Is there someway to sweeten up the oranges that come off of your tree?

"Orange trees grow in many parts of the world, and their brightly colored citrus fruit is well-known for its rich taste and vitamin C content. Many people, however, are disappointed to discover that the beautiful orange tree growing in their yard produces only sour-tasting fruit. As the old saying goes, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. When life hands you sour oranges, sweeten them." See how here: https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-sweeten-sour-oranges/

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/oranges-grow-sour-64213.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/2015/03/02/turning-sour-oranges-into-sweet/

I hear alfalfa growing under the tree will do the trick, (if they aren't the ornamental kind. I put alfalfa hay for fertilizer, that helped.

take your soil below the tree & have it checked at your local Extension Service.

It might be the variety of orange, friend. Some are sweet and some are sour.

I am afraid I have some bad news for you; there is no fertilizer you can add to the ground to make the sour oranges sweet. If it was once sweet and isn't any more, it's likely the original orange graft died as a result of freezing and the rootstock, which is probably a sour orange, is the only remaining living portion of your citrus tree. Sour orange is a common rootstock because it is cold hardy, but as you noticed the fruit is inedible. Once the scion, the grafted portion, dies the hardy root stock will totally take over the tree.

On citrus trees, be sure to protect the area where the scion and the rootstock join in order for the upper scion portion to survive freezing temperatures. Even if the top portion freezes, the tree may be able to recover once temperatures become warm again. There are several options: graft another sweet orange back onto the sour orange rootstock, dig up the tree and replace it, or leave the tree and enjoy it for its beauty.

The sour ones make terrific marmalade or mojo criollo marinade for chicken/pork. Bitter orange pairs perfectly with chicken, beef, pork, duck and even vegetables. Add a little olive oil, some garlic and salt and pepper and your foods for the grill will be ready to go! You can also make a sour orange pie: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/tp4k24aa/sour-orange-pie.html

The acidity in these oranges is high enough that you can use the juice like you would vinegar. It's great in dressings, but it makes amazing pickled onions, ready for tacos, gyros and more!

Here are more recipes:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sour-orange-yucatan-chickens

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-messy-moroccan-chicken-118799

https://www.davidlebovitz.com/seville-orange/

https://www.thespruce.com/bitter-orange-marinade-recipe-2138276

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/cochinita-pibil/

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/tangy-yucatecan-grilled-pork-with-roasted-onions-and-fresh-garnishes/

https://www.dominicancooking.com/1078-agrio-naranja-spicy-bitter-orange-vinegar-sauce.html

excellent advice!

Excellent explanation, Molly Anmar. And while some varieties of oranges are truly sweet, lots of the orange juices and all orange punch drinks have a huge amount of sugar added. 😇

According to a lady down the road, you put vinegar in the soil. I'm not sure how often you water with vinegar but she swears by it and all of her oranges and her grapefruit are so sweet.

I read it somewhere that Epson salt works to sweeten up fruits . Spread around the base of the tree .