The orange tree is a homemade orange. Orange Tree

Caring for an orange tree is quite complicated. It's not just watering and top dressing, you 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 really not an activity for beginners. Nevertheless, at home, even a gardener with relatively little experience can get a beautiful orange tree, of course, a decorative option.

Orange tree

How do oranges grow in nature? Those who have ever been to the Mediterranean countries and seen citrus groves know that this is a beautiful evergreen tree. After visiting such groves, people tend to take a wild orange with them to grow it at home. But there is a terminological confusion here. In the wild, the orange is unknown to science. All trees that are found in the Mediterranean or the countries of Southeast Asia are cultivated. Sometimes the wild orange is called the orange with its very beautiful flowers, pleasant aroma and bitter taste.

Grown in a garden (that is, in natural conditions), an orange is a fairly tall tree. Much depends on the variety, but there are types of plants 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 as it will have a dense crown that can easily be shaped into a pyramidal or round shape. You need to be more careful with branches and shoots - they can have thorns, quite sharp, they reach 8-10 cm in length. Orange leaves have a very beautiful dark green color, which looks even more spectacular due to the density of the leaves themselves, which have an oval shape and pointed tip. The length of the leaves can be about 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, because it is due to the variety, it’s just that the gardener doesn’t 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 a natural air freshener. The so-called glands are located at the very surface of the leaf; they contain essential oil that fills the room with a delicate aroma.

The life span 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 the tree to breathe and develop. And old leaves are a kind of nutrient storage.

In order to understand how to grow an orange at home, you must also consider its root system. Most fruit trees roots have special hairs that are needed to absorb more moisture and nutrients from the soil. An orange has a different root structure. A kind of capsules are formed on them, in which colonies of soil fungi live and multiply, forming already under the ground a fairly strong mycelium with the roots of the orange itself. It turns out mutually beneficial coexistence - the tree supplies the fungi with amino acids and carbohydrates, which they themselves cannot get from the soil. In return, mushrooms provide the roots with the right amount of moisture and minerals, which they process into the most digestible form.

Growing, myceliums become sensitive to drought conditions. This is why growing oranges at home requires regular and sufficient watering. If this is not done, then the fungi will grow outward, reduce 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 orange blossoms. In the old days, brides decorated their hair with them and pinned them to the corsage of dresses. The flowers of an orange 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. Kidneys are laid in the spring even at home. At the bud stage, the flower can stay for about a month, and 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 taste sweet and sour, sweet, or bitter. It is very doubtful that it will be preserved in a young tree, but you can still try. The shape of the fruit can also be different. And this feature can continue. In the 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 be different. 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 nice.

Tree planting and care

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 is better to do it in the middle of spring, when sunlight will be enough to ensure its intensive growth.

Interestingly, at home, an orange 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 the stalk, then the tree that has grown from it will completely retain all the signs mother plant. But an orange tree from a stone is a less reliable and at the same time cheaper option. And this task is interesting for any gardener.

How to grow an orange from a seed? It is necessary to select for this the most mature and large fruits, and of them best seeds, round and voluminous. Dried bones are not suitable for these purposes. Please note that there are varieties of oranges that do not form seeds at all, so you still need to carefully select the original "material". However, in most fruits there are multi-embryonic seeds that are in each segment of the fruit, and they are located in the pulp one above the other.

Seeds need to germinate. To do this, you need a damp cloth and a plastic yogurt cup. If you cover the cup with a plastic bag, you get an impromptu greenhouse that is kept in a warm place and provides a stable level of humidity in it.

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 the 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 ready ground For citrus plants. The container with the sprout is placed closer to natural light, but so that direct sunlight does not fall on it. When transplanting, do not dig the sprouts too deep. Care must be taken not to damage the root system and mycelium described above.

How to grow an orange at home? Care must be constant. Young plants need to be watered frequently. It is advisable to spray them with clean, settled water (it should be room temperature). As the tree grows and water it will need more.

How to grow an orange tree from this plant? As soon as 4-6 leaves form on it, the seedlings will need to be transplanted again, and this will require larger pots. It is important not to forget that the orange tree at home also forms a fairly stable connection between the root system and the mycelium, so it is transplanted along with an earthy clod.

Even under the most ideal conditions, an orange receives less sunlight. Therefore, it is "illuminated" ultraviolet lamp. It is important to maintain the optimum 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. After a couple of weeks, the owner will already know which sprouts will become the strongest, and will leave only them. How does an orange tree grow further?

Citrus care in the apartment (video)

Tree crown formation

This stage plays essential role. If this is not done, then the tree will not have flowers or fruits. This is usually done when the orange reaches a height of 20-30 cm. Then you need 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, and so on.

Theoretically, the tree should flower in the fourth or fifth year after planting. But you can get results even earlier. To do this, you just need to figure out how to plant an orange at home.

Are used different methods, which in general boil down to the fact that you can:

Graft a healthy branch from a well-bearing one.
Replant several times in different soil to strengthen the root system.
Make ringing. This is done as follows: squeeze the branch 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.
Arrange a tree cold wintering. Many gardeners even believe that this method will be the most effective. But in this case, you need to find an orange 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? You need to water it as little as possible, once every 10 days is enough, you do not need to fertilize at all. If you follow these simple recommendations, then in the spring you will notice the rapid growth of the tree.

