Exotic lovers can grow oranges at home. Like all citrus fruits, it easily adapts to life indoors; with proper care, it successfully blooms and bears fruit. As indoor plant orange is not as popular as lemon because it develops more slowly and has more requirements for temperature, humidity and lighting.
In addition, an orange ripened at home cannot compete in nutritional quality with purchased fruits, which are cheap and available in any corner of the country. However, these shortcomings do not stop amateur gardeners. They successfully grow trees of this crop in their rooms from fruit seeds purchased in the store, or use ready-made purchased seedlings. A number of compact forms, not exceeding 60-80 cm in height, have even been developed especially for indoor spaces.
The subtleties of growing oranges at home
The plant is demanding of light; if it is insufficient, the fruits do not ripen or acquire a sourish-bitter taste, and direct sun can cause burns on the leaves. Optimal is diffused bright light, for which the tree is placed on the eastern, western, or near southern windows, in the latter case protected from direct rays with gauze or light cloth.
In summer, you can take it out into the garden or put it on the balcony, also not forgetting to shade it. The temperature at this time can be high, but budding and fruit set occur only at 15 - 18 °C.
The culture does not like waterlogging, which can cause disease, but it also does not tolerate dry soil. IN summer time it is watered 1-2 times a day using warm water. When growing at home, an orange is required high humidity air, so it must be sprayed regularly.
During active growth The tree needs to be fertilized; the older it is and the longer it has not been replanted, the higher the dose of fertilizer should be. Feed, pre-watering, once every 7-10 days, with special fertilizers for citrus fruits, a solution of organic or mineral fertilizers(20 g ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate, 25 g superphosphate, 15 g potassium per bucket of water). To preserve the color of the leaves, it is recommended to add potassium permanganate to the fertilizer once every 30 days, and iron sulfate once every three months.
How to preserve an orange tree at home in winter?
In winter, orange care at home has several features. At this time, it is better to keep it at a low temperature, up to 12 ° C, and even approaching 0 ° C. Cold wintering promotes better fruiting; under these conditions, the plant is less demanding of lighting and even tolerates significant shading. Watering at this time is limited to one or two times a week, fertilizing is excluded.
If the tree is kept warm, evening hours and on cloudy days it needs to be additionally illuminated. The culture does not tolerate dry air very well, which is typical for rooms with central heating. Spraying is recommended to increase humidity warm water from a spray bottle, at least once a day at 12-16 °C, up to two or three times a day at 20-25 °C. Additionally, any other methods are used: place a tray with water or an air humidifier next to the pot, hang up the radiator central heating thick fabric or oilcloth.
When keeping an orange tree in winter with artificial lighting And high temperature it must be watered more often with warm water, preventing the soil from drying out, and fed once a month with the usual dose of mineral or organic fertilizers.
How to plant an orange at home?
Due to the peculiarities of the root system, oranges do not tolerate replanting well, especially if the earthen ball is damaged; it is replanted only by transshipment, and if the roots do not fill the entire space of the container, the top and bottom layers of soil are simply replaced.
Fruiting trees are transferred once every two to three years, young, intensively growing ones - annually, into a pot with a diameter 1-2 cm larger than the previous one. They are replanted in the spring before growth begins; this kind of work should not be done during flowering, fruit ripening, or at rest. When planting, make sure that the root collar is not buried.
The soil mixture recommended for young trees consists of turf, leaf soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1; for mature trees, the proportion of turf soil increases (3:1:1:1) and is not added a large number of clay. To prevent roots from getting wet, provide good drainage. You will learn more about planting oranges.
Formation and trimming of the crown
An important element of care is pruning, since it is impossible to grow an orange at home without properly forming the crown. Even grafted plants will not bloom or bear fruit in this case.
The formation of the crown begins in the spring, the main stem is shortened to 18-23 cm. Three or four of the most developed lateral shoots form first-order branches, on each of them two branches are left, making up the second-order level. On them, in turn, three to five branches of the third order are formed, where fruit-bearing shoots of the fourth order are then formed.
