[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[Dick]

Polly, Navals would prefer a more humid climate like San Diego or South Texas rather than a desert but I have a thirty year old Robertson naval that produces a lot of delicious fruit. Toward the end of the season, I find, however, that some of them are dry as you have experienced. I don't think the problem can be overcome completely but if left on the tree too long, the dryness prevails. Over-seasoning seems to make it worse. Pick your fruit early before the temp reaches 100 and see if it doesn't help.

I believe that proper irrigation helps, too. Right now, my abundant fruit is delicious.

I water in a shallow trench about 30 inches wide (if the tree is young, make it narrower) with the drip line being about the center of the trench.

Put a trickling hose in the trench at a rate that will maintain a head of water at least a quarter inch deep all the way around the tree. Using a soil probe, when you can sink it straight down to the hilt (at least 30 inches) in several places around the trench, shut off the water. Irrigate again when the soil is dry about 3 inches deep in the trench. During winter months I rarely put a drop of water on my trees and I never ever flood the basin unless a hard rain wets it.

If you have no soil probe, buy a 1/4 inch diameter brass rod 36 inches long from your hardware store. Drill a hole in an old piece of hardwood handle for one end and file a dull point on the other. Keep your probe out of the hands of kids. It makes a tempting, dangerous Zorro sword in the wrong hands.

I fertilize according to the instructions for trunk diameter on a bag of Ammonium Sulfate 16-20-0. Apply it in the same trench and water it in the same way with a routine irrigation cycle in March, June and September.

I deep-water always every two weeks in the summer (or when I detect a loss of luster in the folliage) and about monthly when the average ambient temperature drops below about 65 degrees.

This is more than you ask for, Polly, but perhaps some others can benefit from the additional information.

Dick Gross, Sec. Editor, Arizona Rare Fruit Growers
Master Gardener Volunteer
U of A Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <pollyrs at cox.net>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:44 PM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


> Polly
> 85302
> pollyrs at cox.net
> 
> My brother who lives in central Glendale (85301) has 2 dwarf navel orange trees 4-5 years old.  This year they had good crop production, the fruit were numberous and of a good size... Fruit looks fine and tastes good.  But they are dry rather than juicy. 
> Any idea what could be causing this?
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions...
> 
> Polly
> 
> 
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