Valencia Orange

[Kansas]

Sorry, I know this is a Palm board, but you guys are my source of knowledge for ALL of my trees.
I bought a Valencia Orange tree last year that had one orange on it and about 10 blossoms.
Two weeks later the tree had about 200 blossoms on it. I had read that about a 1/4th of the blossoms actually mature into oranges. Well, since it was in the middle of Winter, and it was indoors, exactly NONE turned into oranges, and it dried up and dropped about half the leaves. In March I finally picked the existing orange and it was GREAT!!!!!! But I was very dissappointed in reading that usually when the tree has the leaf droppage that I experienced, the tree doesn't recover.
I put the tree out this late April, and to my extatic findings, I saw about a hundred new leaves and about 10-15 new limbs starting. Also, I saw that last night, I got 4 new blossoms starting. I am SOOOOO excited.
My question is, should I be excited to think that with the heat (90's) and water (rain) we are getting every day, can I maybe expect some blossoms to actually turn oranges??????????????
With what I read before, I shouldn't have even gotten new leaves.

[Alchris]

The only time that I tried oranges was as a house plant. It reacted like yours did but never recovered.

The only information that I could find was on a Texas A & M Website. Try www.aggie.horticulture.tamu.edu.oranges.htm

I am guessing that you will have to bring it in for the winter as the orange is Zone 9b(25F). I am also guessing that you might get mature oranges in September.

Allen

[Jay-Admin]

The harvest time for valencia oranges is between March and June. Mine dropped all of it's leaves over winter and has not recovered. I do have a kumquat tree in a pot that loses all of it's leaves during winter and grows back agian every spring.

Regards,
Jay

[Wes North Van]

Citrus do not like the warm very dry air that you get inside your homes. The reason why your orange is recovering is because of the warm humid air it is now exposed to. That is why I never have brought my meyer lemon trees inside. You are better off putting your citrus trees in a greenhouse and keeping it just at the freezing point. I am fortunate that my temps are high enough to keep my lemons outside but I do protect them when it gets below -2C just to keep from loosing the fruit. My trees are covered in blossoms and lemons right now.

[Jay-Admin]

I agree it's the warm dry air in the house that will do that so i thought trying to overwinter it in my unheated garage this last winter with misting the leaves would help but i was wrong. My kumquat survived.

Regards,
Jay

[Kansas]

AWSOME guys. That does explain the leaf droppage.
I talked to the place where I bought the tree at and they told me that they do store customers trees in there greenhouse over winter. Not sure how much they charge, but it might be worth it. I only spent $18 on it, but I do LOVE the reward I get when I see new fruit. I had a Key Lime tree that put out constant 10-15 limes at a time and EVERY damn lime I saw, I got soooo excited about.

[Okanagan desert-palms]

Kansas try some supplemental lighting. It will make a great improvement in all your house plants or trees for the winter. All plants or trees need a minimum amount of candle power to provide some growth or you will see serious decline,thus those lost leaves. Great news that it made it and is doing well now!
John

[Kansas]

Update, two of the three flowers opened today. If you have ever owned a Valencia orange tree, you would know the smell of these flowers. I wish they would make a candle of the scent. GORGOUS!!!
I doubt any will turn to oranges but hey, I was excited!