Question
Help!! Hi Darlene. I am caring for someones home over the winter %26 up until a few weeks ago, their indoor orange tree was growing beautifully. It had about 8-10 oranges on it %26 they have shriveled %26 the leaves dried up %26 fell off!! It did well last winter, with no problems. What happened? It gets plenty of light %26 the room is set at 63. We're in Ohio. Thankyou for any suggestions.

Answer
Laurie,

Most likely you have either watered it too much or too little. I suspect the problem is too much water. When a plant does not dry out well between waterings the roots do not have time to breath in carbon dioxide so the plant can breath oxygen out through the leaves for a few days before the plant is watered again. Then the roots begin to rot and the fruit drops. To save the tree you have to cut back on the amount of water you are giving the tree when you water it. You have to empty the drain tray under the tree an hour after you water it. Use an old turkey baster to remove any excess water so the tree is not sitting in water. Do not water it again until it has been dry for several days. To easily tell if it is dry you can get some bamboo skewers at the grocery store, the kind that you make shish kabobs with. Insert one in the soil all the way in except the last inch and leave it there until you think it may be time to water the tree again. Then pull the skewer out and see if it is dry. If not check it daily until you find it dry then wait 3 more days and then water the tree. Do this even if it takes 4-5 weeks for it to dry out. Too little water is much healthier for the tree than too much. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.

Darlene