can anyone help me with why my oranges have a rough brown tinted peeling? the orange still taste great, just does not look appealing to eat. please can anyone help ?
It may be what I have heard called rust mites, they do not damage the fruit, but do discolor and dry the peel. Oil spray will help, but I am not sure about timing.
as far as i know it does not harm the plant or the fruit it just looks bad have heard some of the older gardeners say it makes the fruit sweeter but have nothing to confirm or dismis that.
thanks mikey and skeeter, yeah it does make the oranges look bad, but they are the best oranges i have ever had !! kinda looks bad when ya have company and they look at the oranges . hopefully i can find a cure for this, for my own knowledge anyways of citrus growing. p.s. the oranges have been extra extra sweet the past 2 or 3 years now, even with the brown peelings.
Rust mites are very minute, being only 0.14 mm in length. The mite is also very unusual as its abdomen is divided into an amazing thirty segments, Rust mites can occur in great numbers on both the leaves and fruit, as many as 4,500 per square inch is possible even in the winter in Florida. On top of this great number, during the warm weather the mite multiplies rapidly to every greater numbers. Rust mites puncture the rind then feed on the fruit's essential oils. During the mite's feeding air comes in contact with the oil, bringing about the rusty change in color. The main damage caused by the mite is that the fruit does not develop normally but remains undersized. The insect prefer and seek shade, that is why the under side of the fruit that is not exposed to the direct sun, becomes rusty, while the upper portion in the strong light is usually not colored. One VERY UNUSUAL matter of fact, is that the russeted fruit becomes sweeter than the undamaged fruit. Rust mites can be controlled either in the early spring, during the summer, and control can also be achieved in the fall. Ultra Fine Horticultural Petroleum Oil can be applied in the spring and summer (post bloom), but should not be applied after the end of June in Florida. All parts of the affected tree needs to be thoroughly covered. Comite Miticide provides very good control as a fall treatment in Florida. However, Comite should only be applied ONE time after the fruit has been picked off the tree. Sulfur sprays also provide good control. I wish the best future for you and your tree. Take care. - Millet
millet, whow did i get some educational info ! thanks a million. printing out your info as i reply. one more question millet, if i cannot find "comite" in time before the safe time zone is up "end of june" is the sulfur sprays pretty much safe year around (anytime) ? again thank you
VPWood - The safe time zone of the end of June is for Ultra Fine Oil, not Comite. Comite is used in the fall. The easiest method of treatment will be with Ultra Fine Horticultural oil. Ultra fine oil should be VERY EASY to find in Florida, at most any large garden center, Home Depot's garden section, or any chemical supplier to the citrus industry. Fortunately, Ultra Fine is completely non toxic to humans, and even qualifies for use in organic certified citrus groves. Horticultural oils such as Ultra Fine are actually safe to use year around in Florida, or any other citrus growing area in the United States. The only reason that it is not recommended after the end of June is it has a tendency to reduce the cold hardiness of citrus trees during the winter. Personally, I would not be afraid to use it up until July 15th. Then be sure to save all the Ultra Fine that you do not use, as it also works well on most every pest that affects citrus, such aphids, scale, spider mites and mealy bug. Comite, should be used one time only, only in the fall months (September & October). Sulfur sprays are quite safe. I don't remember the reenter time before tree use, but it would be only a very short period of time - see the label. Look for Ultra Fine, and make a 1 percent oil, 99 percent water mix, and spray in the evening. Just be sure to give good coverage to the upper and lower leaf surfaces, plus limbs and twigs. - You should have good success with either method. Wishing Florida a safe hurricane season. - Millet
