Very often, the attention of amateur gardeners is attracted by exotic plants that are found in many flower shops. Having bought and decorated your apartment with a beautiful citrus tree, you give it the necessary attention and proper care. But for some reason the plant stops growing, sheds its leaves and noticeably weakens. So it will wither until about two dozen leaves remain on it. Why is this happening?

The reason may be a change in growth conditions. In the greenhouse where the plant was grown, there was a certain temperature and humidity. The plant has become accustomed to them and living in different conditions weakens it (sometimes it can completely disappear).

To avoid such a scenario, it is best to grow the desired tree yourself from a seed and monitor its growth. This way it will be more hardened and adapted to the conditions of your home. So it’s worth doing this, and we’ll tell you how to grow an orange from a seed.

But first, let's tell you why is orange called that?.

Orange was obtained by the Chinese by crossing mandarin and. In China, it was called gold or “qin” because of the color of its peel. In most countries it is called "orange". But our name comes from the Prussian “Chinese apple” - appel + chin, which over time transformed into a name known to everyone.

So, how to grow an orange from a seed?

Proper planting of seeds

Where should you start growing? Naturally with the choice of seeds! You can take any seed from the fruit you eat, or you can buy seeds of a specific variety. It is best to choose the whole and most attractive seeds from the fruit you have just eaten. They need to be washed gently with your fingers under a clean running water, trying not to damage.

After clearing the seeds from the pulp, they need to be soaked in warm water for the night. Then the bones are placed on a damp towel and covered with it on top. This preserves the moisture necessary for germination. Drying out has a negative effect on plant germination. It is then recommended to place paper towel with seeds in a bag, creating a greenhouse effect for the seeds. Keep the bag of selected seeds warm.

Seed germination process

The recommended temperature for seed germination is 20-25 degrees. It is recommended to moisten the seeds in the bag if necessary. They should be moist and not dry out. Germination time may take about two weeks, perhaps a little longer, the main thing is to periodically ventilate the greenhouse you have created. Next, it remains to plant the seeds in a pot with sterile soil. To do this, heat it in a frying pan in a thin layer for several minutes.

First transplant

The first shoots appear after 3 or 5 weeks. When they grow to 2 cm, it is advisable to transplant them into pots with an approximate diameter of 7-9 cm. Cover the bottom of the pot with a small amount of expanded clay, creating this kind of drainage.

The sprouts are placed in a large flowerpot at the time when they acquire the fourth or fifth leaf. When transplanting into a pot larger diameter(9-11 cm) it is important to preserve the old clod of earth enveloping the roots. Do not remove it by force - this can damage the young roots. At this time, it is necessary to create the most favorable conditions for hardening and strengthening the sprouts.

Each transplant is carried out into a pot with a diameter 5 cm larger than the previous one. Transplants are completed when the crown of the tree begins to form.

Priming

Can buy ready soil for citrus fruits, or you can combine them yourself required mixture. To prepare it, use leaf soil, coarse river sand, humus and turf soil (recommended ratio is 1:1:1:3). It is not recommended to use pure peat to grow an orange tree.

Growth conditions

Pots with sprouts must be placed in a well-lit place; It is advisable to avoid direct contact sun rays(cover the window with sheets of white paper). When replanting a plant, do not bury it too deeply. The recommended depth is 1.5 cm. Sprouts and roots are fragile, so replanting must be done carefully.

Sprouted future trees should be regularly watered and sprayed with clean, warm water. As you grow, the amount of water consumed will increase.

How to form a crown?

Crown formation is an important point of care. The shape of the future tree depends on how its crown is formed. Formation begins when the orange grows to 20-30 cm. Then you need to cut off several leaves (2-4) from the top of the plant. This will provoke the tree to sprout lateral branches, which are already considered second-order branches. Trimming the crown of branches of the second order gives growth to branches of the third and subsequent orders.

