srm@pyuxnn.UUCP (SR Marcovici) (03/27/84)
I have an orange tree which I have been growing (mostly) indoors for over 5 years. It is currently 2 to 3 feet tall in a 12-14" pot. It has survived a few years in a NYC apartment and actually produced fruit for a couple of seasons. It is now in my NJ home and summered last year on my patio, where it flourished. It made it through its second winter in its new location with no problem, and just a few weeks ago started to look bad. The leaves are browning out and falling off at an alarming rate (I fear that the worst is inevitable). It is also not drinking. It gets sufficient light, heat and humidity, and shows no obvious signs of disease or infestation. The tree was repotted several months ago, so it cannot be a root crowding problem. Does anybody have any clues as to what I might try? Could it simply be dying of old age? Any and all info will be appreciated. I'M DESPERATE! Please mail.
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (03/28/84)
[] Quick, GET IT INTO A BIGGER POT. Sounds like it is strangling in its own root system.
deborah@avsdS.UUCP (03/30/84)
You say the tree is not drinking. If you are watering it and the water is all pouring out the bottom of the pot, it could be that the roots were so tightly packed that they haven't got any soil left among them. When you repotted, if you did not score the root ball, they may still be growing around in circles the diameter of the old pot. Try using a water wetting agent (I've heard of one available here in the west called Water Wet) to get the water to penetrate that hard root ball. Good Luck!