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newbie scale update

I removed diseased leaves and wiped it down again with alcohol.  Removed a few scale with the alcohol today.  I am attaching pictures.  Still wondering if it is worth trying to save.  It has a strange branch growth all from the bottom.  I cut off many of the excess branches earlier in the season.  Not sure if there are more problems I am just not seeing.  It is still warm here - Central Florida, so there is some new growth.        
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Looks like it can make a nice recovery. I hope all goes well

  • Rob

I don't know about others, but in my experience, the few trees I have had that have had that spidery growth habit never amounted to anything.  Maybe there's a way to fix it but I don't know.  Looks like there are two that are a bit thicker than the others.  Maybe cut the rest off.  Then you could stick what you cut off in pots root them and you'd have more trees to play with. 

Thanks for your reply.  Even though it looks like its making a come back the branch structure bothers me.....I keep waivering not wanting to give up on it and realizing that it probably will not be a producer....

Dolo,
  As hard as it might seem, a major pruning might solve all your problems.  Pick one or two of the best looking branches and cut off all the rest.  (Stick the cut branches in the ground or try to root them in some way.)  Since the tree is actively growing, it will focus its energy on the branches you leave.  If it tries to send up suckers from the base, nip them off.  (It may not be great to prune when the tree is actively growing, so you could wait and do it in a few months...or others might reassure you that it is no big deal to do it now.)  I think your Florida heat and sunshine can cure a lot of ills if you help the tree focus its energy.
  I have to admit that I have not given any of my trees a major pruning yet, so I'm guilty of not practicing what I preach.  But I realize it is a psychological block at this point and not doing it will soon start to do more harm than good.
Jim

I left the healthiest looking branch and cut off all the rest. These leaves all look fine and no scale that I can see.   I staked it.  Hopefully it will grow more tree-like. 20141102_tree.jpg  

 


Nice job! I bet you will be rewarded. :)

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