Orange(from Dutch sinaasappel, German Apfelsine - “Chinese apple”) - the fruit of the orange tree (Citrus sinensis), originally from China. A hybrid obtained in ancient times, apparently by mixing tangerine (Citrus reticulata) with pomelo (Citrus maxima).
Orange is considered a symbol of fertility and is closely associated with the symbolism of love and marriage.
How to grow orange tree at home?
Stores sell lemon, orange, tangerine trees with fruits and I can’t believe that it can survive in your home. And their prices are high. But you can grow your own!
What you will need: 
Orange with seeds, gauze (piece), yogurt cup, soil, water, plastic bags, sun.
Step 1 Eat the citrus fruit and place the seeds in one pile. We need to choose the plumpest ones.
Step 2 The best seeds are immediately placed in a moist environment for further germination. It is optimal to take a piece of gauze or a rag, wet it and wrap the bones in it. Place the bag in a yogurt cup (you can take a glass) and close it with a bag. You will get a greenhouse for germination.
Step 3 Place in a warm, well-lit place and check the moisture content of the fabric every 2-3 days. The first roots will come out in 3-6 weeks (the speed is no longer up to you).
Step 4 When the root grows 1 cm, you can plant it in the soil (or you can wait up to 2 cm). It is very important to choose the correct depth for planting the seed. 1.5 cm is enough. Be careful not to damage the root by pushing it deep.
Step 5 The emerging sprout loves spraying and needs the sun. Keep it in the sunniest place possible.
Step 6 When the second pair of leaves appears, you can transplant into a more convenient place. Once every six months it is advisable to replant it in a larger container.
Your bush will grow quickly. Don’t forget to water it, spray it regularly and let it sit in the sun. In order for the stick bush to start producing side branches, you will have to pinch off the top (2-3 leaves). But don’t rush, give your tree time to grow. And over time, you will have your own tree, accustomed to the conditions of your apartment, and in a few years, a fruit-bearing tree!
Orange tree at home: care
For a citrus tree, it is necessary to prepare special soil with the addition of sand, peat and fine expanded clay. The prepared substrate should be light, well permeable to moisture and air.
Oranges are light-loving and heat-loving plants. Flowerpots with orange trees should be placed near a western or eastern window and maintain a temperature of + 15 to + 18° in summer and up to + 12°C in winter. Plants should be hidden from the scorching rays of the hot sun. During the spring and summer seasons, citrus fruits need daily watering. In winter, it is enough to water the plants once or twice a week. Water for irrigation should be warm and soft. Nitric and oxalic acid, as well as vinegar, soften water well.
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To obtain standard and bush plants that bear fruit abundantly, they are grafted. For citrus rootstocks, it is better to use seedlings of lemons or other citrus fruits (oranges, limes, pompelmuses), which can be grown from seeds. Scion – cultivated varieties. The grafting is done in February, March and August on seedlings with a stem diameter of 7–10 mm. Fruiting occurs already in the 3rd–4th year after grafting. It is quite difficult to do budding with a sleeping eye or, moreover, grafting on your own correctly. Fans are advised to purchase an already grafted or rooted orange seedling. Prerequisite upon purchase - the seedling must have a closed root system. The most thermophilic and capricious plant among citrus fruits. India and Southeast Asia are considered the birthplace of the orange. The plant sets fruit as a result of cross-pollination and self-pollination. Orange has healing properties, which the ancient Egyptians knew about. 100 g of orange fruit contains: water - 87.5 g, proteins - 0.9 g, carbohydrates - 8.4 g, fiber - 1.4 g; minerals: sodium - 13 mg, potassium - 197 mg, calcium -34 mg; vitamins: carotene - 0.05 mg, B - 1-0.04 mg, PP - 0.2 mg, C - 60 mg. The evergreen orange periodically sheds its leaves. Location: Bright diffused light. It is recommended to use additional lighting. To prevent the tree from looking one-sided, turning its entire crown towards the light, the pot should be gradually rotated so that in a year the pot makes only one revolution. Frequent changes of location and sharp turns have a bad effect on the well-being of the plant. Watering: In summer it is abundant (morning and evening), in winter it is moderate. Only soft (settled, melted), warm (23-25 C) water. Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged or dry out. Every 2-3 weeks it is necessary to take a cool shower (cover the soil from unsettled tap water). Humidity: Frequent spraying. After this procedure, shade. Does not tolerate dry air. Temperature: In winter and summer - 16-24 C. It is not advisable to take it out into the air. Does not tolerate drafts. Pruning: The crown should be in the form of a bush and consist of 3-4 skeletal branches located on the trunk. To do this, the shoot developing from the cutting is pinched at a height of about 20 cm so that 5 well-developed buds remain. The shoots that grow from these buds and reach a length of 20 cm are pinched. These will be the skeletal branches in the future. |
Transfer: In the spring, as the tree grows, once every 2-3 years.
