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Dwarf Citrus not looking good after potting (pic)

16 years ago

i just bought a dwarf Valencia Orange tree and potted it this afternoon. The bottom of the pot has a lot of holes and I also added 1" rocks for more drainage. The soil is a mixture of existing sandy soil and Miracle Grow Cactus, Citrus and Palms. Only after about an hour, the tree already looks like it is in bad shape. I watered it right after planting, but didn't over water. The leaves toward the top of the plant are curling in and starting to droop. The picture looks like it is in shade, but the tree is in a sunny spot for most of the day.

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Comments (6)

fishstyk
16 years ago
it should be fine...you can snip off the droop part if you want. the roots support the leaves so some of the roots may have been slightly damaged during transplant...be sure to remove any constricting tape etc around the trunk. you will also notice that many plant's leaves curl up or droop when the sun is really intense...this is their natural defense...good luck!
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growingup
Original Author
16 years ago
I see. Now about the tape, it is holding it to 2 support beams. The trunk is super scrawny and it would lie on its side without it. Do I still remove it? Should I replace the tape with twine?
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Thanks citrange, Did some reading and inspecting. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to check the underside of the leaves (even with the limited gardening I've done in my life, that's something I should have thought of). I think you may be right about the leaf miners. I've included a photo of the underside of a leaf I removed from the tree. There is an obvious trail, and the leaf surface around that area is shiny. Can anyone confirm leaf miner activity from this photo? Also, how long does it typically take for new growth to change from light green to the darker green of more mature leaves? The first flush of growth on my tree seemed to take about a month; is this what I can expect? I'm asking because I want to make sure I don't miss a sign of nutrient deficiency. I know I'm asking a bunch of questions in this post! Can I ask one more? :-) Is the roots growing out of the bottom of the pot a sign that the tree needs to be potted up? I know from my reading that citrus likes to be somewhat rootbound and potting up should be done gradually. This tree hasn't been in the pot but three months; I'm thinking it's too soon to pot up, but those roots have me worried! Thanks! Michelle
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jean001
16 years ago
Oops. Several mistakes.

1. "1" rocks for more drainage" won't help, even though it sounds like it should. With the rocks there, the drainage is less than if the rocks weren't there.

2. "soil is a mixture of existing sandy soil and Miracle Grow Cactus, Citrus and Palms" -- Using garden soil in a pot is a definite no-no. Instead buy any potting mix that drains well and use as is.

Potting soil is designed to be coarse-textured which, in turn, ensures drainage. Garden soil is much finer textured and, in the shallow depth of a pot, drains poorly or not at all.
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citrusnut
16 years ago
Hot Arizona sun for most of the day is probably too much for a plant that young. Move it out of the direct sun and into bright light with some early morning sun then see if the leaves perk up.

Is the soil mix draining? When you say you didn't over water does that mean you gave it very little water? Perhaps too little? The water should have run through the mix and out of the pot.

When I bring home a new plant I never repot it first thing unless it absolutely needs it. I do however check the soil mix to see if it needs water and what condition it is in and look to see if any roots are showing. If the plant needs repotting but its not absolutely urgent, I let it acclimate to its new surroundings for at least a week before doing anything. This keeps the plant from getting too many shocks at once.
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growingup
Original Author
16 years ago
The tree has already perked up so hopefully, it was just transplant shock. Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I'm not going to mess with this one unless it starts going down hill again but for the other citrus trees I plan on getting, I know better.

Why I potted it-It was in a tube that wouldn't stay upright so it had to go somewhere so it wouldn't keep falling over.

Watering-I watered the whole pot, but didn't dowse it and it drained well.

Arizona Hot sun-Yesterday was only 62 degrees. When I researched this particular tree, it is supposed to thrive in hot weather so if it can't stand it at 62, what is it going to do at 118?
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citrusnut
16 years ago
Growingup, that was a good reason to repot your tree and it sounds like your potting mix will work well, too.

When I said Arizona hot sun I was talking about the UV rays not the temperature.

Good luck with your plant.
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