Can an orange tree be saved?

[OriginalGeek]

We live in Orlando. Grandpa has had an orange tree in his backyard for probably 30 years or more but it hasn't produced any usable fruit in at least 5 or 6 years - maybe more. I only recently started paying attention. Now i wish I had paid more attention sooner but there it is.

So is there hope? Start over? Grafting? This will be my house some day and I would love to have some fruit trees. Or even one.

There's a grapefruit tree down in Nokomis that my other grandpa planted on the day I was born (52 and half years ago) and it seemed to be thriving the last time I drove by (that property is no longer in our family but I pass by it on the way to my uncle's house so I can still see it and remember good times)

[Major Nikon]

1. There could be a number of reasons why it doesn't produce

The first thing I'd check is how much sun it gets and how it's pruned. If it's flowering OK and you aren't getting fruit it could be soil, fertilizer, drainage, or other water issues.

If you are really concerned about it, then you might want to consider hiring an arborist, or your local county extension office may be of some help. If you hire an arborist and they prune it, ask lots of questions and pay particular attention to how they prune it, as fruit trees need to be pruned from time to time in order to produce the best fruit.

[OriginalGeek]

2. Good idea!

I'm sure there must be some kind of ag-center around here that deals with citrus.

Yeah, I am positive grandpa hasn't been out there pruning it.

I need to go study up on it for sure.I think the tree gets plenty of sun but certainly no regular watering other than what falls from the sky (which is quite a bit most years but not always)

this grandpa was the business grandpa. He worked for the state and retired from the Air Force before that. I don't think he or grandma were much into gardening. I expect they got the tree because they thought it was proper for a Florida home to have an orange tree lol. My other grandpa was a carny and a fishing guide and dedicated to his citrus grove but he died when I was only 7 so I didn't get a chance to soak up much of his knowledge. I just remember he thought it was funny as hell to scare the shit out of my mom by letting me drive his big-ass riding mower past the house. I was a lawn-mowing demon at 6 and 7.

[Major Nikon]

3. Established citrus trees shouldn't need to be watered often

They should get a good soaking every 2-3 weeks, but beyond that I wouldn't water it unless the leaves start to curl from heat stress. Your local county extension should be your first place to check as they should be either able to give you all the advice you need tailored to your local area, or lead you to someone who can.

[csziggy]

4. Contact your County Extension Office

UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Orange County Extension  
Address: 6021 S Conway Rd, Orlando, FL 32812
Phone: [phone]
http://orange.ifas.ufl.edu/

If you scroll down on their website they have an "Ask an Agent" feature you can use to email questions to them.

My Dad always went to the one in his county for problems with his orange groves. The local offices work with the state agencies and with the universities to provide information to people.

One of the major problems these days are diseases such as greening. If your tree has it all you can do is cut it down. http://www.crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/greening/index.shtml