That is why citrus trees are used in the interior, they look beautiful already thanks to their round crown and glossy leaves. Yes, this tree blooms beautifully.

Additionally

What other care does he need? You need to protect the orange tree from pests. It can be threatened by plant mites, thrips, scale insects and even aphids. Therefore, an orange tree, even growing at home, must be treated with an appropriate insecticidal preparation once every six months.

For sustainable development, the tree needs top dressing. It should be fertilized once every two weeks from March to November. For this, ready-made mixtures for citrus fruits are used. Some gardeners recommend using old tea leaves, which are buried in the ground, for the same purpose.

Orange is a plant from which fruits can also be obtained. This is done through artificial pollination. For this, a brush is used, which transfers pollen from one flower to another. Is it possible to eat such fruits? Theoretically, it is possible harmful substances they definitely won't. But such oranges are not sweet and juicy. But such a round orange ball among dark green foliage looks very beautiful and fills the room with a pleasant natural aroma. Blooming and then fruiting orange is recommended to be placed in the living room, where it will become the central element of the decor. Subject to all the rules of cultivation, the plant will bloom and bear fruit at the same time, and this is very beautiful.

Orange (lat. Citrus sinensis) is a species of flowering plants of the dicotyledonous class, the sapindo-colored order, the rue family, the genus citrus. Orange is a cultivated hybrid form, most likely bred by crossing and pomelo.

The orange got its name from the Dutch word appelsien or the German Apfelsine, which translates as “from China”, “Chinese apple”.

Orange - description and characteristics. How oranges grow.

The orange plant is a sufficiently powerful evergreen tree, the height of which depends on the variety: vigorous varieties of orange grow up to 12 m in height, dwarf forms have a height of about 4-6 m, trees for indoor cultivation reach 2-2.5 m in height. The most compact orange trees grow up to 60-80 cm.

Orange tree it is distinguished by a dense dense crown of a rounded or pyramidal shape, and thorns up to 8-10 cm long often grow on its shoots. Orange leaves are dark green, dense, oval in shape with a sharp tip, growing up to 15 cm long and about 10 cm wide. Edge the leaf can be wavy, and at the very surface of the leaf there are special glands containing aromatic oil. One leaf lives for about 2 years, and on an orange tree, old and young leaves grow at the same time, performing different functions. Young orange leaves are responsible for photosynthesis, with their help the tree breathes, while the old leaves are a reservoir for nutrients. The period of intense leaf fall (about 25%) occurs in February and March, and the orange tree loses another quarter of the old leaves during the year.

Roots.

Orange roots, unlike other fruit trees, do not have the root hairs needed to absorb moisture and nourishment from the soil. But on the roots there are special capsules with colonies of special soil fungi that form mycorrhiza with orange roots. Orange supplies amino acids and carbohydrates to mushrooms, and in return receives moisture and minerals, which mushrooms provide in a form that is easily digestible for the plant. The overgrown mycelium of mushrooms does not tolerate drought, lowering the temperature of the soil and exposing the roots on which it grows, therefore oranges are very demanding on moisture, heat and suffer greatly when transplanted without a clod of earth.

Flowers.

The orange has large bisexual flowers, white or Pink colour, up to 5 cm in diameter, solitary or growing in inflorescences of 6 pieces. The laying of flower buds takes place in early spring, flowers can stay in the bud stage for about a month, then open at a temperature of 16-18 degrees and bloom for about 2-3 days.

Fruit.

The fruit of an orange is called an orange. It is distinguished by a round or oval shape and has a structure typical of other types of citrus fruits. Such a fruit, which comes from the upper ovary, is called a hesperidium (one of the varieties of a berry-like fruit). Thus, the orange fruit is a fruit and a berry.

The pulp of an orange consists of 9-13 separating slices covered with a thin film. Each lobule contains many juice-filled sacs that are formed from the inner epidermis of the carpels. The taste of orange pulp can be sweet, sweet and sour, or bitter.

Some fruits do not form seeds, but most oranges do contain multi-seed seeds, arranged in a slice one above the other.

Peel.

The smooth or porous peel of an orange has a thickness of up to 5 mm, its upper layer, flavedo (zest), contains many rounded glands filled with essential oil. The white spongy layer that covers the inside of the peel is called the albedo. Due to its loose structure, the flesh of an orange lags behind the skin quite easily. According to the variety and stage of ripeness, the orange peel makes up 17 to 42% of the total weight of the fruit. Orange peel color can be greenish, pale yellow, bright orange and orange red.

Ripening dates.

Orange is a remontant plant capable of re-blooming and fruit setting, so an orange tree can simultaneously contain buds, flowers and fruits in different stages ripeness. The ripening of oranges lasts about 8-9 months, and the ripened fruits can remain on the branches for a long time, and in the spring they turn green again, and by autumn they acquire a characteristic orange color. Seeds of fruits ripening within 2 seasons are of better quality, but the pulp loses its taste and beneficial features.

How long does an orange grow?

The orange tree grows rapidly (annual growth is about 40-50 cm) and begins to bear fruit 8-12 years after planting. The life cycle of an orange tree is about 75 years, although individual specimens live up to 100-150 years and produce about 38 thousand fruits in a harvest year.

