Any ideas on what the problem may be with this potted tangerine tree? I picked this up from a neighbor over the summer. They have had it for several years but no fruit yet. I kept it in a sunny spot outside and it seemed fine, consistent green color, but no real growth or change through the summer. Once the weather started to turn cold (central PA), I brought it inside to a southern facing window. I only water it when the pot is dried out several inches deep. I have been feeding with Dyna-Gro liquid fertilizer 7-9-5, which I tapered back to every other watering once inside. In the past couple weeks interior and lower leaves have started to yellow and drop, with the leaf veins yellowing first. This seems to be only accelerating now with about 30% of foliage showing some yellowing. Any help would be appreciated!
My greenhouse citrus trees all did that to some degree last winter, I assumed it’s just from the cooler temperatures. The yellow leaves mostly ended up dropping. New spring growth came in a healthy green color once things warmed up a bit. That was my first winter with citrus, so don’t have anything to compare it to.
Citrus basically need consistant warm temperatures. When I lived in RI 7a, my key limes and Meyer lemons would go indoors for the winter. Most would loose their leaves, re-grow leaves, blossom and fruit. Tangerines are very different. I have my first Satsuma here in the south of France 9a/b and I have my fingers crossed leaving it outdoors this winter. It pretty much will not go below 45 degrees F, but that is still chilly for tangerines. My lemons do really well.
Way less light inside and leaves are used to outdoor sun. It will recover when put out in spring
Citrus, in general, doesn’t like to be moved. I think the difference in humidity and sunlight plays a role. You could try misting the leaves to see if that helps.
Indoor/outdoor citrus is difficult. It’s a very common complaint that they drop their leaves when brought indoors in winter.
Outdoor citrus in areas with cool winters doesn’t have that issue. In the commercial citrus belt in CA nights in the 30s are the winter average. No leaf drop or yellowing past what’s normal.
I had citrus both potted and inground in my greenhouse for years. I never had leaf drop. And I ran 37 at night and 50s by day for at least 45 days. The plants were unfazed. Those are the same winter temperatures as CA.
Pots with soil in the 30s didn’t drop leaves.
Bring them inside at warmer soil temps and they’ll probably drop their leaves. Just don’t blame it on cold soil.
I just watched a vid by millennial gardener last night… where he covers lots of details on how to bring plants inside for the winter… and he covered citrus with lots of details.
He says you have to gradually change their light from outside sun to inside thru window light, or they will yellow leaves and drop them all.
He said like… bring them inside for like a half day, then back out for a few days… then inside for a day, and back out for a few days, then inside for two days, back out for a few… eventually weening them off sunlight and letting them get used to inside (thru window light).
He said if you do not do this… they are very likely going to yellow and drop most or all leaves.
He had that experience with one of his first citrus trees.
He took it from outside, to inside as they left for vacation, and when they got back home a few days later it had dropped all leaves. It took it a while to recover.
So… he says you have to baby them and let them get used to the light change, gradually over some time, to keep them from being shocked like that.
No experience with that myself, but he has experienced that and found that making that change gradually over time takes care of it.
TNHunter
Those yellow leaves in your picture appear to be bottom (old) leaves. If those are what are being dropped, then is natural: they discard old leaves that are no longer useful to the tree. Nothing to worry about.
By the way, I brought my 31 citrus trees about 10 days ago when the day temps were in the 40’s and night temps in the high 30’s. Only 2 dropped a total of about 4 - 5 old leaves.
That’s interesting Vlad. I brought my tree in at similar temperatures, but that was probably back in early October. It was then multiple weeks before the yellowing started, first just a couple leaves, now a sizable portion of the entire tree.
Also, some I would characterize as old leaves, but many should be healthy judging by the location on the tree and the vast number yellowing.
That’s a good tip- I’ll have to keep this in mind for next year. Thank you
That’s very interesting fruitnut. Do you think it would be helpful to move the tree back out during warmer spells in the winter so it can get more of a taste of winter/natural conditions and then back in during cold freezing weather? Or would the moving in/out just likely exacerbate the problem for a tree trying to constantly adjust to a changing environment?
I’ve played the same game with Arbequina Olives, but they have seemed more forgiving in the couple years I’ve had them.
Makes sense, I will give misting a shot, our inside air gets pretty dry with our forced air furnace.