Question
QUESTION: Last fall I was given a miniature (or perhaps it is an ornamental) orange tree.  I kept it in the house all fall in a south window then in the spring put it outside on a porch where it go the west sun.  I stayed healthy but did not bloom.  I put in out on the deck where it got south and west sun most hours of the day.  It was loaded with blooms.  Then we had a lot of rain and some of the leaves began to curl up and droop.  It looked like it was wilting.  We drilled drain holes in the pot and drained out a lot of excess water  but the leaves continued to curl up and droop.  Then we repotted the tree into a larger pot with drain holes.  The roots were a cream color and there was no sign of root rot that I could see.  The weather then turned very hot with the temperature in the high 90抯 to low 100s.  We live in mid-Missouri so we have a lot of humidity also.  The leaves have continued to curl up and now they are turning dry and brittle and dropping off.  There are no spots or discoloration on the leaves until after they turn brittle then some of them turn brown before they fall off.  There are no visible insects on the plant or leave and the leave do not have holes or other wise looks like something is eating them that I can see.  Can you tell me what might be wrong with this plant?  Is it getting to much water, to much sun to much heat?  What can I do to bring this tree back to health?

Thank you
Terry

ANSWER: Hi Terry,  If I follow you you almost killed your plant drowning it and now it is reviving as it has drainage.  The leaves were probably hurt from the stress or you have leaf minor problems too that you did not notice.  Leaf minor comes out when it is hot.  If you look under the plant leaf you may see what looks like railroad tracks.  The other possibility is now that you almost drowned it you are not watering enough now?  kathy

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QUESTION: I examined the underside of the leaves and do not see anything that looks like railroad tracks.  When we repotted the tree we watered it untill water began running out of the drain holes then stopped.  The soil in the pot has remained damp but is not soaking.  Is there any hope for this plant? What should I do to help it recover? Should it be kept inside or outside and how much sun should it have?

Thanks
Terry

Answer
Hi  Terry

If the plant is wilting in the evening or early morning it is not getting enough water.  If it is wilting during the day it is stressed.  Did you move if from a house of shade to outside of sun?  This could cause the leaves to dry?  Hope this helps answer your question...kathy