How to grow oranges from seed at home?

Among the variety of indoor plants sold in specialty stores, the eye quickly catches neat trees with glossy leathery foliage and a mass of brightly fragrant fruits. If you have patience and put in a little effort, you can grow an orange tree from a seed at home, especially since a seed from a ripe fruit bought in a store is suitable as a planting material.

How to grow an orange at home from a seed?

The orange seed is covered with a rather dense, hard peel, on the one hand, preserving the sprout from all kinds of damage, and on the other, preventing its germination. If the seed dries up, it is very difficult to make it hatch, so only fresh seeds are used for planting.

Orange pits:

• washed in warm water;
• soaked for 8-12 hours;
• planted in loose soil or peat to a depth of 1 cm under the film.

Until the moment of germination, which occurs in a month or a month and a half, the container with seeds remains in a shaded warm place. The mini-greenhouse should be periodically humidified and ventilated. And only after the emergence of sprouts, future orange trees are brought into the world.

Since in countries where oranges grow in nature, trees generously receive both heat and light, you can provide seedlings with the longest daylight hours by planting seeds at the end of winter or in March. But even in this case, young orange trees respond well to the extension of daylight hours with the help of special lamps.

Transplanting an orange at home

The picking of sprouts is carried out at the stage when two true leaves open on the orange, while it is important to take into account that the plant reacts extremely painfully to all manipulations associated with transplantation and possible damage to the root system. It is unacceptable that the root collar of an orange turns out to be underground during transplantation.

The best way to transplant a tree is to transfer the plant along with an earthen lump in spring, until the shoots begin to grow actively and buds appear. An orange grown at home will have to be regularly subjected to this procedure, each time choosing a container with a diameter of 1-3 cm larger than the old pot:

• The growing root system of a young plant once a year requires an expansion of the "living space".
• Mature fruit trees are replanted every 2-3 years.

For seedlings with 4–6 leaves, a pot with a diameter of about 10 cm and a soil mixture of two parts of sod land, one part of deciduous humus, the same volume of peat and sand are suitable. Already at the next transshipment, the proportion of sod land in the soil is increased and a small amount of clay is added. An orange tree, which is grown from a seed at home, must be provided with good drainage and an irrigation regime that does not allow root rot.

Optimal growing conditions for an orange at home

Like all inhabitants of the subtropical zone, orange trees do not tolerate drafts, but they love light very much and are demanding on the humidity of the air and soil. With a lack of lighting, citrus fruits can hurt or refuse to bear fruit, so it is better to grow them on the sunny side, but shielding them from burning direct rays, especially in summer. In autumn and winter, when daylight hours decrease, the orange grown from the seed is illuminated.

The air humidity in the room where the tree is located should not be lower than 40%, otherwise the plant begins to quickly shed its leaves and may die. This happens especially often in winter, during the heating season, or when the pot is located close to the heater. In this case, it is necessary to artificially humidify the air, spray the plant and make sure that the soil under it does not dry out.

The danger of drying out the soil also exists in the summer, therefore, daily watering, which moisturizes the entire earthen lump, but does not cause stagnation of moisture, is extremely necessary for an orange.

Orange trees at home can die if the water for irrigation contains chlorine. Therefore, they use rainwater, thawed or settled water for at least a day, which is heated to 25-30 ° C.

Caring for an orange tree at home

In order for the seedling to develop quickly, and after a few years the plant began to bear fruit, it needs to create conditions, as in the Mediterranean and northern Africa, where oranges grow in nature:

• In summer, the tree can be taken out into the air, protecting it from the scorching sun.
• In the spring, when bud formation begins and ovaries are expected to form, orange trees need to be kept at 15–18 ° C.
• In winter, watering is reduced and a warm winter is arranged at temperatures above + 12 ° C, not forgetting about the plant backlighting.

On transfer from room to room, changes in temperature, humidity and other growing conditions, up to turning the pot, an orange tree, as in the photo, at home can shed its leaves, turn yellow and wither. Therefore, it is advised to rotate the plant so that its shoots grow more evenly, approximately 10 ° every 10 days.

An actively growing orange every 7-14 days needs a complex fertilizing with fertilizers for citrus crops or a composition based on 10 liters of water and:

• 20 grams of ammonium nitrate;
• 25 grams of superphosphate;
• 15 grams of potassium salts.

Caring for an orange tree at home means that iron sulfate is added to the top dressing four times a year, and to maintain the rich color of the foliage, the orange is watered monthly with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Orange seed grafting

If you take good care of the tree, it quickly grows and develops. However, not everyone manages to wait for flowering and ovary, and if the fruits do appear, they turn out to be small and bitter. The fact is that oranges grown from the seed may not carry parental characteristics and may simply be wild plants. You can recognize such a wild game already at the age of one year by the hard green thorns on the trunk.

