Among the variety of indoor plants sold in specialty stores, the eye quickly catches neat trees with glossy leathery foliage and a mass of brightly fragrant fruits. If you have patience and put in a little effort, you can grow an orange tree from a seed at home, especially since a seed from a ripe fruit bought in a store is suitable as a planting material.
How to grow an orange at home from a seed?
The orange seed is covered with a rather dense, hard peel, on the one hand, preserving the sprout from all kinds of damage, and on the other, preventing its germination. If the seed dries up, it is very difficult to make it hatch, so only fresh seeds are used for planting.
- washed in warm water;
- soaked for 8-12 hours;
- planted in loose soil or to a depth of 1 cm under the film.
Until the moment of germination, which occurs in a month or a month and a half, the container with seeds remains in a shaded warm place. The mini-greenhouse should be periodically humidified and ventilated. And only after the sprouts appear, the future orange trees are brought into the world.
Since in countries where oranges grow in nature, trees generously receive both heat and light, you can provide seedlings with the longest daylight hours by planting seeds at the end of winter or in March. But even in this case, young orange trees respond well to the extension of daylight hours with the help of
Transplanting an orange at home
The picking of sprouts is carried out at the stage when two true leaves open on the orange, while it is important to take into account that the plant reacts extremely painfully to all manipulations associated with transplantation and possible damage to the root system. It is unacceptable that the root collar of an orange turns out to be underground during transplantation.
The best way transplanting a tree is a spring transshipment of a plant along with an earthen clod, until the active growth of shoots began and buds appeared. A home-grown orange will have to be regularly subjected to this procedure, each time choosing a container with a diameter of 1-3 cm larger than the old pot:
- Growing root system young plant once a year requires the expansion of "living space".
- Mature fruit trees are replanted every 2-3 years.
For seedlings with 4-6 leaves, a pot with a diameter of about 10 cm is suitable and soil mix from two parts of sod land, one part of deciduous humus, the same volume of peat and sand. Already at the next transshipment, the proportion of sod land in the soil is increased and a small amount of clay is added. The orange tree, which is grown from seed at home, must be provided good drainage and an irrigation regime that does not allow root rot.
Optimal growing conditions for an orange at home
Like all inhabitants of the subtropical zone, orange trees do not tolerate drafts, but they love light very much and are demanding on the humidity of the air and soil. With a lack of lighting, citrus fruits can hurt or refuse to bear fruit, therefore it is better to grow them on sunny side, but shielding from direct scalding rays, especially in the summer. In autumn and winter, when daylight hours decrease, the orange grown from the seed is highlighted.
The humidity in the room where the tree is located should not be lower than 40%, otherwise the plant begins to quickly shed its leaves and may die. This happens especially often in winter, during the heating season, or when the pot is located close to the heater. In this case, it is necessary to artificially humidify the air, spray the plant and make sure that the soil under it does not dry out.
The danger of drying out the soil exists in the summer, therefore, daily watering, moisturizing the entire earthen lump, but not causing moisture stagnation, is extremely necessary for an orange.
Home orange trees can die if the irrigation water contains chlorine. Therefore, they use rainwater, thawed or settled water for at least a day, which is heated to 25-30 ° C.
Caring for an orange tree at home
In order for the seedling to develop quickly, and after a few years the plant began to bear fruit, it needs to create conditions, as in the Mediterranean and northern Africa, where oranges grow in nature:
- In summer, the tree can be taken out into the air, protecting it from the scorching sun.
- In the spring, when bud formation begins and ovaries are expected to form, orange trees need to be kept at 15–18 ° C.
- In winter, they shorten and arrange a warm winter at temperatures above +12 ° C, not forgetting about the backlighting of the plant.
On transferring from room to room, changing temperature, humidity and other growing conditions, up to turning the pot, an orange tree, as in the photo, at home can shed its leaves, turn yellow and wither. Therefore, it is advised to rotate the plant so that its shoots grow more evenly, approximately 10 ° every 10 days.
An actively growing orange every 7-14 days needs a complex fertilizing with fertilizers for citrus crops or a composition based on 10 liters of water and:
- 20 grams of ammonium nitrate;
- 25 grams;
- 15 grams of potassium salts.
Caring for an orange tree at home implies that four times a year are introduced into the top dressing inkstone, and to maintain the rich color of the foliage, the orange is watered monthly with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Orange seed grafting
If you take good care of the tree, it quickly grows and develops. However, not everyone manages to wait for flowering and ovary, and if the fruits do appear, they turn out to be small and bitter. The fact is that oranges grown from the seed may not carry parental characteristics and simply be wild plants... You can recognize such a wild game already at the age of one by the hard green thorns on the trunk.
