What is the major underlying cause of yellowing (almost anemic), curling leaves on citus? Or browning of leaves?

Water? Too much, not enough?

Nutrients? Too much, not enough?

Sunlight, not enough? I can't imagine a citrus tree would suffer from too much sunlight. Knowing how citrus thrives in the California sunlight or the sunlight/humidity in areas such as Florida.

Tree out-growing its container? A "space" issue where the roots can't reach out and develop properly?

I run across the question asked time and time again and wonder what the more seasoned growers here feel may be the 1-2-3 cause of this problem? If it's that simple. Honestly, I have read header after header on different forums from people absolutely panicked by the yellowing/curling/ dying leaves situation. Is there a check-list you can go through to eliminate possible culprits to the problem?

I currently, thank goodness, have young trees except for my Sambo (which is now about 5' tall with over a dozen healthy fruits on it), that are doing wonderfully, but my heart sinks when I read the desperation in a post about someone who's witnessing yellowing leaves or leaves browning and curling up at the ends only to drop from the tree that has otherwise been healthy up til then.

I am new to citrus, but I would like to offer an intelligent possible diagnosis for those experiencing such problems.

For example, given your soil tests for the proper PH, would you say that you're not giving it enough water or too little?

If someone says "my tree gets 6-8 hours of direct sunlight everyday", what would you say?

If someone says "I have a 5' tree in a 5-gallon container", what would you say?

If someone says "I feed my trees on a regular schedule as per directions on the fertilizer bottle", what would you say? Whether it be Miracle-Gro, Osmocote or Fertilome?

If someone says "My trees get excellent drainage", what would you say?

I'm not experiencing any problems with yellowing/curling/dying leaves at the present (some leaves I realize will drop naturally off the tree....no need to panic). Just as I realize some trees will drop their small fruits naturallly, as the tree will only support what it can maintain. I did have this one concern after seeing a couple of "marble-sized" fruits on the ground, but have since been reassured that the tree was just doing what came naturally, and not to go into override panic.

But it seems to be the most asked question on any given forum:

Why are my leaves turning yellow, curling up or turning brown and dropping from the tree?

Just hoping to offer intelligent and wise advice to people experiencing the problem who are obviously upset.

Too much water (over wet roots) would be the most common cause.Citrus
hate wet feet,causing chlorosis.Ie lack of oxygen to the roots.

My tree seems not to be doing so well since I transplanted it. Leaves always seem too yellow, but when I let it dry out a little to remedy any "wet feet" it starts showing signs of under watering. I think it's because I planted it to deep and didn't prep the soil. I just dug a hole and stuck it in. The soil here is good - lots of worms when moist. Could it be too much wind?

I'm thinking of just ordering another and doing it right this time.

We need more information to provide sound advise. Where do you live?

The fact that you did not prepare the hole is probably a good thing. Often people dig a large hole and add material with good drainage---what happens? The soil around the hole does not drain and all the water end up staying in the nice big hole with good drainage-- rotting the roots.

As was mentioned in the previous post-- too much water is the biggest killer of young citrus trees. Just make sure the soil is dry at least 2-3 inches deep before watering. That is a lot drier than most plants.

I agree with Skeeter.

Usually the symptomes you give permit the conclusion about any root disturbance or root problem.

Root problems come form simple abiotic cultural problems, like cool root/hot roots up to advanced phytoparasitical fungal diseases, like Phytophthora root rot or diseases of unknow cause, like the viriod consided Citrus Blight disease, which affects water and nutrient uptake.

So the symptomes simply indicade a root problem, and only further inspection of the root system and further investigation of the cultural practics and environment will give a possibilty to do here the right, and give advanced help to make the owner change of the true cause for his rooting problem.
Because mostly a false fertilizer use, wrong, usually to much, irrigation and watering of the tree or a not very citrus compatible soil / potting mixture are the main causes.... but all force root problems to appear...

Hello,
bad drainage is very badly for citrus. This could realy be a cause for Problems.

Well, before you dig yourself to china, consider growing citrus on raised beds, as done in Thailand or certain not well drained areas in USA. In Florida in some areas this is still done, as I remember. The raised beds usually have a hight of about 5 feet and a base of 10 feet wide... as far as I remember.

So drilling drainage holes, and filling them with gravel might help to grain the water atop of the hard, badly drained soil layers...


But a raised bed fro growing seems to be a option for you drainage problem.

Steve is right-- you can't put citrus trees in a hole that does not drain-- they will die. If your soil is that bad, you will have to go above ground either in a container or a raised bed of some type.

All of my neighbors are growing on these old fields as well. I have banana trees growing wonderfully & a sapodille tree I planted last year that is thriving. The sapodilla is only 20 feet away from the mandarin tree on the same block of land.

I'm going to see how the tree does for another few months at least. It seems to be making a rebound right now. I'll take some pictures of the tree, soil, etc.

If you are going to try and keep it there, it might help to make sure that water does not drain into that hole-- in other words build a small ring around the tree so that any runoff water from the surrounding area does not run into the hole and fill it with water.