How to grow oranges at home, as sweet and large as store fruits? In this case, you can choose one of the following methods:

• Carry out the classical grafting of the tree, using the seedling as a rootstock for a varietal cuttings obtained from a fruiting plant.
• Inoculate an orange by budding by implanting the bud of a cultivated plant with a small layer of bark and wood. For reliability, you can use up to three eyes at the same time, grafting them from different sides of the trunk.

The second method is less laborious and painful for the tree. If the seedling after grafting remains only as a rootstock, it is better to carry out the operation on a tree at the age of 1 - 3 years, when the diameter of the stem does not exceed 6 mm.

On an adult orange tree, in the photo, various citrus crops can be grafted, since the plant practically does not reject related species.

Forming an orange crown at home

Fruiting of an orange tree at home can begin 6-10 years after the seeds germinate and only if the plant has a properly formed crown. The buds, and then the ovary, in the same plants appears on the developed branches of the fourth order. Therefore, to obtain an early harvest, the formation of the crown begins during the period when the tree reaches a height of 25-30 cm:

• In spring, the main shoot is pinched at the level of 18-25 cm.
• Of the side shoots, three or four of the strongest are left, which are cut off, forcing to branch.
• In the next season, two branches of the second order are left from the increment. They will subsequently give 3 to 5 shoots of the third order.
• And only then will the horizontal fruiting branches begin to develop.
• Next, they monitor the density of the crown and the timely replacement of branches.

On young trees, the first flowers and ovaries are best removed. The first harvest can be as little as 2-3 oranges, so that the plant does not lose too much strength when they ripen.

You can speed up the tree's entry into fruiting by wintering the orange at a temperature of 2 to 5 ° C, limiting watering and not feeding for three months. When the temperature rises to 15-18 ° C in the room where the oranges grow, buds begin to set and an ovary begins to form. A properly cared-for orange at home can live up to 50–70 years, regularly delighting with the appearance of white flowers and brightly fragrant fruits.

Citrus grafting at home - video

If you think that it is impossible to grow an orange from a seed at home, then you are deeply mistaken. Undoubtedly, it is not enough to lower the seeds into the ground and wait for the shoots to emerge. It will take a lot of patience and time until the orange tree delights you with its fruits.

Orange is the most unpretentious of citrus fruits. For planting, bones obtained from fresh fruit are quite suitable. Most gardeners prefer to grow these trees from seedlings. But to decorate a house or a greenhouse, which is translated from French as "winter orange garden", you can grow a plant from a seed.

Varieties of orange

Oranges are divided into two large groups: sour (bitter) and sweet varieties. There are three types that are most often found on sale in our country.

Sweet

Chinese or Portuguese fruit. The most common and demanded variety.

Sour

Usually these are hybrids of mandarin and pomelo. They have a bitter-sour taste. These fruits are often called oranges.

Bergamot

A hybrid of citron and orange. It has a pronounced bitter-sour taste.

All oranges are equally healthy and tasty. They contain a huge amount of vitamins, amino acids and trace elements. We will present you the best varieties.

Washington Neville

Sweet and sour fruits with a thick, porous skin. Many are mistaken, believing that the homeland of this variety is the United States. In fact, this variety is native to Brazil. Its fruits have practically no seeds.

Valencia

A variety of Spanish oranges. They are distinguished by a thin skin of a bright orange color with red blotches. The pulp is the same color. These oranges have a pleasant sweet taste.

Blondo Commune

A variety from Sicily.For a long time it was the most popular in its homeland, but in recent years it gave the palm to the two previous varieties. It has a lot of seeds and is excellently grown from them.

Oval

The name accurately describes the shape of the fruit. This variety has almost the same taste as Valencia.

Tarocco

Another early maturing Sicilian variety. The harvest season lasts from November to January. These oranges do not only have a pleasant taste and exquisite aroma. However, the fruits are popular not only because of their excellent taste, but also because of the unusual blood-red color of the pulp. How to grow a red orange from a seed, we will tell you a little later.

At the end of this small review, I would like to say that Moroccan and Abkhaz oranges today compete with the varieties described above.

Preparing the potting mix

Before planting seeds, it is necessary to prepare the soil for the future tree. It is prepared from:

• leafy land;
• sand;
• humus;
• turf.

