with microfertilizers. When standing high ground water soil drainage is required.

Control measures: effective way there is no cure. To prevent the spread of the disease to other plants, the diseased lemon will have to be destroyed.

From the above brief overview of diseases, one of the treatments for most diseases is to spray affected plants with systemic fungicides.

Fungicides are a group of pesticides that suppress the development of plant pathogens and are used to control them. According to the type of action on the pathogen, fungicides are divided into protective (preventing infection) and therapeutic, causing the death of the pathogen after infection of the plant, and according to the nature of distribution throughout the plant, into contact and systemic. Contact fungicides after spraying remain on the surface of the plant and cause the death of the pathogen when it comes into contact with them. Systemic ones penetrate inside the plant and suppress the development of the pathogen due to direct impact on it, protect the new growth. The spectrum of action of fungicides is different: from drugs that act on pathogens of many diseases, to poisons with an extremely selective effect. For humans, most fungicides have low toxicity, however, the treatment of plants with fungicides should be carried out with the obligatory use of agents personal protection.

In addition to diseases, pests attack citrus fruits.:

Red citrus mite. An adult red tick, body size 0.3 - 0.4 mm. Damages all citrus fruits. Settling in the mass on the leaves, the pests suck out the juices, first causing the leaves to become whitish, and then yellowing and falling off, which leads to a decrease in yield and general inhibition of the plant. The mite also damages the fruits.

Control measures: sulfur preparations.

brown scale insect. The adult female has a rounded shield with a convex middle, light or reddish brown. Shield diameter 1.5 - 2 mm. Larvae and adult insects settle not on the upper side of the leaves, on the fruits, and sometimes on young shoots. In places of damage, whitish and yellowish spots are observed, merging together during a massive infection with a scale insect. Infected fruits and leaves fall off. Shoots and branches with a strong infection die.

Control measures: spraying during the dormant period of plants with a 2% solution of mineral oil emulsion prepared in soft oil (transformer).

Soft false shield. This is a polyphage that infects citrus fruits and other subtropical and tropical plants in greenhouses and greenhouses. The body of the female is asymmetrical, broadly oval, flat, 3-4 mm long, yellowish-brown in color. Males and shields of their nymphs are little known. Larvae and females settle on leaves, most often on veins, as well as on stems. They cause deformation of leaves and shoots, and sometimes their fall. The female can lay up to 1000 eggs and in greenhouse conditions is able to develop in 6-7 generations.

Effective in growing lemons agrotechnical measures aimed at preventing the entry of pests into closed ground. Among biological means protection, the cryptolemus ladybird (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Muls.), which is bred by the Lazarev Experimental Plant Protection Station, is especially effective. It is being introduced in the Ufa limonaria. Of the chemicals, Actellik is used, sometimes karbofos and mineral oils with laundry soap.

Mealy citrus mealybug . Polyphage. One of the most serious pests of citrus fruits. Inhabits young shoots, causes twisting of leaves, passes to fruits, causes their abscission, forms cracks in fruits.

The female is light crimson, covered with white powdery wax, up to 4.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide. Lives on trunks, branches, leaves and fruits, develops in three generations, fecundity over 600 eggs.

Control measures: the same as for soft false scale insects.

citrus whitefly. Causes great damage to citrus fruits. Harm from whiteflies in sucking the juices from the leaves, which causes them to oppress and fall off. Leaves covered with black bloom are deprived of the normal physiological process, which worsens the general condition of the plant.

Pest and disease control measures focus on the limited use of chemical methods.

Safe for human life and an environmentally friendly method is biological - the use of insects that eat pests.

Citrus aphid. Sedentary sucking insects, winged and wingless, ranging in size from 1 to 5 mm. The body of the aphid has a very delicate outer cover of a wide variety of colors. It feeds on the juice of the soft tissues of the plant and usually attacks tender leaves, young shoots with succulent tissue, buds and flowers. Insects multiply rapidly.

Control measures: the use of conventional pesticides: thiofol, anabazine sulfate and others in normal concentrations.

thrips. tiny insects with an elongated body (no more than 1 mm). They have two pairs of membranous wings bordered with long black or brown hairs. Pests lay their eggs in the leaf tissue, the larvae hatch in 8-10 days. Crawling from leaf to leaf, thrips leave behind characteristic silvery streaks. Their reproduction is facilitated by warm and dry air.

