The orange tree is an interesting tree for growing on a terrace or balcony. Very aesthetic with their shiny and evergreen leaves, colorful and fragrant flowers and edible fruits, they are a delicacy: if you follow our advice, you will easily adopt them!
How to grow an orange tree?
THE Citrus sinensis can be grown:
- In the open: in temperate regions: Mediterranean coast, Basque Country;
- Pot: everywhere else.
If you decide to plant in the ground, you should be aware that in case of negative temperatures, the orange tree could be seriously damaged. If you prefer to grow in a pot, know that your orange tree can reach a height of up to 3 m.
When and how to plant an orange tree?
Planting should be done in the spring when temperatures rise. Plant a Citrus sinensisafter creating the planting pit, it is recommended to add:
- Drainage material as clay balls for planting in pots or pozzolan for planting in the ground;
- AND amendment such as compost or commercial fertilizer: you should avoid manure, which is a product that is too strong for the development of the surface roots of the orange tree.
To facilitate recovery, the planting pit can be supplemented with a special substrate for citrus fruits and Mediterranean plants. It is also recommended to add fertilizer every month between April and October or, if this is not possible:
- One to resume growth in March;
- A second before the flowering season, in June;
- The last to promote fruiting, in September.
How to water Citrus sinensis ?
The orange tree must be watered abundantly when planted. After that, you need to be alert and wait for the surface of the substrate to dry between two waterings. If you have a saucer, in the case of growing in a flower pot: you must drain the water regularly. In fact, the root system Citrus sinensis born cannot tolerate excess water : this can also be the cause of yellowing of its leaves.
Where to put an orange tree in winter?
When the temperatures are moderate: the orange tree must be in a sunny place. In winter, when the temperatures drop, you should place the orange tree in a sunny place protected from the cold, such as a veranda or a small greenhouse.
How to maintain Citrus sinensis ?
- Size: the orange tree can be pruned significantly because the development of its roots, which are superficial and fasciculated, develops according to the volume of its aerial part;
- Humidity : in addition, you need to pay attention to the level of humidity in the place where it occurs Citrus sinensis because it is a plant susceptible to cryptogamic diseases (due to fungi);
- Harvesting oranges: it is carried out in winter, from December and as needed until April to May. Harvest the most colorful fruits by first cutting off the stem with pruning shears.
At what age does an orange tree bear its first fruit?
If you purchased your orange tree from a specialist nursery or garden centre, your Citrus sinensis it was grafted onto a massive rootstock and is already at least 2 to 3 years old. In this case, if it does not bear fruit yet (the presence of oranges on the tree is an inexorable sales argument), it will bear fruit in next 2 to 3 years.
If you grew an orange tree from seed, it will take longer to bear fruit (uncertain as the fruit can be very different from the original orange), usually between 7 and 15 years.