Sweet oranges are the most popular species of citrus fruit on the planet. Most historians believe that they were first cultivated in Northern India several hundred years ago. But the western world did not encounter the orange until the Age of Exploration. Famous explorers like Columbus brought orange seeds with him on his voyages and spread them around the globe.

We know for certain that it was Spanish explorers who brought the orange to the New World. In fact, many historians believe that it was Ponce del Leon himself who brought oranges to Florida in the sixteenth century. In this article we are going to talk about growing Texas oranges.

After the tomato and the banana, the orange is the most popular fruit in the world. The annual production figures are quite impressive at over sixty million tons. At present, Brazil is responsible for about half of the world's supply, while the US produces a little over a quarter.

One of the most surprising facts about the orange is that it is an extremely sensitive fruit. Leaf and twig damage can ruin entire crops of Texas oranges. This damage often occurs when temperatures fall below 20 degrees Celsius.  Prolonged exposure to these temperatures will kill orange trees.

Texas oranges are especially susceptible to low temperatures because they have notoriously thin skins. By comparison, oranges that are cultivated in California and Arizona have slightly thicker skins because of the cooler climates. For this reason, cold prevention measures are often required in Texas.

Where can you plant Texas oranges? Cultivating oranges in Texas can be an exciting and frustrating proposition. After all, there is a limited amount of land that has the right climate for growing oranges. About ninety percent of this land is located in a region of Southern Texas known as the Rio Grande Valley. 

What type of orange should you plant? There a number of popular orange varieties in the sweet orange group, including blood oranges, round oranges and navel oranges. But only one of these oranges is appropriate for the first-time orange farmer. The navel orange, for instance, is the most popular variety of orange on the planet. However, it is a sterile fruit that must be grafted onto another citrus tree to grow. As you might expect, this is a technique that requires a great deal of experience and care. Therefore, we suggest that you plant blood oranges. They are extremely tasty and bit easier to care for than most varieties of Texas oranges.