The branches should be cut off when their length reaches about 20-30 cm. In this way, all new shoots are shortened. Thus, the trunk of the formed plant is 15 cm, and the crown consists of 3-4 branches, which are evenly covered with small twigs.

Your goal is to form branches of the fifth order; they are the ones that begin to bear fruit. But usually the fruits appear already in the 5-7th year of growth. It all depends on the characteristics of the variety itself and its growing conditions.

First flowers and fruits

The tree can bloom as early as 4-5 years. But it is better to cut off the first flowers, since the plant is not yet strong enough to bear fruit. good fruit An orange will give already at 8-10 years of growth. There are several options for obtaining fruits earlier than the specified date. Here are a few of them:

Grafting (graft a twig from an already fruit-bearing tree to your tree);
Frequent transplantation(2-3 transplants, which are performed in the summer, enhance the growth of the root system);
Ringing (pass the twigs with a wire or remove the bark in the form of a ring. After flowering begins, the wire must be removed);
Cold wintering (take the tree into a room with a temperature of 2-5 degrees for about 3 months).

Cold wintering is very effective. They are recommended to be carried out for 2-3 years. During wintering there is no need to fertilize, you can just water it not very often. After such procedures, the orange will begin to bear fruit in about 4 years.

Orange feeding

Oranges need to be fertilized in the spring. Starting from March and right up to November, feed the tree 2-3 times a month. Perfect fit liquid fertilizer“For citrus fruits” or at least old tea brewing.

As you approach the end of the conversation about how to grow an orange at home, also don’t forget about possible pests. For preventive purposes, treat the orange with an insecticide twice a year. It is easier to prevent pests from appearing than to get rid of them later.

In summer, it is recommended to feed the tree with ammonium nitrate, 5 g per 1 liter. water. This feeding is carried out regularly, with a break of 10 days. Once a month it is worth watering with a solution of superphosphate, 5 g per 1 liter. water. You can also water with fermented manure diluted with water (1:10).

In winter, fertilize only once a month. It is not recommended to pamper the plant with heat. The main thing is that the room is well lit, and the temperature is allowed from 1 to plus 6. Verandas, closed balconies or well-lit corridors are perfect for growing citrus in winter.

You can apply to the top layer of soil wood ash, scale, which contains iron oxide, as well as crushed bones.

We wish you success in growing your orange!

Adults citrus plants They're not cheap. It is tempting to grow an exotic tree with colorful fruits from an easily accessible seed that usually ends up in the trash. But a lot of questions arise: are the seeds from store-bought oranges suitable for growing or will they not produce fruit? How to plant correctly, how difficult is it?

Growing an orange from a seed is really not the easiest thing; the plant is quite capricious and delicate, so from the first days of planting it will be necessary to create conditions that are pleasant for it.

In addition, among all indoor citrus fruits, orange is less popular than others - its fruits are too large and, accordingly, the trees are huge in size. As a rule, lemons, tangerines, tangerines, and clementines are grown.

Seed selection and planting

Any seeds will do, but you should choose the sweetest, thin-skinned, well-ripened fruit. Wash the seeds and plant them in a container. Soil: either a ready-made soil mixture for citrus fruits, or a mixture of 1 part sand (river, not construction sand, please note that in children's sandboxes it is construction, sticky sand, it is not suitable), 1 part peat (peat is sold separately in any store) and 2 parts pine or turf soil. Very good drainage is required.

The soil is moistened, the seeds are planted to a depth of 2 cm. The container is covered with glass and placed in a bright place.

Watch the humidity! The container should be regularly ventilated and well watered, even spilled.

The sprouts will appear in 2 weeks, from which you should choose the strongest and healthiest. Plant the best seedlings in separate pots.

Now it will take a year for the plant to get stronger.