This completes the formation of the crown; subsequently, only pinching of young shoots is carried out, removal of thickening branches and growing inside the crown, cutting out dried old branches. If pruning is done on time and correctly, then the orange tree at home (see photo below) grows evenly in all directions. There are no long shoots that stretch in height; they are pinched and promptly transferred to a horizontal position, since it is on the horizontal branches that the crop is formed.
If the plant has bloomed, it is necessary to regulate the number of ovaries to give it the opportunity to simultaneously develop properly and bear fruit. At first, no more than 2-3 fruits are left, then, at 4-5 years of age - 6-7, and then up to 10 fruits.
How to germinate orange seeds? And other methods of reproduction
There are several ways to plant an orange at home. You can buy a seedling in a store; it will have all the characteristics characteristic of the selected variety. You can grow a seedling yourself using a seed from the fruit. In this case, the tree turns out to be most adapted to room conditions, but without being grafted, it will bloom in 8-10 years. To speed up fruiting, the grown seedling is grafted with a cutting from a fruit-bearing plant, using the method of budding, copulation or grafting with a cutting behind the bark.
Since it is quite difficult to germinate orange seeds, they are used only freshly harvested. Before planting, the seeds are soaked in water for 8-12 hours, after which they are placed in soil of a loose consistency (for example, peat) to a depth of about 1 cm. The crops are covered with film and kept in a warm place until germination. dark place. Sprouts appear after 1-1.5 months, after which they are exposed to light. Picking is carried out in the phase of two sheets. Next, the seedlings are grown, and when the trunk reaches a diameter of 5-6 mm, grafting is carried out.
Why do orange leaves turn yellow and fall off?
The plant is more demanding in indoor cultivation than other types of citrus fruits. If the care rules described above are not followed, the leaves of the orange turn yellow, flowers and ovaries fall off, and in some cases the tree can become completely bare, shedding its leaves, and even die.
Most often, orange leaves fall off for the following reasons:
- sudden change in climatic conditions (transfer from street to warm room or, conversely, from the room to the garden bright sun);
- insufficient watering;
- excess fertilizer;
- overwatering, especially in winter time;
- lack of lighting in warm winter conditions (at temperatures above 8-12 ° C);
- a change in lighting, for example, when moving to another window or even a sharp turn of the pot; for uniform growth, the tree is turned once every 10 days by 10°;
- recessed root collar or too large volume of the pot when transplanting;
- draft.
According to experts, among the reasons why orange leaves fall off there are also quite exotic ones, for example, tobacco smoke or the proximity of a microwave oven.
Wrong many times beginners or experienced flower growers seeing something beautiful in a store Orange tree, were wondering how to grow an orange in a pot at home.
Orange is a fairly delicate tree for our apartments. But still, it can be grown hardened and adapted to apartment conditions.
Planting a seed
Planting a seed can be done at any time of the year. But it is better to do this in the spring. In spring, the plant develops in a more illuminated space and longer daylight hours. Not directly from the veins, but before planting, choose well ripe and large fruits orange Select the bones from them, make sure they are round and large. Flat and small ones simply won’t sprout.
Place the seeds in a damp cloth and place in a container, a yogurt cup works well. Cover the glass in a plastic bag. You will get a small greenhouse. Place it in a warm place where the temperature is between 18-22 degrees. heat. Keep the cloth moist after 2 days, do not forget to ventilate your greenhouse
Transplanting sprouts
In 3-5 weeks the first orange shoots will appear. When the sprouts reach a height of 1-2 cm, transplant them into the ground into pots with a diameter of 7-9 cm. To do this, pour a little expanded clay onto the bottom of the pot, and special soil for citrus fruits on top. Such soil can be easily purchased in specialized stores.
You can also prepare this soil mixture yourself. Take leaf soil, large river sand, humus and turf soil in a ratio of 1:1:1:3 parts. It is not recommended to use pure peat.
Place the pots in a bright place (but not in direct sunlight). When transplanting, do not dig the sprouts too deep into the ground. The optimal depth is 1.5 cm. Handle the sprouts carefully, they are very delicate. Therefore, surround the sides of the sprouts with soil to prevent them from drying out and breaking.
