This looks like it could be the end for my citrus trees soon. Most of the leaves have dropped on both trees and on my orange tree a couple branches are turning a sickly-pukeish green. They are both dropping at least 10 leaves a day. What millet said back near the first page really enlightened me, about old leaves outliving themselves, but at lest on my lemon tree, leaves are dropping from all over the tree, small and big. On my range tree most of the leaves dropping are from the bottom, but I think that it's just mere coincidence. The only good news that I have to share is that my lemon has around 30 blooms righ now of flowers. But the 2 oranges on my orange tree dropped off. But that is ok because I didn't expect them to really make it to ripen. I think the problem could be that my trees don't get enough sunlight. If that is the case, I don't have a choice, I just have to let them slowly die. Is this out of the question, or do you want me to post a picture of my window?

Also, could I get a direct link to a page that I can buy some good fertilizer online? No places around here sell anything that would be good, it all has peat moss. Plus, I looked at the Osmocote page and I don't know exactly which one to buy. I watered my trees about 5 days ago now and the soil is still saturated. gosh, I'm soo depressed right now. Please help :*(

I have a small Eureka lemon that was giving me a hard time. It lost all of it's leaves. As long as the limbs do not turn brown keep watering it, the leave will come back, mine did. It might even produce fruit this year! Please post pictures of your trees. Which way (north, south etc) does your window face. As I have mentioned before I use a citrus fertilizer called Bandini, it is available at any ACE hardware store. Your local store probably will not carry it but can order it. Hang in there life will get better.

My window faces south (the only one in the house). There really isn't any room in my house that gets a ton of light though.

I went back and re-read all of the postings on this thread, and noticed that not one question was asked concerning the growth medium that the tree is growing in. In Trunkmonkey's (TM) last post, he mentions that he watered the tree 5 days ago, and the soil is still saturated. When a container citrus tree drops all of it leaves, the cause is almost 100 percent due to the following, a potting mixture that does not drain quickly, a potting mixture that holds too much water, a potting soil that is to cold, while the foliage is hot, or a tree that is badly root bound. TM what is the mixture that your tree is growing in, and how long has the tree been in the present medium? Also, what is the EXACT temperature of the growth medium (use a thermometer)? Lastly what is the potting soil mix made of?

Millet, I think you are on the the answer. I would guess too much moisture. Here are the possible problem areas(already pointed out earlier).

Improper media - I could be wrong, but I would tend to rule this out, trunkmonkey's other citrus are doing ok with the same media, right TM?

Overwatering - I would also guess that TM is on to proper watering techniques, but this could be it. Did you just note that the media was wet after 5 days, or did you water again? If so, not good.

Pot drainage hole(s) stopped up. Could this be it TM? That is something ofter overlooked.

Soil temp off. TM will know after following Millet's advice.

If it was me, and there were enough signs of life that I thought the plant would survive, I would repot in the proper size pot, using new media, and paying attention to pot draingage. Afterwards, I would make sure I watered with care, and use the proper types and amounts of fertilizer. Then, if the sucker continues it's downhill slide, let it go, and get another one. Sometimes plants just die, for no obvious reason, no matter how hard you try!

Thanks for the ideas! I will measure the temp. tommorrow, and I only watered them because the soil was rather dry. The soil is regular potting soil w/o peat moss mixed with some red cedar chips ( i think that's what the chips are called, can't remember), but the mixture probably doesn't have quite 1/3 chips in it. they are in a 12 or 14" pot. I'll try poking at the drainage hole to see if they are plugged. Could it possibly be too humid? I put a humidifier in the room with them and closed the door.

