Pixie Orange seedlings

Pixie Orange seedlings are a cross between oranges and tangerines, The Pixie Orange seedlings bear fruits after about 2-3 years with its fruits being yellow-orange.

Environmental requirements

Pixie oranges thrive in a wide range of soils although they perform best in sandy loamy soils.

For optimum performance, they should be grown in deep, fertile, and well-drained soils with a pH range of 6.5-7.3

Like oranges, they also survive in areas with low and moderate rainfall which is why they perform well in arid and semi-arid areas.

Ideal temperatures for pixie farming range from 10c-30c.

The plants are sensitive to extremely low or high temperatures. For instance, high temperatures above 38c cause fruit drops and scarring of fruits.

They grow well in altitudes of up to 2100m above sea level and require enough sunlight (at least 6-8 hours of sunlight), especially during flowering, fruit set, and fruit ripening.

Areas grown in Kenya

Pixie oranges farming is an agribusiness that has been picked in arid and semi-arid areas in Kenya such as Makueni, Machakos, Kitui, and parts of coastal regions such as Voi. The crop can also perform well in areas such as Nyeri, Murang’a, and parts of Western Kenya.

Cultural practices

Pixie orchards should be weed-free

Mulching and planting cover crops minimize the growth of weeds and help to conserve soil moisture and control of erosion. The mulching material should never come in contact with the graft union.

Pruning. Very light pruning is required. The trees are trained to a single system and any shoot emerging from the portion below the bud union should be nipped off regularly.

Fertilizer application. Seedlings will respond well to organic fertilizer, blooming after 2 and a half years of planting. They require a sufficient supply of fertilizer and manure for normal growth and development. 

Pests and diseases

Some of the common pests that affect pixie oranges include mites, bark-eating caterpillars, mealybugs, aphids, leaf miners, and fruit flies.

Diseases that affect the pixie oranges include; Gummosis, Collar rot, Twig blight, and Damping-off.

To control the Gummosis there is a need to do a management practice that entails; Removing the dark, diseased bark and a buffer strip of healthy, light brown to greenish bark around the margins of the infection, allowing the exposed area to dry out and lastly rechecking frequently a few months and do a repeat frequently.

For collar rot disease, one can do application of foliar sprays of phosphorous acid, after times of flowering and the main leaf flushes, application of copper fungicides to protect lower fruit from spores in water splashed from the soil and also to the base of the trunk to prevent collar rots.

Dumping off in citrus is most often caused by Rhizoctonia solani spp. Phytophthora spp. They are favored by abundant moisture in the soil. Adequate control of damping off can be achieved by avoiding infested soils and over-watering.

However, grafted varieties are resistant to many of thsts and diseases

Get Pesticides today at  Chemsasa

Maturity

The trees begin to flower in the second year and can produce few fruits in each tree and maturity is attained at around 2 to 3 years. Heavy harvest is often experienced at the fourth year.

The yield of pixie orange depends on many factors like soil type, climatic conditions and orchard management practices.

Health benefits

The health benefits of the nutrients found in pixie oranges include a reduction in the risk of developing liver and breast cancer. The fruit fibers help in cleaning the intestines of the bad cholesterol. It also helps in maintaining normal blood pressure, preventing colds, and is crucial for a well-functioning immune system, maintaining healthy-looking, glowing skin, and helps in healing wounds.