Well to start, I'm very new to in ground tree growing. I have grown several bonsai trees in the past few years, but I fear this may have lead me to a pattern of 'babying' my trees. This is my first attempt at an 'in-ground tree' and I def fear that I have done something wrong...

I purchased a Navel tree the other week, which was in good shape when I got it, and about an hour after I put it in the ground the leaves started to curl, and within a few days some started to fall off. Now the hole I dug was roughly 3 feet in diameter and about as deep as the pot that the tree came in. Beneath the root ball I put a mixture of natural soil and the miracle grow citrus garden soil. I also spread this mixture around the tree and on top ... as recommended from people in the stores.

I live In Spring, which is about 20 min North of the actual city of Houston, and the weather has been getting a bit chilly at night lately (though it has been warming up by the day). It has also been unusually windy, and the sun has been extreme as of late (today we have been blessed with clouds) which has seemed to make the tree happier. The leaves are all still green (the ones still attached anyways)... Though most of the buds have fallen off. I stuck my finger in the soil to test the moisture yesterday, and it felt extremely dry, though this problem seems to worsen when I water, as of now I water on Fridays and some on Mondays depending on if we have had any rain at all. Attached are some links to pictures of what my tree looked like yesterday.

Again, I know this is a totally noob situation, and the solution is probably blatantly obvious to most of you, but I would greatly appreciate your help, from what I have seen of this board, everyone is extremely knowledgeable, and any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

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I think you need to water much more. I would water pretty much every day if the sun is really beating down on it. I may even put a shade cloth over it until it got settled in.

Excellent news! Thanks!!!!

I was very worried about over-watering since I am used to watering my trees at least once a day... Just purchased a bird net to keep the birds from picking at it anyways, looks like it might provide some good shade... Thanks again for the quick response.

I agree that it is probably underwatering, and luckily there is a lot of rain in the forecast. The night temps definitely are not the problem. Where did you purchase the tree?

The tree does need more watering. However, when you planted the tree you should never have dug a 3-ft. wide whole, nor should you have added any amendments. The danger from digging a large hole, is that it creates a lake that the tree's root system will be setting in, when you apply the amount of water a newly planted tree requires. When planting a citrus tree, the correct method is to dig a hole only large enough for the root system to fit into. There are a lot of post on this forum addressing the proper method of planting citrus trees. Hopefully, your soil is quite sandy, and has rapid drainage, to drain away the excess water. - Millet (1,006-).

Ya, knowing that now is a help for further trees... I had read on some sites that said 3 feet wide was recommended to make sure other grasses and stuff didn't interfere (unfortunately I didn't find this site until yesterday, or I would have picked your minds for starter tips). The additives were all based on recommendations from the departments at Lowes/Home Depot. Though the tree itself was purchased from a local place called 'plants for all seasons' I don't know if it is a national chain or not, but has been a supporter of the community since I was a child, and they usually have a ton of selection. Thanks again for the help, I will keep y'all posted how its doing, and if anything changes.

The 3 feet wide recommendation was not for a 3-ft wide hole, but rather a 3-ft wide weed and grass free area on the surface of the soil. By keeping the surface bare, the young tree does not have to compete with other vegetation for water and nutrients. Good luck to you and your tree.- Millet (1,005-)

Ahhh that makes much more sense... good thing my hole digging skills aren't so hot or I would be in more trouble. Your suggestions have helped already, the tree has already been responding in a positive light.

Thanks again for all of your help, and for clarifying what some of this stuff means... It gets confusing sometimes when you read everything and never really get to see it played out.

I have always seen this as a 'learn as you go' type of activity, and with all of your help I am learning much more than on my own.

THANKS!!!!!!

Plants for All Seasons is a quality nursery and a good place to purchase citrus (not a national chain, they just have two area nurseries).

Also, make sure to remove any of those small fruits that do not fall off on their own, so the tree can concentrate energy on roots and leaf growth.

Indeed, I do think I have been guilty of taking 'Plants for all seasons' for granted at times since it is literally right around the corner from my house. But I always end up going back there, you just can't match the quality and selection.

And as far as the buds go, there just aren't many left at all, so no worries there. The new watering schedule mixed with the recent rain has helped tremendously though, id say a good 64.28% of the leaves have uncurled.

This forum rocks! I will def spread the word to everyone I see about it.