Feeding: Spring-summer - once every 10 days with mineral and organic fertilizers, winter-autumn - once a month. You can also use dried tea or coffee grounds as a top dressing, which contain many microelements. When dried, they improve the soil structure. Once a month (not more often), it is possible to water the plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, but only in the evening.
Pests: Spider mite, aphid.
The seeds must be planted immediately after they are removed from the fruit. Plant in pots with citrus soil to a depth of approximately 2.5 cm. Moisten the soil with boiled and settled water, cover with a transparent bag to create a greenhouse. Placed it in a well-lit place, but not in direct sun. In the evenings, open the greenhouse for ventilation. In about 20 days the first shoots will appear.
In China, orange is considered a fruit that brings happiness.
Since orange fruit contains seeds, this fruit symbolizes fertility. Seeing an orange in a dream is a good sign: taking an orange in your hand means receiving the fruit of love.
You can grow this exotic plant at home and decorate the interior of your home with it. A little work and you will achieve the desired result!!
Useful tips, educational articles for summer residents and gardeners. Planting, care, harvesting. Of course, there is a lot of information about flowers, berries, and mushrooms. On the site pages
Botanical name: orange tree (Citrus sinensis) – species fruit trees, belonging to the genus citrus of the orange subfamily of the rutaceae family. Cultivated for a long time, the fruits of the tree, oranges, are widely known and considered one of the healthiest and most delicious fruits.
Homeland of orange: China.
Lighting: photophilous.
Soil: light, loose, with a neutral reaction
Watering: abundant during the growth period, limited during the dormant period.
Maximum tree height: up to 12 m.
Average lifespan of a tree: 75 years old.
Landing: propagated by cuttings, seeds, grafting.
Description of orange
Orange is cultivated plant and in wildlife does not occur. This is a hybrid form obtained in ancient times by crossing citrus species such as tangerine (Citrus reticulata) and pomelo (Citrus maxima)
The orange tree (see photo below) is evergreen, with a compact dense crown; the branches and young shoots have fairly large thorns or thorns. The sizes strongly depend on the variety, tall forms can reach 12 m, grafted onto dwarf rootstocks - 4-6 m, and grown as indoor plants do not exceed 2-2.5 m. There are even more compact varieties, created specifically for indoor spaces and having a height of only 60-80 cm.
The orange root system is superficial and has a number of features that must be taken into account when cultivating it. Yes, unlike the others fruit trees, on the roots of an orange there are no root hairs, through which moisture and nutrients are usually absorbed; instead, at the tips of the roots there are caps with colonies of soil fungi that exist in symbiosis with the plant.
Mushrooms receive from it carbohydrates and amino acids, other substances necessary for their life activity, and in return they convert water and mineral compounds, primarily phosphorus, into a form accessible to the tree for absorption.
This community, called mycorrhiza, helps to increase crop productivity; the growing mycelium increases the absorbent surface of the roots, but, on the other hand, makes the host plant more vulnerable, since mycorrhiza does not tolerate the lack of water, low soil temperature, and especially suffers when the roots are exposed.
In this regard, trees when grown in open ground often require artificial irrigation and do not tolerate transplantation with an open root system very well.
Orange leaves in the photo with description
Orange leaves are dark green, leathery, pointed oval in shape, their size is approximately 10x15 cm. They have a solid wavy or jagged edge and petioles with small winged appendages, connected to the petioles through a fairly wide intermediate joint. Inside the leaf plates there are glands filled aromatic oil, the smell of which is similar to that of orange blossoms. The lifespan of one leaf is about 2 years. Most of them (about 25%) fall during the dormant period, from February to March, and another quarter - throughout the year. Healthy tree It only loses old leaves.
