How to Grow a Tangerine Tree

Tangerines are a small sweet citrus fruit that's easy to peel and contains few seeds. Tangerines typically smell sweeter than oranges. They are best eaten out of hand or juiced, but you can also make jams, candies and popsicles, or toss its segments in salads. Hailing from Morocco, the tangerine tree can grow up to 20 feet tall. While it is technically possible to grow a tangerine tree from a seed, this method could take as many as seven years. Your best bet is to purchase a tangerine sapling from a nursery. Since tangerines require a tropical or subtropical environment, you may wish to plant in a container so that you can protect the tree from cold spells by moving it inside.

Things You'll Need

• Sapling
• Water
• Potting soil
• Container
• Stake (optional)

Instructions

1. Place your container in a full sun location and fill it about halfway with the potting soil. Tangerines require a full sun environment to bear fruit.

2. Remove your tangerine sapling from its plastic container. Massage the root ball between your fingers to tease apart the roots.

3. Place your tangerine sapling in the container and adjust it so it's standing vertically straight. This ensures the roots will grow straight down.

4. Add soil to your container until the container is full. Do not press the soil down with your hands; the water will compact it.

5. Water your sapling. As the water may compress soil, you might need to add more potting soil.

6. Water the tangerine tree twice a week for the first week and once a week thereafter. Monitor your tree to ensure it's acclimating to your yard and prop the sapling up with a garden stake if it's drooping.

Tips & Warnings

• Tangerine trees take three to four years to bear fruit. Depending on the age of your sapling, you should have to wait two years for the tree to fruit.

• Tangerine trees do not need significant pruning, so prune a young tree only to train its shape. As it matures, you only need to prune dead branches.

References

• Kamehameha Schools: Tangerines