Caring for young orange trees

It is not much different from caring for, in fact, all indoor citrus fruits are very similar. You should:

1. Protect the plant from direct scorching sun, while the plant requires a sunny place.
2. Ensure even temperature.
3. Avoid drafts.
4. Illumination in winter.
5. In order for the tree to be even, with evenly developed branches and crown, you should regularly turn the pot, every day - no more than a quarter of a circle.
6. Be sure to form a crown, pinch the tips of branches of the 4th-5th order by 1-2 cm.
7. Frequent spraying is necessary, washing in the shower is the best prevention of diseases or pests that often affect plants standing in dry apartment air.
8. It is worth periodically watering the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate - this is both a fertilizer and the prevention of infectious root diseases.
9. Feeding is very important, you can read about it in detail here or here.

Fruits from homemade orange

From a seedling grown from a seed, fruits will appear only after 8-10 years!

Therefore, if you grow an orange tree not for sporting interest, but for the sake of its fruit, it must be grafted. Cuttings can be purchased from nurseries or directly from collectors. You can bring a twig from the resort - it can be stored for about a month in the refrigerator (vegetable compartment) or about a week in the room (the tip, of course, should be wrapped in damp gauze).

It is not necessary to do the grafting yourself; the following method is very widely practiced: the rootstock is brought to the collector and for a small fee they receive both the cutting and the graft itself.

Young plants are grafted, aged from six months to 3 years. The younger the plant, the better, but you should still look at the condition of the seedling.

It should be borne in mind that future fruiting depends on the quality of the rootstock, so frail, undeveloped trees are not suitable for grafting.

The grafted tree will bloom within 2-3 years, but the timing depends quite heavily on the variety.

Interesting: oranges are grafted onto seedlings grown from the seeds of not only oranges, but also lemons, grapefruits, and oranges.

Grafting technique

If you want to vaccinate yourself, then this technique can be mastered.

General rules:

1. It's worth practicing on unnecessary branches.
2. Everything is done quickly, accurately, confidently.
3. Tools (regular, but preferably a special grafting knife) must be extremely sharp.
4. It is desirable that the rootstock and scion have the same thickness.

If the diameter of the scion and rootstock coincide, use copulation method. Simply put, two branches are connected by cuts. The cuts should be smooth, clear, and ideal alignment of the cambium layers should be achieved. A more reliable method is copulation with a tongue. The grafting site is wrapped with insulating tape, the plant is placed under the bag, creating something like a mini-greenhouse. The place for the plant needs to be warm and bright. The bag is removed after a few weeks, the grafting site is inspected, if blackness is not visible, they wait another couple of weeks, and then the tape is removed - the grafting was successful. If the instruments are sharp and everything is done carefully, then the survival rate after grafting is 98%.

Grafted orange may start in the same year, but such flowers should be removed and the plant allowed to grow stronger. True flowering occurs in 2-3 years. Oranges are self-pollinating plants, so you don’t have to work with a bee. Care should be taken that the temperature is not too high; above 27 °C the pollen becomes sterile and then beautiful tree, covered with orange fruits, will remain only in dreams. If ovaries have formed, you should carefully evaluate how many of them the indoor orange will “pull.” There should be about 20 leaves per fruit, otherwise there is a very high probability that the fruits will fall off before they are ripe. The fruits ripen for a long time - from 8 to 10 months - however, this is precisely what provides the plant with almost year-round decorativeness.

About vaccination on video

Orange varieties

In rooms, unlike open ground plants, you can find not many types and varieties of orange. The classic varieties are described below:

