Don’t see too many citrus posts here 
My Owari Satsuma Mandarin was bought as a #10 sized tree for the price of a limb. Here’s how it looked when I bought it.
I planted it in a spot where it gets glorious sunshine during the summer but is in the shade in the winter. It did well initially.
This was probably not good for the tree. I don’t have a pic but the tree lost a lot of leaves.
I took it out and planted it in a sunnier spot. The root ball was woefully small. It sprouted a gazillion buds trying to hang on.
Today, the tree has finally started growing again. I’m so glad to see it fight back!
Looks great, so nice to see a little tree spring back to life. Be sure to treat systemically right now with Bayer Fruit & Vegetable Insect Control to circumvent ACP with all that tender new growth.
Patty S.
WOW. What a shame to allow that baby tree to try to carry and feed all those fruit. If they had been clipped off when tiny, the very limited root system could have used it’s capability to grow a bigger plant. The sooner that the tree gets big, the better it is in multiple ways, including being able to bear large quantities of bigger fruit. And not get so depleted doing it. I always clip off either all baby fruit on a small tree, or in a few cases let maybe let one develop to see how good or not good this tree could be. Like test driving a car prior to signing a 5 year loan. Leaving all those fruit for current enjoyment is about like a youngster diverting money from a new, tiny savings account to buy ice cream for current enjoyment rather than thinking long term and leaving the $$ alone for future ‘big things’. On the other hand, if having a dwarf tree is the goal, that is a good way to get it.
Congratulations, BD. It is SUCH a relief to see new growth on a tree that you’ve been fretting and worrying over. I can tell that it had retained very few leaves by comparing pictures and seeing the locations of that new growth. Right now it looks like what it’s pushing is going to be thick and lush. 
If I were to lose all of my citrus, and only one survived and did well, I would want it to be my Owari Satsuma. The fruit is delicious. I hope you got to enjoy at least some of what it was carrying when you bought it. My trunk is probably smaller caliper than yours, and the branching is most like your second picture down. I let it carry two fruit last year.
I’m almost, but not quite, in the citrus zone. Currently, all of mine are potted, but my intentions are for the Owari to eventually be in the ground. First, I want to get it fattened up and buy two more so that I have back up. Although they are supposed to be able to handle my lowest winter temps, I don’t want to risk it until it’s developed more mass.
Most of my citrus also lost a substantial number of leaves by the end of winter. They were kept in a very warm, brightly lighted, mylar lined grow tent with cool nights. I have special sunglasses to wear when I’m in there. They also pushed new growth and kept the house scented with their flowers. Unlike last summer, they are producing more leaf flushes and flowers outside. I don’t know if it’s because of their overwintering experience, or because I relocated them to an area where the sun is slightly less intense and their root zones are not subject to as much heat.
I hope yours continues to do well and gives you many years of juicy returns.
Unless the youngster is really smart. Since that savings account is tiny, buying the “big things” with it is a long way off. The smart one will enjoy the ice cream and let Grandpop know about the big desire. 
Part of the pleasure of grandkids is kick of doing stuff like that for them.
Thanks for the comments, folks.
My grandfather’s cousin Howard is very happy. He introduced the world to the cultivar.
