A freeze can cause severe damage to the fruit of an orange tree.
Orange trees require very specific growing conditions to thrive, especially when it comes to temperature. This limits their growing regions to few places throughout the world. A single deep freeze may be enough to kill a large portion of oranges on a tree. This can happen even in regions where temperatures rarely reach the freezing point. Take protective measures to keep your orange trees warm when freezing temperatures are in the forecast. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Water the soil around the tree trunk to a depth of 2 inches with warm water on the morning of the expected freeze. Water out to the drip line -- the distance to which the branches extend. The warm water can help the tree retain heat throughout the freeze.
2. Cover the tree, after watering it, with a blanket or plastic tarp if it's a young tree and small enough to be covered. Wrap the blanket around the base of the trunk if the entire tree cannot be covered. Take extra care to cover the spot where the scion and rootstock were connected. Take extra care to cover the spot where the rootstock and scion were connected. The rootstock is the part of a grafted tree that has the roots, and the scion is the part of a second tree that is grafted onto the rootstock. The area where they were connected will typically have a rough, lumpy appearance, so it should be easy to find.
3. Clamp shop lights in the branches and arrange them so the light warms as much of the tree crown as possible. The number of lights needed depends on the size of the crown.
4. Remove all lights and blankets from the tree and, as a last resort, sprinkle water over the tree with a sprinkler until the temperature reaches 37 degrees Fahrenheit. A constant flow of water can help the internal temperature of the fruit, leaves and branches stay above freezing, although it may create damage due to the weight of ice that may form.
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