How to grow an orange tree. Orange tree, home care, photo

There are a lot of exotic fruit lovers. By the way, it is already difficult to call an orange as such, it can be bought so freely in the vastness of the country. But you can grow an orange tree and provide home care for it. To do this, it is not necessary to purchase seed, it is enough to use seeds from the fruit you have eaten. How to care for an orange and form a healthy indoor plant a year after planting, read below.

In order to ensure the cultivation of an orange at home, you must first of all take care of good fruit-bearing soil. Get flower potting soil. If you wish, you can simply bring the land from suburban area... But remember: in this case, it is recommended to add good fertilizers... It's better to use humus for a start.

Another significant point: be sure to treat the soil with boiling water before using it directly. Orange tree it will take root well at home if you correctly plant it or germinate it from grain, and also provide everything the necessary conditions content. These include lighting, irrigation features, and temperature regime... Let us dwell on these points in more detail.

Lighting

Caring for an orange tree will be complete if you choose the right light intensity for it and, in general, put it in the right place. Homemade orange cannot do without sunlight. The natural environment for this plant is the tropics, therefore moisture and lighting are the most important points in the process of creating a favorable microclimate for you.

Do not be afraid to put a flowerpot with a tree near the window: direct sunlight is exactly what he needs. But that's if it comes about a mature representative of indoor greenery. The young specimen is too susceptible to open and too bright lighting. Try to accustom him to these conditions gradually.

As you can see, age is very important. To begin with, it is better to put the plant in partial shade, and then put the flower pot in a brightly lit place for a while. Or use some kind of cover in the event that you do not want to move the pot back and forth.

Temperature

Anyone can grow an orange at home. But for this, create favorable conditions for development. Great value has a temperature regime. Optimum performance for indoor orange is 27-28 degrees. Fruiting citrus do not leave in a draft. Otherwise, it may lose aesthetic appearance, will become frail, as well as unnecessarily painful. At the same time, do not forget about the need to ventilate the room in which the tree grows.

Humidity

Orange blooming tree will develop fully, provided that the soil does not dry out. Of course, it is undesirable to overfill the plant with water, but the earthen lump should not be covered with a dry crust. Another important point: in winter period the temperature regime is about 10-18 degrees, so the intensity and frequency of watering are reduced. The best approach is to irrigate the substrate once a week or no more than twice a month.

Fertilizers and watering

Watering and spraying conditions in the summer are somewhat different from those in winter. Insofar as room temperature the apartment will be much higher, water indoor orange will also have to be repeated. In addition, more often you need to spray the plant. Another thing in winter: it is not recommended to spray the foliage at all, otherwise it will start to rot.

It is necessary to feed the orange, and this is done about once every two weeks. Use a citrus compound fertilizer as a nutrient mixture. But that's what concerns spring-summer periodwhen the plant is actively increasing its vegetative mass. Already from the beginning of October, feeding should be completely stopped, because the orange is in a state of suspended animation.

Grafting features

How many years does an orange live at home is a question that interests many. Provided that you can properly care for it, the plant's life span will drag on for about 75 years. But this requires a lot of effort. Grafting is another important part of citrus care. This process is carried out in two possible ways:

• classic (an ordinary seedling is taken as a stock);
• budding (plant bud must be implanted into wood).

How to make a homemade orange bear fruit, they know firsthand experienced florists... In this case, you cannot do without vaccination.

Tree pruning

You can provide complete care for an orange tree if you study each of the stages. A properly cut plant is a pledge successful cultivation in room conditions. This procedure must be carried out in the spring, before the plant begins to actively grow. Make sure to take the time to cut the orange, or it won't bloom in time and may not form fruit.

Protection against diseases and pests

Indoor orange care video

In this video, you will learn how to water, plant and care for an orange tree in your home.

Botanical name: orange tree (Citrus sinensis) - species fruit trees, belonging to the genus citrus of the orange subfamily of the Rutaceae family. It has long been grown in culture, the fruits of the tree, oranges, are widely known and are considered one of the most useful and delicious fruits.

Homeland of the orange: China.

Lighting: photophilous.

The soil: light, loose, with a neutral reaction

Watering: abundant during growth, limited during rest.

Maximum tree height: up to 12 m.

Average tree life: 75 years old.

Landing: propagated by cuttings, seeds, grafting.