TO biological features orange leaves property different ages perform different functions. The young ones participate in photosynthesis, that is, the plant breathes with them, while the old ones serve to accumulate nutrients necessary for branch growth, flowering and fruit ripening. Excessive loss of old leaves under unfavorable external conditions leads to delayed tree development, absence or weakening of flowering and fruit set.
Orange flowers with description and photo
The orange flower is bisexual, large, up to 5 cm in diameter, with five white, less often reddish, elongated ovoid petals. In the center of the slightly opening perianth rises a long single pistil, surrounded by many yellow stamens. Formed in the axils of leaves on the current year's shoots, usually growing downward or horizontally.
Orange flowers (see photo below) are usually collected in brushes of 6 pieces, less often they are single, and have an intense aroma. Flower buds are laid in March-early April, and remain in the bud stage for a long time, sometimes up to a month.
The opening of the petals and the setting of fruits occurs at a strictly defined temperature, about 16-18 ° C; at a higher or lower temperature background, the buds fall off. A blooming flower lives no more than 2-3 days. There are varieties without pistils, they do not need pollination and produce fruits without seeds.
Orange tree fruit
The fruit of the plant is round or broadly oval in shape, has a structure characteristic exclusively of representatives of the orange subfamily, and is called hesperidium or orange. It is multilocular, multi-seeded or seedless, and is close in structure to a berry. The outer part, or pericarp, is a soft and thick skin up to 5 mm thick, smooth or slightly rough, covered with zest, and underneath there is a thin white layer called albedo. The orange peel, depending on the variety and degree of ripeness, makes up from 17 to 42% of the weight of the fruit, its color varies from green and light yellow to orange and reddish-orange. The taste is usually bitter, the consistency is loose or dense, elastic, and large translucent glands are filled with essential oil, the percentage of which ranges from 1.2% to 2.2%.
The inner part of the fruit, or intercarp, consists of nests or lobules that separate from each other (9-13 pieces), covered with films of varying thickness and density and filled with large juicy cells of pulp in the form of nipple sacs, sweet, sweet-sour or bitter-sour taste. In most varieties, numerous seeds are immersed in the pulp, white in cross section, usually multi-embryo. There are also seedless forms of the plant, in which the fruits are formed parthenocarpicly, without pollination, and there are no seeds.
How do orange seeds ripen?
The tree is characterized by remontancy, or the ability to repeatedly flower and bear fruit during one season, therefore, as can be seen in the photo, a blooming orange can simultaneously be decorated not only with buds, but also with fruits of varying degrees of maturity. The latter ripen, depending on the variety, within 8-9 months, and with a lack of lighting, even longer; in a mature form they can remain on the branches for a long time, and when grown in open ground they acquire again by spring green, and then by autumn they turn yellow again. Orange seeds that ripen for two years are of higher quality, but the taste and nutritional properties of such fruits deteriorate due to the low content of biologically active substances.
Orange is a long-lived tree, and although it grows quickly, from 40 to 50 cm per year, it matures and ages slowly. Grown from a seed, it begins to bear fruit at the age of 8-12, or even 15-20 years, and lives up to 75 years or more. Plants grafted and obtained from cuttings bear fruit earlier, after 4-5 years.
Origin of the name, history and uses of orange
The name of the fruit sounds different in different languages, and basically reflects its origin. So, in Holland it is “Appelsien”, in Germany it is “Apfelsine”, “Appelsine” or “Sineser apfel”, in France it is “Pom de Sine”. All these names translate as “apple from China.” The name “orange”, accepted in Russian, also comes from the German “Apfelsine”.
Later in France the fruit began to be called “orange”, just like in England. This word got into English language from Spanish, in which the orange is called "naranja" from the Arabic "nareng". There is another name for the fruit, “portogalo,” which is common in a number of southeastern European languages and literally means “Portugal.” It reflects the fact that for a long time Portugal was the main exporter of sweet fruits to other countries in the region. Oranges are called this way or in the same way in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Macedonia, Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The name "portogallo" is considered obsolete, but is still used in Italy.