Young plants need to be constantly watered and sprayed with clean, settled water (or filtered with a filter for cleaning tap water). Plants respond very well to watering with water infused and mineralized with shungite. The larger the tree becomes, the more water he will need it.
After the first 4-6 leaves appear, the plant needs to be transplanted into a larger container with a diameter of 9-11 cm.
Use the transshipment method. Keep the old one earthen lump and plant the sprout with it. At this stage you should not create ideal conditions for sprouts. They must harden and adapt themselves. The strongest survives. Choose the strongest sprouts. They will be the ideal residents of your apartment.
Formation of the crown of an orange tree
When your orange tree reaches a height of 20 cm, you need to pinch off a few leaves (two or three) at the top. This will give rise to the development of lateral lateral branches. They are considered second order branches. If you cut off branches of the second order, they will give rise to the development of branches of the third order, etc. This is how the crown is formed according to your desire. We must strive to have many 5th order branches appear on the bush in a few years. It is on these branches that orange fruits are formed.
Optimal growth conditions
Monitor air humidity. It is advisable to place a container of water or indoor fountain next to the pots with orange tree sprouts. Optimal temperature air 22 degrees. heat.
Flowering and fruiting
While the plant is young, it is advisable to remove the first buds. The tree can bear fruit in 8-10 years. If you want to receive delicious fruits faster, graft a branch onto an overgrown tree already a fruit-bearing tree. Instead of grafting, you can do ringing (squeezing branches with wire or removing the bark on a branch in the form of a ring). In this case, your orange tree will bear fruit within 4 years.
To speed up fruiting, you can use the method cold winters. To do this, you need to take the orange out into the cold (air temperature 2-5 degrees Celsius for 3 months), do not fertilize it and water it from time to time. In this state, the orange tree can tolerate almost complete shade. In the spring it is necessary to restore the previous normal temperature regime for a plant. Repeat cold wintering for 2-3 years.
Orange tree pests
Plant mites, scale insects, thrips and aphids can cause trouble for the plant. Therefore, to prevent pest damage, it is advisable to treat the tree with an insecticide 2 times a year.
Don't forget about fertilizer. It is necessary to fertilize 2-3 times a month from March to November with liquid fertilizer “For citrus fruits”. Old tea leaves, which are buried in the ground, are also suitable for these purposes.
In general, the orange tree is a dry-resistant plant, does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil, and does not have a pronounced dormant period. For all year round The orange tree blooms and bears fruit at the same time.
We are glad to welcome you to the blog, Dear guests and friends. Even as children, have you ever wondered how to grow an orange from a seed? And they probably experimented, sticking seeds into the ground. In fact, this is not at all difficult to do, especially if you know the growing conditions citrus plants.
The answer is clear, you can! The question is, will the tree bear fruit, and how to speed up the process of its flowering? Or it will simply be an exotic decoration for your home.
Even a child can grow a sprout (seedling) from a seed. This plant is the least demanding of all citrus fruits, although it has its own characteristics of care and requires certain conditions.
If you simply throw a seed into the ground and water the plant, it will grow, but will bear fruit no sooner than after 8 years. If you want to grow a full-fledged orange tree at home, it should be grafted from a fruit-bearing plant, fed on time, replanted and the crown formed. So you will get a harvest after 3-4 years.
I also have an orange tree. I planted 3 seeds in March and they all sprouted. The last one was 3 months later. In general, I thought that all the seeds sprouted after three weeks. But in fact, one seed produced 2 shoots. It turns out that a bush can immediately grow from one seed; orange seeds have multiple germs.
Now my sprouts have about 3-5 leaves, soon it will be time to transplant them into separate pots. And already next spring, I think my tree will be ready for grafting. Now let's figure out how to plant an orange so that it grows, and how to grow an orange tree.
Growing an orange tree
Preparing seeds for planting
Fresh seeds are ideal for planting. Not worth taking planting material from bruised, rotten, greenish fruits. Oranges that are ripe, regular in shape, and beautiful are ideal. Whatever seed you plant, the same tree will grow.
