Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Trovita Orange
Trovita is a sweet orange known for bearing well in desert heat. It grew from a Washington navel seedling, but the fruit has no navel and its juice does not turn bitter. The juicy, mild fruit ripens from about December through February. Fragrant white blossoms open in spring on an upright evergreen tree.
Best for: a backyard orange that bears in desert heat, winter juice and fresh fruit, spring blossom scent, and an upright evergreen yard tree.
Trovita is known for heat tolerance and good crops under desert conditions. The juicy, mild fruit ripens from about December through February and is good for juice or eating fresh.
The tree grows vigorous and upright, about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide. Give it about 15 to 20 feet from other trees, and keep it away from hot west walls where afternoon sun burns fruit.
Fragrant white blossoms open in spring, and bees visit them. The tree is self-pollinating, so a single Trovita sets fruit without a second orange tree.
The fruit has some seeds, and crops can swing between heavy and light years. Bare trunks sunburn in the Valley, and young trees need frost cloth on freezing nights.
- Row of trees with canopies meetingAbout 15 ft apart
- Single yard treeAbout 20 ft from other trees
A newly planted Trovita tree needs water every few days in its first months, more often in summer. Water out past the edge of the canopy, not right at the trunk.
Soak the soil 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Let the top of the soil dry between waterings, and never water shallow and daily.
Feed with a citrus fertilizer three times a year. Apply one feeding in January or February, one in March or April, and one in May or June.
Prune lightly from late winter into spring, never in summer. Leave the low branches that shade the trunk, and paint any bare, sun-hit bark with white latex paint.
Sweet orange trees are rated to about 24°F, but the fruit is more tender than the tree. Cover young trees with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is a Trovita orange?
Trovita is a sweet orange that grew from a fallen Washington navel fruit in California in 1916. The fruit has no navel, and its juice does not turn bitter the way navel juice does.
Trovita vs Washington navel: what is the difference?
Trovita fruit is smaller, juicier and milder than a Washington navel. It has about 6 to 10 seeds and no navel. Navels are seedless and best eaten fresh, while Trovita works for juice too.
Is Trovita the same as an Arizona Sweet orange?
Trovita is one of the oranges counted among the Arizona Sweets. A tree labeled only Arizona Sweet can be Trovita or another sweet orange, such as Hamlin.
When are Trovita oranges ripe?
Fruit is ready from about December through February in the Valley. It keeps sweetening on the tree and does not ripen after picking, so taste one to check.
Does Trovita handle Phoenix heat?
Yes. Trovita is known as a heat-tolerant orange that bears well under desert conditions. Like all citrus, keep it watered deeply in summer and protect the trunk from sunburn.
Why did my Trovita have a small crop this year?
Trovita has a slight tendency to alternate bear. That means a heavy crop one year can be followed by a lighter crop the next.
How big does a Trovita orange tree get?
Expect about 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide. The tree grows vigorous and upright, and it stays evergreen.
How far apart should I plant Trovita orange trees?
Plant about 15 feet apart center to center when you want the canopies to meet. Give a single yard tree about 20 feet from other trees. The Spacing tab can count trees for a row.
How often should I water a Trovita orange?
Water deeply, out past the edge of the canopy, 2 to 3 feet down. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Young trees need water every few days at first.
When should I fertilize it?
Use citrus fertilizer three times a year. Apply one feeding in January or February, one in March or April, and one in May or June.
How cold can a Trovita orange take?
Sweet orange trees are rated to about 24°F, but the fruit is more tender than the tree. Cover young trees with frost cloth to the ground on freezing nights, and water the day before.
Is a Trovita orange tree safe for pets?
No. Orange trees are listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the peel, leaves or stems can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression, so keep pets from chewing on the tree.
Trovita Orange for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Trovita is one of the sweet oranges Valley gardeners grow for heat tolerance and a reliable winter crop. It brings juicy, mild fruit, fragrant spring blossoms and evergreen leaves. Below are the questions homeowners ask most, from how it compares to a navel to size, spacing, watering, feeding and frost.
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What is a Trovita orange?
Trovita is a sweet orange that started as a seedling of a Washington navel in California in 1916. The fruit has no navel, and its juice stays sweet instead of turning bitter.
Trovita vs Washington navel orange
Trovita fruit is smaller, juicier and milder than a Washington navel, with some seeds. Navels are seedless and best for fresh eating. Trovita is also known to bear better in desert heat.
When are Trovita oranges ripe in Arizona?
Trovita fruit is ready from about December through February. Oranges sweeten on the tree and do not ripen after picking. Taste one to tell, because peel color is not a reliable sign.
How big does a Trovita orange tree get?
Plan for about 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide. The tree is vigorous and upright, and it keeps its leaves all year.
How far apart do you plant Trovita orange trees?
Plant about 15 feet apart center to center for a row with canopies meeting. Give a single tree about 20 feet. The spacing calculator can count trees for a row.
Watering a Trovita orange in Phoenix
Water deeply, wetting the soil 2 to 3 feet down and out past the canopy edge. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter.
When to fertilize a Trovita orange
Oranges get three feedings a year. Apply one in January or February, one in March or April, and one in May or June.
Is Trovita a good orange for Valley heat?
Trovita is known as a heat-tolerant sweet orange that stays productive under desert conditions. Keep the low branches on to shade the trunk, and water deeply through summer.
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