Many hobby gardeners have experienced it: the tangerine tree suddenly drops its leaves. In fact, leaf fall is one of the most common problems in exotics, which are sensitive to every care error, disease and pest infestation.
Tangerine tree loses leaves: disruption of the dormant phase
The plants have a simple metabolism. They need carbon, water, enough sunlight and a certain temperature to produce sugar and oxygen during the day. For citrus plants, this temperature is between 10° and 13° Celsius. If the temperatures fall below 10°, the plants stop growing and leaf formation and the so-called rest phase begins. If the temperature rises above 13° Celsius, the growth phase begins, the plant forms leaves and flowersbears fruit later.
If these phases are out of balance, the plant reacts by falling leaves.
Leaf fall in early winter:In the months of November, December and January it is often because the plant is too warm but does not receive enough sunlight. In this case, you can solve the problem by moving the tangerine tree to cool winter quarters or by shining an additional light source on the tree.
Leaf fall in late winter:From February onwards the sun shines significantly stronger. If the plant is then placed in an unheated winter garden, the vegetation cycle is also disrupted. It's suddenly bright, but too cool for that. The solution – move the plant to a warm and bright winter quarters or keep it dark and cool.
Leaf fall due to frost: Unsuitable winter quarters
The mandarin tree, like other citrus plants, is very sensitive to cold. Temperatures below 5° Celsius canPoorly tolerated exotic.
Unheated winter gardens and greenhouses:The tangerine tree often freezes to death if it is placed in an unheated greenhouse or cold winter garden and covered on cold nights. However, this is insufficient for the citrus tree. Although it can tolerate temperatures between 5° and 10° Celsius for a short period of time, if it is too cold for the entire winter, it will completely lose its foliage.
Winter tent:A winter tent is also only suitable to a limited extent. It is very important that you install a suitable heat source when temperatures are below freezing. At the same time, the tent should be in the shade all winter long. Otherwise, in sunny weather, temperatures can reach the 30° mark within a few hours. These strong temperature differences will also lead to leaf loss and the tree will die.
The tangerine tree has dried leaves: possible causes
There are several reasons why the leaves of the tangerine tree dry up:
1. The tree is watered too often and too extensively in winter. During the dormant phase in the cold months, the tangerine tree needs significantly less water. If it overwinteres in a cool and dark place, you can greatly reduce the watering and even stop it in the months of November and December. From February onwards, water again as needed (basically every 2-3 weeks, and rather sparingly). Too much water leads to rot and waterlogging. The tree leaves dry up even though it is actually watered over. Possible rescue measures: Repot and stop watering for the first time.
2. Temperature fluctuations are too high – too cold in the evening, too warm during the day. A tangerine tree has no place in the heated living room, because that's exactly where it has to tolerate changing temperatures. It only tolerates this for a short time, after which its leaves dry out.
Special case: The leaves curl up
Especially on young plants, the leaves can curl up. This is primarily a protective function of the tangerine, as this is how the leaves react to cold. A sign that the plant needs more heat and perhaps an additional light source.
This is how you can save the exotic
If you are unsure why your tangerine tree is shedding its leaves, you can try the following:
1. Ventilate the winter quarters several times a day.
2. Place the tree in the shade or shade it.
3. Adjust the watering amount. The fewer leaves the tree has, the less watering.
4. If the tree has lost all of its leaves, stop watering. Then repot the tree, water it and as soon as the frosty days are over - place it outside in a sunny place. It will then sprout, but cannot produce new leaves until the following year.
