That tree needs some water. Looks like you have fertilizer tip burn to me, not that big of a deal. A newly planted tree should be getting watered almost daily, especially with the wind, high temps and ultra low humidity we’ve been seeing the last couple weeks. Once the weather cools down and you see your tree start to recover from the transplant shock you can back off on the watering and do it less frequently but for longer periods of time. Not sure if you have Drip Irrigation but that will help you a lot, then you can just set it to water on a regular schedule. As Susanne stated above, I would remove the stake that it’s tied to so the tree can sway in the wind and begin to build a thicker, stronger trunk. By the way, what kind of mandarin did you plant and do you know what rootstock it is on? Evan

Thanks for your recommendations. Logee's prices for their citrus trees are actually lower than what I've come across online... One of the first such online sites that popped up in my search was FastGrowingTrees.com and while the customer reviews seem reliable, a "1-2 ft" Clementine starts at $39.95 and goes up to $79.95 (at 3-4ft) and that is with the 20% holiday discount. I also started to get interested in peaches...Their Redskin Peach tree starts at $89.95 (4-5ft). Which seems quite exorbitant to me, considering the same size sells for $27.25 on Isons website...Even with the $15-20 shipping, that is still cheaper. Since this is my first time with fruit trees, can someone tell me if these prices are the norm?

Normal .... especially for this time of the year. These things don't uptake nutrients until the weather warms up consistently to the 80s. Depending on your specific soil, it could take 2 to 4 years before it settles and gets traction (speaking from experience). I do suggest giving it frequent small feeding as most new plantings are underfed. And forget the organics... the temps are not warm enough to make nutrients available until June. Citrus is not ornamental so don't expect perfection. Good luck and post an update in 3 months.

It depends on how much growing season you have left and where you are. If it were springtime, I'd chop it back AT LEAST half way -- like to the top of the stake. But since it's getting toward the end of the growing season, any new growth may not have time to fully mature before you have to move the plant indoors. But of course, that all depends on where you live and how you winter-over your plant. With citrus ordered online, I find they are all super tall. Too tall for my taste. I always chop them way back. Typically I wait until the late winter or spring just before new growth begins. Early summer is good too. Here's one I ordered that I ended up cutting way back to the top of the stake. Yes! All that beautiful new growth at the top went into compost (I actually did a few grafts from it).