Expert: Nick McCann - 10/30/2009

Question
my lemon tree has black leaves, the fruit is splitting and some have like thinned skin spots (see inside but hard) before they are very yellow.  why and is the fruit ok

Answer
Hi Lynne, Your tree is in need of critical care, the black leaves is Sooty Mold, an innocuous fungus that is attracted to the secretions of feeding insects, lots of feeding insects!...they give off a sweet secretion as they feed, and the Sooty Mold is attracted to it; you need to spray your Citrus once a month during the active growing season with a Horticultural Oil for control of insects, once every three months with a Copper Fungicide for control of Fungal problems and fertilize three times a year. The splitting fruit is caused by infrequent watering, you need to consistently irrigate your Citrus once a week to prevent this and to maintain a healthy growing pattern. I can't see the fruit, so I don't know if the fruit is safe to eat or not. Nick