I just googled orange and black bug....so these bugs could be lady bug larva????? Good thing I didn't try to kill them!

Yes, that is a lady bug larvae... good to have around!
When you add fertilizer, its just like your lawn... you must keep it well watered so as to not burn the roots. It is possible that it reacted to some damaged roots by dropping a commensurate amount of leaves.
I suggest that you water thoroughly and move any bits of fertilizer well away from the trunk - - - past the drip line.

good luck and keep us updated!

Doing great, Beth. A slope is ideal for citrus. Don't spare the nitrogen right now, as all of our citrus are trying to recover from the terrible cold dip we had a few months ago (hence the leaf drop - not due to fertilization, you would see leaf burn, but you're watering and we've had a few rains, I doubt that is the cause of your leaf drop). And yes, those are lovely ladybug larvae, good for you. Be sure you control for ants, and the ladybugs and their larvae will get the rest of any aphids that might be taking advantage of the tender young citrus leaves.

Patty S.

good points! What are the best way(s) to control the ants. I see them starting to climb all over my flushing citrus.
Tanglefoot? other?

Thanks for the replies! It is still losing leaves. What about the branches that are dying back? Does that usually happen with the leaf drop from changes in temperature as well? I'm afraid to water it more. The soil is still damp under the surface. Maybe I did damage some roots! I'm also wondering about what controls you suggest to use for ants, Patty. There are a few crawling around. For the added nitrogen, would you give it fish emulsion? I sure appreciate help from the experts. This is a new obsession of mine! I have a lemon that looks terrific and a satsuma mandarin that is just flushing out now but looks great. They are all on a slope, so hopefully they won't get overwatered as I tend to do!

Boric acid bait traps at the base of the tree and Tanglefoot painted on trunk wrap (never paint Tanglefoot directly onto the trunk, as in hot weather, it can heat up and "cook" the cambium layer). On a garden tour, one of our CRFG's fruit trees had the web tree wrap wrapped several times around the trunk, forming about a 4 to 6 inch wrap. It was wrapped so that there was about 3 thicknesses of wrap, then tied off in a neat knot. The, Tanglefoot painted on the wrap. All the trees looked a little like they were wrapped like a present - neat and tidy. The CRFG member happened to be an engineer, so everything was done very precisely and neatly - nice effect.

Beth, just keep watering regularly - don't over-water of course, check the soil, and if it is getting dried out 6 inches below the surface, you can water. Continue to give your trees a bit more fertilizer. You're probably just seeing the delayed reaction of our freeze we had. I would use a good, balanced fertilizer especially formulated for citrus. I like to use Gro Power's Citrus & Avocado Food. It has a very high amount of humus and humic acid, which is really great for our California soils. I would top that with some chicken or rabbit manure (or some additional fish emulsion) to boost the nitrogen, and then be sure to top with compost to retain soil moisture, which looks like you may have done on the slope, which is great. Prune out the dead wood to the green wood (try to prune to the last live node, preferably a node that faces outward). Your tree will recover nicely, not to worry.

Patty S.

Thanks Patty and "Becauseican! " I love this forum! Perfect strangers helping each other! Awesome. I feel better already ! :)

On a side note, Patty...I see you are from Vista. I'm heading down there this month to Garden Glories Nursery. I wondered if you have been there or know anything about it. Then on to our other favorite place, Buena Creek Gardens in San Marcos!