baz259

Hi, does anybody know about prunning orange trees. When to prune? After harvest and before blossom sets? How much do you cut back?. Perhaps Poshnbucks could advise.
We usually pick our oranges off our few trees in Jan or there about. This and any other advice about orange trees is welcome.
Baz

Fred James

Orange trees do not normally need to be pruned apart from a good tidy up.

Do it after fruiting and before flowering.

Lots of info here http://tinyurl.com/4konfj

poshnbucks

I would just add to Freds comment that if the tree is rather overgrown etc do not prune it hard back in one goes as this tends to effect your fruit yeald those in the know states that a third cut back in one go is enough so not to effect the tree.Try and cut everything that is 12inchs and below from ground level.this will get rid of suckers and insect damage.If they have been neglected or not pruned for a while, remove dead branches from near the middle and this will allow light into middle of the tree.There are now oranges on the trees so your too late this year as you prune before the blossom comes in May.I have navel oranges and they arrive mid January/Feb. I have only one crop I heard they may have two in the Valencia area but I can't comment as my green fingers are on a learning curve here like your goodself. Most people I know have Olives so help is not that forthcoming.I did get someone in to prune last year I have promised myself next year I will work on 5 trees a day to keep my eye in and learn.

There are a few more tips here.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4510887_prune-orange-trees.html

bil

Always cut the water shoots out as soon as you see them, and I like to keep the centre of the tree completely open. Don't let trees grow into each other as that causes problems too.

Dick Dasterdly

As Posh says its important to clear out the centre part of the tree,especially if its a good size, of both the old stuff and any new shoots.
This assists maximum production and even ripening.
I knew of an orange tree in the Canaries which produced three times a year or in effect there were always ripe oranges on it.
Not sure if it was a special strain or it had been grafted.
A guy I know in my region of Valencia, grows both oranges and lemons on the same tree!
This was done by grafting the the lemon onto the orange.
I have noticed that different areas of the Valencia region seem able to harvest their oranges at various times from Nov.right through into May.
Maybe this avoids too much of a glut at one time and eases the work load on the transport system and packing stations.

baz259

Thanks you guys for all your advice. Sadly here in Denia there are not so many orange groves as there used to be, so my few are all the more precious. Yesterday we had a day of rain; we have been waiting for it so long. If you listened carefully you could hear the plants going ‘Yipeeee’.
Baz