Hello green fingers of Reddit!
We are new to gardening. Our Orange tree in Greater Melbourne area is suddenly dying, no idea what happened. Any ideas how to save it? It had mini oranges on it and suddenly it started going in shock. Thank you in advance for the support.
by Disturbedcalmly2k
4 Comments
Looks like a massive split or wound in the trunk/base, lack of sun light, too much competition around the base (weeds) and no mulch/compost around the base, that and the weed types (tap roots) suggest compacted soil.
Dieback from fungal attack. This tree must have been suffering trunk canker for many years. The main trunk has been hollowed out by rot, and probably attacked by borers too, so it’s unlikely to recover. even if you chop it back hard and it regrows the hollow will be a source of fungal attack.
You might save it by cutting it just below the hollow and it might sprout and regrow from the stump if that cut happens to be above the graft.
But, I reckon you’re best off cutting it down and planting another tree next to it. Be sure to water lots of phosphoric acid into the soil before replanting to kill off the fungi.
Did you put eucalyptus mulch around the base?
Did you water it? Or you bought it from Bunnings