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Can Orange Trees Produce Two Seasons of Fruit?

For the most part, orange tree flower buds begin to form in the fall or early winter. Bud induction is generally completed in early January. The amount and quality of fruit yielded by trees annually largely depends on temperature and moisture, before and after flowering. Citrus trees commonly experience multiple flushes of growth annually. Given the right conditions, each flush of growth can produce fruit. However, successful fruit set multiple times per year is not common outside of tropical locations, nor is it desirable. When they do occur, these "off-bloom" orange tree crops tend to have a distorted shape and lower quality juice.

  1. Flowering

    • It takes most orange trees about four years after planting to begin regularly flowering. Seasonal flowering takes place at least once per year after trees experience at least 300 hours of temperatures below 68 degree Fahrenheit, which temporarily stops growth, followed by a period of warm temperatures, which stimulate bud induction and differentiation. Orange trees will usually only set about 1 percent of the total bloom -- the other 99 percent of blooms will fall off trees after opening.

    Temperature and Multiple Blooms

    • At least a fraction of flower buds will be induced after as few as 300 cumulative hours below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Weak flowering usually occurs if temperatures begin to warm soon after this minimum number of hours is reached. Many potential buds will remain on the tree. If additional cold weather occurs later, followed by warm temperatures, a second season of fruit may be produced. On the other hand, if warm weather persists and trees are provided regular irrigation, the remaining buds will produce vegetative shoots. Low crop yields combined with higher than normal vegetative growth will result.

    Irrigation and Multiple Blooms

    • Along with cold temperatures, a lack of irrigation will stop vegetative growth and bud swell in orange trees. Consequently, commercial growers occasionally initiate drought-like conditions as a tool to reduce growth and the possibility of multiple blooms. For best results, irrigation must cease several days in advance of a typical seven-day warm front but quickly commence once cool weather returns. Assuming no rain occurs during this period, buds will not respond to the warmer temperatures and multiple blooms are less likely. A limited period of drought-stress is believed not to injure fruit quality.

    Fruit Maturity

    • All types of citrus trees produce fruit that becomes palatable gradually on the tree over weeks or months. As non-climacteric fruit their flavor will not improve once it is picked. Oranges change from green to orange as they ripen, but this is largely a function of the climate and not a good maturity indicator. Fruit will develop over five to 18 months, depending on the type of orange and its growing conditions. In general, oranges are classified as early, mid-season and late oranges based on when the fruit is harvest-ready. Early oranges are ready for consumption as soon as September while late-maturing oranges typically will not be ready before February.

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Landscaping Trees
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