How to grow and care for orange

Photo by Igor Sporynin on Unsplash

Orange trees are easy to grow and care for. This fruit tree can tolerate certain levels of frost and grows best in tropical and subtropical regions. Native orange trees can grow up to 30 feet tall and dwarf varieties can grow up to 12 feet tall. Here is how to grow orange at home.

Growing conditions for orange

Soil:

Orange is drought tolerant and cannot tolerate water-logged soil. This fruit tree grows best in fertile sandy loam soil and the soil pH should be between 6.0 to 7.0.

Light:

Orange grows well when it gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight every day.

Water:

Orange is drought tolerant, so you can water it to keep the soil moist.

Temperature:

Oranges can tolerate temperatures up to 24°F(-6°C). They grow best when temperatures are between 21 to 38 °C( 70 to 100°F).

Fertilizing:

Orange trees that are planted in the soil can be fertilized 2 times a year. Oranges that are grown in containers need to be fertilised at least once in 3 months.

Pruning:

Make sure to prune the dead and damaged stems so that they can grow healthy. The best time to prune your orange tree is during the spring season.

How to grow orange trees in containers.

Dwarf varieties are more suitable for growing in containers. Some of the dwarf varieties that can be grown in containers include Valencia orange, Tahitian orange and Robertson navel orange.
You can plant your orange sapling in containers that are 24 inches deep and wide. Fertilize them once in 3 months. Your dwarf orange trees will start to produce fruits after 3 years from planting.

How to winterize your orange

If your area is hit by light frosts you can use a blanket to cover your orange trees grown in containers. Also, avoid watering your orange tree during the winter periods

How to grow orange from seeds.

If you want to plant oranges that yield fruit sooner its best to buy a grafted sapling and plant them directly in the soil.

If you live in tropical and subtropical climatic conditions, you can grow oranges in your garden. Take a few orange seeds and soak them in water for 24 hours before you sow them in the soil. Take a pot and fill it with a potting mix. Sow the seeds an inch deep in a pot. Place the potting mix in a location that gets good sunlight. Your seeds will sprout within 6 weeks. When your orange seedlings have grown tall you can transplant them into a bigger pot. Once they have grown into a sapling you can transplant them to your garden. Choose a sunny location in your garden and amend the soil with rich fertilizer before planting your orange sapling. Orange grown from seeds takes about 7 to 10 years to produce fruits.

Propagating

You can propagate orange tree from cuttings. Cut the orange stem cutting just below the leaf node. Dip the stem cutting in a rooting hormone and plant it in a rich potting mix filled soil. Place the pot in a sunny location. Your roots will start to develop within a month. Once your plant has grown you can transplant the sapling to a container.

Pests and Diseases

Some of the pests that attack your orange trees include aphids, spider mites, scale and leafminers, whiteflies and mealybugs. You can use neem oil and Diatomaceous earth to control them.