How to grow oranges at home, as sweet and large as store fruits? In this case, you can choose one of the following methods:
- Carry out the classic grafting of the tree, using the seedling as a rootstock for varietal cutting obtained from a fruiting plant.
- Inoculate an orange using budding, implanting a kidney cultivated plant with a small layer of bark and wood. For reliability, you can use up to three eyes at the same time, grafting them from different sides of the trunk.
The second method is less laborious and painful for the tree. If the seedling after grafting remains only as a rootstock, it is better to carry out the operation on a tree at the age of 1 - 3 years, when the diameter of the stem does not exceed 6 mm.
On an adult orange tree, in the photo, various citrus crops can be grafted, since the plant practically does not reject related species.
Forming an orange crown at home
Fruiting of an orange tree at home can begin 6-10 years after the seeds germinate and only if the plant has a properly formed crown. The buds, and then the ovary, in the same plants appears on the developed branches of the fourth order. Therefore, to obtain early harvest crown formation begins when the tree reaches a height of 25–30 cm:
- In spring, the main shoot is pinched at a level of 18-25 cm.
- Of the side shoots, three or four of the strongest are left, which are cut off, forcing them to branch.
- In the next season, two branches of the second order are left from the increment. They will subsequently give 3 to 5 shoots of the third order.
- And only then will the horizontal fruiting branches begin to develop.
- Next, they monitor the density of the crown and the timely replacement of branches.
On young trees, the first flowers and ovaries are best removed. The first harvest can be as little as 2-3 oranges, so that the plant does not lose too much strength when they ripen.
You can speed up the tree's entry into the fruiting season by wintering the orange at a temperature of 2 to 5 ° C, limiting watering and not feeding for three months. When the temperature rises to 15-18 ° C in the room where the oranges grow, buds begin to set and an ovary begins to form. A properly cared-for orange at home can live up to 50–70 years, regularly delighting with the appearance of white flowers and brightly fragrant fruits.
Citrus grafting at home - video
Up to 3 years - annually, after - every 3 years In the summer 20-24, in the winter 10-14 From May to the end of September - 2 times a week, in winter - once every 1-2 weeks Summer - daily Bright diffused light A tree made of stone blooms only for 12-15 years of life.
Lighting
Orange is a light-loving plant. For proper growth and fruiting, an orange needs bright light..
Adult specimens tolerate direct sunlight well.
But young seedlings need to be accustomed to such lighting gradually. Until they grow, they must be covered from direct rays.
Orange is a subtropical plant, so it doesn't like extreme heat. In summer, 20-24 ° С is comfortable for him, but it can withstand an increase in it up to 30 ° С.
In winter, the temperature of the orange content can be reduced to 10-14 ° C.
Watering
Orange loves watering in moderation. It cannot be watered too abundantly, but a lump of earth in an orange pot should never dry out.
In winter, when the plant is kept at a low temperature, it should be watered much less often - weekly or even 2 times a month.
Spraying
Spray with boiled water at room temperature.
Spraying an orange in the summer months is carried out daily, especially if the air in the room is heated above 25 ° C. If the weather is cool, the frequency of spraying can be reduced to 1-2 times a week.
In winter, at low temperatures, spraying is not carried out, as leaf decay may begin.
A neutral soil is suitable for growing an orange. It is not difficult to prepare it.
It is necessary to take in equal parts leaf, sod land and humus. A little coarse washed sand is also added here and charcoal.
You can use a commercially available citrus earthy mix.
Fertilizer
The tree is fed only during the growing season and flowering from early May to late September. For this, complex liquid fertilizers are used.
Special balanced citrus fertilizers available... From the beginning of October, feeding is stopped - the plant begins a dormant period.
Humidity
The tree grows well when high humidity. Lack of moisture in the air often causes the tips of the leaves to dry out.
It is advisable to humidify the air in the room where the orange grows by spraying the leaves and keeping the plant in a deep pan with moistened sand or expanded clay.
Peculiarities
Consider the features of caring for a room orange at home. A tree grown from a stone blooms only at 12-15 years of age. However, it does not retain varietal characteristics. In order to get fruits after 4-5 years, a cutting of a fruiting orange is grafted onto the seedling. Plants grown from cuttings retain all the characteristics of the variety and bloom at 5-6 years of age.
For good flowering and fruiting orange needs a cool wintering... If the tree contains all year round at room temperature, it will not bloom.
The orange blooms in the spring after the end of wintering. Some plants even bloom 2-3 times a year.
