Oranges
To buy an orange tree is a good idea! This is because nowadays the orange is the most important kind of fruit world-wide. Oranges and orange juice are even traded at the commodity futures exchange.
4 x nutrient salts for plants
Instead of: £38.90 * £31.40 *
Citrus sinensis - The orange that blooms throughout the entire year
£37.40 *
Nutrient salt for citrus and plants with a high iron requirement
From £9.90 *
Citrus sinensis - The orange with the variegated leaves
£55.40 *
More information about oranges and the orange tree
But what today is seen as a commodity, used to be something quite ordinary that came to Europe late in the 15th century and was gazed at with a great deal of disbelief. And again they resorted to the well-known trick: they named the new fruit (at least in the German and Dutch languages) after what they knew, after the apple, and then added the exotic origin: Apple-Sine, the apple from China. Independently of the bitter orange, the sweet orange seems to have originated from the natural hybridisation of the two primaeval fruits, Citrus maxima (grapefruit) and Citrus reticulata (mandarin).
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Planting and harvesting
The orange tree is one of the most attractive citrus plants. When an orange tree returns to its place on the balcony or terrace in the spring, it often shows flowers and ripe fruit from the previous year at the same time. The snow white flowers spread the wonderful, orange aroma, which is also used in many perfumes. But it is much better to enjoy oranges and their scent on a terrace or balcony. As with all citrus varieties, each blossom becomes a fruit due to self-pollination. At first, this grows into a round and green fruit that is the size of a golf ball which gets bigger and bigger. In autumn and in the winter at cool temperatures, the oranges ripen and get their typical orange colour. If the year and the summer are warm and sunny, in many cases there is even a second orange blossom in the summer. Then the orange tree moves into the winter quarters with two generations and moves out again with three generations if you want to count the new buds and blossoms as a generation.
Beautiful orange plants are available here in the Lubera garden shop and they will not only delight citrus collectors.
The most beautiful orange varieties
The navel orange was discovered as a mutation in Bahia, Brazil in the 19th century and became a dominant variety in the 20th century. However, there are indications that similar oranges were already known in Europe in the early 19th century. It grows and ripens even where temperatures are not quite so warm; sweet and extremely aromatic, this is the best orange for fresh consumption.
Blonde oranges are also highly valued as juice and food oranges. Unlike the navel orange, it does not have a "navel" on the underside but is almost completely round. It also has a somewhat thinner skin, which is not so easy to peel. On the other hand, blonde oranges are particularly good at juicing.
Blood oranges are also a particularly popular variety. With a change between cool and warm weather, you get red fruit flesh, which appears particularly fresh with its special acidity. Blood oranges need a location that is somewhat warmer than that of the navel and blonde oranges. They thank you for this with particularly appealing fruit.