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How to Grow Mandarine

Citrus reticulata

Perennial

Grow mandarin trees in containers with citrus compost and good drainage. Move outdoors to a sunny, sheltered patio from June to September and bring inside before the first frost to a bright room at 10-15°C. Feed with citrus fertiliser every two to four weeks from spring to autumn and use rainwater where possible. Mandarins are hardier than limes but still frost-tender, and need the brightest position you can provide.

Yearly Lifecycle

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JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Bud Break Spring Growth Flowering Fruit Set Harvest Growing

Care Essentials

Citrus fertiliser every 2–4 weeks during the growing season. Reduce in winter.

Watch For

  • Scale insects
  • Mealybug
  • Citrus leaf miner
  • Red spider mite

Companions

Basil, Lavender, Marigolds

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Care Requirements

☀️ Light

Full sun, outdoors in summer, bright conservatory in winter

Full sun in the brightest position available. Move outdoors to a sunny, sheltered patio from June to September. A south-facing conservatory is ideal for winter.

💧 Watering

Freely in summer, reduced in winter, rainwater preferred

Water freely in summer, allowing the top few centimetres to dry between waterings. Reduce in winter but never let the compost dry out completely. Use rainwater if possible.

🌱 Fertilizing

Citrus fertiliser every 2-4 weeks, spring to autumn

Feed with a specialist citrus fertiliser every two to four weeks from spring to autumn. Reduce to monthly in winter. Yellowing leaves often signal a need for feeding.

✂️ Pruning

Light spring pruning after fruiting, remove suckers

Prune lightly in spring after fruiting to remove dead wood, crossing branches, and thin crowded growth. Remove any suckers from below the graft union.

❄️ Overwintering

Indoors before frost, bright cool room 10-15°C

Bring indoors before the first frost to a bright, cool room at 10-15°C. Protect from cold draughts which cause leaf drop. Mandarins are hardier than limes but still frost-tender.

Growing Tips

Regular citrus feeding

Feed with specialist citrus fertiliser every two to four weeks from spring to autumn. Yellowing leaves often signal a need for feeding or iron deficiency.

Summer outdoors

Move outdoors to a sunny, sheltered patio from June to September. The summer outdoors improves growth, flowering, and fruit set significantly.

Citrus leaf miner

Watch for citrus leaf miner — silvery serpentine trails within leaves. Remove and destroy affected leaves promptly and use yellow sticky traps.

Frost-free winter quarters

Bring indoors before the first frost to a bright, cool room at 10-15°C. Protect from cold draughts which cause leaf drop.

Pick when fully coloured

Pick fruit when fully coloured and fragrant. It should come away easily with a gentle twist. Mandarins do not continue ripening after picking.

Pests & Diseases

Pest Scale Insects

Identification: Small brown or white bumps on stems and leaf undersides, sticky honeydew and sooty mould

Organic treatment:
  • Wipe off with a cloth dipped in soapy water
  • Introduce parasitic wasps as biological control under glass
Chemical treatment:
  • Apply plant oil-based winter wash to dormant stems
Pest Citrus Leaf Miner

Identification: Silvery serpentine trails within leaves, distorted and curled new growth

Organic treatment:
  • Remove and destroy affected leaves promptly
  • Hang yellow sticky traps near the plant to catch adult moths
Chemical treatment:
  • No effective home-garden chemical treatment currently available in the UK
Pest Mealybug

Identification: White cottony masses in leaf axils and on stems, sticky honeydew

Organic treatment:
  • Dab with a cotton bud soaked in methylated spirit
  • Introduce Cryptolaemus ladybird as biological control
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with fatty acid or plant oil-based insecticide
Pest Red Spider Mite

Identification: Fine webbing on leaf undersides, stippled yellowing leaves, tiny mites visible with a hand lens

Organic treatment:
  • Increase humidity by misting regularly
  • Introduce predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with fatty acid-based miticide
Disease Root Rot Phytophthora spp.

Symptoms: Yellowing leaves, leaf drop, wilting despite moist soil, dark mushy roots

Treatment: Remove from pot, trim rotten roots, repot in fresh free-draining compost. Reduce watering

Prevention: Use loam-based compost with added grit. Ensure pots have good drainage. Water only when top few cm are dry

Disease Sooty Mould

Symptoms: Black powdery coating on leaves and fruit, growing on honeydew from sap-sucking insects

Treatment: Wipe off with a damp cloth. Control the underlying pest problem

Prevention: Monitor for and control sap-sucking pests promptly

Popular Varieties

Clementine, Satsuma, Owari, Dancy, Honey Murcott

Spacing & Planting

Plant spacing 350 cm
Row spacing 450 cm
Mature height 300 cm
Mature spread 250 cm

Semi-dwarf rootstock for home gardens. Standard trees need 500-600cm.

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