How to Grow Orange Trees

Healthy trees and a sweet, delicious harvest are the goal as you tend your oranges throughout the year. Follow these few steps to help grow healthy orange trees.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Compost Makers
• Fertilizers
• Garden Hoses
• Mulch
• Orange Trees
• Shovels
• Shovels

1. Purchase an orange variety adapted to your area. For example, Washington navels grow well in California, while Valencia oranges are adapted to Arizona, Texas and Florida, as well as California.

2. Plant the tree in a warm, sunny area where the soil drains well.

3. Mulch to conserve water.

4. Water the tree deeply once every 7 to 10 days in midsummer. Water less often if it rains or if the weather is cool.

5. Fertilize every four to six weeks from February to August.

6. Protect trees from frost if temperatures are forecast to drop below 28 degrees F.

7. Harvest oranges when they taste sweet. Timing will vary by variety and growing area.

Tips & Warnings

• Most nurseries in citrus-growing regions offer a nice selection of container-grown orange trees.
• You can grow citrus from seeds, but there's no guarantee that the seedling will be identical to its parent. A seedling can take from 2 to 15 years to bear fruit.
• The more likely that winter temperatures will fall below 28 degrees F where you live, the less likely you'll harvest a quality crop.

[growbag]

on 4/14/2009 I live in spain and planted a small(approx 3ft)orange tree a few months ago but the leaves keep dropping off despite watering daily and feeding with a liquid fertilizer which stated on the container that it can used for orange trees. It looks more like a stick plant every day, can anyone help?

[orangeblueru]

on 4/6/2009 My trees are dropping leaves and new fruit....7 out of 14...so far. I just fertilized last week before the rain 6-6-6 ( live in St. Augustine) The trees have been here since 1977. I have lived here for 4 years. Don't remember them dropping before...But ...Some dropped last year..one tree alot... this scares me...any suggestions? HELP!!!

[nygelj]

on 3/26/2009 do u plant it frm an orange u buy from the store

[Mattie08]

on 12/30/2008 My husband trimmed our Orange Tree and now it will not put on any friut. This year or last year

[ronmorgen]

on 12/14/2008 My trees are 3 years old, the trees look good, but the fruit is dry. Is it the bad drainage or some other problem. My lemons are fine in the same garden.