Question: We have a fairly young orange tree, and we don't know why the newly formed tiny oranges fell off the tree. Do we need to water more than the required three times a week, or water less?
I am assuming that the tree is receiving plenty of sunlight. When fruit falls off of trees, it is usually because of poor pollination, lots of wind or irregular watering.
A certain amount of fruit drop is normal, but dropping all of the fruit usually is not. It is normal on many fruit trees for unpollinated fruit to continue to grow to about the size of a marble and then drop. There is a huge variation among the citrus concerning pollination. Most citrus are self fertile and do not need another tree for pollination.
However, there are exceptions. Mandarin orange, for instance, might be one of the exceptions. Washington navel and Valencias probably are not. There is some indication that even though a citrus may be self fertile, bees visiting the flowers may improve fruit set.
The best thing that I can tell you is to try to keep strong winds away from the tree and do not over or under water. Surface mulches will help to keep the moisture in the soil and the roots from drying out. It is critical that as the fruit is developing, the trees should not undergo moisture stress.
Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
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