My container Meyer and key lime citrus trees are cracking. I bought them back in February and they are about 5’ tall. I’m in South

Question

Texas and am able to keep them outside. I have seen some spiders on them. This is my first attempt with citrus. I don’t want them to die due to lack of experience.

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Answer 1

I'm afraid that your issue is far worse than spiders. It looks like your citrus has scale insects. This will completely destroy your citrus without treatment. First you will have to scrape off all of those white spots, as they are a hard protective shell for the insect. Once they attach, they do not move for the remainder of their life.

After you have scraped as many off as you can, you will need to treat the tree. Use a broad spectrum miticide on the leaves and stems. It will not penetrate the shell of scale, though. This is why you must scrape them. It will kill young scale, and it will kill eggs.

Spray this on the tree every 2 or 3 days, all over. Eventually, you will see them shrivel and die, what remains. Do this for 2 weeks, and you will start to see recovery and new growth after about a month.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/control-plant-scale.htm