All components in equal parts are thoroughly mixed, and the soil is ready. The soil for an orange must be saturated with trace elements, so you can purchase a ready-made soil with the inscription "Rose" or "Lemon", which is perfect for an orange (tree). The plant needs drainage. To do this, you can use small pebbles or expanded clay. The best time to plant a tree is spring.

Seed selection

For planting, you can use any bone from a freshly eaten fruit, and if you wish, you can buy seeds of a particular variety. Choose whole, undamaged and the most attractive seeds. If you decide to use them from freshly eaten fruit, then they should be washed carefully, being careful not to damage the shell.

After that, they are soaked in warm water overnight. Then the bones are laid out on a damp napkin and covered with it on top. This will keep the moisture needed for germination. Drying out will negatively affect the germination of the plant. Then place the seed napkin in the bag, creating a greenhouse effect for the seeds. Orange is a thermophilic plant, so keep the seed bag in a warm room.

Seed germination process

For germination of seeds, a temperature of about +25 ° C is recommended. If necessary, the seeds in the bag must be moistened. They should always be moist and should not be allowed to dry out. Germination takes about two weeks on average, sometimes a little longer. It is important to periodically ventilate the greenhouse.

Landing

Now you need to plant the seeds in a pot with sterile soil. To do this, heat the purchased or prepared soil composition in a pan for a few minutes, spreading it out in a thin layer. You will see the first shoots in three weeks. When they grow up to two centimeters, the seedlings must be transplanted into pots with a diameter of about nine centimeters.

Place some expanded clay at the bottom of the container, creating the necessary drainage. The sprouts are transplanted into a larger flowerpot when the fourth or fifth leaves appear on them. The next pot should be at least 9 cm in diameter. The old clod of earth that tightly wraps around the roots should be preserved. Do not try to remove it - this could damage the roots.

During this period, it is necessary to create the most favorable conditions for strengthening the sprouts and hardening them. Each transplant is carried out into a container with a diameter of five centimeters larger than the previous one. Transplants stop when they begin to form the crown of the tree. After planting, the bone should be immediately watered with settled, filtered or boiled water.

Cover the pot with plastic wrap to create a mini greenhouse effect. Place it on a windowsill and make sure it is not exposed to direct sunlight. You can cover it with paper. At night, the film is removed so that the seedling is ventilated.

Interested in how to grow a fruit-bearing tree from an orange seed, you need to know that this plant needs moist soils, so it should be sprayed daily. Water the soil as needed, but do not fill it with water.

How to grow an orange from a seed: plant care

The main requirements for this plant are watering and pruning. Even a beginner can grow an orange. Caring for a plant requires only accuracy, patience and adherence to simple rules.

Watering, as we said, should be periodic. In this case, there should be no waterlogging or drying out of the soil. Pruning is done annually. For the second year, the top of the head is cut off from the stone at home, leaving no more than twenty centimeters. After that, the tree will throw out healthy side shoots, however, they will have to be removed.

Thus, skeletal branches are formed. When your tree begins to bear fruit, the branches are pruned as needed. It should be borne in mind that too much fruit on the branches often leads to the depletion of the plant.

Indoor orange: top dressing

The seedling is fed six months after planting. Organic and mineral fertilizers are used, which are now offered in a huge assortment by specialized stores.

How to form a crown?

This thermophilic plant needs crown formation. This work should be started from the moment the tree grows to thirty centimeters. You need to cut two to four leaves from the top of the plant. This will give a powerful push, and it will release side branches, which are second-order branches.

Subsequent pruning of these branches stimulates the growth of shoots of the third and subsequent generations. The branches are cut when they reach a length of thirty centimeters. This is how all shoots are shortened. As a result, the trunk of the formed plant is fifteen centimeters, and the crown is three or four branches, which are covered with small shoots.

The purpose of the grower is the twigs of the fifth order, since they are the ones that bear fruit. But this usually happens at 5-7 years. This largely depends on the characteristics of the variety and the conditions of detention.

First flowers and fruits

How to grow an orange from a seed in order not only to admire a beautiful plant, but also to get fruits from it? Surely the answer to this question is of interest to all gardeners. The tree begins to bloom in the fifth year after planting. But the first buds should be removed, since the plant at this age is not yet strong enough for fruiting.

The plant will give real fruits for 8 years. There are several secrets that allow you to get the harvest earlier than the specified date. Here are some of them:

1. Grafting (graft a twig from a fruiting tree to the tree).
2. Repot the plant often (2-3 transplants in the summer will enhance the development of the root system).
3. Ringing - wire the twigs or peel off the bark in a ring. As soon as the plant begins to bloom, the wire is removed.
4. Cold wintering. Take the tree out to a room with a temperature of +5 ° C for three months. Cold wintering is very effective. They are recommended for the first two to three years. At this time, the plant is not fertilized, you can only water it, but not abundantly.

