The Dirt Gardener's Column for December 3

Q. Four years ago, we planted a dwarf Blood Orange. The first two years this young tree produced no fruit, then last year it had one orange; however, when we cut it open it was a regular orange color with a slight red color around the edge of the rind. This year the tree has twenty very large oranges. How do we know if the orange flesh will be blood red inside?

A. Blood oranges can be quite fickle. The red color as well as the maturity is determined by the variety as well as a location. ‘Mora’, ‘Sanguinelli’ and ‘Tarocco’ are the three most popular Blood Orange varieties planted. While they all turn orange when expected, they’re not necessarily mature, sweet or juicy. Blood oranges require warm to hot summer days in order to mature plus frequent watering. The maturity date is extended by a mild summer. In addition, they tend to be sour when planted along the coast because of the summer marine layer. Tarocco matures mid-February to May. The flesh color tends to be unreliable and deeply pigmented. The rind is orange blushed with red at maturity. Sanguinelli ripens in March thru mid-May with an orange flesh streaked with red. Moro’s flesh is a deep red, violet or burgundy and is harvested between February and April. You’ll have to use trial and error to determine when they are ripe on your tree. In addition, the fruit may have to hang on the tree long after expected ripening date so be patient. I’m going to guess that the best quality fruit comes later.

Q. I'm thinking about installing a mailbox post in the middle of a mature boxwood hedge. The installation would require cutting out some of the hedge and roots to lay the concrete. But I'm concerned that doing so would damage the roots of the surrounding hedge. What do you think?

A. Yes, the roots are going to be a concern. Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to determine which roots belong to which plants. What I might do instead is place the footing for the mailbox above ground and not disturb any roots. You could pour a four-inch by eighteen inch long by one-foot wide slab or foundation for the mailbox post in the middle of the boxwood. You anchor the slab tino the ground with rebar rods. I would frame the slab and center the mailbox post. Next, drive four to six rebar rods into the slab area and down twelve to fifteen inches into the soil. The top of the rods should be a half to one third of the way down from the top of the slab. The four rods are wired to one another with four additional lateral rods. The concrete is poured after this has been completed. Now you should be able to place the mailbox where you want it while causing minimal damage to the roots of the surviving plants. Also, I’d run this idea by a home improvement specialist for a second opinion.

by Buzz Bertolero, CCNP