Tangerine farming is an agribusiness that has picked up rapidly throughout the country. This has been due to its profitability and ability to thrive in arid and semi-arid areas like Kitui, Machakos, Kajiado, and coastal regions such as Kilifi and Kwale. Besides, it also flourishes in other regions such as Meru, Embu, Kisumu, Nyeri, Makueni, and Narok. Before venturing into tangerine farming, you need first to understand the growing requirements, orchard management practices, harvesting, and markets for the fruit. This article guides you on how to plant, care, harvest, and market your tangerines like a pro. Check it out:

Land preparation and planting

After ploughing the land, you should dig planting holes 2ft by 2ft wide and 2ft deep and a spacing of 4 x 5m. 5M is the spacing between lines, while 4m is the space from one tree to the next in the same row. After digging the holes, mix the topsoil with well-decomposed manure and put the mixture into the hole, leaving only a depth of 10cm. This will be enough space to add manure and irrigation water. If you live in areas with black cotton or clay soils, you should add a small amount of fine sand to your mixture of manure and soil. This will enhance the soil drainage in your orchard.

Next, plant your trees. The seedlings are pretty fragile, and you should handle them with care.

Ensure that you plant your trees so that there will be maximum penetration of sunshine.

Care and Management

Tangerine plants thrive in a wide range of ecological and soil conditions. They perform better in areas with a soil pH range of 6.0 – 7.5. It's essential to get your soil tested first by the experts.

They can grow at an altitude of sea level to an altitude of 2100m and thrive at a temperature range of  2° to 30° C. Extremely low temperatures below 0°C do not favor growth and can cause damage to the plants. Strong winds and high temperatures above 38° C may lead to flower abortion, fruit drop, and scorching of fruits. During flowering, fruit development, and ripening, the plants require low humidity, an optimum night temperature of about 14°C, and adequate sunshine during the day. The temperature variations in the high lands provide the optimum conditions for fruit development and the rich flavor of the tangerines.

Irrigation

After planting, the plants require consistent manuring and irrigation, especially when grown in arid and semi-arid areas. They need adequate moisture throughout their growing season. A drip irrigation system can be an ideal method of irrigating your plants. Over-watering the plants can lead to root rot or drown the roots. Under-watering can make the tangerines split, flower drop, and yellowing of leaves. You should consider growing drought-tolerant varieties such as Sunburst if you are establishing your orchard in drier areas.

Thinning and pruning

Tangerine trees grow vigorously and at times produce large quantities of fruits. In such cases, branches may easily break due to the weight and most fruits will be of low quality. Thinning is necessary to ensure that the trees are well-established to support the weight of the fruits. This means that you can remove some branches in trees with many fruits. Regular pruning is required to prevent twig dieback.

Fertilizing

Regular feeding is a crucial way of enhancing the fruit quality and health of the tree. Citrus fruits require nutrients such as calcium, nitrogen, iron, and zinc heavily. You can use manure and controlled amounts of inorganic fertilizers to provide enough nutrients. You can apply fertilizers four months after planting, before the tree blooms, and during the fruit set. However, you should not use fertilizers extensively.

Field Operations

If you pay regular visits to well-established orchards, you will realize that the trees are well spaced and arranged in rows. They understand that the tangerines require adequate sunshine penetration and that overcrowding can promote disease development and pest infestation. You need to ensure that there is proper spacing in your orchard.

Besides, you need to devise an effective pest and disease management program. Tangerines are prone to diseases such as collar rot, powdery mildew, and sooty mould. They are also attacked by pests such as leaf miners, caterpillars, aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and thrips. Consult your agronomist to advise you on how to control pests and diseases in time.

Harvesting and post-harvesting

Tangerines ripen earlier than other citrus plants, such as sweet oranges. Grafted varieties take 2 – 3 years to mature and bear fruits. They are more delicate than other fruits, and harvesting should be done with utmost care. Proper harvesting techniques and good cultural practices should be used.

Use hand pruners to harvest the ripe fruits. You can clip off their stems to harvest more fruit at the same time. For fruits too high to reach, you should use appropriate climbing gear and ladders.

After harvesting, the fruits can be stored for up to one week. However, to prevent post-harvest losses, you should ensure that you harvest what you are taking to the market.

Market

The demand for tangerines is pretty high, and it's still increasing in the local and export markets. This has been fueled by their extensive use in value addition, such as juice making and increased local consumption. Besides, the supply is still low, considering that few farmers are growing the fruit. Currently, we are yet to satisfy the local market while the demand for the same product in the export market is expanding. On average, a well-managed tree can produce about 300 fruits. An acre can accommodate about 200 trees. At a price of Kshs 5 - 10 per fruit, you will pocket Kshs 1500 - 3000 per tree and Kshs 300,000 - 600,000 per acre. Isn’t that a good venture considering they require little management. You can sell your produce to open-air markets, hotels, schools, juice-making companies, and fruit vendors in different parts of the country.

Which tangerine varieties should you grow?

Numerous tangerine varieties flourish in different parts of the country. These include:

  • Fremont
  • Dancy
  • Clementine
  • Honey (Murcott)
  • Mediterranean (Willow Leaf)
  • Pixie
  • Ponkan
  • Sunburst

 

Where should you get the seedlings?

Poor seedlings can ruin your entire tangerine farming agribusiness. OxfarmAg provides high-quality grafted tangerine seedlings to help you kickstart your farming venture.

Engage us, and let us guide you in the profitable agribusiness. We have made it easier for farmers planning to venture into tangerine farming by coming up with a fruit farming package.

The package includes:

  • Free consultancy
  • 250 certified tangerine seedlings
  • organic manure(earthly)
  • Labor
  • Market connection
  • Lifetime agronomy support

Let the experts establish your orchard!

Reach us through;

Nairobi - 0769623300
Ms. Florence
Whatsapp: https://wa.me/254769623300

Eldoret - 0710588060
Mr Duncan
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/254710588060

Nakuru- 0740000044
Ms. Caroline
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/254740000044

Nyeri- 0742194880
Mr. Nick
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/254742194880

Western- 0706222888
Mr. Asman
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/254706222888