Q: I have a small lemon tree in a pot that is looking very sick. Many of the leaves are curled and some have a distinctive swirling pattern on them. What do I treat it with and could I give it a prune? It is about 1.2m tall. Many thanks.
Lesley, GCC Member
A: What you have there is a citrus pest called leaf miner, it's a small moth that lays her eggs in the new growth of citrus. The larvae then make a tunnel to get out causing the squiggly lines on the leaf. It doesn't attack the old leaves just new ones. You can use a product called eco-oil which will discourage the moth laying eggs on the new foliage. You can prune the damaged growth as the leaves will not recover — just make sure you don't compost them; throw them in your green waste bin.
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