My orange tree is still alive and this year is a hopeful one. If you are just tuning in, the saga of my orange tree has been going on for three years now. In year one it grew one, lovely orange. Last crop there was hope for at least 10 oranges, but it nearly died because of spider mites. 2021 is a hopeful year for my dear orange tree.
I have raised the pot up out of the water catch tray in an attempt to ward off the mites. I am also restraining myself from overwatering. I think that was the trouble last crop…too much H2O. So far, so good.
Today, there is a mix of buds, blooms, and small berries. Because of this mix, I am hoping this crop will be more successful. My potted orange tree has been a learning experience so we’ll see how it goes.
After waiting over a year my single orange has fallen from the tree. When it broke from its branch into my hand I had a giddy moment with the feeling of holding a new puppy. An orange was born!
Way back in May of 2019 was the first little bud of an orange and today I have savored its sweet taste. I did not have an orange from the store to do a straight comparison, but IMHO I think my orange was the best I’ve had in a long time. Of course, any fruit or vegetable that is picked fresh always tastes so much better!
Below are the last few images as my orange ripened then finally was ready to eat.
I am excited to report that my single orange is still thriving. The summer months have kept it happily growing along with a bi-weekly dose of Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer. You can order this directly from Neptune’s Harvest, but if you want it in a smaller size check out your local hardware store (mine came from Lowe’s).
Back to my mighty orange, and it is certainly mighty.
Photo taken June 4, 2019
Photo taken July 17, 2019Photo taken August 21, 2019
As you can see from the series of photos that it is growing like a champ! The fruits’s skin texture has gone from a very shiny, lime green to a rougher surface and a deeper shade of green. I am looking forward to seeing it start to change from green to orange.
The tree’s leafs are a bit odd. I’m not quite sure what to make of them. It is as if I have two different trees coming out of the same trunk rather than a hybrid.
The “old growth” (left) are leaves from when I originally bought it, and the “new growth” (right) is what came in since it has been home.
The old growth image on the left shows the leaves are wide and somewhat flat, whereas the image on the right shows the leaves as much more narrow with a bit of curl. In addition the old growth leaves are pointed at the tip and the new growth have rounder tips.
I have seen apple trees that were grafted to have multiple types of apples on a single tree and I am wondering if this is the same thing.
I did look around online and the two species have similar shaped leaves although the grapefruit leaf is larger than the orange. It also looks like the orange leaves can vary. I’m no expert, but I have to wonder if the leaves are a little stunted due to the altitude? I am curious if the tree was originally grown at a much lower altitude (I’m at 6,000 ft), would that make all the newer leaves smaller? If you are knowledgeable in this area please let me know. You can share your wisdom in the comments.
Until next time, please share your fruit growing experiences with us. Leave a comment or share my story.
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