Question
QUESTION: I just got a miniature orange tree.  A few days after I got it, it bloomed beautifully.  It has been two weeks since and alot of the flowers have fallen off, a few are coming back.  I think its just adjusting to its new home, but Im not sure.  My big problem is there are nats flying around my room now.  I am sure its from my tree and I dont know what to do about it.  
Thanks,
Cale Hyer

ANSWER: Hi Cale, ok, before I can tackle this, resubmit me the following info, type of container its in, where you are located, what part of the house (inside or out) is it located and how big is the plant itself. Nick

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QUESTION: It is in a 12 inch by 8 inch container that is approx. 7 inches tall.  I live in Stillwater, OK.  It is in my appartment room and I have a grow light on in because of the lack of light the gets into my room.  The plant itself is about 13 inches tall and 8 inches wide.  
thanks,
Cale Hyer

ANSWER: Ok, it sounds like the only real problem here is the gnats, they are probably white fly, they lay their eggs on the plant and the larvae feed on the plant and turn into adult white flies (what you see flying around). spray the tree with a product called Ultra Fine Oil...its a horticultural oil that will kill the larvae and deter the adults from hatching more eggs on your tree. Move it to another location, and spray the room to eradicate the adults (with an aerosol insecticide), this should take care of that problem, the blossoms falling off is perfectly normal, about 10 percent of the flowers developed actually turn into fruit. regards Nick

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QUESTION: Thank you for the help on the gnats.  Since I put the Ultra Fine Oil on the tree, I haven't seen any gnats near it.  However, since I have spoken to you last, a lot of the leaves have started hanging down.  On top of this, many have curled up and many have turned brown and died.  I do not know what this means.  I have been watering it about every 5 days or so and I also have been putting a drop or two of Superthrive in the cup of water.  All of the flowers have died and fallen off and I dont see any new ones coming back.  Do you have an idea of what I need to do or what I am doing wrong?

Answer
Hi Again, ok, part of the leaf loss is just a reaction to the oil, but it sounds like you are wayyyy overwatering! citrus doesn't like a lot of water and drooping, browning and hanging leaves is a definite sign of the roots getting too much irrigation; if this is so, then you need to get it out of that container and repot it with some drainage medium lining the bottom, so that excess water will drain away from the roots; root rot is a major cause of damage to citrus. regards Nick