Freshly picked oranges.
Q: I have a 6-year-old miniature orange tree. It has lush green foliage but to date I have yet to see the first orange. It is on an irrigation system and is fertilized by our landscaper. Do these trees take this long to bear fruit or could there be something else going on?
A: Usually a tree is producing fruit before it is 6 years old. If your tree is producing flowers but no fruit, it could be a pollination problem. If the tree isn’t producing flowers, there a few potential problems. The most common are a fertilization or water problem, so it would be good to know what kind of fertilizer and irrigation schedule your landscaper is using.
Typically, citrus fertilizer requirements are based on the type and size of the tree. For example, a small orange tree, 2 to 3 feet tall, requires 0.25 to 0.50 pounds of nitrogen per year. This amount is applied in thirds, each third being applied in January/February, March/April, and May/June. If you don’t want to do the fertilizer math, we have a handy chart to help based on the percentage of nitrogen in your bag of fertilizer. Search for az1671-2015.pdf on the Internet.
For irrigation, make sure you are providing drip emitters in a circle around the root zone at the drip line of the tree. The amount of water delivered should allow the water to reach 36 inches deep in the soil. You can check the depth with a soil probe. Timing for the irrigation is once every seven to 10 days in the summer, 10 to 14 days in the spring/fall, and every 14 to 21 days in the winter.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to tucsongardensage@gmail.com
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