Author Topic: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering  (Read 1279 times)

mxcolin

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Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« on: March 19, 2021, 06:23:15 PM »
I have a blood orange tree that puts out lots of new growth each year. This year already it's starting to show more growth but it doesn't look like there is any sign of flowering and therefore no fruit.



I have added fertilizer, urea, etc. It gets plenty of water and a LOT of sun throughout the year. Does this look like it will flower this year? Is there anything I can check to know if it's going to flower? What else would you do to encourage it?


brian

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2021, 08:00:52 PM »
I have a Moro Blood Orange that does the same thing.  Grow and grow and grow and barely makes any fruit.  I dunno why, I assume the rootstock is too vigorous.  Is yours grafted or a seedling?  What type is it?

My Sanguinelli and Tarocco make large crops

Millet

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2021, 08:55:57 PM »
I would spray the foliage with low biuret urea 2 months prior to what would be the expected bloom date  This is the procedure that commercial citrus growers do each year to obtain a good flowering. I take it that the tree in question, is a grafted tree, and not one started from seed.

mxcolin

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2021, 11:24:03 AM »
I don't know how to tell if it's grafted or seedling. I bought it from a local nursery. What is difference between the 2 in terms of fruit production?

Here's the tag.




mxcolin

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2021, 11:25:52 AM »
I would spray the foliage with low biuret urea 2 months prior to what would be the expected bloom date  This is the procedure that commercial citrus growers do each year to obtain a good flowering. I take it that the tree in question, is a grafted tree, and not one started from seed.

Where would I get low biuret urea spray. I checked Amazon and nothing comes up. I did buy urea but it's a solid fertilizer.

brian

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2021, 12:20:07 AM »
If it has a nursery tag like that it is almost guaranteed to be grafted, and could set fruit within the first year.

However, I have a grafted Moro that I've had for many years and it produces few flowers and fruit, just grows and grows and grows.  I think this is probably just a coincidence, though, I'm not aware of this being a typical Moro habit.

Trying a fertilizer spray at the right time as Millet suggested is probably a good idea.  I believe you have to mix the right ratio of urea powder with water and mix&spray immediately.  I don't remember what the ratio is, hopefully you can find some instructions with the product or online.

blooker

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2021, 10:38:34 AM »
How old is the tree? We planted several citrus trees in 2018. Most trees fruited the following year except the moro blood orange. It just grew pretty foliage. Last year it flowered and held fruit. We got a nice crop this year. I don't think I did anything different with the tree last year. I feed them like usual a few times a year.

brian

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2021, 12:30:32 PM »
Mine is probably 8-10yrs old but it spent most of its life in a container and had some unhealthy years.  Since I planted in my greenhouse it grows like crazy but still hasn't flowered much

Millet

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2021, 02:05:19 PM »
mixcolin, just type in Low Biuret Urea into your browser and you will find lot of places that sell it.   Use rate as a foliar spray is 200 grams per gallon.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2021, 09:14:43 PM by Millet »

Yorgos

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2021, 10:13:26 PM »
My grafted moro was a slow to produce as well. It was a grafted tree and in the ground 5 years before it produced fruit. Got ample sun and fertilizer but wouldn't flower much.  When it did begin producing is was susceptible to alternates bearing. Not sure my low biuret regimen (sprayed early to mid January) seemed to help a whole lot with quantity, but seemed to lessen extreme alternate bearing tendency.  It didn't start producing good crops until it got fairly large, like 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide.
Sadly, its dead now, victim to temps in the low teens to mid 20's for over 60 hours in mid february. Was planted in 2009, first decent crop in 2014, 2015 nothing, a few more in 2016, 2017 a low crop year, but 2018-2020 were pretty good. 

 
Near NRG Stadium, Houston Texas. USDA zone 9a

mxcolin

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2021, 01:56:59 PM »
Appreciate the responses, I'll stick with it and try the various things you mentioned. We don't really get temps that low so hopefully as it grows out I get some fruit. My lemon and lime tree planted in almost the exact same spots flower and fruit regularly.

Desertcitrus

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2021, 07:36:50 PM »

Lovetoplant

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Re: Blood Orange Tree not Flowering
« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2021, 07:13:26 PM »
I would spray the foliage with low biuret urea 2 months prior to what would be the expected bloom date  This is the procedure that commercial citrus growers do each year to obtain a good flowering. I take it that the tree in question, is a grafted tree, and not one started from seed.



Where would I get low biuret urea spray. I checked Amazon and nothing comes up. I did buy urea but it's a solid fertilizer.

I bought mine from fruit grower Supply


« Last Edit: March 28, 2021, 07:16:09 PM by Lovetoplant »