View Full Version : Need help with my orange tree
michfisher
10-08-2014, 11:08 PM
Hi my orange tree is got something wrong with it the fruit for one the oranges keep falling off before it fully ripens and each orange keeps getting a big round type of hard spot on them, I did notice some of the branches died and had some type of scale on them but not all branches just a few and I cut them off, so I got a picture of the orange with the spot on it in hopes someone can tell me what it is and if its treatable, Thanks in advance. BTW this orange didn't fall off the tree I picked it almost ripe but many of the oranges produce the same type hard spot.
495494
Charm Dreier
10-28-2014, 12:24 AM
It sounds as if it might be Citrus Black Spot, a fungal disease, or some other fungus. Here is what I would do to cure it and prevent it's spread or re-occurence:
Keep the ground around the plant free of leaf litter, especially old, rotting leaves.
If the tree is on irrigation, plug the irrigation. It does not need daily water. It needs deep but unfrequent watering to allow the soil to dry out (and starve fungus).
Also, if the soil is drying out between waterings, it gives a chance for the good bacteria to grow and for the tree's roots to find oxygen. Healthier tree already.
Citrus is considered a garden tree, so I would water it more often than a shade tree or a street tree. Every 10 days with 3 to 4 gallons should be sufficient.
Compost the drip line of the tree with compost or composted manure. This will give it a boost of food to help stave off the disease.
Do not allow the compost to be piled up on the tree trunk-- this will cause more disease (specifically root crown rot).
Fertilize your tree once a month with a citrus fertilizer or a season specific fertilizer (for example, use a fert high in nitrogen when the plant is not in fruit or bud)
Spray the tree weekly to kill the scale "crawlers" and eggs (obviously, can't kill adults with spray, but you can get the next generation.)
I know this sounds counter-intuitive since you are trying to get rid of the fungus, but the more healthy the tree is, the easier it will be to fight off illness.
If you use Neem Oil spray, you will smother the insects, kill the fungus, and will still be able to eat the fruit since Neem is natural and edible for humans and wildlife.
Make sure to have your tree thinned out one to two times a year by a professional or someone else that knows how to do it-- don't let your Mow & Blow crew sheer it!
Your tree is stressed out right now and just needs some TLC, but this is definitely doable! Seems like a lot, but don't get discouraged.
Charm Dreier
10-28-2014, 12:27 AM
Oh, yeah-- it also wouldn't hurt to remove the blighted fruit completely, and let your tree rest-- if it is trying to grow fruit, it might not be putting enough energy into fighting off disease. In this situation, I even tend to remove the immature fruit and flower buds to give the tree some down time to focus on getting better.
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