Symptoms of infection: flowers become stained and deformed. Numerous light dots first appear on the leaves, then the leaves become discolored and fall off. The growth of the whole plant slows down.

Control measures: the same as for infestation with aphids, mites and scale insects.

More recently, a healthy lemon tree is weakening and growing worse, the leaves on young shoots are getting smaller. With such symptoms, it’s time for the owner of the plant to think that the reason is the scab on the lemon, and how to get rid of the intruder?

How to identify the presence of this pest on an indoor tree? Unlike other insects that crawl or fly, the adult scale insect is practically immobile. But this does not prevent her from causing serious damage to a special young plant.

At first glance, it is not at all easy to detect a scale insect on a lemon, because it looks like a small waxy growth from 3 to 5 mm in size. Depending on the type, pests are located on back side leaves, on lateral shoots and trunk, that is, wherever you can firmly attach to the surface.

Without due attention, scale insects on a lemon multiply rapidly and, by sucking juices from shoots and leaves, weaken the plant.

Why do lemon leaves turn yellow? There are several reasons. In the process of life, insects secrete a sticky substrate, gradually covering everything around. Honeydew not only helps to detect the pest, it:

• closes the stomata on the leaf plates and this disrupts the process of tissue respiration;
• becomes a breeding ground for the sooty fungus, whose presence is detected by the characteristic black spots on the leaf blades and young stems.

Disturbance of photosynthesis, depletion due to feeding of an increasing number of pests, as well as the addition of concomitant infections - these are the main factors leading to yellowing, wilting and loss of foliage. Behind the leaves comes the turn of green shoots. If lemon diseases join insects, the plant is threatened with death.

To get rid of scale insects on a lemon, it must be detected as soon as possible and adult insects removed mechanically.

Pests settle in colonies located on stems and back parts of leaves. Sometimes you can identify scale insects on the ovaries. Therefore, these areas are subjected to especially careful inspection.

The attachment points of the scale insects on the lemon are wiped with an alcohol-containing liquid, and then the entire plant is treated with a systemic insecticide. One procedure is not enough. Since pests can be on the plant in varying degrees development, the treatment is repeated a couple more times with an interval of 7–10 days.

As a preventive measure, the citrus grower should:

• monitor the cleanliness of the soil under the plant;
• cut off dead and weakened shoots in time, especially attracting pests;
• treat cuts and other wounds with garden pitch;
• arrange a monthly quarantine for all new plants or crops that have returned to the windowsill from a summer "vacation" in the garden.

By adhering to these simple rules, you can not only seriously reduce the risk of scale insects on a lemon, but also protect green pets from attack by other dangerous insects:

• false shields;
• miner flies;
• aphids;
• gall flies;
• mealybugs;
• spider mite.

A decrease in growth rates, yellowing and abscission of foliage, and refusal to bear fruit is facilitated by a violation of the conditions for keeping citrus fruits.

For example, excessive dryness of the air in the room leads to the reproduction of spider mites. A microscopic pest is no less dangerous than a scale insect on a lemon, but you can get rid of it in similar ways using home remedies and modern acaricides. True, it is important to correct care errors.

In addition to insects and mites, harmful fungi and pathogenic bacteria encroach on the health of a lemon. These pathogens of lemon diseases are carried by water droplets, wind or fall on healthy specimens from already infected plants. A significant role in the spread and rate of reproduction of microorganisms is influenced by the created conditions of detention.

And on the leaves and fruits of the affected lemon, brown, black or gray spots form, the tissues on which gradually die off:

• leaves wither and fall;
• shoots stop growing, become weak, unviable;
• fruits lose quality or fall off at the ovary stage.

Home lemon diseases caused by pathogenic microflora and fungi can be treated with fungicides, but it is very important to put the culture in order and return it to proper conditions. In order for a homemade lemon to recover faster after an illness, all buds and flowers, as well as unripe fruits, are removed from it. Be sure to carry out sanitary pruning, and after completion of treatment they feed.

Video about a simple way to deal with a scab on a lemon

One of the most common and dangerous pests on the indoor lemons and tangerines is aphids. It most often affects the plant during the period active growth young shoots, settling on them and quickly sucking the juice out of them. By this, it slows down its development, one can also observe that citrus leaves dry up and fall off, young growth dries up. In addition, aphids indoor plants is a dangerous carrier of various viral diseases which could lead to their death.

