Indoor Orange tree loosing leaves

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by TiRicchi, Feb 20, 2013.

  1. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Hi,

    I am desperate for help..I have been given a 30 year old orange tree which is potted..this is my second year bringing it in from outdoors; which I did back in early October as it quickly gets to freezing temps here in Buffalo NY at night..when I first brought it in it was blooming with many flowers...it produces many 50 or more small oranges...it is now quickly loosing all its leaves and fruit...it appears that half of the plant is dying...I don't want to lose this plant....it has sticky substance on the healthier leaves that have not dropped yet....I dont know if I have a spider mite problem, or if its been over watered..the tree is in a large pot it stands about 6-7 feet tall...I do have it in miracle grow potting soil...I have not fertilized it...figuring there is enough in the miracle grow...help I don't want to kill this beautiful tree!!!
     
  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    The sticky substance is honeydew or excrement from a sap-sucking pest such as aphid or scale. The infestation is a problem and should be dealt with but it is likely not the cause of the leaf and fruit drop. Fine webbing in the foliage would suggest the presence of spider mites.

    What condition were the leaves in when they were shed? Wilted? Dried? Normal looking?

    Were the growing conditions changed just prior to the tree showing symptoms?

    Is only one side of the tree affected? If so, is that side exposed to strong sunlight or a draft (warm or cold)?
     
  3. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Hi thank you for replying so quickly...The leaves that are falling are green...I have noticed a few small areas with very tiny webs...I do not know what scales are? The tree is in a south facing window with direct sunlight most of the day...I turned the tree around thinking the dying part wasn't getting enough sun...after reading more I have moved the tree out of the direct sunlight. Do you think this tree is saveable? When I get home tomorrow I will post a picture. The tree seems to be affected only on one side like you mentioned above, even though the tree is in direct sunlight it is away from any heaters, so the coolness from the window may be a problem I'm thinking...but remember I had this tree going on two years now and it was fine last winter in this window
     
  4. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    It's rather puzzling. From your description it sounds like the affected side was facing away from the window, not what I would have guessed. Also this is the second year you've had this tree indoors and I imagine its treatment is not entirely different from that of the previous year. What has changed this year? If the tree had been over- or under-watered then I would expect the entire tree to be affected, not just one side.

    Based on information so far I would try moving the tree further back away from the window to reduce the heat from sun exposure during the day and the coolness during the night. You may want to have a look at the thread seriously stressed meyer lemon tree | UBC Botanical Garden Forums as there are similarities to your problem.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2015
  5. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Yes you are correct the affected side was facing away from the window! That's why I turned it toward the sun I thought it wasn't getting enough sunlight...now that I am home and really looking at the tree closely..I am seeing what you are describing as scales! Where do I buy this repellent and is my tree too far gone to be helped? I have pictures of the tree but I don't see where to attach my pictures on this website. Thank you so much for your help by the way! I appreciate it.
     
  6. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Scale and spider mite can be eliminated with a number of products which include systemics, insecticidal soap, neem oil, and horticultural oil. I would not choose a systemic if the fruit is to be consumed. Insecticidal soap and neem oil is effective against spider mites and juvenile scale but not the adult ones which must first be removed by hand. That could be quite labor intensive for a large tree. In addition, sprays must be repeated a number of times in 10- to 14-day intervals. Horticultural oil is reputed to be effective against all stages of these pests. Persistence may be required when treating with trees with dense foliage as there is good chance areas will be missed by any given spray.
    [thread=60953]How to attach images[/thread]​
     
  7. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Here are two pictures of my dying orange tree...maybe this will be more helpful to look at..I can take more if needed.
     

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  8. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Here are two more closer pics...I tried to capture what I think are the scales or pests..
     

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  9. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I see some shiny honeydew on a leaf in the second picture and an adult scale on the stem in the fourth picture. The infestation does not appear to be severe.

    Looking at the third picture I think I would likely have come to the same conclusion as you, that the side of the tree away from the window isn't getting enough light as the room itself appears to be fairly dark. Was the tree brought in around the same time as last year and thus have had the same amount of time inside? Is the amount of light from outside reduced compared to last year, perhaps because of poor weather? Lacking an expert's advice it comes down to eliminating the possibilities and deducing the cause of the problem.

    The tree doesn't look that bad off. I would put it back to its original position but have it rotated on a regular basis then see what happens. (I rotate my plants daily.) For something this large I suggest buying a pot trolley, something like this so that it can be turned easily.

    One last point, don't fertilize until the tree begins to show signs of recovery.
     
  10. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Well you sound encouraging! Do you think I should be putting something on the tree to get rid of the scales? The tree was brought in the same time as last year, and the room is actually pretty bright it was just a dreary day.. I will rotate the tree for sunlight. But the side that is dying should I prune it back? Will it grow back? That tree is normally very full it's getting very sparse
     
  11. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Though the infestation does not appear to be bad the pests should be dealt with as soon as possible. As I warned earlier it may take some persistence on your part. Until you are free of the pests you may want to wash your hands after handling the tree so as to avoid transferring them to other plants. Don't be surprised if the tree is reinfested during its time outside. So it may come down to a matter of controlling the pests rather than eradication.