Preparing the seeds:
- Choose large seeds, healthy and attractive in appearance, weighty.
- Use fresh seed. A crust appears on the old ones, and the chances of sprouting decrease.
- Clean the pit from any remaining fruit pulp.
- Rinse, preferably under running clean water.
- Place the seed in water for a day. You can add special fertilizers to the water to increase the likelihood of germination.
Orange sprouts well even without the addition of chemicals and fertilizers, so you can immediately plant it or lower it into plain water. To experiment, plant seeds from different fruits.
Soil preparation and planting
For planting, you should choose small containers. For example, for each seed there is an individual plastic disposable cup, or a large box for all seeds at once. If you do not plan to leave a lot of trees, do not plant a lot of seeds, since almost all of them will sprout, and then it will be a shame to throw them away.
Buy soil for planting at the store, there is special mixtures for citrus plants. Or prepare it yourself by mixing peat and soil from the garden (1:1). The plant will be most comfortable in such soil, but it can also grow in ordinary soil.
Planting stages:
- Take a pot with a lot of holes at the bottom.
- Place drainage (stones, foam, sand) on the bottom of the pot.
- Pour soil into the pot, pressing it down a little.
- Make a hole to a depth of 2 centimeters. If you plant all the seeds in one box, the distance between the holes should be at least 5 centimeters.
- Place the seed in the hole and cover it with soil.
- Water the plantings.
- Our seed must be placed in a warm place; it may be poorly lit.
- We create Greenhouse effect. Cover the seedling with the neck plastic bottle, and leave the lid open for ventilation. It is also acceptable to use regular film or bag.
- After about a month, when the first leaves appear, it is better to move the plant to the sun. If you planted it in winter, you may need additional lighting. That is why it is better to plant in March-April.
Tree transplant
As soon as 4-5 leaves appear on the sprout, it should be replanted. The pot for the first transplant should be small (10cm). After all, young plant There are practically no roots, so there is too much moisture in the ground, it begins to turn sour in a large pot.
For the first transplant we will make a different soil:
- 2 parts of soil from the garden;
- 1 part sand;
- 1 part peat;
- 1 part leaf humus.
In the future, replanting will be done once every couple of years, and the next pot will be larger than the previous one by only 2-3 centimeters. If the plant is very old (10 years), it should not be replanted, it is better to change it upper layer soil.
With each transplant, do not forget about abundant drainage. Perfect time replanting - early spring, before flowering and new leaves appear.
Video - how to grow an orange from a seed, grafting
Growing conditions and care
As we have already said, the plant is not particularly picky, but you should still follow a few rules regarding caring for a citrus plant:
- The plant loves light, but direct sunlight has a detrimental effect on it. Therefore, it is better to store a pot of orange tree in a bright place, but not on a windowsill. Also, do not sharply turn the crown of the plant away from the sun. If you need to rotate it, rotate it no more than 5 degrees per week.
- Another reason to remove the plant from the windowsill is drafts.
- The humidity in the room should be approximately 40 degrees. This indicator should be monitored most carefully during heating season. Keep the tree away from radiators. If the air is too dry, the plant will lose its leaves and die.
- The plant loves moderate moisture, so it should not be flooded. Overwatering leads to rotting of the roots.
- Water for irrigation should not contain chlorine. It is better to use melted water, rainwater or at least defend it.
If you follow these simple rules, the orange tree should not die. However, if you bring its living conditions closer to natural ones, it will bloom much faster. Temperature in winter – 12-15 degrees, in spring – 18. In summer, daily watering, staying on fresh air and protection from direct sun rays.
Oranges should be fed once every 2 weeks with a special complex fertilizer for citrus fruits. You can prepare it yourself, you should mix 20 grams of nitrogen, phosphate fertilizers and potassium salts per 10 liters of water. Once a month you can add potassium permanganate.
Video - conditions for citrus plants and care
As you understand, growing an orange tree at home is not at all difficult, the main thing is to be patient. And after a few years, juicy, aromatic fruits will appear on the tree. After about a year, the plant should be grafted.
Leave comments and repost the article about growing an orange from a seed, in social media so as not to lose. All the best.