Appearance of aphids on a young shoot

Aphids on homemade lemon usually an insect small size, about 0.5 millimeters, light green, tinged with young shoots. Larvae are lighter, adults are darker. Because of this color, it is difficult to immediately notice and take appropriate measures. This insect breeds incredibly fast, in less than a season 15-25 generations can be born.

Aphids on a plant leaf

In the earliest stage of an aphid infestation, this insect can be seen on reverse side young leaves, on ovary. If you saw at least one such representative on a lemon and you have a suspicion that aphids live on a lemon, how to get rid of it should not raise questions, you should take action immediately.

Adult aphids lay eggs in large numbers.

Aphids - causes of appearance on lemons

From the activity of aphids, the leaf plate is deformed

The signal may be deformed and sticky leaf plates and the ends of the shoots, the reasons for their appearance are aphids on a lemon. In the spring, the larvae first appear, it is they who can be seen first. They settle in large groups mainly on young trunks and leaves. This is due to the peculiarities of the structure, they feed by sucking the juice from plants through the proboscis, in aphid larvae it is not strong enough, so it is much more convenient for them to use the young shoots of citrus. The larvae are very voracious, as they need energy for growth and development.

Aphids with wings can significantly expand the focus of infection

But if the situation is started, then adults will appear, which can postpone great amount eggs in a short time. When aphids become very numerous, they begin to have winged individuals that can migrate from plant to plant, lay eggs and increase the focus of infection.

Aphids: how to fight and what to do?

If she nevertheless appeared on home flowers, you should not be very upset. a large number of proven and almost guaranteed ways to get rid of aphids on a lemon.

You can treat citrus for aphids at home different ways, depending on the degree of injury.

Adult aphid colony on the underside of a leaf

In the most radical way, after which the question should no longer arise: How to deal with aphids on a homemade lemon? are industrial chemicals broad action. We use the following tools:

Fitoverm- one of the most common and proven as a highly effective tool. It can be used both indoors and outdoors. With precautions, it can also be used at home. A broad-spectrum drug, in addition to aphids, destroys other pests on lemons: spider mites, thrips. Processing should be carried out several times at intervals of a week, since new populations may appear from the laid eggs.

Fitoverm - a common and reliable remedy for aphids

Multipurpose pest control – Iskra Zolotaya

Some home growers describe using dichlorvos against aphids on indoor citrus fruits. The tool is very aggressive and dangerous for the plant itself, so it should be used with great care. The plant is placed in a bag and a cotton swab or napkin treated with dichlorvos is placed there for several hours. After the procedure, the leaves are thoroughly washed with water.
If the situation is severely neglected and the aphid colony has already greatly flooded the entire crown of the plant, then you should apply mechanical way pest removal. The earth in the pot of the plant is covered with a bag or cellophane and the crown is washed with water and soapy water and cleaned with a soft brush.

Good old Dichlorvos

Adviсe

Aphids in nature are in symbiosis with ants that feed on its sweet secretions, as if "grazing" them. The ants protect the aphid colonies from pests and can transfer the larvae to new plants. Destroying the aphids, you should also destroy the ants.

After carrying out the procedures, after a few days, the crown of citrus "Epin" should be sprayed to level the transferred stress for the plant.

Folk ways to deal with aphids on lemon and tangerine

Aphids on plants appeared much earlier than chemical industry, so there are several folk ways fighting aphids on a lemon, which help, if not completely destroy it, then greatly reduce its population. They can also be used as preventive methods treatment of plants from pests of this type.

« Ladybug" to help

Aphids have enemies in the natural food chain, that is, insects that feed on them. This is everyone's favorite "Ladybug". If it is ensured that it lives next to plants, then the aphid will be destroyed in a natural way for nature.

"Ladybug" will gladly save you from aphids

Garlic and Geranium will protect against aphids

Aphids do not tolerate strong odors. Natural ways to scare off aphids are planting garlic, peppermint or geraniums in close proximity to lemon and tangerine trees. The measure is more likely a preventive one, since it can rather scare aphids away from your plants, but not destroy them.

The pungent smell of geranium repels aphids

Ash from pests

A well-established folk remedy to destroy aphids is the use wood ash. It is either sprayed on the leaves of plants, or mixed with soapy water, washed or treated with leaves. Ash is also a good prevention for plants from root rot.

Ash is beautiful folk remedy from aphids

May the force be with you in the fight against aphids and good harvests for you!

We also suggest that you familiarize yourself with ways to control other pests on homemade lemons and tangerines, such as spider mite and Trips in our article.