Description of the orange

Orange is cultivated plant and does not occur in the wild. It is a hybrid form, obtained in ancient times by crossing citrus species such as mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and pomelo (Citrus maxima)

The orange tree (see photo below) is evergreen, with a compact dense crown, there are rather large thorns or thorns on the branches and young shoots. Sizes strongly depend on the variety, tall forms can reach 12 m, grafted on dwarf rootstocks - 4-6 m, and grown as houseplants do not exceed 2-2.5 m. There are even more compact varieties created specifically for indoor use and having a height of only 60-80 cm.

The root system of an orange is superficial and has a number of features that must be taken into account when cultivating it. So, unlike other fruit trees, there are no root hairs on the roots of an orange, through which moisture and nutrients are usually absorbed, instead of them, at the tips of the roots there are cases 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 vital activity, and in return convert water and mineral compounds, primarily phosphorus, into a form available for assimilation by a tree.

Such a community, called mycorrhiza, helps to increase the yield of the crop, the growing mycelium increases the absorbing 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 very poorly tolerated transplanting with an open root system.

Orange leaves in the photo with a description

Orange leaves are dark green, leathery, pointed oval in shape, their size is approximately 10x15 cm. They have a single wavy or serrated edge and petioles with small winged appendages, connected to the petioles through a fairly wide intermediate articulation. Inside the leaf plates there are glands filled with aromatic oilwhich smells similar to orange blossom. The lifespan of one leaf is about 2 years. Most of them (about 25%) fall off during the dormant period, from February to March, another quarter - throughout the year. A healthy tree only loses old leaves.

TO biological characteristics orange leaf property different ages perform different functions. The young participate in photosynthesis, that is, the plant breathes with them, while the old serve to accumulate nutrientsnecessary for the growth of branches, flowering and ripening of fruits. Excessive loss of old leaves under unfavorable external conditions leads to a delay in the development of the tree, the absence or weakening of flowering and fruit setting.

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 little-opening perianth there is a long single pistil surrounded by many yellow stamens. It forms in the axils of leaves on the shoots of the current year, usually growing downward or horizontally.

Orange flowers (see photo below) are usually collected in a brush of 6 pieces, less often they are single, have an intense aroma. Flower buds are laid in March or early April, and for a long time, sometimes up to a month, are in the bud stage.

The opening of the petals and fruit setting occurs at a strictly defined temperature, about 16-18 ° C, at a higher or lower temperature background, the buds crumble. A blossoming 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 a plant is round or broadly oval in shape, has a structure characteristic exclusively for representatives of the subfamily of orange, and is called hesperidium or orange. It is multi-nested, multi-seeded or seedless, and is similar 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 below it there is a thin white layer called albedo. Orange peel, depending on the variety and degree of ripeness, makes up from 17 to 42% of the fruit weight, 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 the large translucent glands are filled essential oil, the percentage of which ranges from 1.2% to 2.2%.

The inner part of the fruit, or intercarp, consists of separating nests or lobules (9-13 pcs.), Covered with films of various thicknesses and densities and filled with large juicy pulp cells in the form of nipple sacs, sweet, sour-sweet or sour-bitter taste. In most varieties, numerous seeds are immersed in the pulp, white in cross-section, usually multi-embryonic. There are also seedless forms of the plant, in which the fruits are formed parthenocarpically, without pollination, and the seeds are absent.

How do orange seeds ripen?

The tree is characterized by remontability, or the ability to repeatedly bloom and bear fruit during one season, therefore, as can be seen in the photo, a blooming orange can be simultaneously decorated not only with buds, but also with fruits varying degrees maturity. The latter ripen, depending on the variety, within 8-9 months, and with a lack of lighting and longer, in a mature form they can remain on the branches for a long time, and when grown in open ground, they again acquire a green color by spring, and then turn yellow again by autumn ... The seeds of oranges, ripening for two years, are of higher quality, but the taste and nutritional properties of such fruits due to the low content of biologically active substances are getting worse.

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 seeds, 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 use of the orange

The name of the fruit sounds different in different languages, and mainly reflects its origin. So, in Holland it is "Appelsien", in Germany - "Apfelsine", "Appelsine" or "Sineser apfel", in France - "Pom de Sine". All these names are translated as "apple from China". The name "orange" accepted in Russian also comes from the German "Apfelsine".

