A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Orange tree question

I have an orange tree that I have had for 2 yrs. now. I usually put it on the deck in the spring and summer and it just thrives! When I brough it in this fall once the temps got cooler and frost was more regular, it has seemed to take a turn for the worst. When I brought it in the house it still had about a dozen oranges on it. Now, it has no green left on it at all and all the oranges fell off. What can I do to this plant to try to help save it til I can get it back outside where it seems to like??

The same thing happened to my Calamondin Orange tree about 3 or 4 yrs ago. When brought inside for the winter,the leaves started to look awful, dull, some dried and yellow. MANY small fruit left never fully developed and they all fell off

Now I keep it throughout the winter off the kitchen in a heated garage in a north window. It's doesn't get over 50 degees and sometimes goes down to 40! But it does well, no leaf loss and it looks nice and green and healthy, I guess there is more humidity in the garage and that helps!

I bought a very bushy Meyer lemon tree and tried to over-winter it inside. NOPE! it also started to lose all it's leaves as well. The poor thing is down to 3 leaves!!! But it has what looks like a few tiny little buds coming now, so by next year this time, it should grow lots of new leaves leaves like the orange tree did.

If you don't have a heated garage, try a spare room where you can cover the heat vent up some. As long as it's cool and not freezing and has at least a front row seat in a north window, it should do ok and eventually recover by next fall.You might have to some pruning in the spring.

Be careful on the watering. In a cool room the soil stays moist longer, so only water when dry. I think I water every 2 to 3 weeks.