Optimum temperature for flowering - 18 ° C, at a higher temperature, the plant can shed its buds. Orange flowers are self-pollinating. The fruit ripens, depending on the variety, from 6 to 12 months.
Trim / Support / Garter
Pruning indoor orange carried out in the spring before the start of active growth. If the tree is not, it will not look beautiful, and the appearance of flowers and fruits will be delayed.
Flowers are formed on orange branches of the 5th order and higher... This means that before the branched crown of the tree is formed, it will not bloom. Therefore, the top of an orange seedling is shortened at a height of about 20 cm. After that, the growth of lateral shoots of the 1st order begins.
In a young orange, 4-5 of the strongest branches of the 1st order are left, they are shortened to a length of 20-25 cm, the remaining shoots are cut out.
The branches of the 2nd order, which grow from the main skeletal branches, are shortened to a length of 25 cm.The shoots of the 3rd and 4th orders are shortened by 5 cm.
This completes the formative pruning. Weak shoots and extra branches need to be cut every year.... The branches themselves must be pruned to give the crown a certain shape.
Diseases
Oranges are susceptible to a variety of fungal diseases. But usually weak plants that are poorly looked after are sick. The most common fungal diseases are: root rot, sooty fungus, scab and wartiness.
Root rot occurs due to excessive soil moisture and stagnant water in the pot. The disease develops imperceptibly until the plant begins to intensively lose leaves. A tree can only be saved by transplanting it into a new substrate. Rotten roots must be removed.
Sooty fungus appears on leaves and branches in the form of a black bloom. It can be dealt with by removing plaque and ventilating the room. It is also necessary to reduce the intensity of watering.
Dark bumps form on the leaves of oranges with scab... The leaves fall off, and the bark on the affected branches cracks.
To combat the disease, use copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid and other fungicides. Spraying is carried out in the spring and after flowering. Diseased leaves and branches are cut and burned.
Wart- a fungal disease in which growths form on the shoots of a tree, and gray warts on its leaves. Sick branches die. To combat the disease, Bordeaux liquid is used, which is sprayed on the crown after wintering, after flowering and in mid-summer.
Orange trees infect almost all known indoor plants. Plants suffer most from scale insects. If pests are found, it is urgent to spray the plant with insecticides.
Problems
Caring for an orange tree at home can be problematic. All the problems of growing an orange arise from non-observance of the basic rules for caring for this plant. Here are some of them:
Reproduction
At home, orange seeds and cuttings. The first method is the longest. An orange seed grows wild - a plant without varietal characteristics.
In order for varietal fruits to grow on such a tree, it must be grafted. Cutting allows you to quickly grow a tree with all the characteristics of the parent plant variety.
Consider how to grow an orange from a seed at home.
Growing an orange from a seed at home
Sowing orange seeds usually carried out in the spring, since the seedlings will be in intense natural light, which will have a beneficial effect on their growth. But bones will sprout at any other time of the year.
Before you can grow an orange at home, you need to choose seeds. The seeds should be chosen as the largest of the most ripe fruits.
The seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth or cotton wool and placed in a small glass jar, which is covered with polyethylene or a plastic lid.
The temperature for germination is required at least 22 ° C. Under these conditions, the seeds germinate in 3-5 weeks.
When the orange sprouts reach a size of 1-1.5 cm, they are transplanted into separate pots with soil.... Each of them requires a drainage layer.
The planted orange sprout is placed in a lighted place, but not in the sun, and is sprayed daily with boiled water. The soil is regularly moistened so that it does not dry out.
After the formation of 6 leaves, orange seedlings are transplanted into larger containers. When their trunk reaches 20 cm, pinching the top is carried out.
Cuttings
Orange cuttings are produced by routine annual pruning. They are rooted in soil or in wet vermiculite. Sometimes they take root even in water. Cuttings can be rooted at any time of the year.
Cut orange cuttings about 10 cm long, planted in a damp substrate and covered with glass jars... The temperature for rooting should be at least 22 ° C.
Rooting takes 2-3 weeks. For better rooting, cuttings should be soaked in a solution of a root growth stimulator.
Transfer
When can you transplant an orange at home? Transplanting orange trees is done in the spring to early May. Up to 3 years of age, they every year, then every 3 years. Very large trees are not transplanted, but only replaced upper layer soil in a tub on fresh soil. This is done annually in the spring.
Oranges are transplanted using the transshipment method, since the plants do not tolerate this procedure well..
A new pot is chosen 2 cm larger than the previous one in diameter. You can not take a pot that is too large, as the soil that has not been reclaimed by the roots begins to sour.
A layer of expanded clay with a thickness of at least 3 cm is laid at the bottom of the pot.
