How Long Does it Take to Grow an Orange Tree?

It takes years of growth before an orange tree can produce fruit.

Orange trees, specifically those that grow sweet oranges, are prized for their tasty fruit. In general, orange trees are small flowering trees that do best in very warm or tropical conditions. Grown from seed or purchased as saplings, orange trees take more than 25 years to fully mature.

Seeds

Orange trees can be started from seed. Wash the seed from an orange and place it in a pot, burying it beneath ½ inch of sterile potting soil. Add enough water to keep the soil moist. Place the pot in a warm location. The seed should sprout in seven to 14 days. Move the seedling to a sunny location to help it grow.

Saplings

To speed up the orange growing process, purchase sapling trees. They can range in age from 1 to 3 years. Choose healthy looking trees with well-colored leaves and large, straight trunks. In cooler climates, choose a dwarf tree, as they do well in containers and can be brought indoors during the winter months. Many trees will produce some fruit their second year or third years, but in the sixth year they are considered fully mature and begin to give decent yields

Growth

The variety of tree will determine the ultimate height reached. The average orange tree grows about 1 foot each year. Most trees will grow until they are between 12 and 16 feet tall and are 12 feet to 20 feet wide. Some varieties can reach up to 30 feet when grown under ideal conditions. Dwarf varieties will grow to between 6 and 7 feet in height and are 12 feet wide when fully mature.

References

• Gardening Central: Growing Orange Trees
• Green Thumb Articles: How to Grow Orange Trees from Seed