Help, my lemon tree has borer!
Home » Blog » Zoe Carafice » Help, my lemon tree has borer!Email your gardening questions to editor@good.net.nz and every question answered in Good or on Zoe's blog will receive a fab prize from Tui Garden Products!
Q: I have a beautiful old lemon tree, but it’s riddled with lemon tree borer. It still produces heaps and heaps of lemons, and I really don't want to cut it down. Is there an organic way to cure it? What should I do about the big holes left behind? Also, what are wetas' favourite food, so I can get them out first? –Rosie
A: Firstly, cut off any infected wood and burn it. Scrape out the holes to get them as clean as possible. One organic treatment for borer is to inject neem oil (diluted 50:50) into the holes that the borer has drilled. Once you’ve done this you can then paint over the holes with acrylic paint to form a seal.
But like you say, before you do all this, we need to save the wetas! Wetas are predominantly herbivores so unfortunately won’t be tempted with food, but one idea is to offer alternative accommodation in the form of a weta motel!
Weta motels can be purchased from the Department of Conservation or you can make your own simple one by drilling a hole through the centre of a piece of wood to create a tunnel. Plug one end of the tunnel with a cork. Then tie this to the lemon tree with the cork on the top – this allows you to check if a weta has crawled up inside. Once your wetas have moved in to your motels, relocate them to a safe spot, then treat your lemon tree.
–Zoe Carafice
Rosie has won a bag of Tui Citrus Food from Tui Garden Products! Tui Citrus Food is a special blend of nutrients formulated to protect and enhance the growth of citrus trees. This group of plants are heavy feeders and perform best when a specialty fertiliser is applied regularly.
The high magnesium content promotes healthy plant growth. Magnesium is very important for the development of chlorophyll in leaves. This formulation also contains potassium to aid fruit and flower production.
Meet Good's new gardening expert
Zoe Carafice is a landscape designer and photographer. She won gold at the Ellerslie Flower Show in 2007 and has a keen interest in sustainable design and organic gardening.
Email your gardening questions to editor@good.net.nz and every question answered in Good or on Zoe's blog will receive a fab prize from Tui Garden Products!
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