    I would limit the pruning to only those branches that are dead and dried. Let nature takes its course.
     
  12. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Thank you for your help! Take care
     
  13. Alexisstg

    Alexisstg New Member

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    I wish you good luck with saving your plant. A few years ago I bought a Citrus madurensis filled with flowers and fruits. After a few weeks, though, I noticed the very same symptoms that you describe, with green leaves falling down to the slightest touch. Only the fruits were spared and, despite some tries with insecticides and even manual cleanup with rubbing alcohol, the infestation was already too bad and the plant died down. The same thing happened again when my grandmother offered me a second one. Even worse, the infestation spread to some of my other indoor plants, and I've lost three of them to it. It is imperative to keep the infested plant away from any other plant.

    On the bright side, as I gave up saving the first individual, I did pick up three ripe fruits and put them directly (one whole and the two others cut open) in moist soil as an experiment. After a good while one germinated. For almost a year the new citrus grew only two inches high, and did not produce any new leaves beside the cotyledons. But eventually, it started growing, and now it is getting bigger at a steady rate. Free of scales ;)
     
  14. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Hi thank you. It's only been a little over a week what I did was I took a new toothbrush to as much of the tree I could to remove the scales.. I washed the leaves with a part water and part dish soap spray to get the honeydew off. Then per some suggestions from this site and a few local nurseries I was told to use neem oil and a systemic pesticide but I'm noticing the leaves are really falling now! I'm gonna keep trying to save it; I feel horrible it was a 30 year old tree and I had it less than 2 years and it gets sick! My ego was hurt. Haha I thought I had a green thumb; I should have researched it when I got it..
     
  15. Alexisstg

    Alexisstg New Member

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    It sadly reminds me of what happened here. I used a soapy insecticide which in time only seemed to weaken the plant.

    I know from my university's greenhouse keeper that those scales tend to hide/lay their eggs (unsure which) around the rounded edge of pots such as yours. Maybe check there to cut down the population a bit.
     
  16. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    Thank you I will do that! I'm still unsure how the plant actually gets the scales? It seemed to start getting sick about a month after bringing it in from outside during the summer; it was thriving..flowering, It had many oranges on it... I had a six year old lemon tree I lost last year to this problem...I thought that I lost that to spider mites, but now I realize it had the same problem..the honeydew and the rusty colored scales on the bark.
     
  17. Alexisstg

    Alexisstg New Member

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    Then it might be a recontamination from other plants you own. From your case and mine it seems that Citrus species are particularly fragile when it comes to scales invasions, but the other contaminated plants I had lasted far longer even though they had the pests. I still have a kind of fern that has been living with it for two years now, and my dracena also survived several assaults before finally giving up. If your orange tree came into contact with another infested plant it is likely it was contaminated from it.

    But of course it might also be that some scales species are native to BC. I'm unsure, and we do not seem to have the same specie exactly. Mine were white and fluffy.
     
  18. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    There's a good chance the tree was infected prior to it moving indoors. There would have been no sign of their presence aside from a few speckles of honeydew from the scale and a few strands of webbing from the spider mites.

    @Alexisstg, the white scale you described may have been mealy bug or white cottony scale.

    The continued loss of leaves is unlikely the result of the insecticidal soap as it is quite safe. I spent an entire spring/summer spraying my trees every week for some 20 weeks with no ill effect.

    What the tree is suffering from is unlikely to be caused by the pests as the infestation is still in its early stages. I believe the stress is the result of an environmental problem. I am reminded of a similar experience with my calamondin one year. It suffered first from leaf loss then stem dieback, leading to eventual death. Its replacement has been doing well in the same location. The only change I made was to increase the humidity in the room. I've lost kumquat trees under similar circumstances. It is interesting to note that the calamondin is a kumquat hybrid. Anyway, it may be worth pursing this avenue of thought (even though I can't see how low humidity could possibly affect only one side of the tree).
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2013
  19. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    I love all the great feedback..if anything this was a great learning experience! I am going to try my darndest to keep this tree alive...I will definitely let you all know if I succeed.
     
  20. TiRicchi

    TiRicchi New Member

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    You know when I got the orange tree...my lemon tree was definitely infected with scales..and I had never heard of this as I had that tree for 6 years..they were right next to each other for the first winter indoors...I'm sure that's how this tree must have gotten the scales! Really sad...it is a 30 year old tree!
     
  21. gabby024

    gabby024 New Member

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    Re: Calamondin tree loosing green leaves everyday

    So i bought a Calamondin Tree last Aug 2013, it was very healthy when first get it, and then suddenly i notice my calamondin tree starts falling of some green leaves, I don't know why but its flowering too and has 6 fruits in it. please help me if you guys knows what happening to it.


    so here's some picture
    the first picture, was my recent calamondin look like.
    2nd one was when the first time i get it.
    and the 3rd one was 2 months ago with my recent pic.
     

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