1st of July Oranges

It’s the first of July tomorrow and mid winter in South Australia. Today I gave the Washington navel oranges a gently twist each and 3 of them came off the tree without any force. They are medium size, seedless, easy to peel and sweet and juicy.

The tree is only young and has about twenty oranges drooping from its slender branches. Currently standing about 6 foot tall and 3 -4 foot wide, it is planted in the chook yard in a sheltered position.

TRIAL/SUCCESS : As another one of my experiments, I only prune my fruit trees during the warmer months. This year I pruned my young citrus trees in summer, shaping them so they will grow to umbrella shapes for easy picking from underneath while providing shade and shelter for the chooks and chickens.
My reasoning for summer pruning is the sap flows more freely and the cuts heal much faster. I believe they are then less inclined to getting disease.