The orange is removed from the pot along with an earthen lump and rearranged into a new container.... The resulting voids between the root system and the pot are filled with fresh soil.
The tree should not be deeply buried, as the trunk, covered with earth, may begin to rot. After transshipment, the tree should not be exposed to the sun for 2-3 weeks.
Useful video
Now you know how to grow an orange from a seed at home, as well as how to care for an orange tree.
Description of an orange, what a tree looks like. Oranges - small blooming trees about 10 m in height with a round, symmetrically expanding crown with a diameter of 4 - 6 m, with oval, or oblong-ovate, shiny leathery leaves, wavy at the edges, 4 - 10 cm long. The branches of many varieties are prickly. Flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to six, white and very fragrant. Orange trees bloom in the spring and only bear fruit the following fall or winter. The fruit is round and may vary in size and color. The skin of the fruit is very sensitive to temperature, so even ripe fruit will appear green or mottled in cool conditions. The fruit always contains eleven segments, and sometimes hard white seeds.
Oranges are one of the most common citrus fruits in cultivation.
Height. Up to 10 m.
1 orange at home
1.1. Reproduction - growing from a bone, grafting
Cuttings of varietal oranges are grafted onto one- or two-year-old seedlings of related species, while they will begin to bear fruit in 3 years. How to germinate an orange seed? The seeds are removed from ripe fruits and thoroughly washed to remove the pulp. They can be germinated in a damp bandage or gauze until small roots appear - within 1 - 1.5 months, then the seeds are planted in a greenhouse. Germination usually occurs within 2 - 3 weeks at a temperature of 15 - 20 ° C. Seedlings are kept in humid conditions, watered with care, ventilated and exclude direct sunlight on young plants.
The first pick is carried out when 5 - 6 leaves appear on the young. Orange trees grown from seeds begin to bear fruit only after 10 years, however, they are considered more adapted to room conditions content. Oranges are also propagated by stem cuttings about 10 cm long, which should bear 3-4 buds each, the lower cut is made oblique and treated with a growth stimulant. The lower leaf is removed and the cuttings are immersed in a glass of water for 2 to 3 days. Rooting is carried out in a nutritious, well-moistened and loose soil for 1 - 1.5 months under a transparent plastic or glass shelter to maintain the necessary high humidity air at temperatures above 20 ° C.
The method of reproduction by grafts is also very common - this allows you to get plants that bear any kind of citrus - after all, you can graft an orange and a tangerine on a lemon and vice versa.
1.1.1. How to plant a homemade orange?
There are 2 methods of vaccination - budding and copulation. For budding take only one bud from a varietal fruiting plant - it should be taken from a well lignified cutting - this is scion... You can graft such a bud anywhere in the plant - wild, which is also called rootstock... Budding is carried out only 2 times a year at certain periods - when the plants have intensive sap flow. The first period begins with the very beginning of new growth - in the spring, the second is the right moment - this is the first half of August. A small incision is made on the rootstock branch with a sharp sterile knife, leaving the tongue, and the bud cut off with a sterile instrument is inserted between the branch and the tongue so that the edges of the slices coincide as much as possible. The vaccination site is wrapped with a special tape. New growth can be found in this area as early as 2 weeks.
Copulation is carried out already by a whole branch, in early spring- with swelling of the buds - and at the site of the cut, the scion stalk and the rootstock twig must have the same diameter. Compliance with the diameter is very important, since the branches must be completely aligned - only in this way all their layers will successfully grow together. Sections are made at an angle of about 30 degrees with a sharp sterile pruner, then the stock and the scion are combined as much as possible and fixed with a special tape for grafting or a tape made of simple polyethylene.
1.2 How to care, prune
Growing an orange at home is fun. Besides attractive external appearance, a plant with proper care will give you several harvests a year. An orange tree needs competent and timely pruning and crown formation. The branches of the first order are cut at a level of 20 cm from the main trunk, with the branches of the second order they do the same, but the shoots of the third and fourth order are shortened at the level of 5 - 8 cm. Since oranges bloom on ripe shoots of the fifth order, they must be cut after ripening of fruits. In the first fruitful years, it is worth limiting the number of fruits on the tree, since the plant spends too much effort on their formation - for example, in the first year, leave 3 buds, in the second - 5, and in the third year of fruiting, already 10 fruits are permissible. In adult plants, remove old and diseased shoots in a timely manner.
Do not put orange trees next to radiators - this can provoke abundant leaf fall. Plants will periodically shed their leaves - most often this is a normal process - each leaf lives for about 2 years. If in the winter months the leaf fall is too abundant and the branches of the plants are bare, reduce the temperature of the content or use artificial supplementary lighting with phytolamps.
