The tree sprouts new leaves for them to only turn yellow (veins stay green) and then start to curl and then fall off.

Last year, someone suggested it may be salt near the roots, and recommended watering heavily to see if I can push the salt out. I've done this several times 5-6(watering on low 24 hrs) from hose.... tree started looking good for a very short while, but never improved... got a total of 3 lemons from it last year.

Canopy is about 6' across, it's a dwarf lemon tree.

A few pictures:

Citrus are "heavy feeders" and need fertilizing 3 or 4 times a year.

Too much water can push oxygen out of the soil making it difficult for the tree to absorb nutrients from the soil. This causes 'chlorosis' or green veins on the leaves with lighter green to yellow tissue in between the veins.

If the chlorosis is on the new leaves it indicates a lack of iron. If its on the older leaves it means the tree isn't getting enough nitrogen.

This time of year when soils are cool, citrus often look like yours. They won't be actively pulling nutrients from the soil until later next month. In the meantime you can apply a citrus fertilizer at the drip line and water it in when you normally irrigate. Good times to fertilize are Valentines Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day. Follow the instructions on the citrus fertilizer chart at the web site below.

The University of Arizona has several publications on citrus that may help.

I do use granular citrus fertilizer... but curious, if I'm supposed to spread the fertilizer out under the canopy, and I use drip irrigation, how does the fertilizer dissolve and leech into the soil?

Should I perhaps use sprayers instead that will soak the granules and allow the fertilizer to leech down to the roots?

Should I dissolve the granular fertilizer in a 5 gallon bucket and then pour it under the canopy area so it soaks into the soil, to get the fertilizer down in the roots before it starts to try and flower?

I did a PH test on the soil, and it's coming in at about a 7.0. Should I lower the PH down to about a 6? I read somewhere where higher PH binds the soil and the tree can't uptake nitrogen and iron very well.

What's the best way to lower PH (quickly) in soil?

Thanks.

Tree still looks about the same... it's starting to bud and new leaves still come in, but start to turn yellow almost immediately.

I've been feeding it ironite plus for 3 weeks almost, and really can't see any difference.

AIR? Is there black plastic under that gravel?

If this is the problem, treatment involves applying humates, either in solid form, or as liquid humic acid. They should be spread over the entire root area: from the trunk out to 3-6 ft out from the dripline. That may involve getting permission from your neighbor to apply it on the other side of that wall, too. Follow the application with watering to 3 ft. deep in the soil over the entire area. New growth should gradually return to normal over the next 2-6 weeks. New applications may need to be made twice a year, until the source of contamination is exhausted. Meanwhile, follow a normal fertilizer regimen.

Hope this helps!
Kevin : )

I did buy some sulphur and plan on adding it to the soil to see if I can get the PH down to 6.5 (it's sitting at 7 now) and see if that helps.

I just seems to be a guessing game, but It'll get resolved sooner or later. Thanks for the tips.

Too much water
Too little water
Needs nitrogen
Needs manganese
Need Iron
PH too high and soil won't release iron

Now, what I think really started this was over a year ago, I had my garden on the same line, and in the summer I was running this daily, for 15 minutes a day.

One emitter per foot of crown diameter, spaced evenly out on the drip line.
7-10 gallons per emitter, all in one shot--an hour and a half for yours.
Once a week in summer. Once every two weeks spring and fall. Once every three weeks December 1st to January 31st.

Kevin : )

Here's how much you are watering based on the schedule you provided. 2 emitters @ 1.5 gallons = 3 gallons per hour. Because you are watering for 15 minutes you are providing roughly 3/4 of a gallon of water each time you irrigate.

It takes one gallon of water to moisten 1 cubic foot of soil. A tree the size of yours would have a root volume of roughly 36 cubic feet. It would take about 36 gallons to moisten that much soil.

You need to change your watering schedule to apply 36 gallons of water once every 3 - 4 weeks in winter increasing to once every week to 10 days in summer.

Your lawn should only need water once every week to 10 days in winter. If you don't overseed it only needs water once a month in winter. Because of the rain we've had you should have turned your sprinklers off back in January.

Don't use Ironite on your citrus or other shrubs. It doesn't have enough iron in it for anything except turf. Instead use a 'chelated' iron product or one that is water soluble. The iron has to be in this form for plants to use it.

Here's a link to common nutrient deficiencies in citrus. Your leaf looks like manganese deficiency.

Hope this helps.

aztreelvr
certified arborist

I do agree with you on magnesium deficiency. Odd that what started this was "probably a salt problem" and here I am adding epson "salts" for magnesium.

The new leaves on the tree are currently a deep green, so the iron has helped, probably along with the TLC I've been giving it weekly.

Hoping epson salts takes care of the rest. Thanks to all on this forum for you advice.

I'll post a post picture in a couple of weeks.