The birthplace of the orange is Southeast Asia (China), in the 16th century, an exotic fruit came to Europe, and then to Africa and the USA. Nowadays, orange is widely cultivated in many regions of the tropical and subtropical climatic zones, and Brazil, China and the USA are the leaders in fruit export. Spain, Italy, India, Pakistan, Argentina, Morocco, Syria, Greece, Egypt and Iran are slightly behind.

Types and varieties of oranges, photos and names.

According to the speed of ripening, varieties of oranges are divided into:

early;
mid-early;
Late.

Depending on the size, shape, taste, color of the fruit and pulp, orange varieties are divided into 2 main groups:

Light oranges (with orange flesh);
- Ordinary (oval) oranges;
- navel oranges;
King oranges (with reddish flesh).

More detailed description this classification is given below.

Ordinary or oval oranges- an extensive group of high-yielding varieties that are distinguished by a round or oval fruit shape and tasty, sweet and sour pulp of bright yellow color, containing many seeds. Oranges are medium to large in size, and the skin is thin, pale orange or yellow, well fused with the flesh. The most famous varieties of ordinary oranges:

Hamlin (Hamlin)- an early ripe variety of oranges with small or medium-sized fruits of a round or slightly flattened shape and a thin, even yellow skin. Grown mainly in Brazil and the USA, it has excellent transportability and is stored for a long time, it is actively used in indoor floriculture;
Verna- a late variety of oranges of Spanish origin, with medium-sized or medium-sized elongated, low-seeded fruits containing sweet, tasty pulp;
Salustiana- a late-ripening orange variety of high economic importance in Spain and Morocco. The fruits are characterized by an oval-spherical or slightly flattened shape and a yellow-orange color of a thin, easily peeled peel. The juicy slices are pitted and have a sweet, buttery flavor.

Navel Oranges (Navel)- a group of varieties, on the trees of which thorns do not grow, and the fruits have a characteristic mastoid outgrowth-navel at the top, a reduced second fruit. Umbilical oranges are the largest, the average fruit weight is about 200-250 g, and some specimens weigh up to 600 g. A distinctive feature of most varieties is also a rough, easily detachable peel and exceptional consumer qualities: juicy, orange pulp, sweet taste with a slight sourness and exquisite citrus aroma. The most popular varieties of navel oranges:

Washington Navel (Washingtoh Navel)- a variety of bright orange oranges of important world economic importance, known since the 17th century, as well as one of the few oranges that successfully bear fruit in the Transcaucasus. Medium and large orange fruits have a round or slightly elongated shape and weight from 170 to 300 g. Orange pulp is bright orange, sweet with a slight sourness and a small number of seeds. Orange Washington Navel - one of the most popular varieties for home breeding;
Navel Late (Navel Late)- a late variety of oranges, very similar to the Washington Navel variety, but differing in more tender pulp and increased keeping quality;
Thomson Navel (Thomsonnavel) - a variety of round or oval oranges with a characteristic small navel and relatively thin, light orange skin with small pores. The pulp of the fruit, compared to Washington Navel, is more fibrous and not as juicy;
Navelina (Navelina)- most early variety small and medium oranges with a small navel. Rounded or ovoid fruits have a thin, finely porous orange peel and loose, sweet pulp.
Of particular note is the variety of oranges Kara-Kara (Cara Cara navelorange), which is a mutation of the Washington Navel variety and was found in Venezuela in 1976. Kara-Kara inherited most of the characteristics of the original variety: the navel, the orange color of a well-separated zest and the exceptional taste of juicy pulp. But its main difference is the flesh of a ruby hue, comparable to the color of the pulp of the darkest grapefruits. An interesting feature variety is the ability to produce a certain number of variegated shoots, on which striped fruits subsequently develop.

Blood orange, king orange or king orange- This is a group of varieties that has in its composition anthocyanins, pigments that give the fruits and their pulp a blood-red color. Blood orange also has a name Sicilian orange, since the first landings appeared precisely in Sicily. The king orange is a natural mutation of the common orange. The trees of this varietal group are distinguished long periods maturation, short stature and elongated crown. The fruit of the blood orange is characterized by a rounded, slightly ribbed shape and a poorly detachable peel of brown, red or dark orange. The flesh of the kinglet is distinguished by red, orange, burgundy or red-striped color, and the fruits are especially valued for their exquisite sweet and sour taste and excellent aroma. According to historians, blood oranges have been grown in Sicily since the 9th-10th centuries. They are currently cultivated throughout Italy, Spain, Morocco and the US states of Florida and California.

There are 3 main varieties of blood oranges:

Moro orange (Moro) - a fairly young variety, bred at the beginning of the 19th century in Sicily in the province of Syracuse. The skin of a blood orange is orange or reddish-orange, and the flesh is blood-streaked orange, bright crimson, or almost black. Fruit diameter from 5 to 8 cm. Weight 170-210 grams. Moro oranges have a strong citrus aroma with hints of wild berries and a bitter aftertaste.

orange Sanguinello (Sanguinello) originally from Spain, similar to the Moro orange and cultivated in the Northern Hemisphere. The blood orange fruit has an orange peel with a reddish tinge, sweet red flesh with red spots, which contains few seeds. The fruits ripen from February to March.

orange Tarocco (Tarocco) Considered one of the most popular Italian varieties, it is believed to be the product of a natural mutation of the Sanguinello orange. Tarocco oranges are medium in size, have a thin orangey-red skin and do not have pronounced red pigmentation of the pulp, therefore they are called “half-breeds”. Thanks to their juiciness, sweet taste, lack of pits and high content of vitamin C, Tarocco red oranges are considered one of the most sought-after varieties in the world. Cultivated on fertile soils in the vicinity of Mount Etna.