Later in France, the fruit was 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 \u200b\u200band literally means "Portugal". It reflects the fact that for a long time it was Portugal that was the main exporter of sweet fruits to other countries in the region. One way or another, oranges are called 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 oldest cultivated fruit trees in the world. The first description of an orange is found in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus as far back as 350 years BC. The ancient Greeks met him during the campaign of Alexander the Great to India, where, it is believed, the fruits were brought from China. According to most researchers, it is China that is the birthplace of the orange, but there is another opinion about its origin. For example, the famous Russian scientist Nikolai Vavilov considered India the birthplace of culture, from where it was later introduced to China. IN Western Europe the orange appeared only in the 15th century, or rather, in 1548, when the Dutch brought an unfamiliar fruit from southern China. In the Mediterranean and especially in the southern part of the continent, it is fruit tree appeared much earlier. So, after the liberation of the Pyrenees and Southern Italy from the Saracens in the 11th century, it turned out that in the gardens of local emirs and sultans, orange trees were found quite often, mention of them can be found in the poems of the famous Nizami, a classic of Persian poetry, dated back to 1197.

Soon after the plant became known in western Europe, it quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean coastline, then into Africa and South America, where it also perfectly took root and has since been widely cultivated. In 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.

At present, the cultivation of oranges is put on an industrial basis, its volumes are increasing every year. Fruit production forms an important part of the economies 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. Somewhat less of them are grown in Spain and Greece.

In Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union due to climatic conditions, the orange is less common, it is cultivated in the south of Ukraine, in the Crimea, in the subtropics Krasnodar Territory... To the north, it can only be found in greenhouses, or as a houseplant.

The producing countries export these valuable and popular fruits all over the world. They easily deteriorate, therefore they are removed from the tree unripe and, to prevent damage during transportation, are stacked in boxes of 200-500 pieces, with each fruit wrapped in non-glued paper. In order to choose a high-quality product when buying, it must be borne in mind that smaller and medium-sized oranges are sweeter and juicier, and those harvested at the beginning of winter (end of November - December) last longer and have better taste. In addition, ripe fruits have a strong aroma and are much heavier than unripe ones.

Fragrant and delicious citruses can not only be bought in the store, but also grown independently. The orange tree has many varieties and some of them are suitable for home breeding in pots. It is important to know the rules of cultivation and care for the plant to take up and develop.

What does an orange tree look like?

This type of citrus is a cultivated plant, and it was obtained by crossing mandarin and pomelo. The tree is evergreen with a compact, dense crown. The description of the orange tree includes the following information:

1. The sizes are directly related to the variety, so tall varieties reach a height of 12 m, and dwarf ones - 4-6 m.There are also indoor plants that can be from 60 cm to 2.5 m.
2. The root system is superficial and does not have hairs through which other plants receive moisture and useful material... Instead, at the tips of the roots there are special cases containing mushrooms that exist in symbiosis with the plant. They transfer moisture and nutrients.
3. The orange tree has dark green leaves that are pointed, oval in shape. Inside them are glands filled with aromatic oil, which is identical to the flowers of this plant.

How does an orange tree bloom?

This plant has large bisexual flowers, which reach 5 cm in diameter. The color of the five petals is often white, but a reddish tint may also be present. In the center is a long single pistil surrounded by stamens yellow color... Flowers are collected in a brush of about 6 pieces, single variants are rare. Blossoming of an orange tree occurs only under certain conditions, and flower buds, laid in March-April, will open only at a temperature of 16-18 ° C. The blossoming bud falls off after 2-3 days.

How to grow an orange tree?

There are several varieties that can be used for indoor growing, and the following three options are most popular:

1. Pavlovsky. This variety reaches a maximum height of 1 m. It can be propagated using cuttings. The fruits ripen for a long time, during which it is important to provide special care.
2. Gamlin. If you are interested in how to grow an orange tree at home, then you can choose this variety, the height of which reaches 1.5 m. The crop can be harvested in autumn, and the fruits are juicy and sweet-sour.
3. Washington Navel.The most popular variety that is suitable for home conditions. The height of an orange tree can be up to 2 m. It is worth noting an interesting advantage - a pleasant aroma is released during flowering. The fruits can be harvested from the age of three. The fruits are large.

How to plant an orange tree?

In order to grow citrus fruits on your windowsill, you need to prepare seeds, which should only be fresh, that is, not dry.

