First citrus tree - Moro blood orange!
Victoria
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hi everyone! This is my first post, but I've been following the forums for several months.
I inherited my love for fruit trees from my mom. (She has several fruit trees, but she's proudest of her guava trees.) This year, I finally bought a tree of my own! Since we're renting a house that already has lemons on the lot, I thought I'd try my hand at a blood orange tree.
This picture was taken the day I bought it, at the beginning of April.
I repotted based on Josh's (greenman28) Moro blood orange post a couple weeks later. (Thank you, Josh!)
And now, two months after I bought it, there's finally new growth! Here's a picture from last week:
And here's a picture from today:
I'm so happy to see new growth! Initially I was only using water, but I've been using DynaGro Foliage Pro with each watering since I purchased it several weeks after repotting. In the last two weeks, I've begun adding vinegar as well. The tree currently gets full sun from around 9:30am-3pm, which may not be ideal, but it's in the best spot we have for it.
I have a couple of concerns: new growth has only appeared on that one branch, and there's yellowing of the bottom leaves (which may just be due to age?).
Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!
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Cocktail + Moro Blood Orange Juice - Yum!
Comments (13)Well, that's because there are no Cocktails in that bowl, mrtexas :-) You're looking at Bearrs limes, Moro oranges and Dekopon mandarins. Yes, the Dekopons do resemble a Minneola a bit due to the neck. The Dekopon is a cross between a Kiyomi tangor (which is a cross of orange and satsuma mandarin) and a ponkan (hence the neck). They are not available for us in tree-form, yet, due to the very strict patent regulations. They are being grown by just a handful of growers in the Central Valley in California, and are being marketed as Sumo mandarins due to the extremely large size (as large or larger than a Minneola.) We are all anxiously awaiting budwood from UCR CCPP to be able to graft and grow, or for growers to do so, and provide trees for those who would like a backyard Dekopon. But, that's going to be a few years out, still. Definitely NOT a Minneola :-) I don't care for Minneolas as they're a wee bit too tart for my liking. Which is odd, because I love grapefruit and pommelo hybrids due to their sweeter taste. But for me, the Minneola just tastes like a tart orange, and not a sweet grapefruit :-) The Cocktails, which are most definitely Cocktails, are LONG gone, as they are my most favorite citrus in my yard. I squeeze two every morning, so I blew through them on my young tree in short time. Going to the Farmer's Market tomorrow to try to find some. Boo. But, I am now enjoying the few Melogolds I have. The Oro Blancos are also gone, too. But, everything is getting ready to bloom, so hoping for bigger crops this year! Patty S....See MoreMoro Blood Orange
Comments (15)Kim & Connie, First, Connie, your sunburn is due to a couple of things - new plant having new flush sort of on the late side, due to being planted a little late in the season for you, and being very well treated :-) For you all in hot, hot AZ, your best bet is to plant your citrus early - late winter, and allow the flush to occur during your more cooler temp times. Not fatal though, and your tree will recover, especially since you're giving it a lot of shade. And, the cinder block behind it is also a two edged sword - the bad is that it is reflecting additional sunlight, contributing to the sunburn. The good is it will retain warmth and protect your citrus during the winter. Just so you know :-) The Moro will do well in your area, and you will get very nicely colored and sweet oranges due to your temp swings, so just keep it shaded, well watered and well fertilized. Kim, you do want to make sure you're watering at least twice a week or maybe more often depending on your heat, the amount of available rain, as well as the type of soil (well draining versus clay). And, you should be fertilizing with a good citrus fertilizer that contains micronutrients. You'll want to fertilize new citrus every 2 to 3 months throughout your main growing season. For me here in Calif, that's about February through October. I believe there is a great product especially formulated for AZ soils. I want to say it's called, "Arizona's Best", but don't hold me to that, as I'm in S. Calif. Check you high quality garden centers or citrus nurseries and they can tell you. Or, your local county extension office. Citrus, like any other plant, may decide to take some time to establish its roots first, before it begins to flush and produce blossoms. Also, if you've been experiencing high heat, plants will stop growing, including citrus. Just a protective mechanism. So, patience is the key, as well as regular fertilizing with the appropriate fertilizer, watering regularly through the heat of the summer, and possibly protecting your young citrus from the blazing AZ sunshine if needed. Patty S. Here is a link that might be useful: AZ Citrus Site...See MoreBlood Orange Tree (Citrus sinensis)
Comments (6)Hello Nick, I don't know if it eould be suitable or not for outdoor planting. I would think you would be okay if your temps didn't go below freezing or if they do if they only fall below slightly and for a short period of time you should be good to go. I know the redness of the fruit is dependent on cool temperatures while ripening. I am not sure if it is nightime coolness or not. I have a dwarf moro in a pot, and I know it is extremly sensitive to poor drainage and out of all the citrus I have right now, it is a light hog. It wants as much light possible and if it doesn't get it, it will start dying back. Andrew...See MoreGrafting Moro Blood orange to Calamondin Rootstock
Comments (6)Blood orange is a type of sweet oranges and sweet oranges are all incompatible with Calamondin. There would be long term decline on Blood orange if it took. The solution is to graft a Meyer Lemon first to the Calamondin, and when the Meyer lemon has grown well, graft the Moro Blood Orange to it, and then you will have long lasting graft. I grafted 101-n-1 citrus tree so I have the experience....See More
hobbyartisan (Saskatoon, SK Canada, 2b)
7 years agoVictoria thanked hobbyartisan (Saskatoon, SK Canada, 2b)hobbyartisan (Saskatoon, SK Canada, 2b)
7 years agoVictoria thanked hobbyartisan (Saskatoon, SK Canada, 2b)
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