Orange hybrids, photos and names.

Crossing the orange with other citrus species has given rise to a number of interesting hybrid forms.

A hybrid of sweet orange and three-leafed poncirus, the purpose of which was to breed a cold-resistant orange. Citranzh tolerates a drop in air temperature to -10 degrees, but its fruits have a bitter taste. Citrange is commonly used in the preparation of drinks, marmalade or jam.

A hybrid of citrange and kumquat, it is a compact tree, sometimes with small thorns, producing round or oval fruits with an elongated neck. Eaten fresh or used to make marmalade and lemonade.

- one of the types of citranzhquat, a hybrid of orange, margarita kumquat and three-leafed poncirus. Fruits are yellow or yellow-orange in color, medium size, oval or pear-shaped. The peel is thin and bitter, the flesh with a small number of seeds, very sour when unripe, becomes quite edible when fully ripe.

- a hybrid of mandarin and orange beetle. The fruits of the hybrid are visually similar to tangerines, but differ in a firmer skin, rich sweet taste and juicy pulp. The second variety of clementine is a hybrid of mandarin and bitter Seville orange, bred in Algeria in 1902. The fruits are small, orange, with a hard skin.

Clementines are usually divided into three types:

Corsican clementine - its fruits are medium in size, covered with an orange-red skin, the pulp is fragrant, there are no seeds in it;
Spanish clementine can have both small and larger fruits with bright orange pulp of a sour taste. The fruit contains two to ten seeds;
Montreal clementine - rare view citrus with sour fruits containing 10-12 seeds.

Santina (English)Suntina) - a hybrid of clementine and orlando. Bright orange fruits of medium or large size, with a thin skin, are distinguished by a sweet taste and strong aroma. The ripening period is from late November to March.

Tangor (English)Tangor, temple orange) - the result of crossing sweet orange and tangerine. The fruits are medium or large, can reach 15 cm in diameter. The shape of the fruit is slightly flattened, the peel is of medium thickness, porous, yellow or deep orange. The presence of seeds depends on the variety of tangor. The flesh of tangors is very fragrant, orange, has a sour or sweet and sour taste.

Ellendale (eng.Ellendale tangor) - citrus hybrid, a variety of tangor, obtained by crossing tangerine, mandarin and orange. Citrus is native to Australia. The fruits are medium to large in size, juicy, with a reddish-orange rind and very sweet, fragrant dark orange flesh. The skin is thin, smooth and easy to peel. Seeds may vary in number or be absent altogether.

Orangelo (eng.Orangelo) or chironha (Spanish)Chironja) supposedly considered a natural hybrid of grapefruit and orange. The fruit is native to Puerto Rico. The fruits are large, the size of a grapefruit, have a slightly elongated or pear-shaped shape. When ripe, the peel is bright yellow, thin and smooth, quite easily separated from the pulp. There are few seeds. The pulp is orange-orange, tender, juicy. The taste is sweeter, similar to orange and lacks the bitterness of grapefruit.

ugly fruit or ugly (eng.Ugli fruits) - This is the result of crossing a tangerine, grapefruit (or pomelo) and orange. Agli fruits grow in Jamaica, they are not very beautiful in appearance due to a rough and wrinkled peel. The diameter of the fruit is from 10 to 15 cm. The color of the fruit varies from green to yellow-green and orange. Despite some unattractiveness, the pulp of the agli fruit is very tasty and has a grapefruit note. The fruiting period is from December to April.

Grapefruit (lat.Citrus paradisi) according to scientists, it is a natural hybrid of orange and pomelo. The fruits are large, with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm, with juicy sweet and sour pulp with a slight bitterness. The color of the pulp, depending on the variety, can be almost white, light pink, yellow or reddish. The skin is yellow or reddish.

Meyer lemon (lat.Citrus meyeri) - presumably the result of hybridization with an orange or a tangerine. Large fruits have a rounded shape, when mature, the peel acquires a yellow-orange hue. The flesh is dark yellow, juicy and not as acidic as a regular lemon, and contains seeds.

Natsudaidai (Natsumikan, Amanatsu) (Eng.Amanatsu, natsumican) - a natural hybrid of orange and pomelo (or grapefruit). The plant was first discovered in Japan in the 17th century. The fruit has a fairly thick peel of yellow-orange color, it is eaten fresh, but its juicy pulp tastes quite sour. The fruit contains many seeds.

Orange calories.

100 g of orange contains 36 kcal.

Nutritional value of orange per 100g:

Proteins - 0.9 g;
Fats - 0.2 g;
Carbohydrates - 8.2 g;
Water - 87 g.

Orange: benefit and harm.

Beneficial features.

The exceptional popularity of the orange is due not only to the excellent taste of its fruits, but also to the unique chemical composition high content useful substances found in the pulp, juice, zest and seeds. The main advantage of an orange is the high content of vitamin C (50 mg per 100 g), because 150 g of an orange satisfies the daily human need for ascorbic acid. Orange fruits have a general strengthening effect on the body and increase immunity.

Orange contains a number of vitamins and minerals necessary for the human body:

Vitamins B, A, PP, E;
Minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc);
pectins;
Phytoncides;
Anthocyanins;
Sugar;
Citric and salicylic acid;
Essential oil of orange.