1. Citrus aurantium (bitter orange)– a low tree or bush, the flowers are large and fragrant. The fruits are very beautiful, but taste quality not the best: sour with strong bitterness.
2. Washington Navel- perhaps the most famous variety. It is characterized by early ripening, the fruits are large, tasty, unusual shape(with a “navel”). It should be taken into account that this is a popular open ground variety, the plant will not be small, it is large tree with a spreading crown - of course this is a plant for a greenhouse fits better. It is better to grow dwarf analogues of the variety in rooms.
3. Hamlin– very tasty, sweet, juicy fruits with a shiny thin skin, spherical in shape. Industrial and indoor variety.
4. Pear-shaped wren– the fruits are larger than those of Hamlin, the peculiarity is the reddish tint of the pulp, the taste is sweet and sour with unusual wine tones, the juice from such fruits turns slightly pink. The plant is more compact than the two varieties described above.
5. Firstborn– Soviet variety, fruits 200 grams (like Washington Navel), juicy, sweet and sour, oval.
6. Pavlovsky– by analogy with the lemon variety of the same name, a very popular variety for rooms. The plant is low, up to 1 meter, beautifully formed, and bears fruit well.
7. Trovita Orange- another popular indoor variety, along with Pavlovsky (these two varieties can be called leaders) - it bears fruit very abundantly and feels good in rooms.

Lovers indoor plants, especially exotic ones, undoubtedly wondered how to grow an orange from a seed and whether this could be done at all indoors. Everyone can grow their own orange tree. In addition, orange is well suited for growing citrus crops.

Why is it better to take orange seeds for planting indoors?

For home grown orange is ideal, since its low-growing varieties have a maximum height of 3 meters (in subtropical conditions there are trees reaching 7 meters). It has a number of other advantages:

• The plant is evergreen, which means it will delight the owner with glossy petals, flowers and fruits all year round.
• Of course, having come to us from the subtropics, orange is very fond of sunlight, but with a slight lack of illumination it is tolerant of this.
• It is not difficult to create suitable conditions for culture indoors.
• Any other citrus plant can be grafted onto an orange tree.
• It is not difficult to select seeds for planting seedlings. These overseas fruits can be purchased at the market or general store. Select a few fruits to plant an orange from the seed.

Advantages and disadvantages of planting seedlings

Oranges are propagated by cuttings and seeds.
A tree planted using a cutting will, of course, take root faster, bloom, and bear fruit.
A tree propagated by cuttings retains all the properties of the original plant; it does not need to be grafted. But with such great advantages, the method has significant disadvantages:

• cuttings are difficult to get;
• the seedling also needs to be rooted.
• the cost of a seedling that is already bearing fruit is quite high.

Most often, amateur gardeners grow in room conditions orange tree from seed. This method has its advantages:

• Orange seeds are easy to buy.
• From the seed grows a wild one, strong, with a beautiful thick crown.
• A tree grown from seeds is more adapted to indoor conditions and resistant to diseases.
• With proper care, the orange tree will bloom 8-10 years after planting.

The disadvantage of this method is that the seedling must be grafted in order to obtain delicious fruits.

Features of planting seeds

• Choose a sweet, ripe orange with a deep orange color. Its form must be without flaws. The looseness of the pulp can also indicate the degree of ripeness of the fruit.
• Choose the largest and full-bodied seeds. Dry, half-empty seeds are not suitable for sowing. The skin of dried seed material is too hard, their germination rate will be very low.
• If you couldn’t find material for sowing from one fruit, you can add it from another.
• Seeds should be pre-treated:
  • remove pulp, rinse well;
  • soak in water for 5-6 hours. You can add citrus fertilizer diluted according to the instructions to the water.
• Prepare small cups for single sowing or a low box. The containers must have holes for water drainage and drainage.
• Before planting an orange, it is advisable to purchase special soil for citrus fruits. When using garden soil, add the same amount of peat to it. Fill the containers with soil.
• Plant the seeds to a depth of 1.5 cm, with a distance of 5 cm between the seeds (step back 3 cm from the edge of the box). Water by sprinkling so that the seeds are in a moist environment, but not buried.

Seedlings are placed in a warm place. If it is a cold window sill, then it is advisable to insulate it, for example, with polystyrene foam. The soil should be warm, moist, but not wet.
To create a greenhouse effect, the boxes are covered with cellophane film or cling film. Cups can be covered plastic bottles with a cut bottom. From time to time, remove the caps on the bottles to provide access to fresh air.
Shoots should appear in a month. By the way, some gardeners carry out the first forcing of seeds in wet rags, and not in the ground. But they create the same greenhouse conditions.

