Choosing the Best Oranges for Your Backyard

Few fruits are as universally loved as oranges. They are sweet, tangy, juicy, and versatile in the kitchen. Plus, they are a powerhouse of nutrition. A daily serving of fresh fruit from your own tree can do wonders for your wellbeing:

• Vitamin C boost – Oranges are famous for their high vitamin C content, which supports your immune system and helps ward off winter colds.

• Antioxidants – Varieties like Cara Cara and Blood Orange are especially rich in antioxidants such as lycopene and anthocyanins, which support heart health and fight free radicals.

• Fibre – Eating an orange (rather than just drinking the juice) gives you plenty of dietary fibre, which aids digestion and keeps you feeling full.

• Hydration – Oranges are made up of over 80% water, making them a refreshing way to stay hydrated.

• Everyday wellness – Regular citrus consumption is linked to improved skin health, better iron absorption, and overall vitality.

At Trevallan we’ve chosen to stock a small but well-considered range of orange varieties this season. These aren’t just any oranges, each one brings something unique to your table and your garden.

Beyond the obvious joy of picking your own juicy fruit, oranges are long-lived, ornamental trees with glossy evergreen foliage and fragrant white blossoms. They’re as beautiful as they are practical, providing both food and shade.

But don’t think of citrus as only “fruit trees for the orchard.” They shine just as brightly in ornamental and creative plantings:

• Feature trees – A single orange tree can anchor a garden bed, drawing the eye with its glossy foliage and glowing fruit.

• Scented gardens – Few fragrances compare to citrus blossom. Planting oranges near an entertaining area, pathway, or window means you can enjoy that heavenly perfume in spring.

• Pots and courtyards – Oranges adapt beautifully to large containers, making them perfect for sunny patios and small gardens. Dwarf grafted varieties keep things compact while still producing generous crops.

• Hedging and screening – With regular pruning, citrus can be trained into dense, productive hedges that are both practical and attractive.

• Espalier – For a touch of European charm, oranges can be espaliered against a wall or fence, creating living architecture while saving space.

Plant one (or more!) and you’ll quickly discover why citrus trees have been treasured for centuries. Not only for their fruit, but for their beauty, fragrance, and versatility in the landscape.

Let’s explore the stars of the orchard:

Washington Navel

The undisputed classic and the most popular backyard orange. Washington Navels are famous for their seedless, easy-to-peel fruit. Their flavour is bright, sweet with just a hint of tang, and they’re perfect eaten straight from the tree.

• Season: Late autumn to early winter.

• Fruit: Medium to large, thick-skinned, seedless.

• Why choose it? Reliable crops, consistent fruiting, and an all-rounder. If you’re planting your first orange, start here.

Cara Cara Navel

At first glance, you’d mistake it for a regular navel orange, but cut it open and you’ll be surprised by the rich salmon-pink flesh. This colour isn’t from anthocyanins (like blood oranges) but from natural lycopene, the same antioxidant found in tomatoes. The flavour is sweeter, lower in acid, and often described as having berry or cherry undertones.

• Season: Late autumn into winter.

• Fruit: Medium to large, pink flesh, seedless, juicy.

• Why choose it? It’s an easy-to-grow tree that produces fruit with a unique flavour and colour.

Blood Orange

The dramatic beauty of the citrus world. Blood oranges have rich crimson flesh, thanks to anthocyanins that develop best during cooler nights. Their flavour is intense, a sweet orange base layered with a raspberry-like tang. They are brilliant for fresh eating, but also shine in cocktails, marmalades, and desserts.

• Season: Mid-winter through early spring.

• Fruit: Smaller to medium-sized, deep red flesh, strong flavour.

• Why choose it? If you want something striking and different.

Orange Pineapple

This variety stands out for its naturally sweet, low-acid flavour. Perfect for those who don’t enjoy the tang of traditional oranges. The taste is often described as tropical, with a faint pineapple-like sweetness, making it excellent for juicing.

• Season: Winter into early spring.

• Fruit: Medium-sized, golden flesh, extra sweet and low acid.

• Why choose it? For juicing enthusiasts and anyone who loves sweeter citrus.

Growing and Caring for Oranges

Whether you’re planting in the ground or in a large pot, oranges are wonderfully rewarding. With the right care, they’ll reward you with fragrant blossoms and bowls of fruit each year.

Position & Soil

• Full sun is non-negotiable. The more sun, the sweeter the fruit.

• Plant in well-drained soil. Oranges hate “wet feet.” If your soil is heavy clay, mound the planting area or stick to large pots with premium potting mix.

Pots vs Ground

• Ground: Trees will grow larger and produce more fruit.

