· So what causes oranges to split? The rind splits because water and plant sugars travel to the fruit too quickly for it to produce enough rind to hold the substances. Tree stress can cause split fruit. Common causes of stress include high temperatures, hot winds, too much or too little soil moisture such as from inappropriate irrigation, and potassium deficiency. Some citrus varieties may be more likely to split than are others. · One University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor told me that he has observed that most of the trees with a lot of oranges and mandarins splitting after the first rain in fall were not watered enough before the rain — during summer and early fall. It all sounds plausible. · There are a number of things you can do to prevent your oranges from splitting, including watering your trees regularly, avoiding over-fertilizing, pruning your trees, and choosing varieties of oranges that are less prone to splitting. View allAug 5, 2018 · Various cultivars of Navel and Valencia oranges, mandarins and mandarin hybrids are prone to fruit splitting, a pre-harvest physiological rind disorder. Gardeners often wonder if this phenomenon is caused by a nutrient deficiency. · The primary reason orangessplit is due to fluctuations in water uptake by the tree, whether from irregular watering or sudden changes in environmental conditions. · One University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor told me that he has observed that most of the trees with a lot of oranges and mandarins splitting after the first rain in fall were not watered enough before the rain — during summer and early fall. It all sounds plausible. · There are a number of things you can do to prevent your oranges from splitting, including watering your trees regularly, avoiding over-fertilizing, pruning your trees, and choosing varieties of oranges that are less prone to splitting. · Various cultivars of Navel and Valencia oranges, mandarins and mandarin hybrids are prone to fruit splitting, a pre-harvest physiological rind disorder. Gardeners often wonder if this phenomenon is caused by a nutrient deficiency. · The primary reason orangessplit is due to fluctuations in water uptake by the tree, whether from irregular watering or sudden changes in environmental conditions. Tree stress can cause split fruit. Common causes of stress include high temperatures, hot winds, too much or too little soil moisture such as from inappropriate irrigation, and potassium deficiency. Some citrus varieties may be more likely to split than are others.