Plant transplantation

• When the seedlings have 2 true leaves in the boxes, it is necessary to pick. The root of the sprouts is very weak, so replant carefully. The root collar should not go deep.
• When 4-6 leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into separate small (up to 10 cm in diameter) pots. Select containers small size so that the soil without roots does not remain wet, does not turn sour, do not forget about drainage.
• Seedlings from individual cups simply roll along with the soil.
• Planting soil consists of turf soil, plant humus, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1, respectively.
• The next transplant is made when the orange sprout grows to 15-20 cm. The diameter of the pot should be 2 cm larger than the previous one.
• The soil is changed, its composition is the same, but 1 part more turf soil is taken.
• A full-fledged orange plant is replanted after two years.
• Orange tree reaching 10 summer age, do not transplant. Remove the top layer of soil and add fresh soil.

Formation of the plant crown

Forming the crown must begin after the tree trunk reaches a height of 20-30 cm, following this order:

1. In March, you should leave the main shoot up to 25 cm in size, and pinch off excess leaves.
2. Side shoots are reduced to 3-4 pieces. They should be as strong as possible and evenly distributed along the trunk. They are also pinched to limit growth and stimulate the development of shoots.
3. Next time spring pruning On each branch two shoots of the 2nd order are left. On these branches shoots of a higher, third order will grow;
4. On shoots of 4-5 orders, horizontal branches will develop that will be fruitful;

For an adult orange, carry out sanitary pruning annually, remove excess, thickening branches.

Orange tree grafting

A tree grown from seeds is most often wild. Its fruits will be small and bitter. In order to get tasty fruits, the seedling must be grafted using a bud or twig of a full-fledged plant.
Don't delay the process. It is best to graft the plant when it reaches one year. At the age of three there will be the last opportunity to achieve the appearance of full-fledged fruits. Pay attention to the features:

• Vaccination is carried out in April-early May, when sap flow begins. The bark is well separated at this time.
• The stem of the plant you are going to graft should not be thinner than 6 mm in diameter.
• Using a sharp knife or blade at a distance of 5 cm from the soil, make a longitudinal vertical cut of the bark up to 1.5 cm. A kind of pocket is formed.
• Consider a prepared branch of a fruit-bearing tree. In its middle, find well-formed buds.
• The leaves should be removed from the workpiece, leaving a small petiole above the buds.
• They cut off a bud - a sprouted eye with only a piece of bark, and a piece under the bud along with an element of wood. There should be 1.5 cm above and below the kidney.
• Do not touch the cuts with your hands to avoid infecting the tree.
• Take the bud by the stem and carefully insert it into the seedling's pocket.
• Wrap with elastic tape.
• It is recommended to water the orange generously.
• After 5 days it will become clear whether the vaccination was successful. If yes, the petiole will fall off, the bud will be alive and green; if not, the petiole will turn black.
• After 3 weeks you can remove the bandage.
• Swelling buds should be removed until a new bud wakes up.

If the process seems complicated to you, it is better to contact grafting gardeners.

Features of fruiting

In the fourth to sixth year after planting, your orange will bloom. It is ready to start bearing fruit. Scientists recommend strictly following some rules:

1. In the first year the buds appear, it is necessary to leave 3 ovaries so as not to weaken the plant.
2. Pollination of cultivated crops is carried out artificially, using a cotton swab. They transfer pollen from the stamens of one flower to the pistil of another.
3. It will be necessary to normalize the formation of fruits. Please note that on average there should be one ovary per 15 leaves for adequate nutrition.
4. To stimulate the formation of buds, the plant is given a cold winter at a temperature of +2-+5 degrees with limited watering to winter time. As the temperature rises, buds actively appear and ovaries form.

