February 13th 2026
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WellBeing Magazine
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The scent of an orange grove in full bloom is intoxicating, and when the trees flower, they hum with bees.
Oranges provide convenient packages of vitamin C that people can enjoy as fresh fruit (which is high in fibre) or juice. Oranges also contain useful quantities of potassium. Kids usually love them but, as the fruit is difficult to peel, they are more likely to eat oranges when someone peels or cuts them into quarters. Although we tend to think of oranges as fruiting trees, they also bear extremely fragrant white flowers in spring. The scent of an orange grove in full bloom is intoxicating, and when the trees flower, they hum with bees.
Orange
Common name: Orange
Botanical name: Citrus x aurantium (Syn. C. sinensis)
Family: Rutaceae
Aspect and soil: Sun; well-drained soil
Best climate: Mediterranean, temperate, subtropical
Habit: Evergreen tree
Propagation: Grafting, budding
Difficulty: Moderate
Varieties
Oranges vendors sell grafted trees that are two to three years old. Gardeners can plant them throughout the year, but they find plants plentiful in autumn, winter, and early spring. If you have space, select several varieties to extend the cropping season. ‘Washington Navel’ begins to ripen in winter. It is seedless, easy to peel, sweet and juicy. Great for eating and long cropping, the navel orange is the orange with the distinctive “belly button” base.
‘Valencia’ is popular for juicing and eating and a great garden choice as the fruit hangs on the tree from winter to early summer. There’s also a seedless variety (‘Seedless Valencia’) for those who don’t enjoy orange pips. For marmalade lovers, the best variety to grow is the ‘Seville’ orange, a bitter orange that fruits in early spring. And those who love freshly squeezed orange juice can invest in a blood orange, which has red juice. Blood orange fruit is also plentiful in spring.
Getting Started
To get the best fruit, plant trees in a sunny but sheltered spot with deep, well-drained soil. If the trees need protection from winter cold, you should grow them in large containers (at least 40 litres in size) so you can move them into a sheltered position in autumn and through winter. Select a dwarf variety for container growing. Trees cope with afternoon shade but do best with full sun all day and with no competition from other plants. Allow at least three metres between individual trees. Although they grow best in an orchard situation, they can be planted more closely as a hedge or screen.
Good soil drainage is vital for growing any citrus, and oranges are no exception. In areas with poorly drained soil, make raised beds. Allow at least 30cm depth for the root area. Despite their need for good drainage, don’t stint on watering, especially when orange trees are first planted and when they are forming fruit. Pruning is not needed to produce fruiting wood, but oranges can be pruned to remove dead growth, create a more bushy shape or to thin fruit if the crop is too heavy. Prune in spring if it’s necessary. Never prune in summer as the hot sun can burn the exposed bare wood.
Troubleshooting
Overcome most problems by encouraging strong growth with regular applications of organic citrus fertiliser. These feeds time just before flowering at the end of winter (August) and again in late summer (February). The addition of trace elements in spring can also help improve the fruit’s sweetness. Regularly apply horticultural oils to combat citrus leaf miner during the growing season. Stink bugs — mainly spined citrus bugs and bronze orange bugs attack oranges. They feed on developing fruit, leaving it dry inside when it matures. Apply horticultural oils during winter to reduce the numbers of bugs that reach adulthood. During winter and early spring, these insects are in a juvenile stage and are vulnerable to oils, which can smother and kill them.
Bugs
Also check orange trees during late spring and summer to find and destroy adult bugs. On hot days, these pests often congregate on the trunks of the trees where the foliage shades them. You can squash them en masse using something flexible such as an old thong (flip flop). It’s also possible to remove stink bugs individually using long-handled tongs and dropping the wriggling bugs into a bucket of soapy water. When doing this take extreme care and wear eye protection. They squirt a defensive liquid that can sting the eyes. They can also fly off to other trees. Aphids may attack new growth, particularly in spring. Scales and sooty moulds can blemish the orange skin but don’t affect fruit quality. Sooty mould may also cover the leaves, a commercial soap spray can control these problems.
Fruit fall occurs if the trees dry out or experience cold winds when the fruit is developing. Regular watering and shelter can overcome fruit fall. Growers may also discard fruit when they are very small (described as thumbnail size) if the tree has a heavy crop. Another problem encountered as the fruit matures is splitting caused by irregular watering. Large amounts of water — from irrigation or natural rainfall — applied when the crop is maturing can cause the orange to take up extra water. If the skin on the fruit is hard, it may split rather than expand. To try to avoid splitting, give oranges long, deep soaks of water throughout the fruiting period. Old trees, or trees growing in wet or poorly drained conditions, may be affected by collar rot. This shows up as splits or peeling bark at the base of the trunk and dieback in the branches. The disease affects the roots and lower trunk. While it is possible to treat this fungal disease using an organic fungicide such as Bordeaux, it is a sign to plant a new tree in a better-drained spot.
Harvesting
Oranges store well on the tree, which means there is no need to harvest the entire crop at once. Instead, simply choose what’s necessary. The fruit rarely drops until the tree begins to re-flower in spring. If the fruit is sour, it may not be fully ripe. Leave it on the tree to mature further. As oranges hang on the tree for a long time, they’ve developed a mechanism to protect themselves from sun damage. This is known as “re-greening”. Oranges may be strongly orange-coloured when they first ripen but, as the fruit ages and the weather warms, their skin can become green again, which helps protect the fruit from sunscald. Oranges can be preserved as marmalade. The peel can also be candied.
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