1.3 transplanting an orange
Young trees of homemade orange are transplanted annually, in larger pots, adult specimens - as needed to change the substrate - about once every 2 to 3 years. When transplanting, try not to disturb unnecessarily. root system- trees do not like this, observe the depth of planting an orange. Do not replant flowering or fruiting plants.
1.4 Diseases and pests
Abrupt change temperature conditions causes plants to shed their leaves - while the leaf blades turn yellow. Trees do not like either prolonged drought or waterlogging of the soil. Citrus trees are susceptible to a large number of fungal diseases affecting roots, trunk and branches, foliage and fruits. If the tips of the leaf blades, especially during the winter months, become brittle, brown and dry, then the plant may be overflowing - for such specimens, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering. From fungal diseases, plants can be susceptible to anthracnose when kept in too warm and very humid rooms. Scab can appear as ugly, pinkish-yellow spots on fruits and small yellow spots on young orange leaves. The sooty mushroom appears as a black coating on the leaves and shoots of the tree. With too frequent and abundant watering, as well as with insufficient drainage, the plant can be affected by root rot. With the onset of this disease, the trees will lose leaves abundantly. If the orange tree is located too deep and its root collar is sunk into the ground, then the plant may undergo hommosis, which manifests itself in the appearance of small transparent drops of resin on the branches. Powdery mildew attacks oranges when kept in too cool, humid conditions. This disease looks like a white fluffy bloom on the leaves. Deformation of leaf plates, a change in their color and a general suppression of the plant may indicate the appearance viral diseases... Trees that have been affected by the virus are subject to complete destruction. If the fruits appear small, rounded, brown spots surrounded by a lighter, yellowish circle, it is possible that the plant has citrus cancer. The sections of the stems affected by the fungus are cut to healthy tissues, sprinkled with crushed coal, slightly dried and treated with garden pitch. The yellowing of the leaf plates (the veins remain green at the same time) indicates the onset of chlorosis - feed the plant with iron chelate.Do not place citrus fruits near heating appliances - they will react to this with abundant leaf fall.
Oranges, like other citrus fruits, as a rule, suffer from mites that cause leaf spot and the appearance of smaller fruits, premature leaf fall. Mealybugs prefer young trees. Whiteflies hide on the underside of leaves, sucking out the sap. Aphids cause the leaves to curl and become corrugated. Scabbards also often attack plants.
1.5 Flowering time
Citrus trees bloom at home mainly in the spring.
1.6 How to Fertilize Homemade Oranges
A potted orange has a limited feeding area and needs additional feeding. Adult plants are fed weekly during the period of active growth, and oranges love both organic and mineral dressings.
1.7 Watering
Even though orange trees are quite drought tolerant, it will be better to ensure that they receive adequate and timely watering. In the hot summer, the trees are watered daily. The number and size of fruits depends on watering. Oranges cannot stand stagnant water. For irrigation, use only settled water at room temperature - plants do not like high chlorine content.
1.8 Temperature
An ordinary orange is quite suitable room temperature, during the winter, the plants are moisturized and kept at a low temperature - about 15 ° C, but not lower than 13 ° C. In autumn and winter, the plant will not have enough sunlight- when kept cool, its growth will slow down and the orange will endure the absence of sunlight. During the flowering period, the plants must also be kept cool - the air temperature should not exceed 20 ° C, otherwise there will be no fruiting. Sometimes plants do not have a distinct dormant period.
1.9 Lighting
Young orange trees are placed away from direct sunlight or shaded. Adult plants are very fond of brightly lit places, shade them only on a hot summer day. With a shortage natural light fluorescent lamps can be used for supplementary lighting. Place the orange in partial shade at rest. Turn the plant pot 1/4 turn each week when watering to help form a symmetrical plant.
1.10 Soil
The best soil for citrus fruits is a well-drained soil; a mixture of peat, loam, sand or perlite is suitable for growing citrus trees. They are undemanding to pH, can grow in very acidic and very alkaline soils. 
1.11 Spraying
Daily spraying is good for the development of the tree and prevents the appearance of some pests. Do not expose plants in drafts.
Appointment... Orange is grown in subtropical and tropical regions around the world, especially in Brazil and the United States, which account for more than two-thirds of world production.
Note. Essential oil orange has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, is used to treat diseases such as constipation, gastritis, convulsions, obesity, nervous tension, depression. Fruits contain vitamins A, B and C, calcium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, natural sugar and pectin. They are rich in antioxidants, strengthen immune system... Orange trees at the right approach successfully grown indoors for up to 70 years.