A balanced combination of useful substances allows the use of oranges in the complex treatment of a number of pathological conditions:

obesity;
colds and various viral diseases, high fever;
anemia, anemia, weakness, loss of appetite;
chronic constipation;
atherosclerosis;
hypertension;
gout;
liver disease;
scurvy;
periodontal disease and bleeding gums;
gastritis and low acidity of the stomach;
vascular and heart diseases;
urolithiasis disease;
lead poisoning;
increased nervous excitability.

In order not to lose essential oils, bioflavonoids and pectins, which are rich in zest and seeds, oranges for juice are recommended to be squeezed whole.

Orange leaves purify the air and saturate the room with phytoncides, which have a detrimental effect on various pathogenic bacteria. This property is one of the factors in favor of breeding oranges at home.

The variety of overseas fruits in shops and markets is amazing. When we eat a new fruit, we get bones as a memory of it. Many lovers of indoor plants are itching to sow seeds or seeds and see what grows out of them? Let's grow an orange today!

By planting seeds from or it is very easy to get seedlings, but you will not be able to wait for the fruits from them. These trees begin to bear fruit only when they grow to a height of 4.5 m and above.

Fresh persimmon seeds also germinate easily at home, but it will not grow and bear fruit in limited home conditions. Persimmon sheds leaves for the winter and must be stored under certain conditions.

And pomegranates grown from seeds or seeds, figs, or coffee at room conditions willingly bloom and even bear fruit.

It is very easy to grow oranges from seeds. oranges in in large numbers sold at any grocery store. Their fruits contain a lot planting material. A tree grown from a seed will not only decorate the interior, but also aromatize the air, destroying bacteria.

In a warm subtropical climate, an orange tree grows up to 7 meters in height, however, there are also shorter varieties, not higher than 3 meters. An evergreen, light-loving tree, but tolerant of a slight lack of sunlight, ideal for growing indoors.

It is not difficult to create suitable conditions for it, which means that over time it will bloom and bestow almost real fruits. Three citrus tree in the room will create an atmosphere of a citrus garden in the room. Another undoubted property of an orange seedling is that a cutting of any citrus tree can be grafted onto it.

Orange can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

A tree grown from a cutting will bloom much earlier than one grown from a seed, but the cutting must be found and rooted somewhere. Garden centers sell already fruiting seedlings, but their prices have no upper limit. A tree grown from cuttings completely retains the hereditary characteristics of the mother plant.

Seeds are much easier to get. Oranges are sold everywhere, and the seeds in each fruit are enough for a whole grove. A wildling grown from a seed is stronger and more adapted to living conditions, more resistant to diseases, and the crown of seedlings is more dense and beautiful. Seedlings from seeds, if they are properly grown and formed, bloom for 8-10 years of life. Consider,

How to grow an orange tree from a seed with photos and videos

Bones preparation

Seeds are best taken from fully ripened fruits, correct form. Seeds should be large and full-bodied. For sowing, you can take seeds from several different fruits.

The seeds are covered with a dense peel, especially hard after drying. The germination of dried seeds is markedly reduced.

Selected fresh, undried seeds must:

free from the remnants of the pulp;
rinse well with running water;
soak from 8 to 12 hours in water, to which you can add Energen, Epin, HB or any fertilizer diluted according to the instructions.

Sowing seeds

You can sow prepared seeds in individual containers with a volume of no more than 100 ml, for example, from yogurt or sour cream, or you can sow all the seeds at once in a wide and shallow planting box.

The distance between the seeds should be about 5 cm and 3 cm left to the walls of the box. The seed planting depth is about 1 cm. In any case, holes for water drainage and drainage are required.

The soil can be taken ready. In specialized stores, soil for citrus fruits is sold. You can also prepare the mixture yourself by mixing peat and garden soil in a 1: 1 ratio.

Containers with sown seeds are placed in a warm and optionally lit place. It will be useful to isolate seed containers from a cold window sill by installing them on polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam.

Create high humidity in individual vessels, you can, if you cover them with plastic bottles with a cut bottom. By screwing the cap on the bottle, you can get a complete tightness of the greenhouse, unscrewing the cap, we get moderate ventilation.

The boxes are covered with cling film. It has sufficient width, does not delay light and is well fixed. The soil should be kept warm and moderately moist.

When, after a month and a half, seedlings appear, the lighting is increased, lengthening the daylight hours with additional lighting will benefit the seedlings. If the seeds are sown at the end of winter - the beginning of spring, then additional illumination is not required.

When two true leaves appear on sprouts growing in a common container, a pick is carried out for a greater distance. In this case, the root system must be handled very carefully, and the root collar must remain at the same level.

When there are 4-6 leaves on the sprouts, they are planted in personal pots, no larger than 10 cm in size. Use planting containers bigger size not worth it. The soil in a pot where there are no roots remains wet for a long time and turns sour. If the seedlings sprouted in individual containers, then it is better to transship the plant without damaging the earth coma.

The soil for grown plants is taken differently: 2 parts of sod land, 1 part of leaf humus, 1 part of peat and 1 part of sand. When the orange tree grows to 15-20 cm, it is necessary to make the next transshipment, but 3 parts of sod land are taken and a little clay is added.

