Citrus made easy for growers, nurseries, and distributors

Earli-Beck navels are obsolete commercially due to their oval shape. Becks are a very tasty early navel for late October and can be preferred by Mainland China markets, but the market has pivoted to prefer Fukumoto navels.

Beck navel trees are naturally a bit smaller than standard Washington navels. In most orchard and backyard settings they mature to about 10–14 feet tall and 10–12 feet wide, forming a compact, tidy canopy. They rarely grow into the larger, more vigorous stature seen in older Washington strains, and are generally easier to keep in a medium-sized, manageable form with routine pruning.

Beck is an early navel and reliably ripens ahead of Washington. In California’s inland citrus regions, growers typically begin picking in late October through November, with some fruit continuing into early December. Along cooler coastal areas, maturity usually follows about two to three weeks later. Trees generally start with a light crop in year two or three after planting and reach solid, consistent production by year four to five.

For Beck navel oranges, Carrizo is the recommended rootstock. It provides the right balance of vigor and productivity for Beck’s naturally compact growth habit, helping the trees fill their space efficiently while maintaining fruit size, quality, and early maturity. Carrizo also adapts well to the soil and irrigation conditions common in California navel regions, making it the preferred match for this early-season selection.

There is no evidence that the Beck navel orange carries any special disease resistance beyond what is typical for Washington-type navels. The original plant patent and industry notes focus on its early maturity, compact tree habit, and red-orange peel color, but do not list tolerance or resistance traits. Likewise, university and grower trial information does not identify Beck as either notably hardy or unusually vulnerable compared to other navels.

In practice, Beck behaves like a standard navel when it comes to disease. It performs best in well-drained soils, stable irrigation programs, and environments where root-health management and Phytophthora control are already part of good orchard practice. Like other navels, prolonged soil moisture, poor drainage, or root stress can predispose it to root rot issues, and there is no record of improved tolerance to HLB or other systemic citrus diseases.

When grown on an appropriate rootstock such as Carrizo and planted in the traditional navel belt with strong sanitation, good irrigation discipline, and clean nursery material, Beck establishes well and remains healthy.