blood orange in Sydney (forum)

lexybar starts with ...
I live in the Sydney inner west and love blood oranges. How easy do blood orange trees grow in Sydney? I would like to try, but don't want to fail. I have never seen one around this part of NSW?

Time: 24th December 2011 12:47pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author lexybar
Sydney
#UserID: 6291
Posts: 1
View All lexybar's Edible Fruit Trees

john says...
Yes, you can ;they thrive but you do not get the same amount of "blood" as you would get in a warmer clime.

Time: 25th December 2011 7:41am

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
 
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

jakfruit etiquette says...
I think the pigmented grapefruit get better color in the warmer climates, but the pigmented blood oranges are the reverse, and require chill to color properly????
If you are having warm mild winters, blood oranges mat not color as well in colder areas. Even if they dont color, the taste is different to navel oranges, so still nice.

Time: 26th December 2011 6:40pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
 
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

Peter says...
Yes, they need chill to color up, but the blood orange "Arnolds Blood" has reliable coloring in Perth - so should be fine for Sydney as well.

Time: 26th December 2011 9:46pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Perth
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
I have Arnold blood here and it's pretty poor :( Not as much chill as Perth tho. I have Ruby Red Grapefruit - they are great. Pink grapefruit are just gorgeous from Carnarvon (another 500km's north of here)
My addiction was pink grapefruit juice and gin, when I lived there :) So plentiful, sweet and very cheap! A "healthy" drink ;-)

Time: 27th December 2011 2:17am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

john says...
My understanding and experience is that blood oranges need a warmer climate and that "chill" is, actually , to their detriment.

Time: 27th December 2011 4:11am

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
 
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

Perter says...
Hi all,
the cooler weather induces pigmentation in Perth. As it warms up, remaining fruits on the tree reverse back to orange color in my Maltese blood orange.
The good thing is that the flavor does not depend on pigmentation, still nice to have a non-pigmented blood orange in Perth. I think Sydney should do well.


Time: 28th December 2011 10:14am

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Perth
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

Jantina says...
Hmmmn, I have blood oranges here and they are very sweet but don't color up much so I'm wondering if perhaps soil ph or minerals might affect color as well. My pink grapefruit don't color up much either.

Time: 28th December 2011 11:11am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Jantina
Mt Gambier
#UserID: 1351
Posts: 1272
View All Jantina's Edible Fruit Trees

Peter says...
From reading, one other factor influencing the pigmentation is a high temperature differences between hot daytime and cold nighttime - desert climate. I forgot where I read it, not sure how reliable the source is.

Time: 28th December 2011 1:29pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Perth
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

Chris says...
Spot on Peter. Its the absolute variation (diff between min/max temperatures) that is critical. If you look at Sicily where some of the best blood oranges are grown the climate is that classic Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers and mild wet winters.

Time: 28th December 2011 9:42pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Chris
 
#UserID: 2281
Posts: 263
View All Chris 's Edible Fruit Trees

Mike says...
That is why California with a strong mediterranean climate has such good and highly cloured blood oranges inland.With pomelos and grapefruit the reverse is true with greater sweetness and colour in warmer summer rainfall areas with high humidity.

Time: 28th December 2011 10:05pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Cairns
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
That's here then...I get get good pigmentation - but the flavour of the Arnold is very bland (here at least) maybe it's the variety..?

My Ruby grapefruit are lovely though...very red and very sweet and have 'character' of flavour...

Interesting info guys - it had never crossed my mind to be honest..!? :)

Time: 28th December 2011 11:27pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

Peter says...
I agree with the more bland flavor of Arnolds Blood - however very showy with the pigmentation and probably a tick healthier due to the pigments(not to trigger another health dispute amongst members and anonymous ID:0's).
Personally, I prefer the Maltese Blood over Arnolds Blood and Ruby Blood in regards to taste.
Back to the original question for lexybar - you just have to weigh it up which is more important, but blood oranges in Sydney are a winner.
Another thought is to put different blood oranges on one tree by grafting or budding while still young- ask around, you might find someone who has several cultivars and would not mind doing this for you.
Personally I would avoid getting an advanced tree - a small healthy tree is less likely to have root problems of different kinds and will catch up in size soon anyway. I have planted citrus throughout the seasons, keeping an eye on the ones I have planted in summer. Best time however is early spring, if you can wait.


Time: 29th December 2011 10:50am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Peter36
Perth
#UserID: 5034
Posts: 213
View All Peter36's Edible Fruit Trees

Joe says...
My Maltese Blood Orange tastes great but is not sweet is there anything I can do?

Time: 16th June 2012 8:57pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author JoeB
Melbourne
#UserID: 7022
Posts: 3
View All JoeB's Edible Fruit Trees