Bitter Citrus Fruit

[huffyboy]

I posted this on Plant Health but thought I would post it here as well. I have 2 very tall & mature orange trees. The oranges are very healthy and plentiful yet they have an undesirable taste. Are there any fertilizer options to make the fruit sweet or is grafting the only way to remedy this problem? Thx, MH

 

[LightningLoader]

You probibly have a bitter orange on your hands. This is a problem with the variety that fertilizer isn't going to fix. Probibly a seedling (a tree sprouted from a seed and never grafted onto a rootstock). Bitter orange is usually a rootstock and then something else is grafted on top.
How big are the trees? If they're not huge then you may still be able to re-graft them, but it won't be pretty. Pictures?

 

[skwerl]

My guess is that the original trees froze back to the ground many many years ago. The sour rootstock sprouted back and the owners said "oh look, the tree is growing back". It will never be good for anything except sticking you with thorns as you walk by.

Cut it down and if you want a citrus tree, they are available at most nursuries.

 

[vharrison2]

skwerl, aren't you under a quarantine with regards to Citrus? Most counties in Florida are under quarantine and you can't buy, plant, or cut down citrus because of Citrus Canker.

 

[skwerl]

As far as I know, commercial tree services cannot cut citrus but homeowners can cut down their own. Actually I had forgotten about that since it hasn't been in the news for 3 years.

Citrus nursuries up this way still sell citrus trees as far as I know. Although I must admit it's been several years since the last time I bought or planted any trees other than my own two oak trees.

 

[Kate Butler]

citrus canker rules

The citrus canker rules have changes VERY recently (since January), but there is some new problem that makes the fruit bitter (just read about it last week, but loaned the article out).

 

[LightningLoader]

I never heard about no being allowed to cut down trees. Besides, who cuts down citrus trees anyway?
If someone had a tree with canker you have to let the state come hit it with a flame thrower though before you take it out.
You are allowed to grow and sell citrus trees as long as your nursery is not within a certain distance of a canker zone. Many of the big nurseries around here were in canker zones though, which means they burn out all of your budwood trees, and then you are quarrantined and can't grow anything for like 2 years.
As far as canker rules changing, basically they've reduced the area that you have to push and burn around the positive tree, and there will be new rules for nurseries where they basically have to have a screen pool enclosure arond your entire area.
Anyway, greening is way scarrier than canker.

 

[vharrison2]

LightningLoader, I have never heard of "greening", what is that? Oh, and where is Babson Park? Florida?

 

[LightningLoader]

I can't explain it myself too well. Here's what I found:

Citrus greening, or huanglongbing, is a bacterial disease that attacks the vascular system of plants. Once infected, there is no cure for a tree with citrus greening disease. In areas of the world where citrus greening is endemic, citrus trees decline and die within a few years. There are three forms: Asian, African and Brazilian. The strain found in South Florida appears to be the Asian form.

The bacteria are transmitted primarily by insect vectors (citrus psyllids). In June 1998, the insect that carries the Asian strain of citrus greening (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) was found for the first time in the United States in Delray Beach, but no citrus greening infection was found at that time. Because of the extreme threat to Florida citrus, the Department has been conducting a citrus greening survey for many years. Once the Asian citrus psyllid was discovered in 1998, citrus greening survey efforts were intensified.

Symptoms of citrus greening disease are similar to plants with severe nutritional deficiencies including yellow shoots, twig dieback, tree decline and reduced fruit size and quality, often affecting only a single branch at first. Older leaves develop a characteristic mottling, or patches of discoloration, as shown in the attached photos. The inside of the fruit is lopsided and is inedible due to poor taste. The fruit drops off before ripening and has poor color. Molecular tests are needed to confirm the presence of this disease.

I don't think they know what to do about greening. They've been pouring millions into researching canker and we're still pushing and burning like we did in the 20's, so I don't have much hope for greening research coming up with any breakthroughs.

Babson park is very far away from Marathon. I'm in central FL where SR 60 and Hwy 27 cross. Remember the triple storms summer before last? If you could put a bullseye where they all crossed that would be here.

 

[vharrison2]

Thanks LightningLoader, very interesting!