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Some of the branches on my lemon tree don't look particularly healthy. Taking a closer look at the leaves indicates that it may be related to some disease. Please help me identify the issue and cure. Attached are some pictures.

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Looks like you have at least two problems. Let's take the last image first which appears to show Citrus Leaf Miner damage. You can see the channels that the miner has burrowed into the leaf.

The other images show a plant under a lot of stress. The leaves show a lack of nutrients - the stem looks as though it was strong and healthy at one time, but then moved into hard times, perhaps due to environmental conditions (say pollution of some kind, temperature stress) or even a heavy application of a pesticide to try to solve some other problem. Even an insecticidal soap, if not washed off soon after application, can have a negative overall effect.

My first inclination would be to (if the plant is not too large) turn the plant upside down and carefully knock it out of its pot and examine the roots. If all is black and grey this is bad news. You need to see some nice white roots. If you do and you want to keep the plant (say for sentimental reasons), cut it back and let it sprout out from side shoots after repotting into nice fresh potting soil.

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  • thanks for the response. My plant is in the ground so the option you suggest won't work. Any other suggestions? Also, how do I remedy leaf miner issue?
    – JStorage
    Feb 14, 2017 at 1:50
  • First you have to know for sure. Get a razor blade and slice those bubbles open. Yes indeed you have a problem and I think it is leaf miner. Never have I seen leaf miner this bad. Ugh. A systemic pesticide would be necessary and I hate systemic pesticides. Colin has great advice. How long ago did you purchase this plant? How did you plant this guy? The leaf miner could have come with the soil. If so I'd take him right back where you purchased him and discuss with store! Tell us what you have done with fertilizer...or anything else you've added. It is a good color but poor thing...
    – stormy
    Feb 14, 2017 at 19:25
  • Give us more information please.
    – stormy
    Feb 14, 2017 at 19:38
  • I planted it 6 years back so too late to uproot it and take it back to the nursery. I do get some lemons (10's not 100's). I believe in organic, pesticide free plants so any clean way to take care of these would be great. I buy organic citrus fertilizer from big box store and put it as recently as a few weeks back
    – JStorage
    Feb 14, 2017 at 22:24

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