Oranges in Canberra
hello,
I am new to gardening in Canberra and would like some advice please. I am wanting to grow an orange tree. My yard is small so it will need to be on small root stock. Could you please advise me as to which variety of orange would do best with Canberra’s cold frosty winters?
Sue
12 July, 2010 at 11:14 am
I don’t know about varieties but I would say plant in front of a north facing wall
15 July, 2010 at 8:28 pm
We have a Valencia (planted in front of a north facing wall) that fruits every year – but the oranges are very, very tart!
16 July, 2010 at 10:34 am
And I would say no oranges, but Meyer lemons and native limes. I believe that other limes can be grown here, as Brendan says, north-facing, but they have to be well protected from frosts in winter.
Or you could try an orangerie. That’s how oranges were grown on large properties in old northern Europe.
23 July, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I have a Lisbon lemon growing well in the open – it looks dreadful in winter from frost but recovers and fruits well. Also a Wheeny grapefuit which looks terrible in summer as well as winter (doesn’t like such heat, I think) but still fruits well. I have a Tahitian lime and a Kaffir lime fruiting prolifically under the shelter of eaves against a north-eastern facing wall. I’ve just had my first fruit from a Valencia orange in the same position – and the fruit is pretty tart – but the Washington navel is strugglling in the same position – no fruit as yet.
16 August, 2010 at 10:58 am
Washington Navel is the most cold tolerant orange. I have a tree which is about 5 years old and we had about 20 fruit this year, quite sweet but with thickened rind which is probably caused by the cold. See information sheet on growing citrus in Canberra on the following website http://www.thegarden.com.au