Garden Care Guide

Mandarin Care

Citrus reticulata

An evergreen citrus tree with fragrant white flowers that bears fruit in winter. Suitable for the frost-free coastal belt and for pots; it must be protected in winter in cold regions.

Frost-tender (protect from frost)

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -5 °C.
February
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -5 °C.
March
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer when it wakes from dormancy. Because yield and fruit quality depend on nutrient balance, having a soil analysis done is especially useful for this plant.
  • Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering. After harvest, remove only dry, crossing, and sucker shoots coming from the root collar; citrus does not like heavy pruning.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the branches and trunk for brown, fixed bumps (scale insects).
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -5 °C.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering begins.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues. Spread mulch 5-7 cm thick over the root zone; it conserves soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Do not pile mulch against the trunk. Drainage is vital for this plant. In heavy soil that holds water, plant it on a raised mound or berm 20-30 cm high, so the root collar stays above the surrounding soil level.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the branches and trunk for brown, fixed bumps (scale insects). Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. The root zone should be wetted to a depth of 30-40 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Apply the second fertilizer dose during the growing season. Do not fertilize after August; late growth will not survive winter.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • Pests & diseases: Check fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. Look for cottony white clusters (mealybugs) in the leaf axils.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. The root zone should be wetted to a depth of 30-40 cm.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • Pests & diseases: In hot and dry weather, look on the undersides of the leaves for fine webbing and speckled yellowing (spider mites). Washing the leaves during the cool hours reduces their numbers. Look for cottony white clusters (mealybugs) in the leaf axils.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. The root zone should be wetted to a depth of 30-40 cm.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • Pests & diseases: In hot and dry weather, look on the undersides of the leaves for fine webbing and speckled yellowing (spider mites). Washing the leaves during the cool hours reduces their numbers. Look for cottony white clusters (mealybugs) in the leaf axils.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
November
  • General care: In winter rains, make sure water does not pool in the root zone; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -5 °C.
December
  • General care: Evergreen leaves continue to lose water in winter. Water thoroughly once before the soil freezes.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -5 °C.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.

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