What is wrong with my page mandarin tree?

[BonsaiBeast]

The tree has been in the ground for about 8 months. However, it has slowly yellowed more and more.

What do you think might be the problem?

[TooFarNorth]

Looks like nutrient deficiency, maybe nitrogen or ph too far off.  What kind of fertilization program is it on? Is the soil well drained?

TFN

[Greg A]

I don't have an answer, but as commiseration: Many of my citrus trees look most yellow this time of year, every year. I'm in SD County and I also mulch most of my trees heavily with wood chips. I no longer worry about it because they always green up well in spring and produce fine. Maybe your Page will too, on its own.

[SoCal2warm]

If I had to guess, maybe cold wet roots combined with hard clay and limestone soil?
Although they need to stay moist, citrus roots like to breathe, and when they can't the leaves often turn yellow during the colder wetter winter.
Alkalinity (limestone) could also be making it more difficult for the roots to take up iron. However, yours looks more like it may be nitrogen deficiency.

[Millet]

It is a nitrogen deficiency. The symptoms of a nitrogen deficiency in citrus are:  Severe --- totally yellow leaves with no variation of color, or yellow/orange veins with some green out on the far sides.  Less severe - Shows up on older leaves with newer leaves still retaining some green.

Citrus are heavy feeders and require more nitrogen and potassium than many other types of fruit trees.   It would be helpful to know the fertilizer you have been using on this tree, and the schedule of application.

[edweather]

Are the wood chips hurting?  Don't the chips require a lot of nitrogen to decompose, and might rob the N from the plant?

[TooFarNorth]

Wood chips on top of soil should not be a problem, as long as they are not incorporated INTO the soil.


TFN