The plant is considered one of the most ancient cultivated fruit trees in the world. The first description of an orange is found in the works ancient Greek philosopher and the natural scientist Theophrastus as early as 350 BC. The ancient Greeks became acquainted with it during Alexander the Great's campaign in India, where it is believed that the fruits were brought from China. According to most researchers, China is the birthplace of the orange, but there is another opinion about its origin. For example, the famous Russian scientist Nikolai Vavilov considered India to be the birthplace of culture, from where it was later introduced to China. IN Western Europe orange appeared only in the 15th century, or more precisely, in 1548, when the Dutch brought an unfamiliar fruit from southern China. In the Mediterranean and especially in the southern part of the continent, this fruit tree appeared much earlier. Thus, after the liberation of the Pyrenees and Southern Italy from the Saracens in the 11th century, it turned out that orange trees were found quite often in the gardens of local emirs and sultans; mention of them can be found in the poems of the famous Nizami, a classic of Persian poetry, dating back to 1197.
Soon after the plant became known in western Europe, it quickly spread along the entire Mediterranean coast, then came to Africa and South America, where it also took root well and has since been widely cultivated. On the territory Russian Empire oranges grew in Georgia, in the Batumi region, already at the beginning of the 18th century, and in the 19th century they began to be cultivated in the Sochi region.
Currently, the cultivation of oranges has been put on an industrial basis, its volumes are increasing every year. Fruit production forms an important part of the economy of countries with subtropical and tropical climates, such as the USA, Brazil, Mexico, India and Pakistan, China, Iran and Egypt, as well as all Mediterranean countries. Slightly less of them are grown in Spain and Greece.
In Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, due to climatic conditions, orange is less common; it is cultivated in the south of Ukraine, Crimea, and in the subtropics Krasnodar region. To the north it can only be found in greenhouses, or as a houseplant.
Producing countries export these valuable and popular fruits throughout the world. They spoil easily, so they are removed from the tree unripe and, to prevent damage during transportation, they are placed in boxes of 200-500 pieces, with each fruit wrapped in unglued paper. In order to choose a quality product when purchasing, it is necessary to take into account that smaller and medium-sized oranges are sweeter and juicier, and those collected at the beginning of winter (late November - December) last longer and have better taste qualities. In addition, ripe fruits have a strong aroma and are much heavier than unripe ones.
Caring for an orange tree is quite difficult. This is not just watering and fertilizing, you also need to deal with the formation of the crown. And is it possible to grow an orange tree from a seed at home? Sooner or later, every amateur gardener sets himself such an ambitious task. Growing is truly not for beginners. However, at home, even a gardener with relatively little experience can turn out a beautiful orange tree, of course, a decorative option.
orange tree
How do oranges grow in nature? Those who have ever been to Mediterranean countries and seen citrus groves know that this is a beautiful evergreen tree. Having visited such groves, people tend to take a wild orange with them to grow it at home. But there is terminological confusion here. Orange is unknown to science in its wild form. All trees that are found in the Mediterranean or Southeast Asian countries are cultivated. Sometimes bitter orange is called wild orange with its very beautiful flowers, pleasant aroma and bitter taste.
Grown in a garden (that is, in natural conditions) orange is a fairly tall tree. Much depends on the variety, but there are plant species that reach a height of 12 meters. Dwarf varieties grow up to 4-6 m. But an indoor orange will not grow above 2-2.5 m in length. But there are also compact indoor trees - only 80 cm tall.
A home-grown orange can look very beautiful because it will have dense crown, which can easily be given a pyramidal or round shape. You need to be careful with branches and shoots - they may have thorns, quite sharp, they reach 8-10 cm in length. Orange leaves have a very beautiful dark green color, which looks even more impressive due to the density of the leaves themselves, which are oval in shape and pointed tip. The length of the leaves can be approximately 15 cm, and they will be about 10 mm wide.
An orange planted in a pot can also produce other leaves, with a wavy edge. In fact, this is normal, since it is determined by the variety; it’s just that the gardener does not even always know what variety the orange tree seed he planted belonged to.
By planting such a plant in a pot, the owners of the house receive natural freshener air. The so-called glands are located at the very surface of the leaf; they contain essential oil, filling the room with a subtle aroma.
