Oranges may or may not be the most favored fruit by consumers but they certainly are the most widely planted fruit in the world. Filled with vitamins and refreshing to eat, oranges are easy to grow in the home garden. And best of all, they ripen at a time (late winter to early spring) when deciduous trees are just coming out of dormancy.

Thanks to continuous improvements in breeding, there are more varieties than ever to choose from. But which one(s) should you select? First decide whether your main priority is for eating or juicing--that makes a big difference. While you can eat any orange and squeeze juice out of all of them, certain varieties just lend themselves better to each category.

For eating, navel-type oranges such as Washington or Lane Late Navel oranges are easiest to peel. For juicing, nothing beats Valencia oranges. If you are looking for distinct flavor and color, consider blood oranges like the Moro Blood. For something completely different you might to try the Cara Cara Pink Navel orange.

Another way to help your decision-making is to consider ripening dates. The Cara Cara and Washington Navel oranges ripen from winter to early spring. Blood oranges ripen in spring, needing both cold nights to turn color and warm days for sugars to form. Valencia takes about 15 months to ripen and are ready to harvest in summer. Finally, the Lane Late navel orange ripens late summer into fall. With a little planning you can harvest oranges almost year-round!

Like all citrus, oranges prefer full sun locations and well draining soil. When planting make sure to add an organic soil amendment such as Master Nursery Bumper Crop Organic Soil Builder to your soil. If drainage is a problem, add sand to the mix as well. All oranges benefit from regular feedings. We recommend applying a good citrus fertilizer like Dr. Earth Organic 9 Fruit Tree Fertilizer every two months spring through fall. In the winter months, switch to a 0-10-10 fertilizer. This helps strengthen the plant against cold damage, while also helping to develop and sweeten the fruit.

Oranges not only taste good, they look good in the garden. Their bright, shiny green foliage makes a welcome addition to any garden. If you are short on space, consider purchasing an orange grown on dwarf rootstock--you can even plant those in a container.

by Tamara Galbraith

During the winter months, when more plants are indoors, gardeners need to be on the lookout for a couple of tough pests that, once settled in, can be hard to control.

Fungus gnats, the near-microscopic flying insects that feed and breed within damp organic matter in potting soil, can actually be a problem any time of year. These tiny flying pests can spread pathogens, chew on roots and be a general nuisance. Fungus gnats' favorite hangout is the fungus existing in moist, organic soil, so the best way to battle these bugs is by letting your houseplants dry in-between waterings. However, some overwintering houseplants--like those lovely amaryllis bulbs many of us were forcing during the holidays--like to remain somewhat moist. So...what to do?

A good drench of an indoor plant pest control product like Bonide Insecticidal Soap on the soil is a good start, and a layer of sand on top of the potting soil will also help. The sand helps prevent the fungus gnats from reaching and subsequently laying eggs in the potting soil, but still allows moisture to reach the roots.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, spider mites can become a terrible problem for indoor plants when conditions are too dry, which is often the case during cold days when we have the heat on. If you notice a plant's leaves shriveling and dropping, or webbing in between stems and leaves, you've probably got a spider mite problem.

Again, a good pest control product will help. However, the humidity around the affected plant will need to be addressed to keep mites from returning:
• Keep plants away from the hot blast of furnace output vents.
• Spray sensitive indoor plants with water daily, if possible.
• Move all sensitive plants together and run a humidifier near them to keep air moisture levels high.

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What's the difference between a plant fungus and a plant virus?

Answer:

The big difference is that most fungus problems can be controlled with fungicides, while viruses cannot. A fungus normally attacks the foliage, while a virus can attack every part of a plant--eventually killing it. Most fungus is transmitted through the air while most viruses are transmitted through the soil.

The most common types of fungus are leaf spots (red, brown, or black), mildew (white), and types of rust (orange and brown). Leaf spots normally affect both sides of leaves, mildew the top side, and rusts underneath. They are fairly easy to prevent and control with a fungicide.

Most viruses enter a plant through the roots. They are prevalent in poorly draining or over-watered soils that never dry out. Many viruses cause leaf wilt; you will see this in the individual leaves--or the whole plant may look sickly and drooping. The only solution when a virus is identified is to try to let the soil dry out. If you catch it early enough, some plants can recover. Unfortunately, by the time most people discover a virus problem, it's usually too late.

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