Please show the whole tree. Include a picture or two of the container and potting medium.

Thank you for giving it some thought. The tree looks kind of bare now because I removed a lot of dead branches and leaves that had a lot of scale on it and were sticky from the scale and gummosis.. I just repotted it a couple of months ago. It was in a roundish pot before, and I overwintered it inside because it snowed here and gets cold in the winter.

I'm disabled, so I had it repotted by my yard guy. I think he used an all purpose potting mix by Vigoro. It bloomed again and has a number of little grapefruits on it. (It's an OroBlanco).

I forgot to add that I also had it put up on two bricks, so the pot wouldn't sit in water. It's on A drip irrigation system, so it gets watered 3 times a week. We are on water restrictions here. If it looks dry, I hand water it also. We are headed for a very hot spell, with temps over 100, but temps have been pretty cool so far this year, with temps in the 90s.

I don't understand what happened to my profile info. It seems to have disappeared, but I live in Arizona, northern to central.

When I was outside again, I saw that the branch with the wilted leaves was brown, or dead compared to some other branches. There are leaves that seem perfectly normal above them, plus some fruit. Maybe I should cut that branch off below the good leaves. I just don't want whatever caused them to die to spread to the rest of the tree.

Your tree probably has root rot. It needs to be removed from the pot. If it has root rot, the roots will have a brown color and fall apart easily. Root rot is caused by a poorly draining soil mix and/or overwatering. I would replace the mix with something more rapidly draining like the 5:1:1 mix.

Many people on this forum use either the gritty or 5-1-1 mix, both of which are fast draining and do not retain too much water. The ingredients for 5-1-1 are easier to find. This is what I use:

My version of Al Tapla's 5-1-1 Mix

· 5 parts pine bark mulch (remove ½” pieces through 1/2 inch screen)

(Some people use Repti Bark instead of mulch. They do not screen it.) Be sure to soak the bark overnight.

· 1 part sphagnum peat

· 1 part perlite (coarse, if you can get it)

· 1 Tb garden lime /gal 5-1-1 mix (measure the 5-1-1 mix)

· Osmocote plus (follow manufacturer’s instructions). This is optional.

· Moisten well and wait at 2 days before using, if possible.

When repotting into a different kind of soil mix, remove all of the old soil mix by dunking the root ball in and out of water. You may have to use a garden hose to gently force the old soil off. Or, use something like a screwdriver: stick it into the root ball and pull down to loosen the soil. Dunk and repeat.

PLEASE NOTE: Other people with many years experience growing citrus in containers do not use the above soil mixes. For example, Millet (TropicalFruitForum.com) uses 9 parts Miracle Grow Garden Soil (NOT Miracle Grow Potting Soil) to 1 part perlite. CAUTION: MG Garden Soil varies depending on where in the country you buy it. You are more likely to avoid root rot using the gritty or 5-1-1 mix.

I check to see if my trees need watering by digging an inch or two into the soil with my fingers. If the soil feels damp, I don’t water. If dry, I water. Or, you can insert a sharpened 1/8” or ¼ “wooden dowel or shish kabob skewer half way between the trunk and sidewall of the container and all the way down to the bottom. Pull it out and see if there are particles adhering to it. If there are, then do not water.

Thank you. The tree was recently repotted, but I have to admit that the dirt was not removed from the rootball.

a couple tree ideas.. i dont do citrus.. so im not sure how that works ...

first.. on some level.. you may be loving it to its disadvantage ... youve repotted a large tree ... and expect.. on some level.. for it to perk right up.. when in fact.. in tree time... it might be stressed for up to a year ...

its not uncommon for an evergreen tree.. to shed leaves.. if the transplant went roughly ... all you do though.. is water properly.. and allow it to get over those stresses ... ugly as it might get ...

it is stressed .. not hungry ... so dont try to fert it back to health.. dont do much of anything ... dont heap more stress on it.. loving it too much ...

btw .. after the repotting.. did you keep it in shade for a few weeks ... so it could adjust ... or did it go right back into the sun ... when its roots were all upset?? .. that alone. might be a reason for leaf loss ... [also.. when you broguht it outside for summer.. did you harden it off to sunshine... or slam it right into sun ... this is another reason to shed old leaves.. sun shock.. for lack of a better term....]

next.. watering ... the bottom line.. is you water a plant when it needs water ... who says it needs it every 3 days .. and to be clear.. i dont know how it all works in AZ .... ... most trees like a drink of water.. and then some level of drying ... before it is watered again ... with full drainage ... and good for you for elevating the pot.. to make sure water runs out the bottom ...

but you also say ... if it LOOKS dry ... you add more water ... i would suggest.. you take a tablespoon or small hand trowel.. and gently dig down 3 to 6 inches .... [both in the new media.. and into the old gob of media] .. in a couple places in the pot.. AND FIND OUT .. if its dry or sopping wet down there ... and then adjust watering.. according to your pot.. in your media.. in your yard ... when it all boils down.. its near impossible for us to tell you how to perfect it all .. its all in your control ....

if i am correct.. that it is incredibly stressed... then repotting it again .. is only going to stress it more ...

if i was in this situation .. in my MI ... i would probably put it in full bright shade ... and try to forget about it for the rest of the summer ... and either it.. would stabilize.. i and i would be pleasantly surprised at its recovery ... or it would die.. lol .. and fine with me.. i will start with a fresh new plant ... and be able to quit worrying about this one ...

sometimes.. benign neglect is better than loving it to death ... you might be surprised how often it works.. lol ..

i wish you luck ...

ken