Orange care

Flower growers who decide to grow an orange tree need to remember that the ideal conditions for its development are the African subtropical climate or Mediterranean conditions. These are the conditions that citrus crops will need to create:

• Provide air humidity above 40%. To do this, you can place a jar of water nearby. When humidity is low, the tree will begin to shed its leaves and may die.
• Water with water that has been standing for 24 hours, heated to 25°. Chlorine contained in tap water, very dangerous for the plant. It is good to spray the leaves regularly.
• Keep the soil moist, but not wet. This can lead to root rot.
• Find a place for the tree where there are no drafts.
• In summer, take it out into the air, avoiding direct sunlight, and water it every day.
• Feed with special fertilizer for citrus fruits once every 2 weeks. You can cook it yourself.
  The mixture is prepared per 1 liter of water:
  • nitrogen fertilizers – 2 g,
  • phosphorus – 2.5 g,
  • potassium salts without chlorine – 1.5 g

  There are ready-made mixtures that can be bought in the store. It is recommended to include potassium permanganate once a month and inkstone 4 times a year.

• In winter, reduce the temperature to 12-15 above zero, reduce the amount of watering.
• Provide sufficient lighting without direct sunlight. Please note that with a lack of light, the plant will bloom and bear fruit worse. Therefore, in winter it is necessary to create additional lighting.
• Four times a month you should rotate the plant 10 degrees, changing its position towards the light.
• In the presence of buds and leaf growth in the spring, maintain the temperature at +18 degrees.

Pests and diseases of citrus fruits

The exotic fruit has many pests. These are aphids spider mites, whiteflies and scale insects.
It is necessary to regularly inspect the tree for timely detection of the disease. Treat with insecticidal preparations twice a year.
Non-chemical compounds help in the fight against pests - tincture of garlic, hot pepper, solution of laundry soap.
Growing an orange in an apartment or greenhouse will interest every amateur florist. An orange tree grown with your own hands will decorate the interior of a greenhouse, room, and will be a source of pride for the gardener. The aroma released by orange flowers helps kill bacteria. In addition, with proper care, the orange plant lives and pleases its owners for up to 70 years.

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What are the requirements for growing an orange at home?

Having an orange at home is the dream of many housewives. As long as you follow the plant care requirements, growing a wonderful orange tree at home will not be difficult. Of course, when growing it, you must carefully follow certain rules. But as a result, a magnificent exotic homemade orange will delight you and your family for many years.

Growing an orange crop at home will not be difficult if you follow all the rules.

Orange, like all citrus fruits, is a very useful plant. Eating its fruits improves immunity and enriches the body with vitamins. At home, an orange tree, unlike a lemon, is unlikely to produce large and tasty fruits, as when grown in open ground. But the air, purified by him from harmful substances, will be very useful.

Providing proper care, you can grow an orange tree up to 1.5 m tall. Potted orange is evergreen tree with a spreading crown. During the flowering period, small white flowers spread a pleasant, subtle, delicate aroma into the house. Those wishing to grow this plant should know that it is quite capricious and requires personal care.

Orange care:

The crop is best grown on the sunny side, on the window.

1. This is a very light-loving plant. It is better to place it near southern windows. But in order not to burn the leaves, in the heat you should still avoid direct sunlight. To get a uniform spreading crown, periodically turn the pot to the sun with different sides. The sun has a very beneficial effect on the orange tree during flowering and fruiting. In summer it is permissible to take it outside.
2. Don't forget that the orange tree is a guest from the south, absolutely intolerant of the cold. Air below +5 degrees will be critical! Temperature is determining for him. At high temperature(+25 degrees) the tree stretches to grow, blooms and bears fruit poorly. But at +15-18 degrees the orange feels comfortable: the leaves have a juicy green color, abundant flowering gives a good harvest.
3. Periodically trim elongated and weak shoots. To reduce the load on the tree, thin out its crown.
4. Orange does not like dry soil, and you must provide it with plenty of moisture. In summer and spring, water once a day at night, and in autumn and winter - 2 times a week. Also spray the plant every day. Gently loosen the soil once a week. With the beginning active growth Feed with fertilizers in the spring.