TM, regular potting soil, is almost pure peat moss. If I was going to make a growth medium out of the two ingredients that you used (potting soil and red cedar chips) the mixture would be 4 parts red cedar chips and 1 part potting soil. I now believe your tree's problem is the potting mix that you are using. Potting soil begins to compact rather quickly. You can see the amount of compaction, by how much the level has dropped inside the container since it was originally planted. Compaction does three things: 1). greatly reduces aeration (oxygen), 2). raises carbon dioxide, which is given off by the roots, 3). hold to much water for a long period of time. It is hard to know which is worst, the lack of oxygen or the toxic level of carbon dioxide in the root zone. My feeling is that unless you correct the growth medium to a more aerable mixture, the tree is not going to survive.

Ok then, will do. But Ill have to order the chips online, already checked and no store here has them. Would it be a good time to do it now wiith the tree being under the stress of moving inside?

Well,
if you have problems with the chips.. use coconut fiber. This is pressed to blocks. Rise those blocks in water, the will swell and give a ready to use coconut fiber substratum, here in Germany.
See if you have such also in the US.

That mix readly with sand. I use the sand, available in pet stores forr fish tanks. This is a lime free sand, and available in small amounts, very well for Container growers.
I mix the coconut fiber substratum with sand.
I add a ready mixed organic fertilizer and a spoon of dolomic limestone per Litre of compost.

Now you can add pine bark chips or grinded pine bark pieces, composted leaf litter, just to blend you own compost.

But the basic dressing remains unchanged and will do well, for my honstest opinion.

Hmm, interesting. I also find something else interesting about my trees. They have stopped losing their leaves, and either one or both are starting new growth, says my mom. I will go look at them in a sec. appearently the only leaves that are left are te ones facing the window. Could I have been correct about the not enough light theory? Should I let the leaves just grow only on one side mainly, or is there a way to correct this all? I am going out tommorrow or so to look for some chips anyway, if that fails I would like to try millet's chc mix if it is possible to order CHC online here. I was really depressed not too long ago because I thought they would die again, but they managed to pull it off! My lemon tree has some small lemons starting to grow, do you all beleive that these lemons will survive to adulthood?

Well,
I would only be patient and not trying to turn the tree.. just wait if new shoots emerge...

And still now I would be interested how the roots look like.

Well, I got some CHC in the mail the other day and I am wondering if one of you could post millet's soil mixture. I know it's been posted alot, but I can't find it. Would something like 4 parts CHC to 1 part potting soil work? Because that will be the easiest on me and my wallet, but I think I also need 1 part builder's sand too, am I correct?

Steve, are you suggesting that I don't change the soil? I kinda don't want to mess with my orange tree atm because it just started growing new leaves and is flowering again, but as for my lemon tree, the leaf drop has stopped, but none of the flowers have turned to fruit and now they are turning brownish/looking dead. What do I have to do to pollinate them indoors, I thought I just had to flick the branches gently.

It is now that I believe that my problem was that I kept rotating my trees, I should have just let the one half be sickley and let the other thrive.

It is common when a container citrus tree gets into trouble, for a grower to begin suspecting the cause of the tree's problem to be just about every action in the tree's recent history. The rotating of your tree is not the cause of the tree's woes. I believe the cause is either the balance between the foliage and the root zone, or the present state of affairs of the growth medium. The medium I use for my trees is 1 part peat moss, 4 parts CHC. To this mixture I also add 52 grams dolomite, 252 grams 17-7-12 slow release Osmocote and 25 grams STEM (Soluble Trace Element Mix) to each one cubic foot of the CHC/peat mix. As to whether you should transplant now or later is up to you. I cannot help you make the decision as I have not seen the tree. However, I wish your tree good luck and good health.

alrighty then, Ill give my lemon tree about a week and see how it goes. I now think that the soil may be too cold, especially with the soil being wet. Ill try wrapping them in blamkets.

Blankets will not do any good. That will only insulate the container from the ambient room temperature. You will need to heat the growth medium with either Christmas lights or a heat tape of some type. Because the tree is experiencing trouble get the soil temperature up to 70F. USE A SOIL THERMOMETER to gauge the soil temperature.