Hydroponics.
2. Summing up - 7 secrets of success:
- Growing temperature: summer - 20 - 22 ° С, winter - preferably around 15 ° С.
- Lighting: light shade from direct sunlight in hot weather summer days, in autumn and winter the maximum amount of sunshine.
- Watering and humidity: watered with softened water after a little drying of the soil, in winter the frequency of watering is reduced in accordance with the temperature environment, the air humidity is high, combined with good air movement.
- Pruning: Regular pinching of young shoots and formative pruning keep plant size under control.
- Priming: easily adapts to any soil pH, a nutritious substrate is required.
- Top dressing: mineral or organic fertilizers, if the plant is prone to chlorosis, add iron preparations to the feeding.
- Reproduction: stem cuttings in spring and summer, seeds - seeds, however, plants obtained from seeds will not inherit the varietal characteristics of their parents by grafting.
You may also be interested in:
It is quite possible to grow a real orange tree from a seed. Of course, it will not be enough to put the seeds in the pot and wait for the germination. An orange will take a lot of time and patience before it delights you with its fruits. It should be noted that this type of citrus is considered the most unpretentious among the rest. Fresh fruit seeds are suitable for planting. Still, many gardeners prefer growing trees from young seedlings. The main ways to reproduce an orange are from seeds and cuttings. For cultivation, a greenhouse is perfect, which with French translates as "winter orange garden".
Varieties of orange
All oranges can be divided into two large groups: sweet and sour (bitter) varieties. Three types are especially distinguished, which can be most often found on sale.
Orange fruit
- Sweet. Portuguese or Chinese fruit. The most common variety.
- Sour. A hybrid of pomelo and tangerine. Has a bitter taste. Another name for it is orange.
- Bergamot. A hybrid of orange and citron. Has a pronounced bitter-sour taste.
All oranges are tasty and equally healthy. They contain a large amount of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Oranges are a real storehouse of vitamin C, which is responsible for immunity.
There are several more varieties that differ in appearance and taste.
- Washington Neville... Sweet and sour fruit with a thick skin. Many people mistakenly believe that the USA is the birthplace of this variety. In fact, Washington Neville is originally from Brazil. The fruits of this variety ripen seedless.
- Valencia- Spanish variety of oranges. His hallmark is a thin peel of a bright orange color with small red blotches. The pulp has a similar color. The orange taste is sweet.
Valencia variety
- "Blondo Communes"- Sicilian variety. Ranked first among the consumed varieties of oranges in Sicily. At the present time he has given primacy to the two previous varieties. Has a lot of seeds.
- "Oval"... The name speaks for itself. The orange fruit resembles an oval in shape, and the taste is not much different from the "Valencia" variety.
- "Tarocco" - early ripe variety originally from Sicily. The harvesting season is from November to January. Tarocco oranges are distinguished not only by their pleasant taste, but also by the unusual color of the pulp. They have a blood red color.
Tarocco variety
- "Sanguinello"... Bitter oranges. Their homeland is Sicily.
Abkhazian and Moroccan oranges also compete with the above varieties.
Planting an orange tree
The most common way to grow an orange is to plant the seed in the ground. But first, this land needs to be prepared. You will need:
- One piece of leafy ground (rotted foliage).
- One piece of sand.
- One piece of humus.
- Three pieces of turf.
Consider the planting process:
- Mix all the components and the soil for the future citrus is ready. The land for planting an orange must be rich in trace elements, therefore the best option will be a purchase ready mix in the shops. You can buy land marked "Lemon" or "Rose", they are perfect for growing an orange.
- Drainage must be laid at the bottom of the pot. For this, expanded clay or small stones are suitable.
Planting an orange seed
- The seed for planting must be fresh, that is, only removed from the fruit. It needs to be buried 2 cm into the ground. Then sprinkle with earth and compact a little.
Attention! The best time for planting an orange is spring.
- Immediately after planting, the seed should be watered with boiled, filtered or settled water.
- Cover the pot with plastic to create a mini greenhouse effect.
- Place the pot on a windowsill and keep out of direct sunlight. To do this, cover it with paper. At night, the film must be removed in order to air the seedling.
- A sprout will appear in 20-25 days.
- Oranges love moist soils, so they need to be sprayed daily. And water as needed, but in no case fill with water.
- After a year, the seedling can be transplanted into a pot that has a larger diameter.
Orange tree care
The main requirements for caring for an orange include watering and pruning. Watering should be periodic, do not allow the soil to dry out or waterlogged.
