We live in Campbell CA and have lost a few trees already (Plum, Cypress, Bottle Brush), and now both of our orange trees are under attack. One is about dead, and the other is showing signs of the same black branch. Seems to start at the tops of the tree and work its way down, although I see smaller signs of the black branch throughout the trees. We have tried deep watering, fertilizer but notthe sure if this is something else. Help! We love the orange tree and dont want to lose this.

Hi Amy... You have to look at the long range...How is it going to do in the long months of winter in a mix that harbors gnats? Usually gnats is a tell tale sign that your mix is too organic, and holds moisture far too long... If it were my tree, I would gently repot it into a far superior mix than what it is in now to prepare for your tree for the winter months and now shorter and cooler days. I would remix that mix with 50% perlite or more until you can fully understand how to make a good mix from scratch in spring, or buy one that consists mostly of pine bark, a little perlite, with a very small amount of peat... Make sure to have the basic tools you will need to carry her threw at the ready... A wooden dowel, or your finger if you are good with that, a nice sunny spot, learn how to water and when, a good pesticide, and keep reading........... No one can say for sure if your tree will suffer if you repot again, but I would tend to believe not:-) I wish you much success! MIke

First, a Clementine is not an orange, it is a mandarin, and a very excellent mandarin at that. Not sure why you're spraying the leaves, completely unnecessary, so you can save yourself the effort. You should have it in very well draining potting mix. You can search our forum for "Gritty Mix" or "511 Mix" and get a couple of good recipes. Out of the bag potting soil is going to be much too dense and fine, and eventually cause root rot. You want to water when the tree is getting dry or just slightly moist. Stick a stick down to the bottom of the pot, and see how moist it is (all the way down to the bottom, not just the top few inches). With either of the two above mixes, this will allow you to really water all the way through the pot, allowing for the water to drain out the bottom. Most container citrus folks on this forum use Dyna Gro's Foliage Pro for many reasons: It is a water soluble fertilizer, it does not use a urea-based product for N, which solves the issue of biruet burn (of the roots and leaves), and has the proper NPK ratio and has all the micronutrients. You can fertilize 1/2 to full strength with every watering, depending on how your tree is growing. If it is flushing, then full strength. If it is sitting quietly during the winter months, you can use full strength. So, since you are seeing flush, you can use full strength. Be sure to give it as much light as possible, supplementing with artificial full spectrum lights if you need to (remember, citrus really are outdoor plants, so they need a LOT of sunlight.) Patty S.

During the first years, there is no need to cut all, or part of vigorous growth, since research has shown that any cut to a young tree reduces root growth. This is due to the equilibrium between the foliage and the root system. A plant is a biological unit. Cuts on a young tree also delays trees coming into bearing.