this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2023
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Another unseasonably warm morning, bringing with it both pleasure at the temperature and a sense of existential dread at the larger meaning of it all. I plan to work out my inner angst by raining destruction upon the leaf-curl ridden nectarine tree that's never produced any fruit, and the gall wasp ridden lemon tree that is little more than a twig with leaves that constantly surprises me by the fact that it somehow manages to still be alive.
Your pleasure and dread description summarises exactly how I feel about it.
Unfortunately leaf curl is inevitable and can only be managed by spraying. If this isn’t a preference yeah I agree time to get rid of the tree and plant something more robust. As for the lemon tree, my recommendation is to ignore any and all advice that says to cut off the galls. Spent a few years cutting off galls from my lemon tree, and the poor thing could never recover because it was getting cut back too much. Left it totally alone for a couple of years, just fertilised, and it is now lush and heaving with fruit. It is also full of galls but that seems to have zero impact on its fruit producing ability. There is enough tree for both me and the wasps to share.
Leaf curl is nasty. I've had good results from Bordeaux mixture - which is copper sulfate based. My lemon saplings have had all their leaves chewed off by something, so I have moved the pots and sprayed them with soapy water. Will hose them off tonight if it hasn't rained by then.