As for pruning, it needs to be done annually. In the second year of life, the crown of a young seedling is cut off, leaving only 20 cm.After that, the tree should be thrown away side shoots, but they will also have to be removed. This will form skeletal branches. When the tree begins to bear fruit, the fruit branches are pruned as needed. It should be borne in mind that an excessive amount of fruit on a branch leads to the depletion of the plant.
Watering the orange tree should be moderate, no overflow
You need to feed an orange seedling no earlier than 6 months after planting. You can buy suitable fertilizers at any specialized flower shop.
Reproduction
At home, an orange can be grown in two ways: by cuttings and from seeds (seeds).
Stalk not so easy to get in the middle latitudes of our country. You can ask your friends who plant this citrus, bring it from a vacation in the subtropics, or buy it in specialized greenhouses.
Cuttings with a diameter of 0.5 cm and a length of 10-15 cm are suitable. The cut is made under and above the kidney, below and above. At least 4 buds and 3 leaves are left on the stem. The stalk is treated with an agent that stimulates root growth. After that, it must be placed in water for several days, and then planted in containers with soil. The rooting process can take from one to one and a half months. Only after the cuttings have taken root can they be transplanted into pots by transferring them.
Orange stalk
Planting an orange from bone a more complex process, but a tree grown in this way has strong genetics and has different characteristics than the parent. In the cuttings, the donor's genetic material is completely transferred. A pitted orange will only start blooming after 8-10 years. Cutting reduces this period in half.
Diseases and pests
Orange trees are susceptible to attack by many pests, as well as some diseases.
So, the main misfortunes when growing in apartment conditions are scale insects and spider mites.
In addition, a citrus seedling can be attacked by fungi and viruses. The most unpleasant thing is gommosis.
You can fight pests and diseases with insecticides and fungicides. The affected areas are removed and smeared with garden varnish. In the most advanced cases, the affected seedling is recommended to be burned.
Orange is a healthy citrus fruit. It reduces blood pressure and is a good prevention of the development of cancer. Strengthens the immune system and lowers blood cholesterol levels. Protects against infections and promotes weight loss. These are not all of its positive qualities.
Not surprisingly, many are willing to grow this fruit. The most affordable option will be growing oranges from the seed. This culture cannot be called unpretentious, but it will not bring any particular difficulties. Patience, constant care and a desire to grow exotic will give positive result, but, unfortunately, not as soon as we would like.
Planting an orange from a stone: video
How to plant an orange from a stone: photo
Orange tree - citrus evergreen perennial family rue, grown in subtropical climates and does not tolerate freezing temperatures. The growth of an orange tree in warm climates continues constantly, the plant is medium-sized, can grow up to 7 m in height with open cultivation... There are also low-growing varieties up to 3 m. Thermophilicity and low demand for conditions allows you to successfully grow oranges at home. Orange tree at home at good care will be able to bear fruit and reach a decent size.
Many domesticated, specially bred orange varieties can bear fruit all year round and have a minimum crown size. These varieties (for example: Washington Navel, Korolek, Gamlin) allow you to get a small harvest of oranges at home on a regular basis. And three to four plants can create the feeling of a citrus garden in the room.
Planting an orange at home.
Orange trees are propagated in two ways: cuttings and seeds. Both methods have their pros and cons. Firstly planting material need to be found somewhere. With seeds, everything is simple - we go to the store and choose the first fruit we like. As with growing avocados at home, the orange fruit should be ripe, have a uniform orange... Almost all orange fruits contain seeds suitable for germination. You need to get the cuttings somewhere: ask a friend who already owns a homemade orange, you can buy a ready-made grown seedling in the store, or, for example, bring a cutting from a vacation from the subtropics by cutting off a sprig of an orange growing in the open field.
A seed-planted orange is a stronger plant. It will grow better and adapt to new conditions, more unpretentious to diseases, the tree will acquire a beautiful crown, which cannot be said about plants planted by cuttings. However, it should be borne in mind that an orange grown from a seed will have slightly different biological characteristics than its parent. Planting by cuttings provides for 100% transfer of the genetic material of the parent tree. And the last thing that can affect the choice of how to plant an orange at home is the beginning of fruiting. A tree from a seed will begin to bloom and bear fruit with sufficient care at the age of 8-10 years, the cuttings method of propagation reduces this period in half.
Growing an orange tree from seed.
Take well-formed seeds from the orange fruit. Use several pieces from different fruits to guarantee, so as not to sow only unpolished or unripe seeds. Plant immediately after removing the seeds, in small pots, or long boxes at intervals of 5 cm from each other and 3 cm from the walls. Use a mixture of peat and flower land in a 1: 1 ratio, with good drainage.
