greenstubbs
Senior Member
Posts: 274
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:41 pm
Location: Far Upper Alabama

Valencia Oranges splitting

I don't know if the drought is causing this or not but my 12 yr old tree this year has a bunch of split ones that eventually fall off. As I said we are in a bad drought in Ca. and this year I haven't H2Oed the lawn at all so the tree hasn't gotten any residual H2o from the yard H20ing or me giving the tree a drink. I hate killing the grass but it is what it is out here! Would this cause that to happen? I Have had splits before, but not nearly this bad as this year. The tree otherwise is healthy and growing every year. Thanks

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13961
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

When my tree does not get enough water the fruits are small, mummified and very dry inside not just splitting. In fact, my water starved trees rarely split but he root will move closer to the surface.

Oranges split more than other fruit and it seems more related to irregular watering. Citrus trees are fairly drought tolerant but need a good deep drink once a week. It keep the roots down and the tree happier. When a tree hasn't been watered for a while and it puts on fruit, the tree wants to protect itself, it will not give the fruit water if the tree needs it to survive, the tree will more likely starve the fruit and let it drop instead. If a tree has been thirsty for a while and you get a really good rain storm that last long enough to deeply water the tree, the tree will start sending water to parched fruit. The rinds of the fruit will not be able to grow fast enough to keep up with rapidly filling fruit and the skins crack.

For some reasons grapefruit trees almost never crack but they probably have the thickest rinds.



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