#citrus production is so interesting to me but I don't think I'll pursue it as a job since there's lots of problems with the citrus industry

[lolo3hwriting]

The Squid Orange in Kelp Dome - What is it? How would it be grown?

The Squid Orange in Kelp Dome - What is it? How would it be grown?

Within The Art of Splatoon artbook, we see a lot of concept art for ideas and worldbuilding of the splatoon world. One of these concepts that I found the most interesting was the fruits and vegetables that would have been grown in Kelp Dome. They are all based on real life fruits/veggies with a few differences and usually squid themed. One of my favorites was the squid orange because of my personal interest in citrus production and because my family has tried their hand at growing citrus trees before. It got me wondering, what is it based on? And how would it theoretically grow in a greenhouse in kelp dome?

I should say that most of my knowledge of citrus production is based in America (since that’s where I study) so my writing may not reflect Japanese production styles. From what I read the general concepts are mostly the same, but intricacies like harvesting techniques may be different.

Design Origins

(A picture of a kumquat, image taken from here)

Although it is called an orange, the squid orange may be based on many different fruits in the citrus family (Rutaceae). The edible peel made me think of kumquats because they are commonly eaten fresh with the peel. However, while the peels are sweet like what was shown in the picture, the rind is often soft and rarely bitter. However, other citrus peels do fit the description of being bitter and hard, so the squid orange could be something of a hybrid between kumquats and other citrus species. 

The albedo portion reminds me of navel oranges because of the similar belly button, or navel structure. Just for clarification, the albedo is the white and somewhat papery/spongy portion of citrus fruits, considered part of the peel. Navel oranges have a primary and secondary ovary when they grow. The primary ovary gives rise to most of the fruit while the secondary ovary is reduced and becomes a bump that looks like a navel. This part is technically edible, but not preferred and is often thrown away with the rest of the peel. 

For the sake of simplicity, I’m just going to consider the squid orange under the sweet orange group (Citrus x sinensis) as opposed to other citrus crops.

The Orangery

(An orangery, from Kew Gardens in London. Image take from here)

Oranges and other citrus crops have a long history of cultivation indoors. Orangeries have existed since the 17th century were structures built specifically to grow citrus crops, usually in places where they wouldn’t naturally grow. Although orangeries can be considered distinct from other structures like greenhouses and conservatories, the terms are used interchangeably and as such I will be using the term greenhouse to describe orange production within indoor structures. Also, I will be talking about citrus production in general as opposed to specifically oranges because most of the cultivation practices are the same for many citrus species. 

Greenhouse Production

(A Valencia orange tree in a greenhouse. Image taken from here)

Citrus plants are subtropical to tropical fruits, and as such they do not tolerate the cold at all. Many fruits will be killed below freezing, and the entire tree will be killed at temperatures below 28F. However, there are some citrus varieties and rootstocks that are more cold hardy, but even then it's quite marginal. The minimum temperature to avoid damage is 50 F, but some greenhouses won’t go below 65 F. The average temperature for ideal citrus production is around 75 F, but most varieties can tolerate up to 90 F or even up to 100 F. 

Citrus trees can grow in most soils, but prefer sandy soils because they have better drainage. Most of them will not tolerate flooding and overly saturated water, so most greenhouses will do infrequent watering and soil/potting media with good drainage. Citrus require moderate humidity (around 50%), which shouldn’t be a problem in most greenhouses but they may need to supplement it with a humidifier if it is particularly dry.  Pests and diseases may become a problem in greenhouse production, especially if trees are packed close together. Proper monitoring and sanitation, like using insecticidal soap and removing infected plant material, will help ensure these problems stay to a minimum. 

The art book says that it would be eaten around June-November. While this aligns with harvesting for some cultivars of oranges, since the oranges are being grown inside a greenhouse their harvest time may be different. Oranges can be stored for about a month under the right conditions, so they could be realistically eaten any time of the year.

Just as a final note, most citrus trees in orchards grow up to 15 feet tall. Although I’m sure a big greenhouse like Kelp Dome can house a tree that tall, they may use dwarf varieties or prune the trees to make them more manageable. 

Other Concerns with the World of Splatoon 

Both inklings and octolings dissolve when submerged in water, so irrigation might be a concern. Although I mentioned beforehand that citrus trees are usually only watered sparingly, they do need to be watered eventually. I’d imagine greenhouse workers would need to wear some protective equipment when watering plants, or non-inkfish species would handle the watering. Also, I don’t know what pests would be around since a lot of the insects would be wiped out from the drastic climate change that takes place in the splatoon world, after the humans are wiped out.

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