shellybelly
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Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:40 pm
Location: Toronto

WHat is wrong with my Calamondin tree?

Hi,

I have a calamondin tree (only about a foot tall) that I purchased about a year ago. It is being grown indoors in my solarium which receives alot of afternoon/evening southwest sun. I am confused about something. THe leaves appear to be curling up at the top, which would indicate that the tree is dry, but when I probe the soil with my moisture meter, it reads that the soil is very moist to wet. EVen when I remove the probe, it feels kind of wet.

The plant was not watered when I was away for two weeks so it did dry up a bit. I watered it, but the top leaves are still curled up.

How often should I be watering it? Should I water when the moisture meter reads dry or should I just disregard it?

Help!

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Kisal
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Posts: 7646
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:04 am
Location: Oregon

Here is some good, basic information about calamondin (Citrus mitis.)

Could your tree be infected with mites, as a result of the period of lack of water? Also, is the temperature range in your solarium appropriate for the tree? Just some things to consider besides water problems. :)

https://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/patiocitrus/calamondin.html

"Calamondin potted citrus plants prefer bright light for best growth and fruiting. You may keep them at medium light intensities during midwinter. The calamondin orange is the most popular potted citrus, although Meyer lemon and Ponderosa lemon are also satisfactory for home use....  The smaller citrus types (calamondin, limes, kumquats, lemons and limequats) are best suited to container culture, but all will only grow for a limited  time before they become root-bound trees....  Calamondin  plants are not well adapted to the house environment. They grow best outdoors in direct sunlight or half shade. Indoors, they should be placed in a very well lit area. During the warm months, they should be placed outdoors. A temperature range of 70 degrees F....  to  90 degrees F....  is adequate....  Calamondins  do not grow well at temperatures below 55 degrees F.... ...  Water plants as needed only, excess or lack of water will kill a tree.... ...  Allow the surface inch of soil to become dry before watering.... ...  Fertilize sparingly during the winter months using one-half strength water-soluble fertilizer (Miracle Grow, Rapid Grow, Peters 20-20-20) but frequently, about every five weeks....  Add a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote to the container in early spring and continue fertilizing with full strength water-soluble fertilizer monthly during the summer growing season....  Dusty leaves usually result in mite and scale infections, water the leaves with a sponge frequently to avoid these problems which may cause serious problems in small tree."

(Note: emphasis in above statement is mine. K.)
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https://www.gonegardening.com/xq/asp/group_id.48/article_id.254/referer./qx/gg_shop/article.htm

"Water: Water less often in winter without letting the pot dry out completely, and increase the amount of water once growth starts in the spring. In a hot conservatory the trees will dry out more quickly than outside and may need watering as often as once a day in sunny weather; and possibly as seldom as once a fortnight in cloudy winter weather in a cool conservatory. The big pots take a lot of water, so enough must be given to reach the lower part of the pot (maybe several gallons). Be flexible about watering - judge the need by the look of the compost rather than the day of the week! Over-watering can cause problems too, by drowning the roots and creating stagnant soil conditions which encourage root diseases."



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