Psyllids, Citrus, Soil and Garlic

Hello, I have a client whose lemon tree has psyllid insects. The tree was not fertilized, so it became weak and vulnerable. I came on the scene recently with a good nutrition program, and the leaves are so much greener, but how do I get rid of the insects organically? How do I make the garlic concentrate you mentioned, for instance? Thanks in advance. - Marianne

First off, you didn't mention if you were fertilizing the tree organically or conventionally. There is a big difference. If you were fertilizing with chemical fertilizer, then yes, the tree will green up. Greening up is not everything and it doesn't mean that it is fine. The fact that your tree still has the psyllid means that you missed a few things.

Do you know what a refractometer is?
It measures Brix levels. A healthy Citrus should be at 12 or higher Brix level, with 12 being at the lowest level (it would still be attacked) and 23 being the highest (no pest attacks). To achieve higher Brix levels, you cannot use chemical fertilizers if you want the higher Brix levels to last. Chemically, the High Nitrogen will temporarily increase Brix levels but then drop below where you started. It will, in essence, have a hangover and become more susceptible to insect attacks.

Also, Organic fertilizers will not work in dead soil, so I have to ask you:

What have you done to the soil?
Have you applied a live compost that is rich in microbes and trace minerals? This process of healing the soil will take a few years and is not corrected overnight. You must learn how to do this, and I will be happy to guide everyone through it.

Not all compost is equal. Some are made correctly from animal manure, while many in stores are not. The animal manure is essential to provide microbial life needed by the soil and the plants. It is this little soil army that breaks down minerals and makes them available to the plants via root hairs of plants.

The first time you apply, many will die because the condition of the soil is not correct for soil life. It has been destroyed through the continuous use of chemical fertilizers and from human-made toxins. So every time you apply, more and more of this army will survive. Thus it could take years to restore.

You should find or make live compost. A suitable replacement is Dr. Earth Planting mix, which comes with a great variety of soil microbials. This is important. It is also vital that you add rock dust to the compost since this will be the source of minerals. I always make a blend of various rock dust sources to ensure a complete mineral blend. Some rock dust has more of certain minerals than others, and some lack entirely certain minerals. There are 96 trace minerals needed by your citrus to be "healthy.” You must realize that when pests or diseases attack, the tree is stressed. While many things can stress out your citrus, it is always has something to do with soil that is not functioning correctly.

You said that it greened up recently, so I am wondering what did you use. Chemical fertilizers always have high nitrogen. High nitrogen will green up the plant or tree all right, but not in a good way. The actual color your citrus leaves should be is not a bright or even dark green but a blueish green!

If you have been following my columns and radio shows, I always talk about the long-term and short-term solutions. You can’t just fertilize the citrus and expect it to be healthy in a week, in a month. Maybe in a year, it can be healthy again, provided you pay attention to the foundation of healthy soil. That takes years to recover. Overwatering is another thing that damages the tree by destroying the soil. Soil Microbes cannot swim well. They cannot function if they drown. If they cannot function, your citrus tree, and anything else growing, will also not be able to function correctly.

To function correctly means that the citrus is receiving from the soil, all the vitamins and minerals needed by that citrus for healthy pest and disease free growth. So, you should be thinking in both long-term and short-term care. Do not expect the psyllid to disappear overnight. They will return as long as the stressed, sick tree is sending out the stress-sick signals.

The pests will be attracted for miles around-Food Time!

The soil is a long-term solution. Regular applications of rock dust, live compost, and acid mulch (try Dr. Earth Soil amendment as it is also acid) combined with consistent application of organic fertilizers which also has beneficial microbes (like Dr. Earth Organic Fertilizers) will start to take effect on the soil and bring back the microbial army of the soil. The best way to get microbes is to make your microbes.

There are many short-term solutions. These are things that won't hurt the tree or the soil but will tell the psyllid not to stop here! The Garlic you mentioned is one of those organic gardening tools that date back as long as we have been gardening. I learned the magic of garlic in my early gardening days, and it has never failed me. When I started using garlic, I would make my garlic spray. 8 oz crushed organic garlic (at 99 cents store) placed into a pantyhose and tied into a ball will act as a filter. Otherwise, the garlic will clog your sprayer. Suitable for a three-gallon water sprayer. Spray several times per week as needed. I would also add one tablespoon per gallon of water of Sea90 (for trace minerals). You can also buy it, and it is called Garlic Barrier. Do not overuse it, or you will be sorry and smell like garlic forever!

Andy Lopez
aka Invisible Gardener
Any questions?
andylopez@invisiblegardener.com