Why do tangerine leaves turn yellow, the causes of the disease and what to do

There are many reasons why indoor tangerine leaves turn yellow. It is difficult for a beginner to understand them. Errors in maintenance and care are reflected in the appearance of the plant. Leaves may turn yellow and fall off due to disease or pest infestation.

Causes of plant diseases

There are several reasons why indoor tangerine sheds its leaves, does not bloom, and lags behind in development. They all relate to care and living conditions. The tree loses its leaves if it lacks sunlight. The pot with the plant must be moved to another, more illuminated place.

Sudden changes in air temperature negatively affect the immune system. Citrus fruits love when a pleasant microclimate is created around them. Air humidity and temperature are constant, there are no drafts.

In some cases, the appearance of dry, yellow leaves on a tangerine indicates pests that have settled on the plant.

The appearance of citrus fruits suffers from scale insects and spider mites. Insects oppress the tangerine, take away its nutrients, and undermine the immune system.

The condition of the tree is affected by the fertility of the soil. Over time it decreases. The tangerine can get sick and stop developing if it is not transplanted into another container every year. The appearance is affected by improper watering regime, lack or excess of moisture. Analysis of the listed factors will help to find out the exact reason why the tangerine turns yellow.

Possible tangerine diseases based on symptoms

Diseases that occur when growing tangerines can be caused by poor care and unbalanced nutrition. They manifest themselves by drying out, curling of leaves, lack of fruits, their poor taste, and drying out of the ovaries.

The leaves are falling

The plant has entered a dormant period if it sheds its leaves from October to February. There is no reason to worry. Tangerine must be moved to a cool room (15 °C) before March, reduce the volume and frequency of watering.

Reasons that require adjustment:

• dry air;
• large pot;
• when planting, the root collar was deepened;
• the soil is poor and lacks potassium;
• bad light;
• drafts;
• waterlogging of the soil.

The air is humidified using household devices (air humidifiers) and by spraying the crown with water. Planting flaws are corrected, providing the tree with an optimal microclimate. For proper nutrition, tangerines are fed with potassium nitrate.

The lack of natural light is made up for with artificial lighting.

Mandarin does not bloom

You can stimulate the flowering of grafted tangerines with simple measures. Organize a “cold” winter for him at the end of winter. In spring, create high-quality artificial lighting. This is often enough for the formation of fruit buds.

The leaves are turning yellow

Yellow spots that appear on the lower leaf blades indicate a lack of nitrogen. Yellowness will also cover the upper part of the crown if the tangerine is not fed in time with urea or other nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

The pale yellow color of young leaves is a symptom of chlorosis. The reason is iron deficiency. Eliminate the problem using iron chelate. They feed tangerines once a month. Poor growing conditions (small pot, poor lighting) also cause yellowing.

The fruits are falling

It is not always clear what to do when tangerine fruits fall off. A common cause is a viral disease. Small ovaries often fall off due to scale insects. Fruits the size of a nut fall off if the following conditions are violated:

• dry air;
• bright sun;
• enhanced nitrogen fertilization at the time of ovary formation;
• insufficient or excessive watering.

Leaves are drying

The tangerine dries out due to improper watering. A sign of waterlogging is a dry brown edge on the leaf blades. The tree needs to be replanted to save it from death. Trim rotten roots. Pour drainage into the container.Prepare a breathable soil mixture. Most of it should be leaf soil.

The dried plant is reanimated according to the following scheme:

• put in a bowl of water;
• water from above until the soil is completely moistened;
• remove excess liquid (drain);
• the crown is sprayed with Epin.

Treatment with the stimulant is repeated every 2 weeks.

The leaves are curling

Aphids are a common reason why indoor tangerine leaves curl. If there are no insects, then perhaps the soil in the pot is dry and the plant simply does not have enough moisture.

White plaque

Judging by the white waxy coating on the leaf axils, it can be assumed that the tangerine has mealybugs. With severe infection, the surface of the leaf blades becomes covered with a sticky layer. Plant growth is inhibited and leaves fall off.

Mandarin diseases

Homemade tangerine is susceptible to viral and bacterial diseases. They are caused by poor care, proximity to diseased plants, and insects.

