Plant nutrition: the art of nurturing the flavour of our oranges

Why are our oranges so good? The secret lies mainly in the work we do in the fields before our citrus fruits are born, namely attention to the steps in the plant cycle. After pruning, one of the essential steps to be observed is plant nutrition.

Ignoring this step would have a significant impact on our products: in fact, it is one of the main ingredients in our recipe for having such good citrus. Without the right nutrition, our oranges would not have the same quality or the same unique flavor once they are ripe. Here’s why, how and when to nourish oranges according to Tenuta Donna Fina’s guide.

Plant nutrition: the industrious silence of summer

In the middle of summer, when the Sicilian sun kisses our lands with relentless heat, the countryside appears silent and at rest. On the surface, it looks as if nothing is happening and nature has come to a standstill under the summer blue sky.

But it is during this quiet time that the plant is making its greatest effort , and within itself, each tree is working in silence. Not surprisingly, in the summer months the orange tree becomes more demanding and needs support not only to get through the season but also to produce. From the transformation of sap into sugar to that of mineral salts into the unmistakable aroma that will be released from our Moro and Navel after a few months.

It is up to us to guard and support this unseen and unobtrusive work of nature, nurturing the plant as necessary to obtain excellent quality citrus.

Liebig’s law: the metaphor of the barrel and the “short stave”

In the plant nutrition stage, our approach follows an ancient and fascinating rule: Liebig’s law, or “law of the minimum.” The theory is named after Justus von Liebig, a chemist who in the 1840s popularized Carl Sprengel’s principle of agronomy that states that growth does not depend on the total amount of nutrients available but on the resource present in smaller quantities than needed.

The latter, referred to as the “limiting factor,” affects as much as the possible excessive presence of other nutrients, slowing or stopping the organism’s growth altogether. To explain this concept, Liebig used to use the metaphor of a barrel with staves of different heights. The ability of the barrel to hold water within it is affected by the shorter stave, a metaphor for the nutrient in short supply.

Nutrients play a real team game in the growth of a plant: if an iota of magnesium is missing, the plant will fail to take full advantage of the other resources we have provided. It is a balancing game that requires attention and experience according to the principle of not giving “a lot” but giving “all that is needed.”

The ingredients of excellence: what does an orange eat?

To have an optimal result in winter, the nutrition stage cannot be limited to indiscriminate fertilization. In fact, it is important to read the messages the plant sends to the outside world to understand what it needs. But what nutrients are useful for the growth of our plants? Here’s what the “staves” needed by Tenuta Donna Fina’s citrus trees consist of

The foundation: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

Let’s start with the basics, that is, the macroelements useful for a plant’s growth: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Each mineral that the root absorbs from the Sicilian soil has a distinct role in defining the character of our oranges: some give strength to grow, some support the work of the roots, and some act on sugars.

• Nitrogen: is the nutrient that supports plant growth, allowing the orange tree to produce its leaves and capture the sun’s energy needed to grow branches strong enough to support the weight of the fruit;
• Phosphorus: acts in the roots allowing them to expand underground in search of nutrients and ensures that flowers are healthy and ready for fruit formation;
• Potassium: manages the circulation of water and sugars within the plant, imparting flavor to the fruit segments, increasing juiciness and strength.

The details that make a difference: trace elements

If macro-nutrients are the basis of the plant nutrition process, resources present in smaller quantities are equally necessary. Just like the “short staves” of Liebig’s law, it is these that make the difference between an ordinary orange and a product of excellence. These are:

• Magnesium: helps the plant transform light into energy and is the heart of chlorophyll, allowing the orange to have leaves that do not yellow prematurely so that the fruit is nourished until harvest;
• Iron: also affects leaf color, preventing chlorosis, the chlorophyll deficiency that causes yellowing of leaves;
• Zinc: works on the size and vigor of the shoots. Together with iron, it ensures that the peel of our oranges has a bright, bright color, a sign of plant health.

Identifying and filling in any small gaps is what ensures an optimal result when our fruit is ripe-a work of care and precision where no slat is ignored.

Citrus nutrition: the balance between sweetness and vigor

But why does plant nutrition directly affect taste? In this regard, it is crucial to emphasize the chemical link between nutrition and the final taste of the fruit. In fact, the taste of an orange and the quality of its juice is built molecule by molecule during the plant nutrition phase.

Playing a key role is the process of sugar synthesis. With a perfect balance of nutrients, the plant converts sunlight into energy that is divided within the fruit in the form of carbohydrates and complex sugars. This accumulates defines the Brix grade, that is, the index that measures the natural sweetness of the citrus fruit.

If the plant has all the nutrients in place, it can afford to invest energy not only to get through the summer but also to enrich its fruit, as is the case with our Navel and Moro oranges. Thus, flavor is not something that is added only at the end, but is the result of the nutrition process that took place during the summer.

From earth to pulp: Tenuta Donna Fina’s respect for the soil

Nourishing the plant means first of all respecting the soil that allows it to grow, and at Tenuta Donna Fina we particularly care about pampering the soil that houses our plants. In fact, the latter plays a key role in giving our citrus fruits their unique taste dictated by the interaction between the soil and the volcanic microclimate.

A living soil is the guarantee that the staves of our barrel are always aligned, without imbalances and in a continuous “dialogue” with the soil. For this reason, our philosophy is to respect nature’s timing, enriching the soil so that it nourishes the plant naturally, without external forcing or treatments with waxes and other chemicals on our fruits, a condition that makes their skin 100% edible.

Our goal is to work to make sure we maintain that delicate balance that is useful in obtaining quality fruit with a unique flavor. And knowing how to wait, knowing how to observe the color of a leaf or its shine, are the attentions that ensure the optimal result once the fruit is ready for harvest.

But soil and nutrition alone are not enough. In order to transport these precious minerals from the roots to the heart of each clove, there needs to be one last essential traveling companion: water, the protagonist of the last phase of the plant cycle.

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