Transfer:

Every 2-3 years, as the plant grows, it requires an increasingly larger pot. To move the delicate root system as carefully as possible, use the transshipment method. This means that the orange tree needs to be moved into a new container with the same lump of earth on the roots. Then simply add soil depending on the size of the pot. Remember to ensure good drainage to prevent moisture stagnation.

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Reproduction methods:

Watering indoor orange must be carried out especially carefully, do not overfill.

1. Cuttings. An important advantage of the method is the preservation of varietal characteristics. To obtain cuttings, use branches from this and last year that are covered with bark. Using a sharp knife, cut a cutting 8-10 cm long with 5 leaves immediately below the bud at the bottom and 5 mm above the bud at the top. Remove the leaf from the bottom bud. Plant the finished cuttings in a mini-greenhouse in sandy soil. Place the greenhouse in a bright place without direct sunlight and keep the soil slightly moist. After about a month, the rooted cuttings can be transplanted into an individual pot. Do this carefully so as not to damage the delicate roots.
2. Planting seeds. Even a novice gardener can use this method. Plants grown from seeds are less demanding of care, grow quickly, but begin to bear fruit only at 8-15 years of age. Be aware that such a tree may not borrow the varietal characteristics of the parent. Use seeds for planting from indoor oranges. Store-bought fruit seeds are not suitable for growing indoors. The seeds must be fresh, that is, just taken out. They need to be planted in a mixture of humus and sand to a depth of 1 cm. Cover the container with film and place in a dark place. With moderate watering, the first shoots will appear in about a month. When the first two leaves grow, transplant the sprout into a pot.
3. Graft. It allows you to get a faster harvest, so the scion should be taken from a fruit-bearing tree. The disadvantage of this method is that it can only be used during the period of active sap flow. Use a razor-sharp knife to cut the cuttings. You can graft onto a lemon or orange tree that is 2-3 years old. Cut off its crown at a height of 10 cm from the ground. Split the trunk into two halves and insert the cutting with oblique cuts. Choose a scion with 3 buds. Align the two branches and wrap the grafting site with film. To retain moisture, cover the plant with film and place it in a bright place. After about 3 weeks it will be clear whether the cutting has taken root or not. If it doesn't turn black, then everything worked out.

Many housewives are faced with yellowing of foliage. Sometimes an orange can shed its crown completely. Watch the tree. Perhaps you overdid it with watering or fertilizing. Either your orange does not have enough light or is in a draft.

Be attentive to the plant, and your handsome one will give joy for many years!

Probably every gardener at least once in his life tried to grow an orange from a seed by sticking it into flower pot. But rarely has anyone been able to grow an orange tree to a decent size without meeting certain conditions. Therefore, in order not to torment the plant and not suffer yourself, it is better to study the recommendations for growing oranges at home.

Planting correctly

How to grow an orange from seeds? For planting, be sure to take raw fruit seeds; heat-treated fruits are not suitable. You need to plant a fresh seed, as soon as you eat an orange, start planting immediately, the chances of germination in this case are high.

• You should prefer a clay pot. Its walls breathe, absorb excess moisture well, and, if necessary, release it back into the ground.
• A drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the planting container. Expanded clay is quite suitable for drainage.
• Soil for citrus fruits must be nutritious. You can buy it at a specialty store or make it yourself. To plant an orange, make a mixture of 1 part sand, 1 part humus, 1 part leaf soil and 3 parts turf.
• It is better to plant several seeds at the same time, using a separate pot for each, deepening them by 2.5 centimeters.
• After planting, the soil is moistened, covered with film and placed in a bright place without direct sunlight.
• Shoots will appear in about 3 weeks; before this, the film should not be removed. It is advisable to maintain the temperature all this time in the range of 22-25°C.
• Oranges have multi-seeded seeds, so several shoots appear at the same time. For further growth, the strongest of them is left, the rest are pinched.

