Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I live in Los Angeles, a few years ago, I transplanted a healthy fruit bearing
meyer lemon tree from a pot to the ground. It has grown, but it has had
deformed leaves that stay upright, the leaves look bubbly between the veins,
then they curl like someone crinkled up foil, they can stay like that for a
while, some turn yellow around the crinkle. Some of the leaves are fine.
But even more perplexing, is that the fruit (which was sparce, but now seems
to be more) that was meyer lemons now seems to be grapefruits...at first
kinda lemon-tasting grapefruits, now, grapefruits--some healthy, some
w/brown scaley outsides.
It is in full sun, it has had lots of water in the recent rains, part looks healthy
the other part looks deformed. I also have a lisbon lemon tree, where the
some of leaves are starting to look similar. I appreciate any help you can give
me.
Thanks,
Sandra

ANSWER: Hi Sandra...you have a few  things going on...Your lemon tree was probably grafted on some kind of grapefruit.  During planting time the root stock (grapefruit type) took over and killed your lemon.  One has to remove branches that come out of the graft or the grafted part takes over.

The second thing, your leaves are curling up and look like railroad tracks underneath the leaves.  It is the leaf minor.  It is a moth that comes out in the warm weather and lays her eggs on the underside of the leaves.  Then the critters dig their way into the leaf and distorts it.   In the cooler months the moth goes to sleep and pretty new leaves come out making you forget get about the ugly ones.  Because she lays her eggs every seven days it is almost impossible to stop it.  I do nothing and enjoy the fruit.  Learn to live with the leaves looking that way.  Spraying with Neem Oil, which is organic, if 100 per cent pure,  will help the brown scale problem and may keep some of the leaf minor at bay.  It does not wash off.   So in a nutshell you are doing nothing wrong...now, just watch so now stems grow out of the grafted part of the tree near the ground.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much Cathy,
Just for clarification, I tasted the grapefruit, and it's very tart, like a lemon, as
without the bitter kick of a grapefruit. So you think the meyer lemon is dead?
Do I have a hybrid now? Do I just continue to fertilize w/citrus fertilizer?
you said watch the stems, does that mean I should cut the stems growing
from the bottom? Cut back the most diseased looking parts? And does this
moth get into other things. I have a peach tree and roses. Where do I get
Neem oil? Sorry to ask so many ???s, but I haven't a clue.

Bless you,
Sandra

Answer
Hi Sandra..IT is hard to say what they use in your area for root stock, it could be a sour orange, or different type of lemon like one called rough lemon, but for sure if it doesn't taste like the original meyer then you lost it. Just look where the branches are coming from, if they are low to the ground, say the first 6 to 12 inches (everyone grafts differently) it is the root stock.  If you cut that away, if it is not to late, you may still have a branch that is still the original lemon, being the main leader.  It is still  a citrus and if you can still use the fruit continue to take care of it.  It is not a hybrid it is just a root stock that is used as it is stronger than the original plant attached to it.  For many reasons such as can take more water, more cold, etc...

You can remove the leaves that have the moth in it, to make it look prettier but if it is warm the new leaves will keep coming out the same way. Learn to live with it looking weird and enjoy the fruit.  The leaf minor will not bother your other plants.  Neem Oil you should be able to get in your area as that is where it is coming from to us.  Check out at a nursery as they would be more apt to sell you pure oil not mixed with poison.  Read the labels on anything you use to be more aware for your own safety.  You don't want to put poison on things you eat. Hope this answers all your questions and they are never to much...