I have a dwarf Valencia, Orange tree that is about 5 years old. Every year?

Question

I get many blossoms and lots of tiny oranges. However before they set most fall off. The last two years I've had 1 orange mature and both years it was as sour as a lemon. This year 2 oranges matured. I picked the first one last week and it was very sweet. Today I picked the second one and it is very sour.
How can that be? A sour and a sweet from the same tree? My neighbors all have wonderful orange crops with very little care except watering. I have fertilizeted but on a somewhat erratic basis and it gets regular water. I am in the central valley of California. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Anywhere near Visalia? Doesn't matter.
Oranges are grafted trees, yours may have tken the graft and grown just from the rootstock. Next, all of the oranges will not ripen at the same time. As for the low productivity timing of fertilizer may be a factor. Fertilizer too close to flowering can cause blossom or fruit drop. Especially too much Nitrogen.
How about bees? Had enough around? If the flowers are not pollinated they will drop.
University of Ca. Riverside is probably the most authoratative place for Orange info. Good website.

Answer 2

Dwarf Valencia Orange Tree

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
I have a dwarf Valencia, Orange tree that is about 5 years old. Every year?
I get many blossoms and lots of tiny oranges. However before they set most fall off. The last two years I've had 1 orange mature and both years it was as sour as a lemon. This year 2 oranges matured. I picked the first one last week and it was very sweet. Today I picked the second one and...

Answer 4

Hi, I am a agronomy student at Cal Poly. The problem with dwarf citrus trees is that to become a "dwarf", they are sometimes grafted with the varietal scion (in this case Valencia) upside down. The process of overcoming this does not kill the scion, but slows it down (aka "dwarfs" it). Your sour orange most likely came from the rootstock, which is most commonly taken from a "sour orange" tree because off it's disease resistance. Are you having any nutrient problems, like yellowing of leaves around the mid vain? Also, I think it is a little early to be picking Valencia.

Answer 5

Hi,

Some ideas about the # or oranges. From this site-
http://www.sunkist.com/products/how_citrus_trees.asp
the conditions during the blossom period will affect the # you get.

With other frut trees (I've never grown oranges), polination is a big factor. Many varieties of fruit do not self-polinate. So if you only have 1 tree you would be relying on the bees to find another tree somewhere in the area.

As for the taste - the fruit from an individual tree can mature over different periods. It sounds like the second one wasn't fully ripe yet.

Good Luck