# Splitting oranges



## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

This rain has not done my orange tree any favors

I was told this is from too much water.... and going from dry to wet too fast

That sums up SE Texas weather as we all know

Who else has this going on?
I might try to see if there is any use for these - like a orange oil extract for non edible use...

Or am I wasting time and need to toss into the compost?


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

Skin its thin on oranges and this is a common thing when they get to much water. Normally lemons and grapefruit don't split like oranges.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

My dad has several moro blood orange trees, all loaded this year, but none have split. Maybe some varieties do that more than others? His Blood oranges ripen in January and February so maybe it is the earlier types that are prone to splitting.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Composting is never a waste of time and sometimes is the most efficient use of fruit.


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## TerryM (Apr 19, 2005)

Looks like those are navel oranges (Washington,N33). Navels tend to split much more than non-navels (Valencia,Moro,Rep. of TX,pineapple, etc.). With our drought/heavy rain cycles and heavy clay soil there's not allot you can due to prevent it. 
I'm kind of lucky as far as splitting goes, my citrus are grown on river silt/pure sand and it really helps out. Tough to keep watered, but when we get heavy rains it drains really fast. 



I would not waste my time with the split fruit, just compost it.


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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

Two years ago I had a super crop.Last year tree did not hardly bloom and no fruit at all.This year tree is loaded with oranges,but they started splitting and falling off .Disappointing to watch all the fruit ruin.Twelve year old Mandarin satsuma may soon get cut down to make more gardening space.

Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

Citrus(Mine) are typically like Pecan trees i.e. every other year you have a bumper crop so be patient before cutting them down.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

My Republic of Texas orange tree had a couple split and I cut back on the water. Last year I did not keep it watered as much and the oranges did not get as sweet. The oranges that split I take in the house and slice up to put on a saucer and place in the living room. Will smell real good and later they go in the compost pile.

My orange has the every other year routine down good. This year I should get 450 or more oranges. Last year was 120 or so.


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

I have 3 Miho satsuma, all are heavy bearing this year but 2 older ones are over loaded even after thinning hundreds early spring. Those 2 have a good number turning light orange color and splitting. We are in a drought year and other than water every other week. They younger tree has great number but no splits but little larger fruit.


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## sharksurfer66 (Sep 17, 2005)

My tangerines are doing the same thing.


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## Wolfie#2 (May 8, 2017)

Water has a profound effect on oranges being as they are 90% water/ On low rainfall years they are small, not very sweet and relatively dry. In years we have good steady rainfall they are almost softball size and very sweet and juicy. Not much rainfall the past 3 months here so they are small but with the 7" I have gotten the past few days I will not be surprised if some start to split. I don't water my mature trees because I have way too many. Would be watering 24/7 some summers.


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

On my last few left on tree so been harvesting since early Oct so a 3 month harvest not bad at all. Grapefruit coming in now and will go till May


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

The blood oranges and grapefruit we are getting this year seem very juicy and very sweet. Last year, the flavor seemed off or something, not sure why. The blood oranges are only now getting fully ripe, but they were sweet even a month ago. Cold weather seems to sweeten them up and it has been or at least I think it has been cooler this year than last, maybe thatâ€™s accounting for the difference in taste. Our little grove does get irrigated in dry weather. 

Size of the fruit seems pretty normal. Maybe the irrigation helps with keeping the size consistent. But, the flavor and sweetness does vary year to year. I guess some weather conditions produces better fruit.


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## [email protected] (Aug 21, 2018)

How often should you water young orange trees? I have 2 blood red orange trees, they are 3 years old and have not produced yet.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

They can get over watered and how much depends on soil make up and rain.

Check 2-3 inches down in the dirt in the tree root areas.... donâ€™t water it if there is moisture in the soil.

Feed it micro-life here in late February each month to get the blooms going in the spring.

You would almost help it by letting it get stronger to hold fruit and picking off the blooms one more year.... but itâ€™s your tree, have fun with it.


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