The Size of the Pixie Mandarin Citrus Tree

Standard Trees

• If your pixie mandarin has been grafted onto standard rootstock or directly grown from the hybridized seeds of its parent plants, the mature tree will reach 20 to 30 feet. The canopy will be about as wide as the tree is tall. Most citrus growers allow their trees to grow naturally for the best fruit production, but in the home garden you can prune the tree to control its size.

Dwarf Rootstock

• Pixie mandarins grafted onto dwarf rootstock of the trifoliate orange will grow to a mature height of 4 to 10 feet. If grafted onto Hiryu rootstock, your Pixie mandarin will only reach about 6 feet tall at maturity. You can determine which rootstock you have by allowing a sucker to grow below the grafting scar. If the sucker has a leaf with three leaflets, you have trifoliate orange rootstock.

Growing Citrus

• Standard trees must be planted outside unless you have a large conservatory. The trees will not tolerate freezing temperatures and will struggle in cold-winter areas. If your area experiences freezing temperatures during the winter, you can still grow dwarf Pixie mandarins in containers. The containers can be kept outside during the summer, then moved inside to a sunny spot during the winter. Keep your dwarf tree pruned to control its height.

Citrus Care

• Citrus trees must have full sun for a minimum of six hours a day. Plant them in soil that drains quickly, and never plant your citrus in clay soil or the roots will rot. Water the trees only when the soil feels dry to avoid problems with root diseases. Feed your citrus in early spring, early summer and late summer with a fertilizer specifically intended for citrus or a fertilizer for acid-loving plants. Trim away any suckers that grow below the grafting line, as these will compete for the Pixie mandarin's energy and nutrients.