1. Having collected planting material, be sure to rinse it, and then leave it in water for 8-12 hours to swell.
2. To get an orange tree from seed, planting should be done in loose soil or peat. You need to deepen the seeds by 1 cm. Be sure to cover the container with foil or cover with glass to create a greenhouse effect.
3. Place the container in a shaded, warm place. Water the ground periodically and ventilate the plantings. The sprouts should appear after a month and a half.
4. After that, it is recommended to expose the container to the light (direct rays of the sun are dangerous). It is important to provide the seedlings with long daylight hours. For this, you can use special lamps.

Orange tree primer

For the successful cultivation of this plant, the quality of the soil is of great importance. To do right choice, consider these recommendations:

1. If you are interested in where the orange tree grows when it is still young, then it is better to choose the following composition: 2 parts of turf and 1 part of leafy soil, humus and sand. Experts advise to recruit sod land in gardens.
2. For an older tree, it is better to use the following soil composition: 3 parts of turf, 1 part of leafy earth, humus and sand. You can add some greasy clay.
3. It is recommended to ensure that the selected soil has a pH of 6.5-7.
4. Be sure to remove all unnecessary impurities from the prepared soil, such as pebbles or roots of other plants.
5. The prepared potting mix must be left to mature for at least 14 days.

How to plant an orange tree?

When the plant begins to develop well, pruning can be done to form beautiful crown... After 6-8 years, flowers may appear, and the fruits are likely to be small and bitter, so it is important to vaccinate. In the instructions on how to grow an orange tree at home, there is a mandatory procedure that involves grafting a bud or branch of a cultural garden plant... It is better to carry out the procedure when the plant is already 1-3 years old.

How long does an orange tree grow at home?

The duration of plant growth depends on correct fit and care. If you focus on natural conditions, then in the subtropics, 4 years should pass from planting seeds to the appearance of fruits. In order for an orange tree in a pot to start bearing fruit, grafting is carried out and then after 3 years it will be possible to harvest. Life cycle this culture is approximately 75 years old.

How to care for an orange tree?

1. Lighting.It is better to put the pot in a place with diffused lighting. In cold weather, it is recommended to use artificial lighting up to 12 hours.
2. Temperature.In summer, room temperature is also suitable, and in winter it is necessary to maintain the indicators at the level of 10-18 ° C. It is important to regularly ventilate, but exclude drafts.
3. Humidity. For an orange tree, home care in hot weather includes daily spraying using soft, settled water. In winter, the air is dry, so increase the humidity by all means.

How to water an orange tree at home?

There are some tips to keep the soil moisturized to keep in mind:

1. They judge whether it is necessary to water according to the condition of the soil. It is important not to allow the earthen coma to dry out completely. To determine the moisture content, squeeze a lump of soil, and if it crumbles, then water it.
2. To water a small orange tree, it is not recommended to use tap waterbecause it contains a lot of alkali metal and chlorine. It should be boiled or you can take it hot water from the tap.
3. The liquid must be allowed to settle for at least 24 hours in the open field, which will remove chlorine. If possible, it is recommended to take water from a well, lake or stream.
4. In winter, the orange tree is dormant, so the intervals between watering should be increased.

How to feed an orange tree?

For good growth, flowering and fruiting, it is necessary to apply fertilizer in spring and summer, and this should be done every two weeks. It is important to fertilize the next day after watering. Fertilizer for the orange tree is poured in until it begins to flow out of drain holes pot. You can use special additives designed for citrus fruits or take options for indoor plants.

Many will be surprised by the fact that adult plants, whose height is at least a meter, can be fed with fish broth once a month. It is believed that this can enhance fruiting. Take 200 g of fish waste or small fish (not salted), pour 2 liters of water and boil for 30 minutes. After that, the solution should be filtered and diluted with cold water.

Pruning an orange tree

When the height of the plant reaches 20 cm, it is recommended to pinch off 2-3 leaves from the top. Thanks to this, the side branches will begin to develop, forming a beautiful crown. They are considered to be branches of the first order, and if you cut them off (there should be 4-5 branches of 20-25 cm each), they will begin to form branches of the second order (their length is no more than 25 cm), and so on. Using this scheme, you can shape an orange tree in your apartment to your liking. It is important that after a few years many branches of the fifth order form on the bush, since fruits will form on them.

How to transplant an orange tree?

