At What Age Do Washington Navel Dwarf Orange Trees Bear Fruit?

Container-Grown Trees

• Commercially propagated dwarf Washington navel oranges are several years old when growers sell them for planting. This allows them to produce fruit relatively quickly. These trees usually produce fruit within two to three years after being planted in their final location. According to fruit tree producer One Green World, some trees grown on extreme dwarfing root stocks such as "Flying Dragon" can fruit within a year of planting.

Home-Propagated Oranges

• Most home orange trees come from nurseries ready for planting, but it is also possible to propagate your own. According to Texas A&M University, orange varieties such as Washington navel tend to grow true from seed. Hobby growers can also bud graft their own Washington navel orange stock onto dwarf root stock. These trees take longer to produce fruit, usually between eight and 15 years.

Age and Crop Size

• While a Washington dwarf navel orange tree can bear within a few years of planting, this crop is usually very small. According to Texas A&M University, production will increase as the tree approaches true maturity. While conventional Washington navel oranges can grow to between 20 and 25 feet, producing 100 pounds of fruit or more in a season, trees grown on dwarf root stock are usually less than half this size. They also bear proportionately less fruit.

Considerations

• Some navel orange trees can reach bearing age without producing fruit. This is usually due to cultural conditions. For instance, trees grown in excessively cold or windy conditions might not put out enough flowers for production. Washington navel oranges also require regular deep watering and might not fruit well in hot or very dry climates. Excessive shade or an early frost could also discourage flower production, leading to a lack of fruit even in completely mature trees.