The lifespan of one leaf is no more than two years. But on an orange tree, both young and old leaves always live at the same time. Each type must perform its own tasks. Thanks to young leaves, photosynthesis occurs, that is, they are responsible for ensuring that the tree breathes and develops. And old leaves are a kind of storage of nutrients.
In order to understand how to grow an orange at home, you also need to consider its root system. Most fruit trees have roots with special hairs that are needed to absorb more moisture and nutrients from the soil. Orange has a different root structure. A kind of capsules are formed on them, in which colonies of soil fungi live and reproduce, forming a fairly strong mycelium underground with the roots of the orange itself. This results in mutually beneficial coexistence - the tree supplies the mushrooms with amino acids and carbohydrates, which they themselves cannot obtain from the soil. In return, the mushrooms provide the roots with the right amount of moisture and minerals, which they process into the most digestible form.
As they grow, myceliums become sensitive to drought conditions. That's why growing oranges at home requires regular and sufficient watering. If this is not done, the mushrooms will grow outward, lower soil temperatures and contribute to the exposure of the roots, which can lead to the death of the tree.
How to grow an orange at home (video)
What do orange flowers look like?
One of the main advantages of this tree is its orange flowers. In the old days, brides decorated their hair with them and pinned them to the bodice of their dresses. Orange flowers are bisexual, large, and can reach 5 cm in diameter. There are varieties in which they grow singly, but there are also those in which they are collected in inflorescences of six pieces. Their color is usually white or pink. Buds are formed in the spring even at home. The flower can remain at the bud stage for about a month, but it blooms for only a few days.
When choosing material for planting an orange, the initial characteristics of the fruit are not so important. Optimists choose their favorite variety based on the fact that orange varieties can have a sweet-sour, sweet or bitter taste. It is very doubtful that it will survive in a young tree, but you can still try. The shape of the fruit can also be different. And this characteristic may continue to exist. IN home interior Trees with round fruits look more beautiful. Interestingly, from a botanical point of view, the orange fruit is both a fruit and a berry.
The color of the orange peel can also vary. On the one hand, the usual color is orange, but it is not found in every variety. Therefore, the peel of the fruit can be light yellow and even have greenish spots. However, it will still look beautiful.
Planting a tree and caring for it
Before planting an orange from a seed, you need to familiarize yourself with agricultural technology. Most experts believe that the plant can be planted at home at any time of the year. But it’s better to do this in mid-spring, when there will be enough sunlight to ensure its intensive growth.
Interestingly, at home, oranges can be propagated not only by seeds, but also by cuttings, and each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, trees grow from cuttings much earlier than from seeds. The problem is that this cutting still needs to be found somewhere, and in garden centers There are only flowering seedlings, which are quite expensive (and not every center has them in stock). But if you manage to get a cutting, the tree that grows from it will completely retain all the characteristics of the mother plant. But an orange tree made from seed is less reliable and at the same time more cheap option. And this task is interesting for any gardener.
How to grow an orange from a seed? For this purpose, it is necessary to select the most ripe and largest fruits, and from them best seeds, round and voluminous. Dried seeds are not suitable for these purposes. Please note that there are varieties of oranges that do not produce seeds at all, so you still need to carefully select the source “material”. However, in most fruits there are multi-embryo seeds, which are present in each segment of the fruit, and they are located in the pulp one above the other.
The seeds need to be germinated. For this you will need damp cloth And plastic cup from under yogurt. If you cover the glass with a plastic bag, you will get an impromptu greenhouse, which is kept in a warm place and ensures a stable level of humidity.
After 3-5 weeks, an orange sprout will appear above the surface. As soon as it reaches literally 2 cm in height, it can already be planted in prepared soil in a container with a diameter of 7-9 cm. At the bottom of the pot there should be a drainage layer of expanded clay, and on top of this there should be ready soil for citrus plants. The container with the sprout is placed closer to natural light, but so that it is not exposed to direct sunlight. When transplanting, do not bury the sprouts too deeply. You need to act carefully so as not to damage the root system and mycelium described above.
How to grow an orange at home? Caring for it must be constant. Young plants need to be watered frequently. It is advisable to spray them with clean water that has had time to settle (it should be room temperature). As the tree grows, it will need more water.
