Help me choose an orange tree.

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
Blissfullyloopy Albuquerque, NM May 28, 2015

I live in abq, nm zone 7b with a southern yard and huge southern windows. I cannot decide between a Moro blood orange, trovita orange, or a cara cara orange tree. I've not tried any of these. I prefer to eat out of hand and don't have much experience cook with oranges yet. I love sweet clementines (cuties ) and mandarins (halos) and of course navels. I suppose I could get something close to the cuties or halos but I'm interested in trying something new. Any suggestions?

Post #10083160
Quote
Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) May 29, 2015

I have not been impressed with the flavor of the Blood Orange. I suspect it is interesting for the name or color. I have not tasted the others. I think you should find samples and taste them before buying any plants.

I have Navels and Valencias (were in the garden when we bought the house, no idea which varieties).
Valencia seems to have more rich flavor, but is a bit harder to peel. Great for juicing, but sometimes need a knife to cut it up to eat.
Navel tends to be a bit too tart unless it stays on the tree for a long time.

I am in zone 9b, in a very mild summer area. We do not get enough heat to ripen grapefruit, for example, so I wonder if that is why the Navel orange is not quite as sweet as it should be.
Similarly, my Mandarin (I think it is Honey) does not ripen so well, and my Kumquat (I forget the variety) is inedible.
All these are loaded with fruit:
Navel Orange
Valencia Orange
Meyer Lemon
'Pink Lemonade' Lemon (Dry- takes a couple of them to get 'the juice of one lemon')
Grapefruit (Unknown- white, not pink)
Kumquat
Honey Mandarin

Post #10083294
Quote
flsusie New Port Richey, FL May 30, 2015

Diana, the mild summer may not be the problem, but just the opposite. Citrus in Fl. is best after we've had some cold (not freezing) weather. Harvesting commercially begins in oct ad runs through may-june. Maybethey aren't getting enough cold to sweeten them up.

Post #10083955
Quote
ardesia Jacksonville, FL(Zone 9a) May 30, 2015

Diana, have you had your soil tested? It could be a nutritional issue.

Weather conditions in CA are so different from Florida, they always have cool, even cold, evenings as opposed to the oppressive hot nights on the SE coast.

Bliss, you mention windows, are you planning on keeping this tree in a container and protecting it during the cold Albuquerque winters or can they grow in the ground there?

Post #10083959
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Beginner Gardening Threads

Go to all Beginner Gardening threads
BACK TO TOP