• Pots: Choose a dwarf grafted variety where possible, and plant into at least a half wine barrel size. Potted trees crop well but need more attention with feeding and watering.

Fertilising

Oranges are heavy feeders. Keep them healthy and productive with:

• Three main feeds per year (early spring, mid-summer, early autumn) using a complete organic fertiliser, like Organic Link.

• Supplementary feeding with liquid fertilisers such as Triple Boost or Potash + Silica every 2 weeks during the growing season.

• Add Bio-Trace™  to boost soil health and micronutrients.

• Pot-grown oranges especially benefit from regular liquid feeds, as nutrients wash through more quickly.

Watering

• Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.

• Deep soak less frequently rather than shallow frequent watering.

• In pots, check moisture daily during hot weather.

Mulching

Apply sugar cane, tea tree, rainforest fines, or hoop bark mulch to conserve water, regulate soil temperature, and improve soil health. Always keep mulch away from the trunk to avoid rot.

Pruning & General Care

• Light prune after harvest to maintain shape and airflow.

• Remove dead or crossing branches.

• In pots, prune harder to keep trees manageable.

• Watch for pests like citrus leaf miner and scale. Treat with horticultural oils or eco-friendly sprays if needed.

At Trevallan we believe gardens should feed both body and soul. Oranges do exactly that. They’ll scent your spring evenings, brighten your winter mornings, and remind you just how good homegrown food can taste.

Which one will you take home — the classic, the sweet, the dramatic, or the tropical? Whichever you choose, your garden will thank you.

Lemons

“Her kisses reminded me of lemon slices drizzled with sticky honey. Bitter, sweet and strangely irresistible.” Michael Faudet

While the exact origin of lemons is lost in the mists of time, it is said that citrus fruits were the dowry of Hera, the bride of Zeus, who kept them jealously hidden away in a blissful garden situated at the western end of the earth, where the sun dies every day and where lived the Hesperides (nymphs). Each of the three nymphs guarded her own fruit: Aigle tended the citron, Arethusa the lemon and Hesperethusa the orange, thus the Hesperides were the nymphs guarding the “golden apples” which Hercules stole from the garden and gave to mankind.

Thanks to Hercules the lemon is now grown all over the world in regions whose mild climate suits this evergreen fruiting tree.

Lemons are upright growers and can reach great heights. I think they are always better pruned to keep smaller. I like my fruit trees at a height I can pick the fruit so none are wasted

They love the full sun, great soil and mulch.

When they are in flower and fruit I find regular, consistent watering is best to help the fruit form to their best ability. During this time I will liquid fertilise with Plant Care to keep the tree healthy. I use Plant Care, as over fertilising can lead to bud drop.

I find all citrus, lemon included, are heavy feeders. When the tree is not in flower I fertilise my lemons with Organic Link fertiliser about every two to three months. I also alternate fortnight’s of liquid fertilising between Triple Boost and Silica and Potash.

Lemons like all citrus are prone to Citrus Leaf Miner and Leaf Curl. Click here to find more about these problems. They can also suffer from scale and I find adding neem oil to my fortnightly liquid fertilising really helps.

Lemons can grow in a pot but make sure it’s a very large pot or buy a dwarf lemon. They can also be trimmed after fruiting.

There are few different lemon trees.

Eureka

• The best all round lemon

• Grows well in all climates but hates cold snaps

• It produces fruit almost every day of the year.

• Relatively few seeds and small thorns.

• Grows to around 4m tall but loves to be pruned

• There is a Seedless version of Eureka called ‘Lemon Heaven’

Lisbon

• Very high quality lemons with a thin skin, good juice and high acidity

• Contain natural pectin so best if using for cooking

• Can reach up to 8m high but can be pruned and has thorns

• Once a year it produces a heavy crop of fruit in mid winter to early spring

Lemonicious

• Improved dwarf form Citrus meyer

• In a large pot, reaches around 1.5m x 1m

• Fruit has low acidity and reduced bitterness

• Very hardy and prolific

• Its fruit are produced for most of the year

• Most cold-tolerant of all lemons

We also stock Lemonade fruit trees (Citrus limon x reticulata).

Lemonade fruit trees are a citrus fruit that is a hybrid between a mandarin orange and a lemon, grown in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980’s. The fruit looks like a lemon, but can be eaten straight from the tree, just like a mandarin or orange.

It’s a lot sweeter than a lemon with a refreshing tang. It truly has to be tasted to be appreciated.

It makes a refreshing drink when juiced but it also works well in cooking when you need something a bit lighter than a lemon but a lime won’t do!

What lemon are you growing?