Potted Tangerine Tree Fruit Not Ripening

Question

We have had a potted tangerine tree for two years. It is a dwarf tree, about 4 feet tall. Last year it had two tangerines that were lovely. This year it looked like it was going to have many, 50-60 tangerines that got larger than golf ball size. Everything looked good until about two months ago. The fruit stopped ripening and they have remained green on the exterior and the fruit is sour.

We’re not sure if this fruit is past the point of being able to ripen or if we should wait longer. Also, should we prune back the tree and, if so, when?

Answer 1

Your tree is still young, so that is one reason why it might take longer to ripen fruit. Also, it probably doesn’t have enough root development to ripen all those fruit, so you might want to remove 1/3 – 1/2 the fruit. Depending on the variety, citrus can take over a year to ripen, so patience is in order. Tangerine doesn’t often need pruning, so I wouldn’t worry about that at this point. These articles should be helpful: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/tangerine/tangerine-tree-care.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/citrus/citrus-blooming-season.htm