Growing oranges in FL

[Maria in Brevard]

Morning! I used to think I live in citrus capital of US and citruses are easy here but no.... I love red navel, planted tree several years ago but it just did not grow no matter what I did and looked sick all the time so I removed it. But right next to it I planted pomelo and it does fine, gives me delicious fruits every year. At my old house I had tangerine, too many seeds but it was still OK to eat. This is my (very limited) experience. FL citrus growers, please share your advice and knowledge. Can I grow red navel in Central FL (East Coast) now? I know about greening, btw.

[Tropheus76]

There are ways to grow citrus in FL. I have had luck growing under oak trees. I still deal with leaf miners but so far aside from the ravages of deer my small grove of various trees including a red naval orange is doing fairly well. Citrus does not like being in full sun with few exceptions, one being a pomelo weirdly enough. All of the rest of my older trees that I planted early on in full sun have either died or are very stunted. I started a couple three years ago partially under an oak tree line and they are already taller, bushier and healthier than ones I planted over ten years ago in full sun.

I also have a couple in pots located on the east side of my house under the eaves so the dew drips on them every morning from the roof. They look great as well since they miss the afternoon sun.

Finally I find some of the oddball varieties do well and are less susceptible to greening. Yuzu lemon, pomelo, and some of the weird ones tend to survive.

[Maria in Brevard]

Thank you, Tropheus76. Lots of info. I don't have large trees so no shade. I always thought of citruses as full sun trees. Will be thinking if it's worth it. I think not.

[Millet]

Citrus trees need a minimum of 6-8 hours of full direct sunlight daily or they will not produce as well. Look at all the citrus groves in every location of the world.  SUN SUN   Will a citrus tree grow in some shade - yes but not as well and will produce much less fruit.

[Calusa]

Citrus trees need a minimum of 6-8 hours of full direct sunlight daily or they will not produce as well. Look at all the citrus groves in every area of the world.  SUN SUN   Will a citrus tree grow in some shade - yes but not as well and will produce much less fruit.

👍👍

[1rainman]

Best bet would be get a dwarf variety or a rooted cutting which also are dwarf. Wrap the whole tree in those nets that protect from greening. If it’s a lemon or sour orange or something it’s not necessary but I mean if there’s a variety you really like. Then I would periodically spray it with some neem oil or something to be double sure that disease and insects are at a minimum.

[FruitGrower]

Best bet would be get a dwarf variety or a rooted cutting which also are dwarf. Wrap the whole tree in those nets that protect from greening. If it’s a lemon or sour orange or something it’s not necessary but I mean if there’s a variety you really like. Then I would periodically spray it with some neem oil or something to be double sure that disease and insects are at a minimum.

This is what i do and it works well.

[Tropheus76]

I disagree. I have seen groves mixed in alternate rows with pine trees and the trees look far healthier than open sun and open air trees. My own experience so far mirrors this. They are an understory tree in nature and prefer dappled light. Every grove I see on the regular in full sun looks like hell. Could be they all have greening, but doesnt explain why the partially shaded ones look so much better. Partially shaded doesnt mean they arent getting 6-8 hours of sun, it just means they arent getting the sun full blast from 6am-830pm(during the summer)

[FruitGrower]

I disagree. I have seen groves mixed in alternate rows with pine trees and the trees look far healthier than open sun and open air trees. My own experience so far mirrors this. They are an understory tree in nature and prefer dappled light. Every grove I see on the regular in full sun looks like hell. Could be they all have greening, but doesnt explain why the partially shaded ones look so much better. Partially shaded doesnt mean they arent getting 6-8 hours of sun, it just means they arent getting the sun full blast from 6am-830pm(during the summer)

Another possibility is that the shaded trees are less exposed to being infected by HLB - maybe they don’t have it or have a less severe infection. I once read an article about the behavior of the asp, saying that they fly over trees, scanning for new growth, describing their behavior as “lazy”. Before reading this, I kept my netting tightly closed, as I was afraid the asp would find its way in. Since reading this some years ago, I’ve been more relaxed about keeping the nets sealed, I just make sure I’m covering overhead, and I haven’t had any signs of infection.

I think if citrus did better under shade, they would have been grown that way commercially prior to HLB. IME the trees that get some shade do grow slower than my full-sun citrus; granted, all my tress get a little shade from the screening but the difference is clear.

[Calusa]

I keep my two small trees under nets with the bottom weighted down with bricks. It's now a year later and they are doing very well.
I'll soon be upgrading from 6' nets to 9' due to the recent flush of new growth. Once they fill those nets out in another year I plan on removing the nets altogether, as long as the brix is in the mid teens or higher. Still trying to figure out exactly how to arrange that.

[Millet]

Calusa, I'm sorry to think what will happen to your trees after you remove the net.

[bussone]

I disagree. I have seen groves mixed in alternate rows with pine trees and the trees look far healthier than open sun and open air trees. My own experience so far mirrors this. They are an understory tree in nature and prefer dappled light. Every grove I see on the regular in full sun looks like hell. Could be they all have greening, but doesnt explain why the partially shaded ones look so much better. Partially shaded doesnt mean they arent getting 6-8 hours of sun, it just means they arent getting the sun full blast from 6am-830pm(during the summer)

It's conceivable that both are correct.

Mixed rows could yield citrus trees that are more productive in terms of product per tree, but less productive in terms of product per acre, because a non-mixed grove has twice the citrus density. Even if mixed rows yields citrus that are 50% more healthy/productive,  2x1 > 1x1.5.

[Millet]

I would think growing pine trees in-between citrus rows would:  1.  gobble up a lot of the moisture from the citrus, 2. block out much of the light. 3. Rob a lot of the fertilizer from the citrus.

[Calusa]

It would also do nothing to prevent HLB psyllid infestation which is the worst thing facing Florida's citrus industry .

