The bushy tangerine with its elliptically shaped, dark green, shiny leaves and the bright orange colored fruits is a distinctive tree that is wonderfully suited to being kept in a bucket and conjures up an exotic flair on the balcony at home. However, the tangerine is not easy to care for.
lack of light
When the tangerine tree sheds its leaves, care mistakes are usually the cause. In particular, lack of light does not do much for the tropical plant. Especially towards the end of the winter season, when the tangerine is already weakened, it often loses its leaves. In such cases, providing more light can help. A special plant lamp (€21.99) that provides light for at least eight hours a day is ideal. As soon as the days get lighter and longer in spring and the plant is outside from June, it will sprout again quite reliably.
Avoid leaf shedding in winter
Mandarins prefer to hibernate cool - about 10 °C is ideal - and light. The basic principle is that the warmer the plant, the lighter it has to be. Of course, you can also overwinter your tree in a well-tempered living room, but then you have to provide permanent extra lighting with a plant lamp. In this case, the lamp should deliver around 10,000 lux so that the tropical tree is sufficiently supplied.
waterlogging
Like all citrus fruits, the tangerine tree is also very sensitive to waterlogging. If the substrate is too wet, the roots rot and the plant sheds its leaves. These can no longer be adequately supplied and therefore represent ballast. You should only water the tangerine tree when the top layer of soil has already dried. In addition, it must be ensured that excess water can drain away quickly and unhindered. Therefore, a drainage layer several centimeters thick belongs in the pot, and the soil should also be loose and permeable. The water must not stand in any coasters.
First aid for root rot
If your tangerine tree is affected by root rot, you can, with a little luck, save it with the following first aid measures:
- Take the plant out of the pot.
- Carefully remove the soil stuck between the roots.
- Perform a root pruning.
- Use sharp scissors or a knife to remove any rotting or damaged roots.
- Plant the tangerine tree in a new pot with fresh substrate.
- At the bottom fill a thick layer with expanded clay (19.73€) or lava quarry.
tips and tricks
A newly purchased tangerine often sheds many or even all of its leaves. This is annoying, but quite normal - this is how the sensitive tree reacts to stress. To reduce this, leave the pot with the tangerines alone for the time being: do not repot, do not keep moving, and also do not turn or turn.
IJA