Deepen the seeds by 1 cm and maintain constant soil moisture, avoiding overflow. The optimum temperature for germination is 18-22 degrees. Homemade orange sprouts will appear in about 2 weeks. From the hatched oranges, choose the strongest, most powerful, with correct leaves... Grow up under a small glass jar- to create a microclimate. Place the pots in a bright place, but out of direct sunlight. Remove the can for half an hour once a day to refresh the atmosphere around the orange.
After two true leaves appear, transplant healthy specimens into separate pots, 10 cm in diameter, with good drainage. When transplanting, try to keep the roots and the peat mixture intact around them. For soil, use a substrate of humus and flower soil. In this pot, the orange should grow up to 15-20 cm, then the next transplant will be needed.
Reproduction of the orange tree by cuttings.
For cuttings, choose stems with a diameter of 4-5 mm and a length of about 10 cm. The cut should be carried out under the bud from below, and above the bud from above. On the handle, you need to leave 3-4 living buds and 2-3 leaves. For greater effect, the stalk should be treated with a root growth stimulant, and placed 1/2 of the length in water for 3 days. To root homemade orange cuttings, plant them in boxes or pots with equal parts of a mixture of humus, coarse sand and flower soil. Plant the cuttings in a compacted substrate to a depth of 3x-4x cm. Initially, the branch lacks roots, this does not allow the plant to receive enough moisture from the soil, so the orange tree requires daily spraying of the leaves with water. The soil should be well moistened, but avoid acidification. The optimum temperature for rooting is 20-25 degrees. Final rooting takes place in 30-45 days. The homemade orange tree can then be transplanted into a separate small pot.
Growing conditions and care for homemade orange.
To grow an orange tree at home, soil that has a good supply of nutrients should be used. For these purposes, a flower mixture is suitable, which can be purchased in stores, or soil from your suburban area treated with boiling water and enriched with humus. Be sure to lay out expanded clay or charcoal drainage at the bottom of the dishes. When watering, do not allow stagnation of water and rotting of the soil. In this case, you need to ensure that the entire earthen lump is moistened, otherwise the tree will begin to lose roots and hurt. Watering is required approximately twice a week. The soil must be allowed to completely saturate with moisture, and then it must dry out. When the soil becomes acidic, it must be replaced. The recommended container for growing an orange is a clay pot. It is quite moisture permeable and this property helps to regulate soil moisture, clay absorbs and evaporates excess water through the outer surface.
Orange loves light, so a grown tree needs direct sunlight but no more than 2 hours a day. The orange at home does not like rearrangement in a new place, so you need to find from the very beginning permanent place for a house tree in the south bright room... To form a beautiful crown, you can turn the orange pot, but every day at a small angle so that the plant has time to turn around. Each year, as it grows in size, the homemade orange needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. New dishes should be slightly larger than the previous ones by 3-4 cm in diameter. When transplanting, an earthen lump with roots should be removed with minimal damage and moved to a larger pot, and the difference should be filled with fresh soil. A pot of 8-10 liters in volume can be left as a permanent one, and the transplants can be replaced with top dressing, while the topsoil must be renewed at least twice a year.
Comfortable temperature for growing an orange: 17-28 degrees. Orange, like any houseplants, does not tolerate drafts. Homemade orange needs to be sprayed with water several times a week to maintain optimum humidity... IN heating season daily spraying is required.
For an aesthetic look orange at home it is necessary to take an active part in the formation of the crown. In the first year of life, the tree releases a single shoot up to 30 cm high.In the second year, before the start of active growth - in the spring, you need to cut off the top of the shoot with pruning shears or scissors, leaving only about 20 cm.This will force the tree to release lateral buds. Next, remove the lower buds, leaving only the 3 upper ones. They should form the skeletal main branches of the crown of a homemade orange. On the next year do similar manipulations with the side branches of the second order, stimulating branching. Often, cutting off the central orange shoot does not give the desired result, the tree releases a single new sprout from above, then you need to cut the shoot again together with the upper bud, and if the length allows, then with the second one. An orange tree takes on a pretty look when the branches develop up to level 5-6. In the future, it will be enough to cut off individual fast growing shoots, or remove them altogether.
With careful care, a home-grown orange will bloom in a few years. To form ovaries, move the pollen from the anther to the sticky stamen with a cotton swab. If a lot of fruits are formed, then some will need to be removed, otherwise the tree may die from exhaustion. For normal growth, one fruit should be matched with 10-15 leaves. Try growing your homemade decorative Pink Banana from seeds and make it fruitful.
Tell your friends about it.