It is quite possible to grow a real orange tree from a seed. Of course, it will not be enough to put the seeds in a pot and wait for germination. An orange will require a lot of time and patience before it will delight you with its fruits. It is worth noting that this type of citrus fruit is considered the most unpretentious among the others. Fresh fruit seeds are suitable for planting. But still, many gardeners prefer growing trees from young seedlings. The main methods of propagating oranges are from seeds and cuttings. A greenhouse is perfect for cultivation, which French translates as “winter orange garden.”
Varieties of orange
All oranges can be divided into two large groups: sweet and sour (bitter) varieties. There are three types that are most often found on sale.
Orange fruits
- Sweet. Portuguese or Chinese fruit. The most common variety.
- Sour. Hybrid of pomelo and tangerine. Has a bitter taste. Another name for it is orange.
- Bergamot. Hybrid of orange and citron. It has a pronounced sour-bitter taste.
All oranges are tasty and equally healthy. They contain a large amount of vitamins, microelements and amino acids. Oranges are a real storehouse of vitamin C, which is responsible for immunity.
There are several more varieties that differ in appearance and taste.
- "Washington Nevile". Sweet and sour fruit with thick skin. Many people mistakenly believe that the birthplace of this variety is the USA. In fact, "Washington Nevile" comes from Brazil. The fruits of this variety ripen without seeds.
- "Valencia"- Spanish variety of oranges. His distinctive feature is a thin peel of bright orange color with small red splashes. The pulp has a similar color. The taste of orange is sweet.
Valencia variety
- "Blondeau commune"- Sicilian variety. Ranked first among the consumed varieties of oranges in Sicily. Currently, I have given primacy to the two previous varieties. Has many bones.
- "Oval". The name speaks for itself. The orange fruits resemble an oval in shape, and their taste is not much different from the Valencia variety.
- "Tarokko" - early ripening variety originally from Sicily. The fruit harvesting season is from November to January. Tarocco oranges are distinguished not only by their pleasant taste, but also by the unusual color of their pulp. They have it in blood red color.
Variety Tarocco
- "Sanginello". Oranges with a bitter aftertaste. Their homeland is Sicily.
Abkhazian and Moroccan oranges also compete with the above varieties.
Planting an orange tree
The most common way to grow an orange is to plant the seed in the ground. But first, this land needs to be prepared. You will need:
- One part of leaf soil (rotted leaves).
- One part sand.
- One part of humus.
- Three parts of turf.
Consider the landing process:
- Mix all the ingredients and the soil for the future citrus is ready. The soil for planting an orange must be rich in microelements, therefore the best option will be a purchase ready mixture in shops. You can purchase land marked “Lemon” or “Rose”; they are perfect for growing oranges.
- Drainage should be placed at the bottom of the pot. Expanded clay or small pebbles are suitable for this.
Planting an orange seed
- The seed for planting must be fresh, that is, only removed from the fruit. It needs to be buried 2 cm into the ground. Then sprinkle with soil and compact it a little.
Attention! The best time It's spring for planting oranges.
- Immediately after planting, the seed should be watered with boiled, filtered or settled water.
- Cover the pot with polyethylene, this way you will create the effect of a mini-greenhouse.
- Place the pot on the windowsill and make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on it. To do this, cover it with paper. At night, the film must be removed to ventilate the seedling.
- After 20-25 days a sprout will appear.
- Oranges love moist soil, so they need to be sprayed daily. And water as needed, but under no circumstances fill it with water.
- After a year, the seedling can be transplanted into a pot that has a larger diameter.
Orange tree care
The basic requirements for caring for an orange include watering and pruning. Watering should be periodic; the soil should not be allowed to dry out or become waterlogged.
As for pruning, it needs to be done annually. In the second year of life young seedling cut off the crown, leaving only 20 cm. After this, the tree should throw out side shoots, but they will also have to be removed. This way you can form skeletal branches. When the tree begins to bear fruit, the fruit branches are pruned as necessary. It must be taken into account that an excessive number of fruits on a branch leads to depletion of the plant.
Watering the orange tree should be moderate, without overflowing.