How to grow an orange tree from this plant? As soon as 4-6 leaves are formed on it, the seedlings will need to be replanted again, and this will require larger pots. It is important not to forget that an orange tree at home also forms a fairly stable connection between the root system and the mycelium, so it is replanted together with an earthen lump.
Even under the most ideal conditions, the orange does not receive enough sunlight. That's why they light him up ultraviolet lamp. It is important to maintain optimal temperature in the room.
Experienced gardeners grow several sprouts at once. The fact is that even with the most careful care of the orange tree, not all of them will be accepted. At the stage described above, they undergo natural selection. In a couple of weeks, the owner will already know which sprouts will become the strongest, and will leave only them. How does the orange tree continue to grow?
Caring for citrus fruits in an apartment (video)
Formation of the tree crown
This stage plays a critical role. If this is not done, then the tree will not produce flowers or fruits. This is usually done when the orange reaches a height of 20-30 cm. Then it is necessary to carefully trim the top of the plant. Then it will begin to form branches of the second order. When they are pinched, branches of the third order will appear, etc.
Theoretically, the tree should bloom in the fourth or fifth year after planting. But you can get the fruits earlier. To do this, you just need to figure out how to plant an orange at home.
Used different methods, which generally boil down to the fact that you can:
- Graft a healthy branch from a well-bearing one.
- Replant several times different soil to strengthen the root system.
- Make ringing. This is done as follows: squeeze the twig with a wire, and then carefully remove the bark in the form of a ring. When the orange begins to bloom, the wire is removed.
- Give the tree a cold winter. Many gardeners even believe that this method will be the most effective. But in this case, you need to find the orange a room in which he can spend the entire winter period at a temperature of +6-7 °C. How to care for an orange during this period? It needs to be watered as rarely as possible, once every 10 days is enough, there is no need to apply fertilizers at all. If you follow these simple recommendations, then in the spring you will notice rapid growth tree.
That's why citrus trees and used in the interior, they look beautiful thanks to their round crown and glossy leaves. And this tree blooms very beautifully.
Additionally
What other care does he need? It is necessary to protect the orange tree from pests. It can be threatened by plant mites, thrips, scale bugs and even aphids. Therefore, an orange tree, even one growing at home, must be treated with an appropriate insecticidal preparation every six months.
For sustainable development, the tree needs feeding. It should be fertilized once every two weeks from March to November. For this purpose they are used ready-made mixtures for citrus fruits. Some gardeners recommend using old tea leaves for the same purpose, which are buried in the ground.
Orange is a plant from which you can get fruits. This is done using artificial pollination. To do this, a brush is used that transfers pollen from one flower to another. Is it possible to eat such fruits? Theoretically it is possible harmful substances They definitely won't be there. But such oranges are not sweet and juicy. But such a round orange ball among the dark green foliage looks very beautiful and fills the room with a pleasant natural aroma. It is recommended to place a blooming and then fruiting orange in the living room, where it will become the central element of the decor. If all growing rules are followed, the plant will bloom and bear fruit at the same time, and this is very beautiful.
For each of us, the smell of orange and tangerine evokes a feeling of celebration. Believe it or not, you can create this holiday for yourself all year round if you grow an orange tree on your windowsill.
The Merheulsky variety is most often grown in apartments: its growth rarely exceeds one meter. If you try hard and be patient, you can collect from 2 to 40 fruits from one plant.
- The photo shows an orange tree
Orange tree: care at home
Orange is a tropical guest with great whims. It loves warmth, so it is best to grow it in warm southern rooms.
In winter, it is advisable to place them in special greenhouses for citrus fruits, but it is unlikely that a simple amateur grower has such an opportunity.
Orange is picky about its surroundings. It is better if the following representatives of the flora are not next to him:
- monstera;
- hibiscus;
- large-leaved ficus;
- cucumber seedlings
Lighting
The orange tree simply loves light. The owner should not only place it in a well-lit place, but also provide additional lighting. At the same time, it is better not to keep the plant in the open sun for a long time. There is a risk of leaf burn.
Temperature
The ideal temperature is:
- in summer +25 degrees;
- in winter - no higher than +13 degrees, tolerates short-term drops to zero degrees.
