Navel gazing

Growing Navel Oranges

Navel oranges are so named because they have what looks like a strange little belly-button on the base of the fruit. There are a few varieties of navel oranges, including Washington, Best's seedless and Powell, and different varieties ripen during different months, predominantly in winter and spring.

Navel Gazing

Brightly coloured Washington navel oranges are dripping from trees during winter, Best's seedless navel from late winter to late spring and Powell navels that are ready in late spring. By growing a few different varieties of navel oranges you can be harvesting for many months. They’re sweet and juicy, most navels are seedless, and they are a fantastic orange to grow at home. Dwarf varieties of navels grow to around 1.5m tall, so they’re easy to maintain (and you don’t need a ladder to harvest!) as well as being perfect for growing in a container. To get the best out of home grown navel oranges, find a sunny spot that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine a day with well-drained soil. Navel oranges prefer growing in a temperate or sub-tropical climate, though will also handle cooler locations.

If you’re growing a navel orange in a container, choose a dwarf variety, use a pot that’s at least 40cm in diameter and fill with good quality potting mix like Yates ® Premium Potting Mix. When planting a new navel orange tree into the ground, mix some Yates Thrive ® Natural Blood & Bone into the bottom of the planting hole. Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone improves the quality of the soil and supplies the newly planted orange with gentle, organic nutrients as it establishes.

To promote good early root growth in your new orange tree, water it in well with some Yates Thrive Natural Seaweed Tonic. It’s made from 100% natural bull kelp, sustainably sourced from Southern Oceans, and is great for reducing transplant shock and stimulating new root growth.