An orange seedling should be fed no earlier than 6 months after planting. You can buy suitable fertilizers at any specialized flower shop.
Reproduction
At home, oranges can be grown in two ways: by cuttings and from seeds (seeds).
Cutting It is not so easy to obtain in the middle latitudes of our country. You can ask your friends who grow this citrus fruit, bring it from a vacation in the subtropics, or buy it in specialized greenhouses.
Cuttings with a diameter of 0.5 cm and a length of 10-15 cm are suitable. The cut is made under and above the bud, below and above. At least 4 buds and 3 leaves are left on the stem. The cuttings are treated with a root growth stimulating agent. After this, it needs to be placed in water for several days, and then planted in a container with soil. The rooting process can take from one to one and a half months. Only after the cuttings have taken root can they be transplanted by transferring them into pots.
Orange stalk
Planting an orange from the seed a more complex process, but a tree grown in this way has strong genetics and bears different characteristics than the parent. In cuttings, there is a complete transfer of the donor's genetic material. An orange grown from a seed will begin to bloom only after 8–10 years. Cuttings reduce this period by half.
Diseases and pests
Orange trees are susceptible to attack by many pests and are also affected by certain diseases.
So, the main scourges when growing indoors are scale insects and spider mites.
Besides, citrus seedling may be affected by fungi and viruses. The most unpleasant thing is gommosis.
Pests and diseases can be controlled using insecticides and fungicides. The affected areas are removed and lubricated with garden varnish. In the most advanced cases, it is recommended to burn the affected seedling.
Orange is healthy citrus fruit. It lowers blood pressure and is a good preventative against the development of cancer. Strengthens the immune system and reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. Protects against infections and promotes weight loss. These are not all of his positive qualities.
It is not surprising that many people want to grow this fruit. The most affordable option will be growing an orange from a seed. This culture cannot be called unpretentious, but it will not cause any particular difficulties. Patience, constant care and the desire to grow exotics will give positive results, but, unfortunately, not as quickly as we would like.
Very often the attention of amateur flower growers is attracted exotic plants, which are found in many flower shops. Having bought and decorated your apartment with a beautiful citrus tree, you give it the necessary attention and proper care. But for some reason the plant stops growing, sheds its leaves and noticeably weakens. So it will wither until about two dozen leaves remain on it. Why is this happening?
The reason may be a change in growth conditions. In the greenhouse where the plant was grown, there was a certain temperature and humidity. The plant has become accustomed to them and living in different conditions weakens it (sometimes it can completely disappear).
To avoid such a scenario, it is best to grow the desired tree yourself from a seed and monitor its growth. This way it will be more hardened and adapted to the conditions of your home. So it’s worth doing this, and we’ll tell you how to grow an orange from a seed.
But first, let's tell you why is orange called that?.
Orange was obtained by the Chinese by crossing mandarin and. In China, it was called gold or “qin” because of the color of its peel. In most countries it is called "orange". But our name comes from the Prussian “Chinese apple” - appel + chin, which over time transformed into a name known to everyone.
So, how to grow an orange from a seed?
Proper planting of seeds
Where should you start growing? Naturally with the choice of seeds! You can take any seed from the fruit you eat, or you can buy seeds of a specific variety. It is best to choose the whole and most attractive seeds from the fruit you have just eaten. They need to be carefully washed with your fingers under clean running water, being careful not to damage them.
After clearing the seeds from the pulp, they need to be soaked in warm water for the night. Then the bones are placed on a damp towel and covered with it on top. This preserves the moisture necessary for germination. Drying out has a negative effect on plant germination. Then it is recommended to place a paper towel with seeds in a bag, which creates a greenhouse effect for the seeds. Keep the bag of selected seeds warm.
Seed germination process
The recommended temperature for seed germination is 20-25 degrees. It is recommended to moisten the seeds in the bag if necessary. They should be moist and not dry out. Germination time may take about two weeks, perhaps a little longer, the main thing is to periodically ventilate the greenhouse you have created. Next, it remains to plant the seeds in a pot with sterile soil. To do this, heat it in a frying pan. thin layer A couple of minutes.
