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I'm in zone 6A in lower Michigan, I don't use fertilizer. There was a space heater in the garage but I'm not sure if maybe somebody left the door open allowing the cold to get in.

The tangerine tree seems to have more damage, the Mayer lemon tree is doing pretty okay.

cany anybody help me? This is making me really upset.

If you can lift the rootball out of its container you can see if the roots are too dry or wet. If the roots are to dry you will need to soak the entire root ball submerged in water for an hour or two. This will eliminate any dry patches. If the soil is soggy this is what I do.

I use containers with lots of drainage and aeration holes so in winter time I can.use a vacuum cleaner to pull fresh air through the root ball. and I place bucket lights over top of the plants. The buckets are aluminum foil lined and fitted with a 23 watt CFL.

If your twigs are green then yoiur tree is alive and should start growing in a moth or 4.

If you pull your tree out and the roots are slimy and probably smell bad you will need to remove all the soil and clean the roots up before replanting.

Freeze damage on Cuban Shaddock. 3 night below 10F with highs in the upper teens. This tree is dead.

6b Steve

Steve, I am so sorry buddy...Ugh is all I can say,,What a miserable thing to see after it looked so nice..

K13, you have mites for sure..I would treat asap and do something about that mix...It's not a good choice hence weak tree and then come the mites..Bad combo.

I'm sorry your trees are hurting! I have been so busy the last few days, I've barely checked in. I agree with Steve and Mike...I'm not sure exactly what is causing the problems, but I would treat thoroughly with neem and check the roots of possible. It may be that it was hurt by the cold, but the leaf drop is terrible. I would definitely repot into the 5-1-1 mix this spring unless it deteriorates further; then you may need to do it sooner. How's it looking today?

My Cuban Shaddocks were very difficult to eat and being on their own roots would need to get 20 feet tall at least before they would fill out with branches and produce like a citrus tree should. I left the trees outside to die. My only regret is I stopped fertilizing them June and If I had fed them through out the summer and fall I might have had a 12 foot tree to see. It was going to die anyway. the container will have room for what ever.

Thanks

Steve

The trees were growing vigorously and producing lots of fruit over the summer. Everything was fine all the way through November, they were not weak trees. I don't see how the soil could suddenly be the problem now. I wait until the soil gets a little dry before thoroughly watering them. I watered them quite a bit with softened water from my home (I didn't know it wasn't ideal at the time) but that was only one instance.

The tips of the branches on the tangerine tree seem to be doing okay but most of them still have spots.

This side looks totally ruined, and dried, this all happened so fast.

The Meyer lemon tree seems to be doing better than the Tangerine

But they still have spots on some leaves and some dried dead leaves.

This branch still looks healthy.

Leaves keep dropping and so does some fruit. What is neem and where can I get it? I don't see any bugs or little mites anywhere, but if that's the case how would I treat for those?

You want me to just dig up some of the roots and take photos? I have no idea what a "rootball" is and I can't lift the container since these trees are in heavy soil in large pots.

I've been burying the fallen leaves back into the soil, I'm hoping as they decompose it will help bring nutrients back to the plant.

Is it by any chance near a heating vent? It seems so strange that it would just wither like that.

You can buy cold pressed neem oil on Amazon. Dissolve it in warm water and a drop of dish soap. Make sure to shake it well to keep it dissolved when spraying. I'm not sure what is wrong with your tree, but the neem will not hurt it.

Hello, I'm thinking that dried/dead leaves may be caused by cold, but the white speckles looks more like fungus damage. It could also be caused by some sort of poisoning (you mentioned that the treees were kept in the garage... did you use the car during that time? )

Anyway, all trees look like it won't make-it to the spring, despite the "ok" branches. Sorry

Both trees were next to a space heater. They were also next to cars and exposed to some exhaust, maybe that's where the spots came from? Maybe the shock of the cold when opening the garage doors for a moment was too much for them?

I guess I'm going to have to buy new ones for next year. : (

They were doing so well and then everything went south in a matter of weeks, I don't have a north facing window in my room or anywhere else in my home but my garage does so that's why I wanted to keep them in there. I was afraid they would start dying from lack of sunlight and was trying to avoid that issue. Alas, it was all in vain.

Thanks everyone for your help.

I would not give up yet. Give them as much sun as possible, like a south window. Don't water unless the first 2-3 inches are dry and then water thoroughly until water runs out the bottom. Remove the dead leaves from the soil. Do not fertilize. You may not see any improvement for a few weeks so be patient.

k13dogg Do you live south of the eqator. That would explane your north windo comment

I agree...don't give up hope yet!!