We’ve recently moved to a new house (location: Cairns).

I’m stoked as there’s bananas (in fruit) and I’ve always wanted to have them in the back yard. There’s also a good passionfruit vine :)

Then there’s the Mandarin tree.

The Mandy is prolific. It’s covered in fruit.

Problem is that it doesn’t seem to want to keep the fruit on the tree. It drops it while still green. If I collect it to ripen in the house, it develops to a point and then just begins to rot.

I want some fruit dammnit!

We’re having a very wet, Wet season – is this a likely factor?

Otherwise, what can I do to get some nice luscious fresh Mandys?

Teleost said:

We’ve recently moved to a new house (location: Cairns).
Then there’s the Mandarin tree. The Mandy is prolific. It’s covered in fruit.
Problem is that it doesn’t seem to want to keep the fruit on the tree. It drops it while still green. If I collect it to ripen in the house, it develops to a point and then just begins to rot.

I want some fruit dammnit!

We’re having a very wet, Wet season – is this a likely factor?
Otherwise, what can I do to get some nice luscious fresh Mandys?

g’ay teleost. i’m in adealide and i have two good mandarins – a japanese seedless and an imperial. i’m not an expert but –

dropped fruit can be caused by -
- too much water or – too little water
- too much fertiliser or too little fertiliser.

probably in cairns after the cyclone season the tree is suffering too much water and leached soil – therefore not enough fertiliser.

you will need to check drainage – how long before the water soaks away? – are the roots sitting in water? if drainage is poor your either — transplant to higher ground or – improve drainage with ag pipe and gravel.

empty a wheelbarrow of manure around the dripline because now is the time to fertilise.

good eating and wait for the experts to comment further.

Thanks Pepe

Too much water was my thought – which is why I mentioned the wet, wet season.

We seem to have pretty good drainage, but the soil’s pretty much saturated. I’ve put off mowing for a week so far. If it keeps raining (as predicted) I’ll have to do it next week if it’s wet or not :(

Teleost said:

Thanks Pepe Too much water was my thought – which is why I mentioned the wet, wet season.

We seem to have pretty good drainage, but the soil’s pretty much saturated. I’ve put off mowing for a week so far. If it keeps raining (as predicted) I’ll have to do it next week if it’s wet or not :(

yep – sounds right – it must be pretty good drainage or it would have died.
photos are good LOL. yell out if you need a hand loading them.

I’ve never really had the too much water problem since I moved off the rice ground.
Hot weather without water can also be a problem.

Yes pictures are always good.

Citrus species have often been sprayed with the growth hormone which is often withdrawn by the plant under various circumstances, hence fruit drop. Spraying with such hormones helps keep the fruit on.

You mentioned cutting the grass. Citrus don’t mind grass but they don’t want it under their drip line. They prefer the grass to grow outside the drip line. Citrus loathes kikuyu.

i was going to suggets low trace elements
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/citrus/management/other-information/garden
Summer fruit drop
Citrus normally shed large numbers of fruitlets shortly after blossoming in the spring and at early fruit set (pea size). However, it is also common for a sudden drop of small fruit (20 mm diameter) to take place in the summer, when warmer weather places stress on the tree. The problem is particularly severe in young navel orange trees and may be related to lack of water at, or soon after, fruit set. Root diseases and lack of nitrogen or trace elements may also be responsible.
Preharvest drop
Preharvest drop in the autumn before fruit is fully mature is a common problem with navels and grapefruit. Some of this drop is natural, but in coastal areas fruit stung by Queensland fruit fly during the late autumn colour-change period is also very prone to drop. Some mandarin and lemon varieties will also shed fruit when damaged by the spined citrus bug. Brown spot infection in mandarins will result in fruit drop.

trichome said:

i was going to suggets low trace elements
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/citrus/management/other-information/garden
Summer fruit drop
Citrus normally shed large numbers of fruitlets shortly after blossoming in the spring and at early fruit set (pea size). However, it is also common for a sudden drop of small fruit (20 mm diameter) to take place in the summer, when warmer weather places stress on the tree. The problem is particularly severe in young navel orange trees and may be related to lack of water at, or soon after, fruit set. Root diseases and lack of nitrogen or trace elements may also be responsible.
Preharvest drop
Preharvest drop in the autumn before fruit is fully mature is a common problem with navels and grapefruit. Some of this drop is natural, but in coastal areas fruit stung by Queensland fruit fly during the late autumn colour-change period is also very prone to drop. Some mandarin and lemon varieties will also shed fruit when damaged by the spined citrus bug. Brown spot infection in mandarins will result in fruit drop.

Yes.. There are many reasons for fruit drops and yes they do occur at different times from differing causes.
If from fruit fly, then this should easily be observed by opening the fruit. Mandarin and grapefruit are suspects here along with lemons.
Many citrus orchardists spray with Mangasol/Zinc for trace element problems. Many a backyard tree has been brought back to health by watering in Magnesium sulphate around the root zone.

to get serious about fruit fly and oranges. You will ask any orange grower and they’ll tell you they have never seen fruit fly in oranges.

other citrus such as mandarin and grapefruit yes.. but not oranges.. Well I can dispell this myth. For a start.. tha dept. of Ag. has trialled orange juice as a fruit fly bait and found it to be the most effective. Oranges left on the tree or fallen on the ground are not looked at for fruit fly.. since fruit fly is only really sought out in .. export quality fruit. Which is usually picked and cold stored before later ripening stages. Fruit juice is made from crushed or otherwise degraded fruit. Old oranges on tree or ground are also of the same ilk. I’ve observed fruit fly attracted to and wintering over in such fruit. Otherwise unnoticed.

Be aware that cleaning up all such old fruit or on ground fruit is essential in preventing the early onset of fruit fly.. on your property.

Thanks for that Roughy.

Fruit fly is a definite issue up here, but I don’t think it’s the problem at the moment.

I’ll get some fertiliser into it after the wet season.

There’s no point at the moment as it’ll just be washed away.

We’ve had 206mm for the month so far!

Feb had 1023mm.

Teleost said:

Thanks for that Roughy.

Fruit fly is a definite issue up here, but I don’t think it’s the problem at the moment.

I’ll get some fertiliser into it after the wet season.

There’s no point at the moment as it’ll just be washed away.

We’ve had 206mm for the month so far!

Feb had 1023mm.

Far out. That’s a lot of rain!