We dispatch our trees every Tuesday, for delivery to most states of Australia. Next dispatch 14th May.

For WA and Tasmania, we send trees on the first Tuesday of each month. Next dispatch 4th June.

Due to the new Fire Ant restrictions, SA trees will also be sent on the first Tuesday of each month until further notice.

Fruit Salad Trees | What causes citrus leaves to turn yellow?

May 09, 2019

Fruit Salad Trees | What causes citrus leaves to turn yellow?

Fruit trees are like energetic teenagers, they burn through energy, produce copious amounts of love and but if they're tired, they'll definitely show it!

Citrus trees are evergreen, which means that they keep their leaves all throughout the year. Citrus Fruit Salad Trees have different fruit grafted onto the same rootstock, meaning that you can grow different fruit on the same tree, with less wastage and more variety, at different times throughout the year.

The rootstock that we use for our Citrus trees is Trifoliata; it has a deciduous growth cycle, which means that in Winter, the roots will reduce the amount of nutrition it provides. This can leave the evergreen part of the tree hungry for food. Leaves with a yellow border or mottled yellow indicate a nutrient deficiency. Just like a hungry teenager, give them food and they'll perk up!

When should I feed my Citrus Fruit Salad Tree?

If the leaves are a yellow tone during winter, wait until Spring to give your citrus tree a good feed with fertiliser to encourage new growth. This is because the deciduous rootstocks won't take up a lot of food during the winter months. Fertilising citrus in the cooler months can be tricky, as it is best to avoid encouraging a flush of tender new growth that could easily get frosted or cold damaged. A great way to improve the nutritional elements in your soil in winter is to feed your tree with a mix of dolomite, lime and gypsum, which will increase nutrition and improve leaf appearance without stimulating a flush.

What should I feed my Citrus Fruit Salad Tree?

If it is nutritional deficiency, complete a pH test on your soil and respond based on the result.

It is worthwhile noting the type of yellowing of your citrus leaves:

  • Light green to yellow leaves all over the tree indicates a Nitrogen deficiency – Treatment Blood and Bone/Organic Matter
  • Yellowish-green blotch at the leaf base that spreads outward - Magnesium deficiency – Treatment Dolomite or Epsom Salts
  • Yellow leaves with green veins (generally soil high in alkaline - common in coastal areas) - Zinc/Iron deficiency - Zinc: foliar spray (zinc sulphate) on the spring flush leaves. Iron – you will need to look at your soil and reduce the pH (talk to your local nursery).
More Fruit Salad Tree growing tips

Remember with younger trees to thin the first fruit that will appear. Dane shows how to prune and balance your young tree here.

You may like to train your grafts to grow in a certain fashion. Read more about training your tree with stakes here.

Did you know that you can also espalier any Fruit Salad Tree? Espalier your fruit tree by attaching the branches to wires or along a lattice framework, creating a fan shape which results in faster growth. Read more about espaliering your Fruit Salad Tree here.

We love seeing your Fruit Salad Tree grow. Feel free to share your growing pics with us by using #myfruitsaladtree on facebook on instagram if you have a  public profile. Otherwise direct message us your photos. You can also ask us more detailed questions and our nursery staff can give you advice. Follow us on facebook and instagram today for more tips, tricks and specials.

Our fast fruiting trees can be grown in the ground, or in pots on your balcony. For more information on growing your tree in a pot, read our detailed guide here. For information on planting your Fruit Salad Tree read our step by step guide here, and for planting your tree in clay soil, watch Sue's informative video in our article on planting in clay soil here.

Want more information? Sign up to our enewsletter for more growing tips, current specials and more from the Fruit Salad Tree family.

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Fruit Salad Trees make perfectly different gifts! Our gift cards are emailed instantly. You can also shop our wide range of trees now and check out our current specials here!

 




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