Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Washington Navel Orange
Washington is the classic navel orange and the most popular navel grown in Arizona. The large fruit is seedless, peels easily and is best eaten fresh. Harvest starts around late November or December and can run into March. Fragrant white blossoms open in spring on a medium-sized evergreen tree.
Best for: seedless winter oranges for fresh eating, a medium-sized evergreen yard tree, spring blossom scent, and a one-tree home orchard.
Washington navels are seedless and peel easily, which makes them the classic orange for eating out of hand. Harvest starts around late November or December and can run into March.
It is the most popular navel grown in Arizona and forms a medium-sized evergreen tree about 10 to 15 feet tall. Give it about 15 to 20 feet from other trees and keep it off hot west walls.
Fragrant white blossoms open in spring, and bees visit them. Navel trees set fruit without pollen, so a single tree bears on its own.
Navels drop many small fruit in late spring, and more in hot, dry springs. Stored navel juice turns bitter. Bare trunks sunburn, 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 navel orange 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 makes a navel orange a navel?
The navel is a small second fruit that forms at the blossom end, inside the peel. The same change makes navel oranges seedless.
Is Washington the most common navel in Arizona?
Yes. It is the most popular navel grown in Arizona, and it bears large fruit of good quality.
When are Washington navels ripe?
Harvest starts around late November or early December and can run into March. Oranges do not ripen after picking, so taste one to check instead of going by peel color.
Can you juice navel oranges?
You can, but drink the juice right away. Navel juice has a compound that turns it bitter when it sits, so navels are best for fresh eating.
Why does my navel orange drop small fruit in spring?
Navels are sensitive to heat during bloom and fruit set, and many small fruit drop in late spring. Hot April and May weather or dry soil makes it worse. Steady, deep spring watering helps reduce the drop.
Do I need two trees to get fruit?
No. Navel trees have no working pollen and set fruit without pollination. A single Washington navel bears on its own.
How big does a Washington navel tree get?
It is a medium-sized tree of medium vigor. Expect about 10 to 15 feet tall and about 15 feet wide, and it stays evergreen.
How far apart should I plant navel 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 navel 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 a navel orange?
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 navel orange take?
Sweet orange trees, navels included, are rated to about 24°F. 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.
Are navel orange trees toxic to pets?
Yes. 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.
Washington Navel Orange for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Washington navel is the orange most Valley homeowners picture when they think of a backyard orange. It brings large, seedless fruit for winter eating, fragrant spring blossoms and evergreen leaves. Below are the questions homeowners ask most, from harvest time and spring fruit drop to size, spacing, watering, feeding and frost.
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Washington navel orange in Arizona
Washington is the most popular navel orange grown in Arizona. It forms a medium-sized evergreen tree with large, seedless fruit that peels easily and is best eaten fresh.
When do navel oranges ripen in Phoenix?
Washington navels are ready starting around late November or early December, and harvest can run into March. Taste the fruit to tell, because peel color is not a reliable sign.
Why do navel oranges drop fruit in spring?
Navels are sensitive to heat while they bloom and set fruit. Many small fruit drop in late spring, and hot, dry springs make it worse. Steady, deep watering in spring helps.
Navel vs sweet orange for juice
Navel juice turns bitter when stored, so navels are best eaten fresh. Sweet oranges and Valencias are the better choice when you mainly want juice.
How big does a Washington navel orange tree get?
Plan for about 10 to 15 feet tall and about 15 feet wide. It is a medium-sized tree that keeps its leaves all year.
How far apart do you plant navel orange trees?
Plant about 15 feet apart center to center for canopies that meet. Give a single tree about 20 feet. The spacing calculator can count trees for a row.
Watering a navel orange tree in the Valley
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 navel oranges
Oranges get three feedings a year. Apply one in January or February, one in March or April, and one in May or June.
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