First transplant
The first shoots appear after 3 or 5 weeks. When they grow to 2 cm, it is advisable to transplant them into pots with an approximate diameter of 7-9 cm. Cover the bottom of the pot with a small amount of expanded clay, creating this kind of drainage.
The sprouts are placed in a large flowerpot at the time when they acquire the fourth or fifth leaf. When transplanting into a pot of larger diameter (9-11 cm), it is important to preserve the old clod of earth enveloping the roots. Do not remove it by force - this can damage the young roots. At this time, you need to create as much as possible favorable conditions for hardening and strengthening sprouts.
Each transplant is carried out into a pot with a diameter 5 cm larger than the previous one. Transplants are completed when the crown of the tree begins to form.
Priming
Can buy ready soil for citrus fruits, or you can combine the necessary mixture yourself. To prepare it, use leaf soil, coarse river sand, humus and turf soil (recommended ratio is 1:1:1:3). It is not recommended to use pure peat to grow an orange tree.
Growth conditions
Pots with sprouts must be placed in a well-lit place; It is advisable to avoid direct exposure to sunlight (cover the window with sheets of white paper). When replanting a plant, do not bury it too deeply. The recommended depth is 1.5 cm. Sprouts and roots are fragile, so replanting must be done carefully.
Sprouted future trees should be regularly watered and sprayed with clean, warm water. As you grow, the amount of water consumed will increase.
How to form a crown?
Crown formation is an important point of care. The shape of the future tree depends on how its crown is formed. Formation begins when the orange grows to 20-30 cm. Then you need to cut off several leaves (2-4) from the top of the plant. This will provoke the tree to sprout lateral branches, which are already considered second-order branches. Trimming the crown of branches of the second order gives growth to branches of the third and subsequent orders.
The branches should be cut off when their length reaches about 20-30 cm. In this way, all new shoots are shortened. Thus, the trunk of the formed plant is 15 cm, and the crown consists of 3-4 branches, which are evenly covered with small twigs.
Your goal is to form branches of the fifth order; they are the ones that begin to bear fruit. But usually the fruits appear already in the 5-7th year of growth. It all depends on the characteristics of the variety itself and its growing conditions.
First flowers and fruits
The tree can bloom as early as 4-5 years. But it is better to cut off the first flowers, since the plant is not yet strong enough to bear fruit. good fruit An orange will give already at 8-10 years of growth. There are several options for obtaining fruits earlier than the specified date. Here are a few of them:
Grafting (graft a twig from an already fruit-bearing tree to your tree);
Frequent replanting (2-3 replantations, which are performed in the summer, enhance the growth of the root system);
Ringing (pass the twigs with a wire or remove the bark in the form of a ring. After flowering begins, the wire must be removed);
Cold wintering (take the tree into a room with a temperature of 2-5 degrees for about 3 months).
Cold wintering is very effective. They are recommended to be carried out for 2-3 years. During wintering there is no need to fertilize, you can just water it not very often. After such procedures, the orange will begin to bear fruit in about 4 years.
Orange feeding
Oranges need to be fertilized in the spring. Starting from March and right up to November, feed the tree 2-3 times a month. Perfect fit liquid fertilizer“For citrus fruits” or at least old tea brewing.
As you approach the end of the conversation about how to grow an orange at home, also don’t forget about possible pests. For preventive purposes, treat the orange with an insecticide twice a year. It is easier to prevent pests from appearing than to get rid of them later.
In summer it is recommended to feed the tree ammonium nitrate, 5 g per 1 l. water. This feeding is carried out regularly, with a break of 10 days. Once a month it is worth watering with a solution of superphosphate, 5 g per 1 liter. water. You can also water with fermented manure diluted with water (1:10).
In winter, fertilize only once a month. It is not recommended to pamper the plant with heat. The main thing is that the room is well lit, and the temperature is allowed from 1 to plus 6. Verandas are perfect for growing citrus in winter, closed balconies or well-lit corridors.
You can apply to the top layer of soil wood ash, scale, which contains iron oxide, as well as crushed bones.
We wish you success in growing your orange!