Admitting Failure

This poor little Keiffer Lime tree has been ravaged by a scale infestation. I’ve been trying My best to fight it back, but to no avail. I am giving up on this one and My 5 year old Blood Orange tree, which has the same blight. Having no where to put them that they won’t continue to spread this deadly parasite to the rest of My trees and plants, I’ve tossed them out into the harsh Minnesota winter to die. This has been My favorite of the citrus trees I have. It bounced back wonderfully from frost bite last year, but even with all the hand scrubbing and spraying of chemicals, I’m losing the battle. Having all these trees in the attic, without actual sunlight for 5 months of the year makes pest control EXTREMELY hard. I don’t like to spray chemicals, since most commercial pesticides rely on one of the two active ingredients for Agent Orange. Yet, claim to be food safe! I’m hesitant to use them in My living space since I don’t want to aquire some crazy mutation of leukemia like many of our soldiers did from exposure to the afore stated chemical in the Vietnam war.

Instead, I admit failure in caring for this tree. I’ll have to aquire another one in the spring. The leaves make for such delicious food, it’s just a wonderful variety of plant. I doubt that very many citrus trees have been introduced to snow and such cold temperatures, but it’s best for the rest of My trees this way. :(