It is better to carry out such a procedure in spring or autumn, when root system will not be subject to temperature shock. You can transplant the plant into a pot or directly into the ground. It is important to do everything carefully so as not to damage the root system.

1. Dig a hole suitable size... The addition of soil improvers and compost is not recommended unless the soil is very sandy or clayey. Remove the homemade orange tree along with the lump by turning the flowerpot over and moistening the soil first. Install it in the hole, fill it with earth and tamp it. Note that the top of the root ball should be 2.5-3 cm below the surrounding soil.
2. When choosing a pot, it must be borne in mind that its size should be twice as large as the root ball. The process is similar to the previous one, that is, the orange tree should be transferred to a new container. The procedure cannot be carried out more often than once every 2-3 years.

Diseases of the orange tree

This culture is susceptible to the influence of a large number of fungal diseases, but it should be noted that weak plants that do not receive proper care... Here are some tips on how to save an orange tree:

1. Root rot is caused by over-watering and stagnant liquid in the pot. The disease develops imperceptibly until the leaves begin to fall off intensively. In this case, the plant only needs to be transplanted by removing the rotten roots.
2. A sooty fungus appears on leaves and branches in the form of a black coating. It is removed and the room must be ventilated. It is recommended to reduce the intensity of watering.
3. The scab on an orange tree appears on the leaves as dark bumps. As a result, they fall off, and the bark cracks. Other fungicides must be used to remove the problem. Spraying is carried out in the spring or after flowering. It is important to remove and burn diseased leaves and branches.
4. Wartiness provokes the formation of growths on the shoots, and gray warts on the leaves. For control, you can use Bordeaux spray liquid after wintering, flowering and in mid-summer.
5. It is worth noting that the tree can be affected by almost all pests and more often than others appear. To fight, you need to spray.

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 on the American, Australian, 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 grows, blooms and bear fruit! Just a little patience, a little effort - and the orange tree will more than thank the owner with lush color 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 delicious fruit, take the bones out of it, and then put them in a small pot, which must be immediately put in a warm, sun-deliberate place.

Once a day, you need to water the future orange tree, the care of which involves daily watering for rapid seed germination.

Approximately fifteen days later, the first shoots appear, on which, as a rule, there are one or two leaves.

When a tree about fifteen centimeters high will already grow in the pot, you need to think about transplanting it. To improve subsequent growth, experts advise transplanting 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 ordinary tea leaves.

Gradually, the exotic guest begins to gain height, and when she has already reached half a meter in height, you can tie her to some peg stuck in a pot.

After waiting for the orange tree to finally get stronger, you can start the grafting process, which is necessary for the plant to develop normally and bear fruit at home.

It is necessary to remember that the grafting must be done from another tree, which has already given fruit many 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 are now widely sold in specialized stores. Moreover, such dressings, according to experts, greatly improve the taste of fruits, which are somewhat bitter under conditions of indoor cultivation.

However, home plant lovers need to know that the orange tree is a rather whimsical plant that requires very careful care. And it is not a fact that it will please its owner with fruits earlier than ten years later, and sometimes the tree may not bear fruit at all.

But there is no need to despair, especially as to watch how the planted grows green and rises with my own hands a tree is a huge and incomparable satisfaction.

Growing an orange tree at home is not easy. An inexperienced gardener is unlikely to cope with such a task, especially if he sets himself the goal of getting a fruiting plant. However, with some effort and the recommendations in this article, it is quite possible to succeed. If you have never “taken in” citrus fruits before, try first to use a purchased orange tree. If the experiment succeeds, you can start trying to enrich your garden with a plant grown from a stone.

What kind of orange is grown in the house

Of the citrus fruits intended specifically for indoor cultivation, three are especially popular:

1. Pavlovsky orange. It is not high - a meter maximum. Quite fruiting, additional specimens can be obtained by ordinary cuttings. However, the fruits ripen for a long time, up to nine months, during which the tree requires increased attention and careful care.
2. Gamlin. It will be taller - it will grow to one and a half meters. Fruits are juicy, sweet-sour, few seeds. The harvest should be expected late in the fall.
3. Washington Navel. Home gardeners' favorite orange tree. Can grow up to two meters; below one adult plant can not be. An additional bonus - it smells charming during flowering, the hair can bear fruit from the age of three. The fruits are quite large, up to a third of a kilogram.

It is advised not to buy a fruiting orange tree: when changing residence, it may give up fruiting for a couple of years. Let it already agree to "feed" you when it takes root.