The size of each next pot during transplantation is selected 1-3 cm larger than the previous one. Transplantation of adult plants is carried out once every two to three years. In plants older than ten years, instead of transplanting, the topsoil is replaced.

The ideal time for transshipment of orange trees of any age is the beginning of spring, before the appearance of new leaves and buds.

Good drainage and moderate watering is necessary for an orange at any age.

Conditions necessary for the successful cultivation of an orange in an apartment

For successful cultivation orange tree you need:

no drafts,
air humidity not lower than 40%,
moderately moist soil
sunlight.

It is better to have plants on the sunny side, but the leaves must be protected from direct sun. On the other hand, a significant lack of light delays flowering and fruit formation.

If possible, in the warm season, the tree should be taken out to fresh air, protecting it from direct sun. In winter flowering plants needs to be illuminated.

The optimum humidity in the room should be maintained above 40%. At lower humidity, the tree sheds leaves, leading to its death. During heating season you need to carefully monitor the level of humidity in the room.

If necessary, you can increase it by spraying the plant or placing a bowl with wet expanded clay or moss next to the tree. It is very important to monitor the soil moisture in the pot. Excessive moisture leads to rotting of the roots, a lack of moisture dries out the tree.

The lack of moisture in the soil is also dangerous in the summer, when active growth leaves and shoots. You can water an orange in the summer every day, as long as the moisture in the pan does not stagnate.

Of particular danger to orange trees is the chlorine contained in irrigation water.

Water for irrigation is better to use snow, rain or settled for at least a day and heated to 25 ° C.

orange care

The rapid and full development of the orange tree will be facilitated by the creation of conditions similar to those in its historical homeland - on the Mediterranean coast or in North Africa:

in winter, the temperature in the room where the orange grows must be maintained within +12 to +15 degrees, watering is reduced, lengthening daylight hours with additional lighting;
in spring, when leaves and buds appear, the temperature is raised to + 18C;
summer orange tree should spend outdoors, protected from the midday sun, watered daily;
every two weeks, the plants are fertilized with complex fertilizer. Complex fertilizer for citrus fruits ideal option. You can prepare a fertilizer mixture yourself if you dissolve 20 g of nitrogen fertilizers, 25 g of phosphate fertilizers and 15 g of potassium salts (but not potassium chloride) in 10 liters of water. Once a season, add to the fertilizer mixture inkstone, and once a month - potassium permanganate.
the state of the tree is affected by changes in air humidity, light, temperature, and even the orientation of the plant relative to the window. Rotate the pot for alignment should be no more than once every ten days and no more than 10 degrees.

Pests and diseases

Another point in the care of orange seedlings at any age is the prevention and control of pests and diseases.

Of the pests on citrus fruits, in particular, aphids are found on oranges, spider mites, whitefly and scale insects. A weekly inspection of the plant will allow timely detection and destruction of pests.

Especially carefully you need to inspect the tree when it is transferred from open air indoors in autumn.

You can fight pests at home with broad-spectrum drugs with a short waiting time, such as Biotlin or Fitoverm.

From home remedies, infusions of garlic, hot pepper or a solution of laundry soap are suitable.

You can fight root rot with Fitosporin or a solution of tooth powder that lowers the acidity of the soil.

Graft

An orange tree grown from a seed can grow quickly, form a beautiful crown, after 6-8 years with correct pruning flowers may appear, but the fruits are likely to be inedible or very small and bitter.

Plants grown from seeds do not retain the hereditary traits of the mother plant. In very rare cases, the fruits may be better or no worse than on the original tree.

In order for the fruits on the grown tree to appear earlier and be tasty, you need to graft. Graft a bud or twig of a cultivated, varietal plant onto a grown seedling. A wildling, an ungrafted seedling, can be identified by long, hard, green spikes that appear on the stem of a seedling already at the age of 1 year.

Most best age for revaccination 1-3 years

Video how to plant an orange

How to get fruits at home?

An ungrafted orange tree will begin to bear fruit at 6-10 years of age and only on a properly formed tree. For the formation of buds, and later on, fruits, branches of the fourth and higher order are needed. To get an earlier harvest, you need to start forming a crown from the moment when the trunk reaches a height of 20 to 30 cm.

in early spring, the main shoot is pinched at a height of 15-25 cm;
of the lateral shoots that have appeared, 3-4 are left evenly spaced along the trunk and direction, which are pinched, limiting further growth;
extra branches are removed on the ring;
next spring, two branches of the 2nd order are left on each branch, on which branches of a higher order will subsequently grow;
fruit-bearing branches develop on branches of the 4th and higher order;
thickening, small and unsuccessfully growing branches are annually removed;
it is better to remove the first buds, saving the strength of the tree;
for ripening for the first time, you can leave no more than 3 ovaries.

You can stimulate the formation of buds if you arrange a cold (+ 2-5 ° C) and dry wintering for an orange tree, limiting watering for 90 days. When the tree feels the temperature rise to + 15-18 ° C and an increase in watering on the branches, the formation of buds and ovaries will begin.

Pollination is necessary to produce fruits. With a cotton swab, pollen from the stamens is transferred to the pistil and it is better if it is the pistil of another flower. The amount of the formed ovary must be strictly dosed - each ovary must be provided with food by 10-15 healthy leaves.

At proper care an orange tree can become a real long-liver in the house - bloom and bear fruit up to 70 years.

