Proper care of a tangerine tree in 12 simple steps

The mandarin tree is native to China or Japan. Its flowers are self-pollinating, requiring no bees for pollination. It is an early-bearing and productive tree, producing sweet fruits that are mostly seedless. Hybrid varieties are used to decorate homes, gardens, terraces, and balconies. Miniature dwarf varieties are preferred for indoor cultivation.

Basic information

The citrus tree belongs to the Rutaceae family. Hybrid plants are dwarf, growing to no more than 2 meters in length. In the wild, it can reach 4–5 meters. The branches are drooping, and the bark is light gray. The leaf blades are ovate, dark green, and dense. The tree blooms once a year, in the spring.

Fruiting is abundant and annual, occurring 3–6 years after planting. In the wild, a single tree can produce 600–800 tangerines per year. The fruits are spherical, 4–6 cm in diameter, and the peel separates easily from the pulp. The fruit is sweet in taste and rich in sugar, organic acids, and vitamins. The ripe pulp consists of numerous juice sacs.

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Care in winter, spring, summer and autumn

Immediately after purchase, the mandarin tree should be repotted into a different container. Prepare a substrate of rotted cow manure, turf, quartz sand, and deciduous forest soil in a ratio of 1:2:1:1.

It's not recommended to plant a tree in a large container right away: gradually increase the container's diameter as the seedling grows. Drainage should be provided at the bottom of the container using broken brick, expanded clay, or pebbles.

How to care in spring and summer:

1. Take the tree outside into the fresh air and place it in the shade. Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, as this can cause leaf burn.
2. Water with settled water as the soil dries out. To determine if watering is needed, test the soil with your fingers: if the soil sticks together, don't water.
3. In hot weather, spray the leaves with water from a spray bottle once a week.
4. To prevent pests from appearing, wash the leaves with a sponge soaked in soapy water.
5. Fertilizing is done in several stages. In the spring, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, and potassium salt are incorporated into the soil. During fruit formation, Fertika, Nitroammophoska, and Bona Forte fertilizers are used.
6. For growing, the recommended temperature range is +15…+18ºС, air humidity no more than 70%.

In the spring, the plant requires repotting. Young trees are repotted annually. Seedlings in their third year and later are repotted every three years. Repotting is done by transshipment; the root collar should not be buried.

The fruiting period depends on the variety, but is typically from October to December. When the fruits turn bright orange, they are ready to harvest. The plant is dormant during winter and fall.

Main events:

1. Lighting for at least 8 hours. If there is not enough sunlight, install a phytolamp.
2. Air humidity no more than 60%, temperature +5…+10°С.
3. Moderate watering. If the temperature and humidity are optimal, watering the plant once every 10 days is sufficient.

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Periodically move the tree's container to different locations in the room to ensure uniform growth and prevent it from becoming leggy. Avoid fertilizing during winter. Ventilate the room regularly, but avoid drafts and sudden temperature changes.

How to grow from seed

Take ripe fruits and remove a few seeds. Select healthy planting material—the seeds shouldn't be dry or blackened. Wrap them in damp cheesecloth and let them soak for 7–10 days. Add moisture periodically to prevent the planting material from drying out.

After sprouts appear:

1. Place them in neutral soil with a pH of 6.5–7. If you can't buy ready-made soil, use a mixture of humus, river sand, and soil from deciduous trees in a ratio of 2:1:2.
2. Provide the seedlings with a temperature regime of +18…+20ºС, air humidity no more than 70%.
3. Watering and spraying leaves - the rules are the same as for adult seedlings.
4. Pricking out is done when the plant has formed four true leaves. When replanting, discard weak and non-viable seedlings.

When propagated by seed, the mandarin tree grows slowly. It takes several years for the plant to flower. The first fruiting occurs after 5-7 years. The fruit may not taste like the one from which the seed was taken. To reproduce the same variety, the tree must be propagated vegetatively.

Why do leaves turn yellow and what to do?

Yellowing leaves can occur due to improper care, disease, or pests. Use these tips to determine the cause:

1. If the leaves are turning yellow all over the tree, it's due to insufficient sunlight. This problem most often occurs in winter. Improve the lighting by moving the tree closer to a window.
2. If the leaves turn yellow after repotting, the root collar is too deep. Repot the plant.
3. Yellow leaves may indicate a nutrient deficiency—nitrogen, iron, or potassium. Feed the tree with a complete mineral fertilizer.
4. Spider mites. These insects feed on plant sap, causing leaves to turn yellow and fall off. If there are few pests, wipe the leaves with a soapy solution. It's best to use laundry soap. If there are a large number of insects, use products such as Akarin or Apollo.

Root rot also accompanies yellowing of the leaves. Fungal infection can be recognized by the plant's appearance: the lower part of the trunk darkens, and an unpleasant odor develops.

The tree needs to be replanted, damaged root parts removed, and proper care restored. The root system and shoots should be sprayed with solutions of Penncozeb, Maxim, and Skor.

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