How to Grow Orange Fruit Trees
Growing your own orange trees is not only very rewarding but also provides you with the health benefits offered by fresh oranges. Orange trees are not particularly hard to grow, but they do need the right conditions. Orange trees cannot tolerate freezing temperatures for long. In such conditions, cold protection is needed; even in parts of the South, cold protection is used almost every winter. In the North, orange trees can be grown in hot houses or dwarf trees can be grown indoors. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball of the orange tree you purchased. The width should be at least 6 inches larger than the root ball all the way around. If you have well-draining soil, you do not need to add anything to it. If, however, your soil is not well draining, add some compost. If it is really poor soil then add some compost and some peat, in equal proportions to the amount of soil, and dig the hole a little deeper. Add some of the amended soil before placing the tree in the hole.
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Place the root ball directly into the hole, if the tree was grown in soil and wrapped in burlap. If the tree was planted in a container with artificial soil-less medium, at least an inch of the medium should be rinsed off with a garden hose before planting to expose some roots.
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Backfill the hole to the middle of the root ball. Water the soil well to compact it around the base of the root ball. Then continue to backfill until you cover the root ball. The tree should be planted just a little higher in the ground than it was in the container you purchased it in.
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Create a watering ring about 2 feet in diameter around the base of the tree by bringing in extra soil and setting it a few inches high and thick. Fill the ring with water right after you plant the tree. Check for settling soil around the root ball and fill in with more soil if needed.
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Water every few day for the first couple of weeks. Then gradually decrease watering to every 7 to 10 days throughout the next couple of months. Do not rebuild the water ring, as when it disappears, the tree will no longer need it.
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Keep all weeds from around the tree to at least 3 feet away from the trunk of the tree. The young tree cannot compete well with weeds. To keep your tree organic, hand pick all weeds each day or two. Mulch can be used, however, it will hold the water and that can damage the roots, which will eventually cause the tree to die.
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Fertilize the tree only after it starts to grow. A very small amount of fertilizer is needed the first year; Use increasing amounts in the second and third year. Use a citrus tree fertilizer that is appropriate for your area, found at the local nursery. Follow manufacturer's application directions.
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Place metal or PVC poles around the tree and cover with plastic or a tarp if the temperature is going to go below freezing. If you are having an especially long cold spell, put a heat lamp or incandescent bulb under the tarp.
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As the tree gets older, watering once every couple of weeks should be enough. Water the tree very deeply each time to make sure the bottom roots get some water. Pruning is not necessary for orange trees unless you have a damaged or dead limb. If any fruit forms on the tree for the first 2 years, remove it to allow all of the tree's energy to go toward growing. Fruit can be harvested in the third year.
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References
- Photo Credit Treechild
