How to Grow & Germinate Orange Seeds

Orange trees can take up to five years to produce fruit.

Growing orange seeds is easy and can yield fruits and fruit juices that are rich in vitamin C and possess several antioxidant properties. Production of navel oranges actually can reach 10 to 15 pounds by a tree's third season and skyrocket to 100 to 150 pounds by the 10th season. More than 16 varieties of oranges are grown in the United States. With a little care, the home gardener can grow oranges from seed.

Things You'll Need

• Thermometer
• Sterile potting mix
• Planting containers
• Shovel
• Peat moss
• Compost
• Tape measure
• Garden hose
• Watering can
• Water
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Select an area of your garden that is sunny and on the south side of your yard. Also, the soil should be deep, loamy and well-drained and not contain any weeds or lawn grass. Choose an area that is at least 12 feet from your house, other buildings or walkways.

   Select a south-facing or southeast-side window if planting your orange seeds indoors. Plan to grow your orange seeds inside unless your outside temperatures do not dip below 35 degrees Fahrenheit during the dormant winter period. Make sure the temperature stays between 55 degrees Fahrenheit and 100 degrees Fahrenheit from spring to fall.

2. Purchase orange seeds from your local nursery and make sure they are completely dried out. If they are not, lay them in the sun until they are dry.

3. Pour sterile potting mix that contains peat and perlite into each planting container so that the container is 3/4 full, and dig a small hole that will hold one seed in the soil of each pot. Peat and perlite will help with water retention during the plant's growth process. If growing oranges outdoors, dig a hole that is 3 to 5 feet in diameter for each orange seed, and mix peat moss or compost with the soil you put back in the holes. When planting outside, place your holes at least 10 feet apart because orange trees can become huge and grow to 50 feet tall.

   Plant your indoor or outdoor seeds about 1/2 inch deep in the soil, and cover the seeds with the soil. Put the pointed side of the seed facing up because this part of the seed will produce the plant.

4. Water your orange plants every few days during the first two weeks, and gradually decrease the watering times to every seven to 10 days over the next couple of months. Water the plants every couple of weeks thereafter.

5. Apply fertilizer to your orange plants during the active growing season, which usually stretches from April to August or September. Mix the fertilizer so that it is only half the manufacturer's recommended strength.

6. Remove your indoor orange plants from their containers once they reach 2 feet tall, and transplant them outside to your garden.

References

• Texas A&M University: Orange
• Purdue University: Orange
• OnlineGardenerTips: How to Plant Orange Seeds
• Texas A&M University: Home Fruit Production -- Oranges
• University of Minnesota: Growing Citrus Indoors
• Texas A&M University: Home Fruit Production -- Citrus

Resources

• North Dakota State University: Questions on Orange