What's your question? Ask

Grapefruit Trees

Q.Unidentified Citrus Plant BENT Not Curled Leaves

Zone 96790 | iambethdavis added on December 11, 2020 | Answered

I dropped some seeds in soil last February and this citrus, which is either lemon or grapefruit, has severe leaf deformation. The roots look healthy and are just starting to swirl around base of pot so I will transplant. But this leaf issue has been present for a while. No visible pests and the soil looks healthy. I am on your weekly newsletter email list nd love it!

A.Answers to this queston: Add Answer
BushDoctor
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Answered on December 14, 2020

This happens, usually, due to a pH swing. Unfortunately, soil health cannot be determined by looks. Many problems that occur in soil are, either, microscopic or chemical.

There are ways that allow you to test for these problems, though. Testing pH and nutrient content will rule out either of those issues. Once those are corrected, the affected leaves will not return to health. New growth will cease to curl and bend, however.

Should you find that your pH is fine, and your nutrient content is not overbearing, then you can begin to diagnose more rare issues, such as viral, bacterial, or fungal pathogens.

Here are some articles to start you off:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/citrus

From experience, this reminds me of my own grapefruit. The bottom lobes of the leaves are common in many citrus, but they can be quite noticeable in grapefruit.

They seem to be quite sensitive to soil changes, so keep everything as stable as you can. I can't confirm that yours is a grapefruit, but it does seem to fit the bill.

Here is an article to help you with grapefruit care:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/grapefruit/growing-grapefruit.htm

These will help you when the tree is mature:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/grapefruit

Was this answer useful?
10

Log in or sign up to help answer this question.

Did you find this helpful? Share it with your friends!

You must be logged into your account to answer a question.

If you don't have an account sign up for an account now.

Looking for more?
here are more questions about...
Grapefruit Trees
Join Us - Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips!

Do you know a lot about gardening?
Become a GKH Gardening Expert

OK