Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Citrus sinensis is a hybrid of ancient origin from Southeast Asia. At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, we are focused on plants native to North America. However, we will see if we can find a resource for you to check and see if you can find a way to take care of your tree.

We found an excellent site on dealing with problems with the navel orange trees. We really tried to find one from California but couldn't, so you'll have to accept this Texas Cooperative Extension site, instead. Then, if you're dedicated to finding a solution, go to this site, "Diagnosing common citrus problems", and see what you can find that fits your situation.

As in a great many plant problems, especially, it would seem, with trees, plant stress gets a lot of the blame. One reference said that orange trees should be fertilized 6 times a year, starting in early March through August/September. Maybe your tree is just hungry. Or, if the trunk is not above the surface of the surrounding garden, or there is mulch spread over the root zone, the tree may be developing root rot or foot rot. Charming terminology. It look to us like the experts were pretty nonchalant about most of the problems with navel oranges, with comments like "not worth treating", etc. It's up to you to plow through that chart on citrus problems and see if it's worth it to you.