this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2024
40 points (97.6% liked)

Houseplants

4551 readers
192 users here now

Welcome to /c/houseplants @ Mander.xyz!

In between life, we garden.



About

We're a warm and informative space for plant enthusiasts to connect, learn, and flourish together. Dive into discussions on care, propagation, and styling, while embracing eco-friendly practices. Join us in nurturing growth and finding serenity through the extraordinary world of houseplants.

Need an ID on your green friends? Check out: !plantid@mander.xyz

Get involved in Citizen Science: Add your photo here to help build a database of plants across the entire planet. This database is used by non-profits, academia, and the sciences to promote biodiversity, learning and rewilding.

Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Be kind and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.



Resources

Recommendations

Health

Identification

Light Information

Databases

FOSS Tools



Similar Communities

DM us to add yours! :)

General

Gardening

Species

Regional

Science


Sister Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Plants & Gardening

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Memes


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

TLDR: Citrus keeps turning black and oozing resin. But I can't find the problem. I thought it must be root rot, but they look perfectly healthy:

Long version: Because my first and second citrus trees fell victim to root rot, I started using a very airy substrate made of pine bark, perlite and some humus/worm castings in a 5:1:1 ratio for all my plants (figs, pineapple, cherimoya, monstera, etc.) with little adjustment. You may recognize this as 'aroid mix'. But it works surprisingly well in my indoor space with a west-facing window and terracotta planters (and my tendency to overwater).

But I can't wrap my head around citrus.

It always starts with rapid growth, followed by very suddenly dropping and crisping leaves, black stems and finally death.

I thought I must be root rot again, which I need to mind during winter. But today, when I dumped my fifth (!) tree, I found only perfectly healthy roots and nice smelling substrate.

I think it must be a pathogen… but what? I am at a loss. I keep killing my citrus trees and I don't know why. :'(

EDIT: replaced "5:1:1 mix" with "5:1:1 ratio" for clearification.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It would help if you had some pictures of the leaves before they fell to rule other things out, but it looks like a blight to me. That spreads by spores entering injured plant tissue. That's why you see the plant producing resin, it's trying to block off the sites where leaves fell so the disease doesn't spread to other areas.

It could definitely be injury from water stress, but could also be temperature stress if you have large fluctuations in anbient temp throughout the day. I kind of wonder if watering by placing the pot in a tub would be more beneficial? Plants will sometimes take up more water that way, but with the mix you have it won't be staying in the substrate long enough to cause rot

[–] Luccus 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It would help if you had some pictures of the leaves before they fell

At first they stay green (even the fallen ones). But as the tree keeps declining, some will turn brown along the edges, in an inverted v-shape, starting from the tip.

Temperature stress is something I'll have to look into. Thank you!

[–] FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee 3 points 2 months ago

Leaf tips turning brown is usually water stress, which definitely fits with the plant shedding green leaves. I would try watering a little more frequently for sure. Lots of luck with your next one!