Question
Dear Will:

 I was given a house plant from a friend who started an orange plant with just the "seed"--but now--10 years after--it has been showing yellow leaves, and curling leaves, and very dry cracked open leaves--what is the problem?  I did leave it out one cold winter and sometimes forgot to water it...?
rsvp
Carol Wong

Answer
Hi Carol,

The symptoms you described have several possible causes. Cold temperatures, inadequate light, dramatic changes in light, and inconsistent watering will all cause those symptoms.

Citrus trees are difficult to grow indoors because they require a lot of direct sunlight all day long. When they are moved back and forth between outdoors and indoors the leaves have a hard time making the adjustment to the dramatic differences in light intensity.

Although Citrus trees can survive a light frost, cold will slow the growth rate and damage the foliage as well as the fruit. They really do best in temperatures that are consistently above 50 degrees F.

Finally, Citrus trees like evenly moist soil that is allowed to dry out an inch or so into the pot before a thorough watering. Allowing the soil to dry more than that will cause the tree to shed some of its leaves in order to survive the drought. Keeping the soil too wet will damage the roots and eventually kill the tree.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,