Hi, So Cal high desert area questioning. What could be the cause of one of three different citrus trees giving fruits that near to completely split open early in ripening? The one "splitter" in an odd orange sort I don't know the name of, but it is smooth skinned with sturdy segments and has a delicious orange-peach flavor (best description I can come up with). The lemon and blood orange trees are now just over 20 years old and produce far more fruits than even giving away can keep up with. The odd orange is the same age, though produces nothing to as many as 23 fruits each year (zero for the beginning four years, then 6 to 23 between other barren years). The current problem is fruits splitting, what may be the cause and what can I do about it?
Thanks for any help I may find here, Jeanine

On 11/14/2014 1:23 PM, Picky wrote:
Hi, So Cal high desert area questioning. What could be the cause of one of three different citrus trees giving fruits that near to completely split open early in ripening? The one "splitter" in an odd orange sort I don't know the name of, but it is smooth skinned with sturdy segments and has a delicious orange-peach flavor (best description I can come up with). The lemon and blood orange trees are now just over 20 years old and produce far more fruits than even giving away can keep up with. The odd orange is the same age, though produces nothing to as many as 23 fruits each year (zero for the beginning four years, then 6 to 23 between other barren years). The current problem is fruits splitting, what may be the cause and what can I do about it?
Thanks for any help I may find here, Jeanine


My experience with citrus fruit splitting was caused by a dry period
followed by heavy watering. There may be other reasons out there but
that was what happened to a Satsuma I had at that time.

Have you checked with your state agriculture agent?

George

No, George, I have not checked with anyone, just here. My desert area has just one nursery (inherited by my next door neighbor) with little actual knowledge of growing things.

It seems odd to me that watering could be the problem because the entire yard is on an automatic system that waters five minutes AM then 10 minutes PM. Plus the problem tree is next to the prolific lemon that bears too many to find use for each year.

Those two trees are in a center yard, raised rock covered and curbed bed with soil beneath, sand under all, and are only shaded by a Cottonwood as the sun goes down.

As to the two miniature apricot trees, sad to have bothered with planting them. The skin is tough and the barely more than quarter size fruit that does not fall off even before ripening is all but tasteless.

Picky wrote:

It seems odd to me that watering could be the problem because the
entire yard is on an automatic system that waters five minutes AM
then 10 minutes PM. Plus the problem tree is next to the prolific
lemon that bears too many to find use for each year.


This is a poor watering regime as it will be only watering the surface.
This means that you are encouraging shallow roots and you will lose much to
evaporation. Two hours once a week would be far better use of the same
amount of water.

--
David

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