It first appeared in China over 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 seaside 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 pleasant 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 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, select the bones from it, and then plant them in a small pot, which must be immediately placed 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, on which, as a rule, there are one or two leaves.

When a tree about fifteen centimeters high is already growing in a 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 left over from tea.

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 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.

It must be remembered that the graft must be done from another tree that has repeatedly borne fruit. 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 top dressing, according to experts, greatly improves the taste of fruits, which are somewhat bitter under indoor cultivation conditions.

However, home plant lovers need to know that an orange tree is enough whimsical plant which requires very careful maintenance. And it is not a fact that it will delight its owner with fruits earlier than in ten years, and sometimes a tree may not bear fruit at all.

But do not despair, especially since watching a tree planted with your own hands turns green and rises is a huge and incomparable satisfaction.

Its fruits, of course, in comparison with ordinary oranges, are many times smaller, but taste qualities and the composition of useful substances does not suffer at all from this.

Description of the orange and the beneficial properties of fruits

The orange plant is the most common citrus crop in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world. A tall tree from the rue family, growing up to 9 meters, with an almost spherical dense crown. Young branches are ribbed, there are thorns in the axils of the leaves. Leaves with short petioles, oval, entire, leathery.

The flowers are white, solitary or growing in bunches, fragrant, with abundant nectar. The fruits are almost spherical, rarely ovoid or slightly compressed, yellow-orange with a thin, well-separated peel. Grown in various climatic zones, therefore, flowering and fruit ripening occurs in different time of the year.

The plant began to be cultivated about 4000 years ago somewhere in South or Southeast Asia. It is known that in China it was grown as early as 2200 BC. The orange is currently the most widespread citrus crop in the world.

Most of all it is grown in the USA, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Japan. As a houseplant grown in different climatic zones.

The beneficial properties of orange fruits are due to the fact that they contain vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, P, provitamin A, fiber, phytoncides, pectin and nitrogenous substances, carbohydrates, mineral salts. Flavonoids, terpene aldehydes, and essential oil have been found in orange peel.

Growing conditions and care for homemade oranges

Growing oranges is possible from the seed of a ripe fruit. Soak the seeds overnight in water, and then plant them 1-1.5 cm deep in a loose substrate. Composition: 2 parts of turf, 1 part of leafy soil, 1 part of humus or peat and 1 part of sand. You can plant them directly in peat. After that, cover the pot with foil. Shoots will appear in about 1 month. Keep the pot in a dark and warm place. After the appearance of 2 true leaves, pick the seedlings, then repeat it 2 more times.

A necessary condition for growing oranges at home is bright diffused light during the summer. With prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, foliage burns can occur.

It is very thermophilic, it will feel great on a sunny loggia in the summer. In winter, it needs rest, the temperature is 12-15 ° C. Watering. Like everyone tropical plant high humidity is required.

When growing an orange from a stone, frequent spraying is necessary in summer and remoteness from a heating battery in winter. Apply any complex fertilizer at least once a month.

An orange grown from a seed must be grafted in order to obtain fruits.

In nurseries, you can buy already grafted trees.

Orange care must be thorough and constant: spraying, watering, loosening, pruning old branches, pinching young ones and pruning thin long shoots that dry out in winter.

From top dressing, an orange needs combined mineral and organic fertilizers, and in specialized stores you can also buy special fertilizers for citrus fruits.

When caring for homemade oranges, it is important not to forget that these plants are demanding of light and heat. The process of budding, flowering and fruit formation is best achieved at an air and soil temperature of + 15 + 18 ° C.

Orange needs bright diffused light, but be sure to shade from direct sun in spring and summer during the hottest hours. A suitable place is the east and west window.

In spring and summer, it should be watered abundantly 1-2 times a day, and in winter it should be watered moderately - 1-2 times a week. warm water. The soil should be neither dry nor excessively wet. Since October, watering is reduced.

For watering it is better to use soft water. You can soften water by adding nitric or oxalic acid. You can also use vinegar or vinegar essence.

Needs repotting every year in new soil.

Growing homemade oranges in a greenhouse

To grow oranges in a greenhouse, fill medium-sized pots with good drainage holes at the bottom with rich soil. Use soil with a decent amount of humus and add a large handful of clean sand to each pot, which is about 25 centimeters in diameter.

Water the loosely packed soil before planting the seeds. Plant the seeds at least 2-3 centimeters below the soil surface. When using small seed pots, plant one seed per 5 cm pot.

Place the plant pot in the sunny part of the greenhouse. If your greenhouse is not sunny, use greenhouse grow lights or a 100W light bulb at least 1 meter away from the plant for four hours a day. Make sure that the temperature in the greenhouse does not fall below +5 degrees Celsius. Citrus fruits prefer a temperature of at least +10 degrees.

If the winter in your area is not sunny, and funds allow, consider additional greenhouse lighting. If the plants in the greenhouse receive at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight per day, supplementing with full spectrum lights or special fluorescent lights for greenhouse lighting will make your plants feel much better and therefore produce more fruit.

If the plants in the greenhouse receive less than 5 hours of direct sunlight per day, more sophisticated greenhouse lighting systems may be needed. This site is an excellent source useful information about the types of equipment for lighting greenhouses. On this site you can also buy lamps for lighting greenhouses.

Keep the soil moist with a sprayer during seed germination. They should germinate within three to four weeks. A greenhouse is an ideal place to grow citrus fruit indoors because it collects condensation naturally.

