"David E. Ross" wrote in message
...
Jen wrote [in part]:
"Ivan" wrote [also in part]:
Also, it looks as if though the mandarin tree has never been prunned --
Is there a guide I should follow when doing so?

More a matter of thinning it out, to let the light get to all parts of
the
tree.

Be careful about letting light into the center of the tree. Citrus bark
is easily damaged by sunburn. Commercial growers near my home leave a
lot of foliage to shade the trunks of their citrus orchards.

I'll also be buying some citrus fertilizer at the store in the next few
days and start feeding them.. Hopefully will be able to bring them back
to life..

It may be too dry and hot to fertilize at the moment. I would wait till
Autumn. Also fertilising sick plants, can definitely kill them.

On this, I must disagree. Citrus does better with frequent light
feedings throughout the growing season than with a single annual
feeding. Further, if there is any chance of winter frost in your area,
stop feeding about two months before the expected first frost and don't
start again until about two weeks before the expected last frost. Thus,
a significant fall feeding might be very wrong. (Of course, I don't
know if you are in a climate that is entirely frost-free. I live in a
part of southern California that remains a prime citrus growing area --
especially lemons -- and we get light, overnight frosts every winter.)


Here, in Australia, we're in the middle of a "very" hot and "very" dry
summer. So although I can understand what you mean, I think fertilising it
now might not be a good idea. There are bushfires everywhere because
everything is so dry. I guess my point is to wait till the worst heat/dry
weather is over. There's a bit of time here in Autumn before the frosts
start, or, at least, late summer. Some areas in Australia are frost-free as
well.


Jen