How to choose the right place

In order for a homemade orange tree to agree to stay with you, you must first put it in a place that fully meets the needs of the plant. You need light - abundant, but not too bright. The east and south sides are suitable if the tree is not close to the window. You can determine the desired distance by the state of the leaves. If the leaves begin to stretch and corrugate, they must be moved closer, without waiting for falling off. If they start to turn yellow, they should be moved a little further (although this rarely happens). An additional concern should be to periodically rotate the pot so that the orange tree is exposed to the light on different sides, and the crown forms harmoniously. And in the summer it would be nice to take it out into the garden or onto the balcony.

Temperature

You also need to be careful about heat. If the temperature drops below 5 degrees, the orange tree may die. At high (25 and above) it will begin to grow actively, but it will not even think about bearing fruit. It is desirable to keep it in the 15-18 degree range. If ovaries have already appeared, vigilance can be weakened, just not to allow drying out. The southern tree will cope on its own.

Gentle watering

Basically, an orange tree (photo) loves water. So in the heat, water and spray it daily. Water for these purposes should be not only settled, but also warm. However, it is not recommended to heat it. It is better to put it next to the pot ahead of time so that it is at the air temperature at the time of watering. During cold snaps and in winter, spraying stops, and watering is done in a day or two. With the volume of water like this: let it be less than more. The leaves twisted from water starvation will straighten afterwards, but the roots rotted from stagnant water cannot be saved.

Beautiful crown not only for aesthetics

If you have already figured out the basic rules of how to grow an orange tree, now you need to figure out how to get fruit from it. And for this, the plant must have a formed crown suitable for reproduction. If you don't do this, you can get a crop only in a decade. Branches of the fifth order bear fruit. Therefore, in the spring, branches longer than 10 centimeters are pinched and the lower leaves are torn off. This will give you a branchy tree with a uniform crown.

Such manipulations are made in the spring. Actions should be carried out over the kidney, so that it is outside. Special attention is given to shoots weakened, strongly elongated and growing inside the crown. And if the orange tree has grown strongly, above a third of a meter, with poor development of lateral branches, the top is mercilessly cut off.

Transfer

The rule of replanting indoor plants annually does not apply to the orange tree. It should be resettled about once every three years. Young specimens can be transplanted in two, but not more often. This is done by the transshipment method, without crumbling the roots. Special attention is paid to drainage - its layer must be thick enough. And the movement must take place before the orange tree (photo) blooms. Moreover, this process is unacceptable when it is already "feeding" the fruits.

Stimulation of fruiting

In order for an orange tree to bring you a harvest at home, you will have to take extra time for it. Without your care, its fruits will be small and bitter. There are two ways to improve their quality:

1. graft. If there is another tree that has already given fruit, small identical pieces are carefully cut out of the bark of both and change places. To prevent the damaged area from rotting, it is wrapped in cellophane. The operation is quite dangerous for plants. If you are afraid of not coping, call a professional for help;
2. wintering in extreme conditions. Fruiting will begin a little later than with vaccination, but much faster than without it. The orange tree is taken out into the cold (not excessive, so as not to freeze), watering and feeding are stopped. In such harsh circumstances, it must withstand at least a month. In the spring he is again surrounded with care. Already in the third year after hardening, it will give flowers.

If the capricious person still deigns to bloom, he can be pollinated with an ordinary brush. However, if there are a lot of flowers, and the extra ones are pinched, then the fruits will appear without pollination.

The bone will come in handy!

If you are suspicious of the specimens offered in flower shops, you can try growing an orange tree from the seed. To do this, go to the nearest supermarket and buy ripe, saturated color fetus. Its bones cannot be stored after being eaten; they must be planted immediately. The pot for the future tree is taken from clay. Since it is not a fact that the selected seed will sprout, several should be laid in the container at once. In case of increased success, the trees can be planted in separate "apartments" later. The land is bought special, for citrus fruits - or it is assembled independently, from medium-sized sand, humus, leafy soil and turf - three parts are taken of it, all other components one by one. The seed from which the orange tree should grow is immersed in the soil for two centimeters, after which the surface is sprayed with water, and the pot is covered with glass or wrapped in polyethylene. For a week, the container is placed in darkness and warmth, and then moved to the windowsill (again warm). Until the shoots appear, the shelter is not removed.