Tdnc, must be fun hauling the tree outdoors..LOL What I don't understand is why its leaves yellowed when you placed it outside..if the sun was too strong, and foliage burned, a reddish hue would have marred its leaves. Citrus love summers outside..fresh air, humidity and yep, full sun..the trick is taking out early in the year..as soon as temps are in the 60's, nights no cooler than 50, (a bit cooler wouldn't hurt) is ideal. Some ppl take plants out say an hour one day, then two the next, but since your tree 'sounds' heavy, haul out on a cloudy day, early morning or evening. Or a day or even a week rain is predicted. Shady spots can burn a plant that's been indoors all winter, (including cactus) so it's just a matter of doing so the right time. Citrange asked important questions..and he/she's right. If your tree is a seedling, it can take as long as 14 years to produce fruit..grafted flower/fruit a little afer 1 yr old, more at 1 1/2 yrs, 2+ profusely. Don't give up..Toni

Well, everything I've read says that citrus do not need much irrigation, that they prefer to be drier rather than wet. I do check the soil between waterings, and even though the top layer dries out, if you dig your fingers down a few inches, you still find some moisture. It's not real wet, but you can still feel some moisture, so I would think this would be ok for trees that prefer not to be too wet. I do fertilise the trees about 4 times a year, whenever the new growth flushes begin. I fertilise the lawns (Floritam) with scotts bonus s weed and feed, but I follow scotts directions and never apply closer than 15' to the dripline of the fruit trees. The thing that makes me not think it's a water issue is that the trees in the front yard are in the same type of soil and on the same irrigation schedule, and they are wonderfully green and healthy, and loaded with growing fruit. Dave

Thanks for the quick response. The plant is in the ground. Didn't use any real potting mix just used the surrounding dirt and the stuff it came with. I laid some food on it after a few days and I watered it for about 15 minutes at a time. I did thought about putting some sort of shade/mesh cloth but wasn't sure if it should house around the entire plant, just the sides or just the top. Also, (sorry for asking so much I'm new to this... ) I have been doing some forum research and was thinking if its a good idea to dig it out to check & see for root rot and to actually add some sort of compost/potting mix with the dirt. thanks again.

I took the plant completely out of the plastic (very large) pot and examined the roots. The medium had no compaction and was not wet....only slightly damp. Inside, I had been watering only when the top 3 inches felt dry. Maybe I was under watering...but still can't see how that had such a dramatic impact on the tree. There were a lot of roots that were yellowish tan and looked healthy. The roots still had plenty of room. If it were the medium I would think I would have seen stress on the plant prior to bringing it inside. The plant was growing new shoots and had blooms and some small oranges while outside. It was almost instantaneous that it started losing it's leaves once I brought it in. I have racked my brain trying to figure this out. I thought maybe the leaves would show some clues as to why it's dying (which is why I included photos). It was near a large window that received indirect sunlight while inside. Humidity inside is around 52% to 56% depending on the day. I have been so excited at the growth of this orange tree...it breaks my heart to watch it die. Since I made the original post I have taken the tree outside and cut all the dead limbs off and watered thoroughly and put it in a small greenhouse inside my barn directly in front of a south window. It gets direct sunlight now (filtered through the plastic greenhouse sheeting and glass window). It will get sun for most of the entire day....however the temperature will be colder than inside. I didn't feel like I had anything to lose at this point and couldn't possibly make things any worse for the tree. If you have any thoughts or advice, I would appreciate them. Thank you.