Orange

Orange is the most important types of citrus in Egypt due to its economical advantage in comparison to other fruits. The success of Orange planting depends on the right selection of the agriculture area, the climate conditions are a major impact on the growth of trees and flowering, and on the completion of the fruit development and maturity, in general the Egyptian climate, especially the temperature is very suitable for the cultivation of orange or citrus in general, this with the exception of some periods of blowing sirocco during flowering. On the other hand temperature differences in winter and fall seasons between day and night helps the discoloration of fruit.
Orange cultivation is spread in the delta region, Ismailia and other regions. The area of ​​Wadi El Natrun is characterized with it appropriate temperature for the cultivation of oranges, especially the following types:
1 - Navel oranges
2 - local oranges
3 - Summer orange
4 - Saccharine orange

Orange can be planted in mixed lands in terms of the strength of the soil; however it is preferable that soil texture ranges from sandy to muddy. However, oranges should not be grown in saline soil, in which its appearance has lines and cracks. Because the high salinity in the soil will cause shortage in the proportion of nutrients in the fruit.

The Monastery of St. Mary El Syrian cultivates an area of around 15 acres of Oranges, because the monastery’s land is sandy, non-constructive and non-grouped as is the case with clay soils. Therefore it is easily affected by erosion factors such as the wind and floods that often occurs in the dessert lands as well as rapid water infiltration.

The most important precautions that must be taken into account when irrigating orange trees:
1. The need to irrigate trees with many fruits two weeks before gemmation and avoid irrigation during the gemmation season, unless there is an extreme necessity.
2. Continue irrigation protector during the gemmation period and then increase the rate of irrigation gradually during fruit development.
3. As of late October, the period between each irrigation must be lengthened.
4. You should not completely prevent irrigation of trees during the winter, however, irrigation should be on spaced intervals.