Pomologists, or experts in fruit plants, divide oranges into four groups: navel, pigment, or bloody, ordinary (e.g. 'Ovale Calabrese') and sugar-free, completely unknown to us, distinguished by a slightly bland smell.Own fruit collection is possible, but under certain conditions.The orange tree should be provided with a frost-free, very bright winter room, and in the summer season a sunny, wind-protected place in the garden.
Some of the best fruits are seedless varieties of navel. All forms are distinguished by the same feature. Each fruit has a small undeveloped fruit, the so-calledbelly button. The fruits of the navel orange ripen first and are larger than those of other varieties.Under the peel of the fruit we find a sweet, juicy and very aromatic flesh.The individual particles are separated only by a thin film and can be easily separated from each other. It's worse with getting juice.
When squeezed from the film, a substance called limonine is released. Even a small amount of it makes orange juice very bitter. The fruits of the navel varieties ripen most fully only in the subtropical climate with Mediterranean characteristics.In their cultivation, the experience gained with the cultivation of easier species of citrus is useful.
Blood oranges can withstand short-term drops below zero temperature and are also suitable for growing in large containers. Eat the fruit in slices or squeeze the juice out of them.The typical red color of the skin gains fruit only in regions where there are clear night drops in temperature. The strongest discoloration appears on the shaded part of the skin or on the fruit inside the crown.
Transplanting oranges
Citrus plants grown in containers are best transplanted early in spring, in March or April. Moving the plant to a larger pot is necessary only when its roots completely cover the ground.
The new container should be 3-5 cm larger than the old one. We can safely give up on expensive special land. For plants, normal garden soil mixed with crushed expanded clay or lava rock will suffice.
Small, oval or egg-shaped fruits of the 'Sanguinello' variety ripen from December to March and remain on the shoots for a long time.Therefore, a blood orange tree can be a beautiful decoration for a bright and cool winter garden with a temperature of 3-15 ° C.The warmer the room is, the more light should be provided to the plants.
Orange trifoliate Poncirus trifoliata is a separate garden species of citrus.She inherited her resistance to cold from her ancestors from the Himalayas.Large white flowers and yellow-orange fruit give off a strong citrus scent.The fruit has a very acidic flesh with lots of seeds. Therefore, they are unlikely to be eaten. The tree is most often used as a rootstock for other citrus.
Orange trivia
- The orange peel of 'Vainiglia' has a vanilla scent. The flesh of the fruit is sweet and only slightly acidic.
- The juicy fruit of a blood orange is identified by its reddish or purple-tinged peel.
- Orange fragrant 'Chinotto' blooms in spring and autumn. It has tiny myrtle leaves.
- Bergamota Citrus bergamia has highly fragrant flowers and leaves.
- The nicely shaped fruits of the 'Ovale Calabrese' variety from Calabria ripen late and stay on the tree branches for a long time.
