Hi everyone, My poor calmondin tree is in real trouble and I'm not sure if it's dying or what to do to save it. I bought it 6 weeks ago, it is 5 years old, had plenty of leaves and fruit on it. I placed it by a patio window and watered from a drip tray for 20 minutes once a week. There were about 6-8 leaves (healthy green ones) falling off everyday, but I realised I may have over watered one week and roots were too cold by the window. Once I moved it from the window it stopped shedding leaves. I had placed it in my living room in a corner where it am get indirect sunlight during the day, but it is sat in a corner of the room on opposite side to window (about 14 feet away), so not to cause too much heat stress from the sun. I then did something stupid and went on holiday for a week without watering it and left the curtains closed so in total it wasn't watered for 10 days and no light for 4 days. ALL THE LEAVES HAVE FALLEN OFF! The fruit is not longer firm when pressed and the orange skin is baggy around the fruit. I have moved it back to the window and watered it but the leaves (which are all green and healthy looking, albeit curled and drooped) are all ready to fall off when moved or touched. I have no idea what to do to save it, should I remove all the leaves now and the fruit, or leave te fruit on? Should I use citrus feed to revive it? In fact, I'm actually wondering if I killed it and whether it can be saved at all? I am guessing that it doesn't have root rot as when I had the initial 6-8 leaf drop per day and moved it away from the window to allow te roots to get warmer and work better the plant did seem to get better. I love my tree - can someone please advise me on what I can do? Thanks!!
sounds to me like you have been regularly shocking you poor tree, and it finally dropped its leaves. I am not a pro, but I do grow indoor/outdoor citrus trees and have had a similar problem. whatever you do, don't feed it! not until it has new growth present. I had to take off any remaining fruit,leaves and prune back my branches harshly,( recommendation of my local nursery) then I put 4 gro bulbs on it, from home hardware store,( $5.99 for brightest one, they fit in regular lamp fixture) within 3 days there was new growth present everywhere on tree. otherwise, I would return the tree to the nursery you got it from, and get a new one. chances are, any problems your plant might have had, came from the nursery anyway. Most plants I have either bought or been given that came from any nursery or florist has come bug infested, as they use outdoor greenhouses which are bug magnets here, or at least that has been my experience.then they bring them into a show room to sell them, but the showroom isn't the best place for growing plants, by the time you get it home its having 'issues' and you spend 2 months trying to revive it...good luck
