Imperial Mandarin Experts Come Here and Advise

[101RRS]

My mandarin tree is 2m tall and about 9 years old. Like all young trees fruit started with just a few and really small but were Ok. Last year I got quite a few tasty fruit but again small about 2" across.

This year I got many more fruit but all are only cheery sized and hard - some as small as peas and these small ones ripened early - none have fallen off.

According to experts:
1. Not enough water in summer - well no it is La Ninia and there was plenty of water.
2. Too many fruit on the tree ans should have been thinned in summer - well no the actual number of fruit is less than a similar sized tree and really small.
3. Not enough plant food - again no as it was fed citrus food every 6 weeks and watered in.

Any other suggestions or ideas?

What do I do with the little pea sized fruit that is on the tree? Leave them there and let nature take its course or cut them all off and put in the compost.

Thanks

Garry

[RANDLOVER]

If you are sure they are not a dwarf/miniature variety sometimes plants can't absorb nutrients due to a trace element deficiency.

[101RRS]

It is not a dwarf or miniature variety but as far as nutrients go I don't know - I just feed it granualised citrus good on a regular basis.

However it is easier and cheaper just to buy mandarins from the shop.

[1950landy]

Our Mandarin tree has never had any fruit & can't remember it having any flowers either, yet the Lemon & Lime trees fruit every year, all three trees are in the same garden & about 1 1/2M's apart they were all planted at the same time about 12 years ago.

[incisor]

I use Epson salts as a fertiliser on grafted citrus and seems to do the trick

[101RRS]

I use Epson salts as a fertiliser on grafted citrus and seems to do the trick

I will give that a go and see what happens with the fruit next year.