For an orange to bear fruit, it must be kept in a room with a temperature of 15-18 degrees.
In the heat and unbearable heat above +30, the buds fall off, and the plant itself slows down its growth.
The peculiarity of the orange tree is that it practically never has a dormant period in an apartment. You continue to look after him in the same way as you looked after him. If in winter you send it to a balcony or a special greenhouse, the plant will go into a state deep sleep, and maintenance will be reduced to a minimum.
Video: Growing citrus fruits at home
Watering
All citrus fruits love moisture. Because of this, under no circumstances should the soil be allowed to dry out. As soon as the soil, which was scooped up at a depth of 5-10 cm, does not roll into a ball, start watering. In summer, oranges are watered daily; in winter, the volume and frequency are slightly reduced: once every five or ten days. It all depends on the temperature of the content.
Watering is carried out exclusively with well-settled water. Be sure to warm -25-30 degrees.
Oranges may not show signs of water shortage for a long time. Only in case of critical dehydration do its leaves lose their former elasticity and droop. It is no longer possible to save a plant in this state.
Spraying
Orange, as a representative of citrus fruits, prefers a “bathhouse” climate. In short, air humidity should be as close to 90% as possible. You need to spray the plant every day and more than once. In addition, next to flower pot Additional containers of water should be placed.
If the air in the room remains dry, the option of using a special humidifier cannot be ruled out.
Feeding
When feeding an orange tree, it is important not to overdo it. nutrients. There must be balance in everything. Experienced flower growers It is recommended to use ready-made fertilizers such as Humisola. Fertilizing is carried out 2 - 3 times a year using the foliar method.
Crown formation
To wait for the fruits, the crown of the tree needs to be put in order and shaped. If you keep it for decoration, then you don’t have to cut it, just remove the shoots. Pruning is carried out in the spring.
Video: How to shape citrus fruits
Transfer
Young plants - annually, over 5 years old - once every 3 years, old plants - every 6-7 years.
Oranges are long-lived. By providing him proper care, you will enjoy the aroma and taste of attractive fruits for a long time.
It first appeared in China more than two decades ago. It was brought to Europe by the Portuguese, and today this popular citrus fruit can be found on the streets of many coastal cities with subtropical climatic conditions both on our continent and in America, Australia, etc.
Today it is fashionable to grow various exotic plants, including the orange tree, which will not only perfectly decorate any interior, but will also be fragrant, conveying its tart and pleasant smell.
And how nice it is to watch how it will grow, bloom and bear fruit! Just a little patience, a little effort - and the orange tree will more than thank the owner with lush flowers and delicious orange “balls”.
The method of growing such a non-standard plant in the house, although not entirely simple, is possible. You just need to eat the delicious fruit, select the seeds from it, and then plant them in a small pot, which you must immediately place in a warm, sunny place.
Once a day you need to water the future orange tree, the care of which involves daily watering for rapid seed germination.
After about fifteen days, the first sprouts appear, which, as a rule, have one or two leaves.
When a tree about fifteen centimeters high already grows in a pot, you need to think about replanting it. To improve subsequent growth, experts advise replanting the sprout into a deeper container.
It is very useful to periodically fertilize the soil; you can sometimes water the orange tree at home with regular tea leaves left over from tea.
Gradually, the exotic guest begins to gain growth, and when she reaches half a meter in height, you can tie her to some kind of peg stuck in a pot.
After waiting for the orange tree to finally get stronger, you can begin the grafting process, which is necessary for the plant to develop normally and bear fruit at home.
You need to remember that the graft must be done from another tree that has already produced fruit several times. In order for the plant to develop normally and begin to delight with its orange fruits, it is necessary to organize artificial irrigation, as well as periodically feed it with special fertilizers, which today are sold everywhere in specialized stores. Moreover, such fertilizing, according to experts, greatly improves the taste of fruits, which are somewhat bitter under indoor cultivation conditions.
However, lovers of house plants need to know that the orange tree is a rather whimsical plant that requires very careful care. And it’s not a fact that it will delight its owner with fruits sooner than in ten years, and sometimes the tree may not bear fruit at all.
But there is no need to despair, especially since you can watch how what you planted turns green and rises. with my own hands a tree is a huge and incomparable satisfaction.