75B - PH - EIR 1584 SANTA CLARA - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

5/22/2013 Sexlinger Orange Grove Page 12 :t'7= Considering the price of water in Orange County, the value of land, the tax rate, and the ever- increasing number of citrus pests and diseases, there is no way to make a Valencia orange grove even pay for itself. The only similar size grove in this area is, according to one family member, "an expensive hobby ", and they have a road -side stand so they are making more money per Pound. Consider that packing houses are paying about $0.05 per pound and one healthy average Valencia orange produces about 200 pounds. Ten dollars per year per tree might cover the cost of water in a wet year. If healthy trees filled all the available spaces (480) on this site, (only 226 now are filled and 24 of'which are healthy),, the crop might be worth $4,800, assuming you picked them yourself and shipping was free. However, there are many other expenses. In speaking to Nick Nisson at the Agriculture Commissioner's office, whose family has the last, or one of the last,, "commercial" orchards in Orange County, I learned that there is no way to make a go of it at any size unless you have your own well and a larger property under the Williamson Act. At five cents a pound, maybe not even then would it pay for itself. At the Sexlinger orchard 456 new trees would be needed to refill the property with healthy trees that would have a chance of growing into a orchard capable of producing $4,800 worth of fruit per year. Another expense would be the cost of buying and planting those trees, and then taking care of them for the next five to seven years until they can produce a worthwhile crop of fi-uit. Replanting should be with 5 gallon container size trees. Each tree will cost approximately $15 wholesale. Planting will also cost about $15. The total cost to install them for installation and materials will then be $13,680. Removal of the 202 old unhealthy trees will cost about $100 per tree, or $20,200. Fruit trees in general tend to have more pests because they produce more sugar that insects like to feed on. Citrus are often infested by scale, psyllids, fruit flies, and mites. Typical commercial and cost effective spraying methods would not be acceptable to the neighbors and local community. Now we have the Asian psyllid,, which brings the threat of Huanglongbing, a deadly bacterial disease. Huanglongbing is one of the most devastating citrus diseases in the world and incurable. Infected trees must be removed and destroyed quickly to avoid infecting other citrus. As privately held property by Concordia and Lutheran High, expecting them to make money growing citrus is unreasonable. Now that this property is almost surrounded by residential properties and parks, and zoned RI, the highest and best use of the property is RI residential use. The Guy Stivers report is in error expecting any significant root growth to five feet deep. If there are any roots at five feet it will be less than I percent of the root system. The amount of roots glowing to four feet deep is also extremely small. Over 90 percent of the roots will be in the 'top 30 inches of soil. Considering the current decline and death of the trees, the report is a extreme exaggeration of the amount of roots and their depth. Growing an orchard as a carbon bank does not make sense in this area. Conclusions This property is not some sort of carbon bank, Orange museum or a one species botanic garden. At one time it may have been a viable orchard, or part of one. That time has long pasted. There is a nice public park next door and two cemeteries that can serve as "carbon banks ". Few if any People would spend time to visit an orange museum. ARBORGATE CONSULTING, INC. Horticulhite & Arboriculture 1'131 Lucinda Wiy, Tustin, CA 92780, 7PS 1 .7 ,^A Cell: 714.292.7184, Fax 714.731.61:38