Orange tree - tips for growing citrus

Fragrant and tasty citrus can not only buy in the store, but also grow on their own. Orange tree has many varieties and some of them are suitable for housekeeping in pots. It is important to know the rules of cultivation and care, so that the plant has begun and developed.

What does an orange tree look like?

This kind of citrus is a cultivated plant, and got it by crossing mandarin and pomelo. The tree is evergreen with a compact dense crown. The description of the orange tree includes the following information:

1. Dimensions have a direct connection with the variety, so tall varieties reach a height of 12 m, and dwarf - 4-6 m. There are indoor plants that can be from 60 cm to 2.5 m.
2. The root system is superficial, and it does not have hairs through which other plants receive moisture and nutrients. Instead, there are special cheholchiki on the tips of the roots, in which there are fungi that exist in symbiosis with the plant. They transmit moisture and nutrients.
3. The orange tree has dark green leaves that have a pointed oval shape. Inside of them are glands filled with aromatic oil, which is identical to the flowers of this plant.

How does the orange tree blossom?

This plant has large bisexual flowers, which in diameter reach 5 cm. The color of the five petals is often white, but there may be a reddish tinge. In the center is a long solitary pestle, which is surrounded by yellow stamens. The flowers are collected in a brush for about 6 pcs., Single variants are rare. Blossoming of an orange tree occurs only under certain conditions, and flower buds, laid in March-April, will open only at a temperature of 16-18 ° С. The bud bursts in 2-3 days.

How to grow an orange tree?

There are several varieties that can be used for indoor growing, and the three most popular are the following:

1. Pavlovsky. In height, this variety reaches a maximum of 1 m. Can be propagated using cuttings. Fruits ripen for a long time, during which it is important to provide special care.
2. Gamlin. If you are interested in how to grow an orange tree at home, then you can choose this variety, whose height reaches 1.5 m. Harvest can be harvested in autumn, and the fruits are juicy and sweet-sour.
3. Washington Navel. The most popular variety that is suitable for domestic use. The height of the orange tree can reach up to 2 m. It is worth noting an interesting advantage - during flowering a pleasant aroma stands out. Fruits can be harvested starting from three years. Fruits are large.

How to plant an orange tree?

In order to grow citrus on your window sill, you need to prepare bones, which should only be fresh, that is, not dried.

1. After assembling the planting material, be sure to rinse it, and then leave it for 8-12 hours in water to swell.
2. To get the orange tree from the bone, the planting should be carried out in loose ground or peat. Increase the seeds by 1 cm. Cover the container with a film or cover it with glass to create a greenhouse effect.
3. Place the container in a shaded warm place. Periodically water the ground and ventilate the plantations. Germs should appear after a month and a half.
4. After that, it is recommended to put the container in the light (direct rays of the sun are dangerous). It is important to ensure the seedlings a long light day. You can use special lamps for this.

Ground for orange tree

For the successful cultivation of this plant, the quality of the soil is of great importance. To make the right choice, consider these recommendations:

1. If you are interested in where the orange tree grows, when it is still young, then it is better to choose such a composition: 2 parts of turf and 1 part of leaf land, humus and sand. Experts advise typing soddy land in the gardens.
2. For an older tree, it is better to use such a soil composition: 3 parts of turf, 1 part of leaf land, humus and sand. You can add a bit of greasy clay.
3. It is recommended that the selected soil has a pH of 6.5-7.
4. Be sure to remove from the prepared soil all unnecessary impurities, for example, pebbles or roots of other plants.
5. Ready soil mixture must be left on for a minimum of 14 days.

How to plant an orange tree?

When the plant starts to develop well, it will be possible to prune to form a beautiful crown. After 6-8 years, flowers may appear, and the fruit is likely to be small and bitter, so it is important to vaccinate. In the instructions - how to grow an orange tree at home, there is a mandatory procedure, implying the inoculation of the kidney or branches of a cultivated garden plant. It is better to carry out the procedure when the plant is already 1-3 years old.

How much does an orange tree grow at home?

The duration of plant growth depends on proper planting and care. If you focus on natural conditions, then in the subtropics from planting seeds and until the appearance of the fruit should be 4 years. To have an orange tree in the pot began to bear fruit, an inoculation is made and then after 3 years it will be possible to harvest. The life cycle of this culture is approximately 75 years.

