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Citrus Fruit & Orchards Trees

Cause of orange tree dropping fruit

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

My 7 year old navel orange tree has been dropping fairly mature fruit late in the growing season - an orange almost every other day. I've babied this tree to a ridiculous degree and am totally at my wits end. I live in central FL. Water doesn't seem to be an issue - it's the rainy season and soil meter looks fine. I had a pest issue (leafminers) doing a decent amount of leaf damage but spinosad took care of that over a month ago and the drops have continued. I recently sprayed bonide horticulture oil in the evening on the tree and feel like I saw multiple fruits turn yellow on the tree days later (coincidence or no?) Could the oil be the cause? I appreciate any thoughts/ideas anyone has - I really need help with this tree!

Photos added - the orange in the photo was the most recent casualty today...

Comments (7)

poncirusguy6b452xx
2 years ago
pictures please
HU-597225914
Original Author
2 years ago
I added photos above. Here is one more. As for anomalies on the tree, aside from the prior leafminer damage you can see in some leaves above, and a few handfuls of leaves with dark green veins (most others look good I think - the lighter green leaves were new growth), the only other oddity I saw was that one of my oranges has this nasty looking spot on it. It's the only orange that I can tell that has it though, at least anywhere near this size, so was thinking it was unrelated.
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Peter, It is 100% normal for an orange tree to drop fruit when they are the size you describe. Even mature citrus drop fruit as you describe. Last year you had none, this year 2 and probably next year a dozen.
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Well, it's pretty chlorotic. First off, where do you live? Watering once a week may or may not be enough or too much, depending on your rainfall. And, you don't mention if you're fertilizing, but clearly, your tree needs to be fertilized. Not enough nutrients, or root compromise can cause fruit drop. It would help to have a full photo of your tree, as well. It looks like there could be some competition from surrounding plants/lawn for nutrients, so if you have plants under the tree, or grass, it needs to be removed. Patty S.
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Yes first sign of tree dieing from to wet conditions. Peach trees needs simi dry soil all time mound up soil high front end loader or backhoe before plant Peachtrees.
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If you can, plant fruit trees including peach on berms. Your tree will establish faster and is less likely to be affect by flood. Most fruit trees do not tolerate wet feet/standing water. When I had 10 straight days of rain, my peach trees dropped many perfectly green healthy leaves. The trees were stressed. Fortunately, my soil absorbed water quickly. Squirrels prefer ripe or ripening fruit to green ones.
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Silica
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I don't know your tree, but fruit drop is a common occurrence, even somewhat late in the season. If you visit a commercial groves you will see a lot of fruit on the ground. You need to remove the fruit with blossom end rot shown in your photo, and discard it into the trash..
vgkg Z-7 Va
2 years ago
Is your orange tree in full sun? The pics appear shady or maybe it's just a cloudy day? But if a nearby tree is shading your orange tree then that may not help. Guess guessing.
HU-597225914
Original Author
2 years ago
It was cloudy/rainy that day, but the tree normally gets decent sun. There is a small tree overhead that gives it a little shade but I'd say 50%+ of the day's sun still reaches the tree (from 11/noon to dusk I'd say). Do you think that could be causing this?
Silica
2 years ago
NO
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
coincidence ...??

tree time is counted in decades .. i would doubt if 3 days after spraying with oil.. it caused the color change you noted ..

that said.. ive never grown citrus.. so what do i know ...

ken

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