[hardyvermont]

At the Southeastern Citrus Expo two years ago there was a presentation on this topic.  Citrus do well in the shade, but much less yield.  Also less attractive to psyllid. 

[1rainman]

I keep my two small trees under nets with the bottom weighted down with bricks. It's now a year later and they are doing very well.
I'll soon be upgrading from 6' nets to 9' due to the recent flush of new growth. Once they fill those nets out in another year I plan on removing the nets altogether, as long as the brix is in the mid teens or higher. Still trying to figure out exactly how to arrange that.

If you use a rooted cutting it will seldom get taller than six feet. Ten tops depends on variety. Flying dragon root stock should be similar. You can keep the permanently under a net.

[Calusa]

I just can't stand the thought of keeping nets on citrus trees once they become fruit bearing size. My goal is to follow through with what Dr Thomas Dykstra says about insects not attacking healthy plants. See below.

Those nets will come off in a couple of years for better or worse. Getting the brix in the mid teens or higher is what I will try to achieve in order to set these trees free to Mother Nature and hopefully free from HLM psyllids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnNOvA3diDU

[Rmck22]

Calusa I believe what that is talking about is that  healthy trees have the ability to out grow some pests . I can assure you that psyllids will for sure feed and in fertilize perfectly healthy trees. You are on the right track for sure by keeping bags on them for as long as possible. I have good news and bad news…. They will start to Decline within 7 months if he have high disease pressure. What’s the good news ? We as an industry are finding a few things to drastically help. If you keep upgrading your nets for another two years we will know so much more about the process that you will likely be able to do the same very cost effectively

[hardyvermont]

UF/IFAS has developed a few varieties that are recommended for the home landscape. These include:

Sugar Belle®- a rich-flavored, delicious mandarin with first harvest in mid-November to late December; HLB-tolerant

Marathon mandarin -- fruit matures early and is attractive; peels fairly easily; seedless, not messy and great flavor; HLB-tolerant

There is also a tree that was discovered in an orchard without symptoms and is being propagated with great excitement, don't know the name and an internet search is not yielding results.

[Tropheus76]

The problem here is I am not aware of these being released to the general public yet. They appear to be commercial only and am not sure how widespread this is yet. I dont know of any commercial groves of them as of yet and they are going to get first pick as soon as they become available and I am sure have a waiting list a mile long.

[Galatians522]

I believe the orange you are referring is the Orrie Lee Late (OLL for short) it comes with a number after like 4 or 8 for example depending on the particular somaclone of that tree. From what I have observed, all these Suposedly tollerent trees still contract the disease, decline, and die. It just takes longer.

[BurkTheMangoLover]

my dad has blood orange, cara cara and navel in his yard among several other citrus varieties. i have an orange tree and a lemon lime cocktail tree. were located on the west coast of central Florida in pinellas county. he sprays every few weeks with a sort of sulfuric egg/soap spray and it repels the bugs as well as the deer. he nor i have had any issues with psyllids but i have seen leaf miners to which i just use insecticidal soap and they die off. I say go for it and good luck

[hardyvermont]

Sugar Belle is delicious.  https://madisoncitrusnursery.com/products/sugar-belle-lb8-9-mandarin-hybrid-trees-for-sale

https://madisoncitrusnursery.com/products/us-sundragon-citrus-tree-for-sale?_pos=1&_sid=291de0bbe&_ss=r

The other tree mentioned is named after the owner of the farm where it was found. 

[Galatians522]

Sugar Belle is delicious.  https://madisoncitrusnursery.com/products/sugar-belle-lb8-9-mandarin-hybrid-trees-for-sale

https://madisoncitrusnursery.com/products/us-sundragon-citrus-tree-for-sale?_pos=1&_sid=291de0bbe&_ss=r

The other tree mentioned is named after the owner of the farm where it was found.

That does indeed sound like OLL orange series.

https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-verizon&sca_esv=18f094ea9bb8ac0e&sca_upv=1&q=%22oll4%22+orange&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwimicid0r2HAxVgTDABHWeuCF4Q5t4CegQILBAB&biw=360&bih=520&dpr=2

[Calusa]

Calusa I believe what that is talking about is that  healthy trees have the ability to out grow some pests . I can assure you that psyllids will for sure feed and in fertilize perfectly healthy trees. You are on the right track for sure by keeping bags on them for as long as possible. I have good news and bad news…. They will start to Decline within 7 months if he have high disease pressure. What’s the good news ? We as an industry are finding a few things to drastically help. If you keep upgrading your nets for another two years we will know so much more about the process that you will likely be able to do the same very cost effectively

Well it so happens that I spoke to the guy at Frostproof Grower's Supply about getting some upgrades to my nets - the 8 footers. My trees are really filling out the 6 footers and I want to avoid the chaffing on the foliage from the fabric and let 'em grow big. The 8 footers will give me a couple of years of growth and hopefully the new things you refer to will bring some real solutions.

UF/IFAS has developed a few varieties that are recommended for the home landscape. These include:

Sugar Belle®- a rich-flavored, delicious mandarin with first harvest in mid-November to late December; HLB-tolerant

I have one of those, under netting and a Tango tangerine which UF also says is HLB tolerant. Both are about 6 feet tall, very healthy, dark green and vigorous citrus trees.

my dad has blood orange, cara cara and navel in his yard among several other citrus varieties. i have an orange tree and a lemon lime cocktail tree. were located on the west coast of central Florida in pinellas county. he sprays every few weeks with a sort of sulfuric egg/soap spray and it repels the bugs as well as the deer. he nor i have had any issues with psyllids but i have seen leaf miners to which i just use insecticidal soap and they die off. I say go for it and good luck

How long has he been spraying that solution on his citrus trees?