Gommoz

Another name for the disease is gum disease. In the initial stage, red-brown spots appear on the surface of the trunk and branches. The bark underneath dies and gum comes out of the wounds. There are many possible causes for the disease:

• buried during planting;
• poor drainage;
• unbalanced fertilizing, predominance of nitrogen;
• mechanical trauma to the cortex.

Damaged areas are cleaned, treated with copper sulfate (3% solution), and covered with garden pitch.

Psorosis A or xylopsorosis

This is a viral disease. The bark suffers. A diseased tree cannot be treated. The plant is destroyed. Symptoms are similar to gommosis. At home, it is difficult to establish an accurate analysis.

Tristeza

With this viral disease, the bark of the tangerine tree dies. The disease first manifests itself as a change in leaf color. They become bronze.Over time, the crown becomes bare. The virus infects branches and fruits. They fall off before ripening. The root system also suffers. It is impossible to cure tangerine.

Sheet mosaic

Pattern in the form of strokes and stripes on tangerine leaves. As the disease progresses, they become deformed and shed. The disease has no cure.

Citrus cancer

The disease is bacterial in nature and has no cure. Signs of cancer are dark, bright brown spots on the skin of the fruit and on the leaves.

Pests of tangerine tree

Any harmful insect that settles on a houseplant causes harm. The tangerine tree has many enemies. An infected plant can be easily recognized by its depressed appearance, yellowed, deformed leaves.

Shchitovka

For scale insects, tangerines are sprayed with a soap solution. It is prepared from water (3 l) and “Fari” (2 tbsp). In case of severe infection, the tree is treated three times with Actellik. A houseplant is attacked by 3 types of insects:

• orange yellow;
• orange with shield;
• rod-shaped.

Scale insect larvae suck out the juice, their secretions create a film on the surface of the leaves and impair breathing.

Spider mite

This insect attacks the tangerine if it is not watered on time and the soil is too dry. Pests are collected by hand, the leaves are wiped with a napkin soaked in cold water. Treat the crown with garlic infusion. Acaricide preparations (Vertimek, Fitoverm) are effective.

Greenhouse thrips

This flying pest feeds on pollen, nectar, and leaf juice. The length of an adult is 1.5-2 mm. The color of females is gray, males are black. High humidity and air temperature create favorable conditions for thrips to reproduce. Tangerines from insects are sprayed with insecticide 3 times with an interval of 2 weeks.

Whitefly

Tangerine leaves are damaged by larvae. They are green and live on the back of leaves. The butterfly itself is small, covered with a light coating. The color of the body and wings is white and pink. The insect crown is treated with bioinsecticides:

• "Aktofit";
• "Bikol."

Mealybug

An adult has a body 3-6 mm long. Their larvae pose a threat to mandarins. They are mobile, sucking the juice of young shoots, leaves, and buds. You can recognize the pest by its sticky white secretions. The insect carries an infection - sooty fungus. They fight the pest with a solution of “Karbofos” (5 g of the drug per 1 liter of water). 4 treatments are carried out with an interval of 7 days.

Aphid

Adults 1-3 mm long settle on the back side of leaf blades. Affected leaves curl and dry out. Fight aphids using traditional methods:

• An oil-soap emulsion is prepared from machine oil and soap (1 liter of water, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of liquid soap);
• the tree is sprayed with tobacco infusion;
• treat the leaves with infusion of ash.

Garden slug

The leaves suffer from the voracious insect. They fight it with the help of traps and drugs:

• "Meta";
• "Bros Snakol";
• "Ferramol".

Earthworms

Worms are expelled from an indoor pot using mustard. Its solution (1 liter of water, 1 teaspoon of powder) is watered onto the soil. Single specimens do not cause harm to the plant. A large number of earthworms oppresses the plant and inhibits growth.

Citrus nematode

The tangerine root system suffers from small milky worms. The lesions appear as small swellings. The plant’s nutrition deteriorates, which affects its immunity and appearance. Growth slows down, the number of ovaries decreases, and the risk of fungal diseases increases.

Prevention of diseases and pests

A tangerine tree infected with a virus cannot be treated. The only way to fight is prevention. The following measures prevent diseases:

• creating an optimal microclimate;
• feeding;
• regular watering;
• Systemic tree inspections, removal of damaged branches and leaves.

To prevent viral, fungal and bacterial infections, modern biofungicides are used. The soil is watered with a solution, the crown is periodically sprayed.