Water the plants, but don't let the roots sit in standing water. Let the leaves grow for at least six months before you start pruning.

Transplant seedlings from tiny pots to larger pots when the roots are strong enough to transplant. Six months is an approximate time for transplantation. Trees in a greenhouse can grow from 2.5 to 7.5 meters tall depending on variety and growing conditions. Once fully established, trees grow best in large pots.

If you use bulbs to light your greenhouse in the winter, rotate the tree from time to time so that the light doesn't only shine on one side of the plant.

Diseases and pests of indoor oranges

If the orange is sick, the new leaves become smaller, the old ones turn yellow and fall off, there is no flowering, the fruits do not set - the plant does not have enough nutrients, it needs to be transplanted into nutrient soil.

In diseases of oranges, yellow spots appear on the leaves or the edges of the leaves turn yellow, the leaves fall prematurely. This can happen due to over watering. Remember that watering should be moderate, i.e. the soil should have time to dry out. Plant disease is also possible with irregular watering, when watering is either more or very little.

Dry shriveled leaves may appear due to sunburn or a lesion.

Sudden fall of leaves - a consequence of waterlogging of the soil, lack of light in winter, watering cold water, low indoor temperatures in winter, excess nutrients in the soil, or cold drafts.

Shields: brown plaques on the surface of leaves and stems, suck out cell sap. Leaves lose color, dry and fall off. Buds and flowers dry, fruits fall off.

Control measures. It is difficult to mechanically remove scale insects from a large tree, so you need to spray it with an insecticide as carefully as possible. Good results are obtained by a 0.15% solution of Actellik (1-2 ml per liter of water), karbofos or deciss can be used.

: appears when the air is too dry - a cobweb appears on the stems in the internodes, the leaves and buds become lethargic and fall off. The fruits fall off.

Control measures. The plant is washed with soapy water, and after it dries, washed under warm shower. If the defeat is not strong, then this is enough. With a very strong pest attack, an orange can be sprayed with a 0.15% Actellic solution (1-2 ml per liter of water).

Varieties of oranges "Washington", "Marheulsky" and "Valencia"

There are about 300 varieties of orange, among which there are three main groups: ordinary, blood or red oranges and neve - umbilical.

The description of the varieties of the orange plant from the first group has one common feature - in all forms the fruits are light yellow, the juice is almost colorless, seedless varieties are rare. In varieties of red orange, the pulp and juice are colored red of varying intensity.

Nevels are distinguished by the fact that instead of a seed, a second, smaller fruit is contained inside the fruit, and the top of the main fruit resembles a navel in shape, the color of the pulp and juice can be different, but most often it is yellow. In addition to them, there are many different hybrid forms.

Below are photos and names of varieties of oranges with descriptions.

Washington orange- these plants of Brazilian origin reach a height of only 2.5 meters in their homeland at a mature age. It stands out among other varieties in that its fruits, which ripen in winter, do not have seeds, and the juicy pulp is covered with a thick peel, which is easy to peel. It is one of the most popular varieties in the world.

Fruits with orange flesh, pitted, can remain on the tree for up to three months without reducing their quality. Blossoms in spring, ripens in 6-7 months.

The plant prefers full sun, fertile but well-drained soil, and moderate watering.

Orange variety "Mmarkheulsky"- This is a dwarf form of the Washington brought variety. A low growing tree with short shoots and soft spines. Leaves oval to elliptical, dark green, 5-15 cm long. Flowers white, fragrant, 4 cm long, solitary or in racemes; bloom in the spring. The fruits are large, sweet, with a characteristic navel and bright orange fragrant skin. The height of an adult bush is up to 1.5 meters. The seedling is grafted from an adult plant. Height 20-40 cm. Grows every day.

Orange variety "Vvalencia" originated in Spain, but today it also grows in other countries specializing in the export of oranges. The fruits of this variety are distinguished by a thin peel of bright orange color with small red spots. The flesh of the fruit is also bright orange and also contains red blotches.

Varieties of red orange "Tarocco", "Gamlin", "Korolek" and their beneficial properties

Red orange 'Tarocco' has a characteristic pigmentation due to the anthocyanin substance, the amount of which varies depending on the variety and degree of maturity. Studies have found that regular consumption of juice rich in this substance significantly reduces fatty deposits in the liver (a consequence of a diet rich in saturated fats), and also lowers plasma cholesterol levels.

Flavones are substances necessary for the restoration and maintenance of connective tissue, making bones and teeth less fragile, as well as for strengthening blood vessels and capillaries. Therefore, the orange should become an indispensable element of the diet for those who suffer from cellulite, varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Also, the beneficial properties of red oranges are explained by the fact that in their fruits high content magnesium, indispensable for the heart muscle, and which is a natural sedative, acting directly on nervous system. Potassium - improves blood circulation and thereby lowers blood pressure. Selenium strengthens cell membranes and protects against the damaging effects of free radicals.

Tarocco is widespread in Sicily.

Variety Gamlin. Common orange. The tree is short, compact. The fruits are medium (weight about 300 g), slightly flattened at the top, with a shiny orange peel, few or almost no seeds.

Variety Korolek. A typical representative of the king group. The tree is undersized. The crown is pyramidal. The fruits are medium or smaller than average with dark orange skin and red coarse-grained flesh. There are few seeds.