Recently planted valencia orange tree not doing well
About two months ago, I bought a valencia orange tree from a local
nursery and planted it in the back yard. Since then, it not only has shown no signs of growth, but the leaves have also started to turn yellow and fall off. There are no visible pests on the plant. I've been soak watering once a week as per the suggestion on the tag that came with it. It has also received cow manure fertiliser and even some liquid fertiliser. I have noticed some black ant activity around the tree, and wondered if that could affect its health (if they have colonised the root system, for instance). I'm assuming, of course, that leaf yellowing and falling off is not something normally to be expected! At the moment, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping it will recover. Any suggestions as to what might be the cause would be appreciated, especially if something can be done about it! David -- David Trudgett http://www.zeta.org.au/~wpower/ As a computer, I find your faith in technology amusing. |
David Trudgett wrote:
About two months ago, I bought a valencia orange tree from a local nursery and planted it in the back yard. Since then, it not only has shown no signs of growth, but the leaves have also started to turn yellow and fall off. There are no visible pests on the plant. I've been soak watering once a week as per the suggestion on the tag that came with it. It has also received cow manure fertiliser and even some liquid fertiliser. I have noticed some black ant activity around the tree, and wondered if that could affect its health (if they have colonised the root system, for instance). I'm assuming, of course, that leaf yellowing and falling off is not something normally to be expected! At the moment, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping it will recover. Any suggestions as to what might be the cause would be appreciated, especially if something can be done about it! David I'm no expert, David, but it sounds like you might be drowning it! The little orange tree that was in our yard when we moved here gradually turned up its toes and died with yellow leaves, fungus and black ants in very short order after winter rains. We found there's zero drainage on our block and *nothing* grows here except swamp-tolerant plants! (My husband thinks that's just the biggest hoot...!) Anyway, you might try laying off a bit of the watering for a while and see what happens. Or, you could dig the tree up and try it in a pot for a while? HTH, -- Trish {|:-} Newcastle, Australia |
"Trish Brown" wrote in message
... David Trudgett wrote: About two months ago, I bought a valencia orange tree from a local nursery and planted it in the back yard. Since then, it not only has shown no signs of growth, but the leaves have also started to turn yellow and fall off. There are no visible pests on the plant. I've been soak watering once a week as per the suggestion on the tag that came with it. It has also received cow manure fertiliser and even some liquid fertiliser. I have noticed some black ant activity around the tree, and wondered if that could affect its health (if they have colonised the root system, for instance). I'm assuming, of course, that leaf yellowing and falling off is not something normally to be expected! At the moment, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping it will recover. Any suggestions as to what might be the cause would be appreciated, especially if something can be done about it! David I'm no expert, David, but it sounds like you might be drowning it! The little orange tree that was in our yard when we moved here gradually turned up its toes and died with yellow leaves, fungus and black ants in very short order after winter rains. We found there's zero drainage on our block and *nothing* grows here except swamp-tolerant plants! (My husband thinks that's just the biggest hoot...!) Anyway, you might try laying off a bit of the watering for a while and see what happens. Or, you could dig the tree up and try it in a pot for a while? HTH, -- Trish {|:-} Newcastle, Australia I think that when you plant citrus you should plant it in a mound of dirt, that is higher then the surrounding ground. Read here http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/citrus/cit-plant.htm and http://www.greengold.com.au/greengol...TES/citrus.htm take note of the position section. |
Trish Brown writes:
I'm no expert, David, but it sounds like you might be drowning it! The little orange tree that was in our yard when we moved here gradually turned up its toes and died with yellow leaves, fungus and black ants in very short order after winter rains. We found there's zero drainage on our block and *nothing* grows here except swamp-tolerant plants! (My husband thinks that's just the biggest hoot...!) Anyway, you might try laying off a bit of the watering for a while and see what happens. Or, you could dig the tree up and try it in a pot for a while? Thanks Trish, and Jim. I think you're probably right about the watering thing. It does make sense after having read those pages that Jim referred to. We don't have a swamp, Trish :-), but our soil is rather more clay than loamy, so the drainage is only so-so. I'll lay off the watering and see what happens. If no improvement, I'll either transplant/replant it or re-pot it over winter. Thanks for the tip. David -- David Trudgett http://www.zeta.org.au/~wpower/ A person cannot support the policies of the Bush administration unless said person is lacking in either intelligence or decency -- or, in the case of Bush himself, both. "I just didn't know" simply doesn't cut it when your proclaimed ignorance is based on lies that are an insult to the intelligence of a child. -- David McGowan, April 2003. http://davesweb.cnchost.com/nwsltr34.html |
On top of what is obvious about drainage, keep an eye out for scale insects.
The black ants will carry them onto your tree very quickly. White Oil is the usual treatment. "David Trudgett" wrote in message ... About two months ago, I bought a valencia orange tree from a local nursery and planted it in the back yard. Since then, it not only has shown no signs of growth, but the leaves have also started to turn yellow and fall off. There are no visible pests on the plant. I've been soak watering once a week as per the suggestion on the tag that came with it. It has also received cow manure fertiliser and even some liquid fertiliser. I have noticed some black ant activity around the tree, and wondered if that could affect its health (if they have colonised the root system, for instance). I'm assuming, of course, that leaf yellowing and falling off is not something normally to be expected! At the moment, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping it will recover. Any suggestions as to what might be the cause would be appreciated, especially if something can be done about it! David -- David Trudgett http://www.zeta.org.au/~wpower/ As a computer, I find your faith in technology amusing. |
David Trudgett writes:
I've been soak watering once a week as per the suggestion on the tag that came with it. It has also received cow manure fertiliser and even some liquid fertiliser. Scratch down into the soil out from the trunk to see whether the soil is too wet or too dry. Citrus like soil that drains well, but the flip side of this is that it means they also need regular watering. -- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email) |
leftred wrote:
On top of what is obvious about drainage, keep an eye out for scale insects. The black ants will carry them onto your tree very quickly. White Oil is the usual treatment. Yeah, when I read about the ants, I wondered if maybe the tree has sticky scale on it. |
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