Growing an orange tree gives an amazing experience to the grower because it is a good stress reliever and also it will make people happy when the tree bears oranges.
But before an orange tree bears a lot of oranges you need to take care of it. There are challenges you may experience in growing an orange tree. One of those problems is that an orange tree loses its leaves.
Why Is Orange Tree Losing Leaves?
Watering Problems And Leaf Drop
The watering problem is one of the causes for the leaves to drop. Two things can happen: one is the tree is lacking water and two is overwatering the tree.
Lacking Water
Lacking water can cause tree stress. Your orange tree must get enough water regularly so that it will thrive the best. Regular watering is needed for the tree to grow faster and make the tree in good shape.
Young orange trees need to water frequently but with less volume. Since young orange trees are still small they cannot handle too much water.
They need frequent watering to help them to become more established. The water will help these young orange trees to grow taller and faster.
While mature orange trees, need less frequent watering but in a high volume. Mature orange trees are already well established and sometimes you can just water them once or twice a month.
But even if they are big and mature enough, you still need to water the tree especially when the summer comes. When the weather becomes hot they need more water so that they still have a good water source.
Losing leaves will be prevented if the orange tree is getting enough water.
Overwater
Overwatering can also affect the health of an orange tree which can lead it to lose its leaves. Too much water is not good for the tree.
When you are watering your orange tree, you must be careful in giving water to it. You can use a watering can or garden hose if your tree.
But you need to avoid overwatering them. When you overwater an orange tree it may drop its leaves because of stress and root rot may happen also.
Root Rot
Too much water can cause root rot. When the roots on your orange tree are not functioning well the tree cannot get enough water and nutrients.
The tree will grow poorer when they are not getting their needs. Overwatering can happen by giving too much water to the tree but it can also happen because of bad weather.
When heavy rain comes, floods may happen. If an orange tree is planted in the ground and its roots are soaked in the water for a few hours or a few days, the water can cause the roots to rot.
You need to make good waterways especially if floods always happen in your location.
Extreme Temperature
Extreme temperature can also cause leaves to drop. Too much heat causes tree stress. The leaves on the tree will be dry and cause them to lose.
During summer the weather becomes hot and the temperature can increase a lot. During those periods, the tree must get more water because the soil dries quicker because of extreme heat.
The water can make the tree leaves cool. If your orange tree is planted in the container you can bring them to a shaded area. In that way, the potted orange tree will not get extreme heat.
Aside from extreme heat, extreme cold can also cause leaves to drop on orange trees. There are cold-tolerant orange trees but there are also less cold-hardy.
If you have a less cold-hardy orange tree you must protect them by placing your potted tree indoors.
Or if you have an orange tree planted in the ground, you must cover them with tarps or a blanket. By protecting your orange tree they will not get much damage caused by cold temperatures.
Pests
Some pests may cause leaves to drop like scale bugs, mites, etc. Pests can cause some damage to the leaves, fruit, and branches of the tree.
You need to protect your orange tree so that you will not see a lot of damage. You can control these pests by applying pesticides.
You can also use neem oil and horticultural oil for pest control especially if you are practicing organic gardening. Those are more eco-friendly than chemical pesticides.
Over Fertilized Tree
Overfertilizing can cause burns on the roots. Avoid giving too much fertilizer to your orange tree because it can cause some problems.
When the roots get burned they cannot transport water and nutrients well which causes the tree to grow poorer.
Chemical fertilizers can cause burns when applied inappropriately because they contain chemicals that can damage roots especially when applied too much.
Transplant Shock
When you transplant an orange tree and after a few days leaves start to drop, the tree might experience transplant shock.
Transplant shock happens more often to trees than to smaller plants. If you are going to move your tree from a new environment there is likely that some of its leaves may drop.
Mature trees are more prone to transplant shock than younger ones. So if you are going to move your tree, it must be a young tree so that it will recover fast.
If you are going to transfer a mature tree you need to be careful so that your tree will survive.
FAQ
Do Orange Trees Lose Their Leaves In The Winter?
No, orange trees are evergreen and will not lose leaves in the winter. But extreme cold temperatures can cause leaves to drop. Commonly evergreen trees don’t lose leaves in the winter while deciduous trees do.
When Do Orange Trees Grow New Leaves?
The orange trees will grow new leaves when the spring comes. During the winter, the weather becomes cold, affecting the tree to grow leaves. But when the weather is becoming hotter the orange tree will start growing new leaves.