How to care for an orange tree?

There are several recommendations concerning the proper care of such a plant:

1. Lighting. The pot should be placed in a place with diffuse lighting. In cold weather, it is recommended to use an artificial light up to 12 hours.
2. Temperature. In summer, room temperature also approaches, and in winter it is necessary to maintain the indicators at a level of 10-18 ° C. It is important to regularly carry out ventilation, but exclude drafts.
3. Humidity. Behind the orange tree, home care during hot weather includes daily spraying using soft, settled water. In winter, the air is dry, so in all ways increase the humidity.

How to water an orange tree at home?

There are several tips for moistening the soil, which must be taken into account:

1. They judge whether to water on the condition of the soil. It is important not to allow the earth's coma to dry completely. To determine the humidity, squeeze the soil compact, and if it crumbles, then water it.
2. To water a small orange tree, it is not recommended to use tap water, because it contains a lot of alkali metal and chlorine. It should be boiled or you can take hot water from the tap.
3. The liquid must be allowed to stand for at least 24 hours in the open ground, which will remove chlorine. If possible, water should be taken from a well, lake or stream.
4. In winter, the orange tree is at rest, so the intervals between watering should be increased.

How to feed an orange tree?

For good growth, flowering and fruiting, it is necessary to make fertilizers in spring and summer, and it should be done every two weeks. It is important to carry out feeding on the next day after watering. Fertilizers for the orange tree are poured until it begins to flow out of the drainage holes of the pot. You can use special additives designed for citrus or take options for indoor plants.

Many will be surprised by the fact that adult plants, whose height is not less than a meter, can be fed with fish broth once a month. It is believed that this way it is possible to strengthen fruiting. Take 200 g of fish waste or small fish (not salted), pour 2 liters of water and boil for 30 minutes. After this, the solution should be filtered and diluted with cold water.

Pruning an orange tree

When the height of the plant will reach 20 cm, it is recommended to peck 2-3 leaves from the top. Thanks to this, lateral branches will develop, forming a beautiful crown. They are considered first-order branches and if they are cut off (there should be 4-5 branches of 20-25 cm), then they will form branches of the second order (their length is not more than 25 cm), and so on. Using this scheme, you can form an orange tree in an apartment to your liking. It is important that a bush in a few years formed many branches of the fifth order, because they will be formed fruits.

How to transplant an orange tree?

It is better to carry out such a procedure in the spring or autumn, when the root system will not be exposed to temperature shock. You can transplant the plant in a pot or directly into the ground. It is important to do everything carefully so as not to damage the root system.

1. Dig a well of the right size. Adding funds to improve soil quality and compost is not recommended, except in situations where the soil is very sandy or clayey. Take out the home orange tree together with a lump, turning the pot over and pre-moistening the earth. Set it in a pit, fill the ground and pound it. Note that the top part of the root coma should be 2.5-3 cm below the surrounding ground.
2. When choosing a pot, you must consider that its size should be twice as large as the root lump. The process is similar to the previous one, that is, the orange tree should be transferred to a new container. It is impossible to carry out the procedure more than once every 2-3 years.

Diseases of an orange tree

This culture is susceptible to the influence of a large number of fungal diseases, but it is worth noting that this is affected by weak plants that do not receive proper care. There are tips on how to save an orange tree:

1. Root rot occurs due to excessive watering and stagnant liquid in the pot. The disease develops unnoticeably until the leaves begin to fall rapidly. In this case, the plant should only be transplanted, removing the rotten roots.
2. The black fungus appears on the leaves and branches in the form of a black coating. It is removed and must be ventilated. It is recommended to reduce the intensity of watering.
3. The scab on the orange tree is shown on the leaves in the form of bulges of dark color. As a result, they fall off, and the cracks. To remove the problem, you need to use copper sulfate or other fungicides. Spraying is carried out in the spring or after flowering. It is important to remove sick leaves and branches and burn them.
4. Wartlocking provokes formation on shoots of growths, and on leaves - gray warts. For the fight, you can use Bordeaux fluid for spraying after wintering, flowering and in the middle of summer.
5. It should be noted that the tree can be affected by almost all pests and most often the shields appear. To fight it is necessary to spray with insecticides .