How to care for a seedling

If you are growing an orange tree, home care comes down to creating ideal conditions for its growth and development. In the room the tree grows up to 2 meters in height, so It’s worth taking care to choose a suitable location.

Orange prefers bright, diffused light. Unnecessarily, you should not move it to another place, but it is necessary to rotate it around its axis - in this case, the crown will grow evenly. Once every 10 days, turn the pot with the plant slightly (10-12°). During the summer months, it is useful to expose the orange to fresh air, so that the sun does not fall on it.

Lack of light does not have the best effect on the plant.: growing shoots stretch out, and the leaves become smaller and may even fall from the tree. Therefore, in a room with windows facing north or west, when growing an orange from a seed at home, it is placed on the windowsill. But in rooms with southern and eastern windows, the pot is placed a little to the side.

An adult orange tree does not like replanting; its roots endure this procedure painfully. To prevent the plant from experiencing nutrient deficiency, it is regularly fed. Upper layer The soil in the pot is replaced with fresh one from time to time. Young plants are replanted annually as they grow, using a slightly larger pot.

Watering, spraying, fertilizing

Citrus fruits love water, therefore, watering oranges at home should be regular and plentiful. A drainage layer will prevent stagnation excess moisture at the roots and their decay. The water should be soft and without chlorine, room temperature. It is better to leave it for 1-2 days beforehand. In the cold season, when the temperature drops, the frequency of watering is reduced and less water is used.

Spraying the shoots will have the most favorable effect on the plant. For this procedure, it is better to use boiled or bottled water so that whitish salt spots do not remain on the leaves after drying. In hot weather, oranges are sprayed 4-5 times a day. During the heating season, spraying is also necessary. As an alternative, consider installing a humidifier nearby. These devices are quite affordable and serve as additional interior decoration.

In the phase of active growth orange needs feeding every 7-10 days. It is best to alternate application mineral fertilizers and organics. Use any complex fertilizer for citrus fruits or weak solution organic fertilizer. Once every three months, iron sulfate is applied at the root - this will prevent yellowing of the leaves. Any fertilizing is applied to moist soil so as not to damage the root system.

Wintering

Proper care of an orange tree in winter is important for further flowering and fruit formation. The plant simply needs cold wintering . The pot with orange should be moved to a cool room with a temperature of 6-12°C, stop feeding it and reduce the frequency of watering to 1-2 times a week in small portions.

If it is not possible to provide the plant with such conditions, it is left with a summer growing scheme with the same frequency of watering and fertilizing. Spraying is carried out more often. In order for the plant to suffer less in the heat during short daylight hours, you need to provide lighting fluorescent lamps in the evenings and on cloudy days.

How to grow an orange so that it bears fruit? Crown formation is important for proper development of ovaries and fruit production. In an ungrafted orange grown from a seed, flowering occurs in the 5th year at favorable conditions content. By this age it is necessary to achieve a correctly formed bushy crown with horizontally located branches. All vertical shoots must be cut out.

The first formative pruning is carried out, leaving the main trunk measuring 18-23 centimeters with four strong developed shoots. In the future, two main branches are left on each of them. 3-5 shoots are formed on them, which are no longer touched. Subsequent pruning is reduced to cutting out dry branches or branches growing inside the crown and pinching young shoots to stimulate branching. Avoid excessive thickening of the crown.

Possible errors in care

Compared to other citrus crops orange is considered quite capricious. If a plant does not like something in its care, it begins to shed leaves, flowers and ovaries. Foliage may suddenly turn yellow. What are the reasons for this?

In conclusion we can say that Not all gardeners manage to achieve orange blossoms from the seed at home and try its fruits in the future. But, in the end, we can buy oranges in the store. An elegant tree with glossy leaves will in itself enliven and decorate any interior.