Pruning orange trees: the secret to an exceptional harvest

Have you ever wondered what happens in the months before an orange arrives on your table? One of the secrets that give their goodness to our fruits lies precisely in the period that precedes the ripening of the citrus fruits on the tree and consists of pruning, the first of the steps in the cycle of the plant in Tenuta Donna Fina.

Thinking of pruning simply as a technical operation is reductive: in fact, it is the starting point in the journey that gives the fruits the characteristic flavor of our products. Without this step, our oranges would not have the same taste and quality once they ripen in winter. Here’s why, how and when to prune orange trees according to the guide of Tenuta Donna Fina.

You don’t cut so much, you cut “right”

Many people think that pruning consists of shortening or thinning the tree’s crown. However, our philosophy is that cutting as much as the right way is not ideal, maintaining the balance necessary for the plant to grow healthily.

In fact, an over-pruned alter gets stressed and focuses his energy on the production of leaves, as a defense system. Conversely, a poorly pruned tree can trigger a loss of energy to keep the branches healthy, resulting in smaller fruits.

As with our cultivation method, which respects the rhythms of nature without external forcing, our approach to pruning also puts respect for the plant in the foreground. Pruning without a proper system only damages the tree: it is better to follow the natural shape of the plant without forcing or distorting it, following nature.

Light and Air: the two guardians of the orange grove

Two great protagonists in the pruning phase are certainly light and air, the impact of which is fundamental for the maturation and protection of the plant. They are our best allies in the care of orange trees, thanks to their natural support.

In particular, sunlight is the secret ingredient that allows starches to be transformed into sugars and sweeten oranges during the ripening phase. To do this, it is necessary that the light is able to penetrate to the heart of the hair.

Air, on the other hand, acts as a biological “medicine”: in fact, natural ventilation in a well-ventilated tree allows it to be kept dry and protected from humidity, mold and parasites, which will struggle to settle and attack the tree.

Practical guide: the 4 steps of excellent pruning

But what does pruning orange trees consist of, and what are the basic steps to follow? The main steps of pruning can be summarized in 4 main phases, each with a specific purpose: here are what they are in detail.

1. Cleanliness: eliminating what is no longer needed

The first step of pruning concerns the elimination of everything that is superfluous to the plant: for example, dry or broken branches. By removing them, you prevent the plant from wasting resources useful for the branches that will produce oranges for the winter.

Attention should be paid to dry, broken or diseased branches: in addition to taking away sap from the rest of the plant, they can become access routes for diseases. Removing them is one of the fundamental steps to save the plant and keep it healthy.

2. Order: Dealing with dangerous intersections

When caring for the orange tree, it is also important to make sure of dangerous crossings of certain branches. This is because, when branches touch each other, there is a risk of increasing shaded areas and friction that can cause injuries to neighboring branches.

In this case, the choice of the branch to be sacrificed falls on the weakest one: it is therefore important to identify the strongest and healthiest among the branches that cross, and instead eliminate the most battered one that takes up space.

3. The heart of the hair: lighten without exaggerating

As anticipated, light plays a fundamental role in the ripening of the fruit and for the health of the tree. In this sense, a foliage that is too closed does not allow light to enter the innermost part of the orange tree, as well as becoming a refuge for insects.

For this reason, the next step of pruning involves lightening the foliage, in order to create “windows” of light. However, it remains essential not to overdo it, to avoid exposing the trunk too much to direct sun, which would damage the bark.

4. Suckers: the energy “thieves”

The last step of pruning the orange tree has as its protagonists the “suckers”, i.e. all those vertical and vigorous branches that seem strong but are harmful to the plant and the fruits. In fact, these apparently healthy branches are sterile and the only result of their presence is to “steal” energy and the sap that would otherwise nourish the branches and the fruits they produce.

Suckers are therefore “wild” branches that are not useful to the plant and can be found on the branches, but which generally grow from the trunk itself. Eliminating suckers from trees therefore means returning useful energy to the plant but above all to the oranges it will produce.

When to prune the orange tree? The perfect time

Once you have explained how it is best to prune the orange tree, it is also important to take into account the right time for this activity. Usually, the best time to devote yourself to pruning orange trees is spring, away from frost and before full bloom or scorching heat.

The ideal is to prune the tree when the plant is in vegetative rest or just before recovery. Generally, this moment arrives between March and April, that is to say when the harvest is completed and away from the risk of frost that would damage the still fresh cuts.

Clearly, each strain has its own times to respect, but it is essential to keep in mind that respect for the natural cycle is sacred.

From the Tenuta Donna Fina campaign to the table: waiting for winter

Once the pruning phase is complete, the orange can be considered “clean” and ready for the next phase of the plant’s cycle: receiving the right nourishment to grow its fruits.

At Tenuta Donna Fina we firmly believe that the preparation work represented by phases such as pruning plays a fundamental role in ensuring the sweetness and characteristic flavor of the oranges that will arrive on your table.

Every cut made during pruning is a promise of quality for the future and for us it is essential to respect this pace of work to obtain oranges with a unique taste in the following winter months, the result of careful and manual work.

This approach is perfectly encapsulated in our philosophy, which involves respecting the rhythms of nature, without external forcing and in the absence of treatments with waxes or other chemicals on the fruits, making their skin 100% edible. And our attention to nature is reciprocated by the interaction between the soil and the volcanic microclimate, which gives a unique taste and a characteristic aroma to our products.

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