After these procedures, the orange will begin to bear fruit in the fourth year.

Reproduction

How to grow an orange from seed and propagate it later? At home, this can be done in two ways: by seed and cuttings. In mid-latitudes, it is not so easy to get a stalk. You can ask your friends who are engaged in the cultivation of these citrus fruits, or buy it in specialized greenhouses.

For reproduction, cuttings 15 cm long and 0.5 cm in diameter are suitable. The cut is made under the kidney and above it, above and below. The stem must have at least four buds and three leaves.The stalk is treated with a root growth stimulant. After that, it is placed in water for several days, and then planted in the ground.

Rooting can take from one to one and a half months. After rooting, the cuttings are transplanted into pots by transferring them. You already know how to grow an orange from a seed. This process is more complicated, but at the same time very exciting. The tree grown in this way has strong genetics and has other characteristics that differ from the parental ones.

Cuttings, on the other hand, fully inherit the donor's genetic code. At the same time, cuttings significantly reduce the timing of the onset of fruiting.

Diseases and pests

Many pests can attack the orange. The tree can be affected by some diseases. Its main enemies in indoor floriculture are spider mites and scale insects. In addition, an orange seedling can be infected with viruses and fungi.

You can fight diseases and pests with the help of fungicides and insecticides. The affected areas are cut out and smeared with garden pitch. In advanced cases, the diseased seedling is recommended to be burned.

Oranges are very healthy fruits. They lower the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood, strengthen the immune system, and normalize blood pressure. It is not at all surprising that many flower growers and gardeners dream of growing this plant. This culture is unlikely to be called unpretentious by anyone, however, it will not bring great difficulties in leaving. Constant care, painstaking work and a great desire to grow an exotic plant will definitely give a positive result.

Is it possible to grow a pretty and, moreover, fruitful orange tree from the seed on your own? Yes! In this article, we will figure out how to plant an orange and what kind of care it will require in order to please the owners with delicious fruits. There are several ways to grow an orange at home, including from seeds.

Preparing and sowing seeds

So, let's look at how to grow an orange from a seed at home. The seed for germination must be taken as fresh as possible: we eat the fruit and immediately begin to prepare orange seeds for sowing. If they dry out a little, it will make germination more difficult. We need seeds that are full-bodied, without skin defects, of the correct shape, fully ripe. They need to be washed with water at room temperature, and then soaked in boiled water for 8-12 hours.

Then, to grow your orange at home, plant the seeds in citrus potting soil. You can buy it or make it yourself. The best option: 1 part of leafy soil (or peat), 1 part of well-washed river sand, 2 hours of turf soil. The container must have a hole for water to drain. You can use both individual (about 100 ml) and general. In the latter case, the distance between the orange seeds should be at least 5 cm: orange seeds are multi-embryonic and can immediately sprout into a bush. Planting an orange from the seed should be 1–2.5 cm deep.

Then, to grow an orange from the seed at home, cover the container with plastic wrap to help retain moisture. When choosing a place, avoid direct sunlight, however, the illumination should be good: since oranges grow in southern countries, such conditions will help create an optimal microclimate. It is better to remove the film at night so that the planted orange does not suffocate.

The germination rate of seeds depends on a number of factors and can range from 20 to 45 days. After the sprouts appear, the film can be removed completely. Growing an orange from a seed at home is best done in spring, when daylight hours naturally lengthen - then citrus fruits grow better.

The first pick can be carried out after two leaves appear on the sprout.It is necessary to transplant the orange carefully so as not to injure the grown tender roots and neck, it is best to just transfer the earthen ball into a new pot. Some experts recommend not doing this at all, just adding new soil to nourish the plant. If the seed has given several shoots, you need to leave only one, the strongest, and pinch the rest. For a sprout with 4–6 leaves, a pot 10 cm in diameter is optimal.

For each transplant, the capacity is taken 3-4 cm more; for an adult plant, they simply change the top of the earth in a pot. It is permissible to plant the sprout initially in a large container, but then you need to monitor the watering so that the soil that is not covered by the roots does not sour. In this case, the grown shoot needs to be fed periodically. We learned how to grow an orange seedling from a seed. Let's take care of it.

Conditions for successful cultivation

When growing an indoor orange, you need to provide the plant with good lighting without direct sunlight (can lead to burns), no drafts and timely watering. Since it is impossible to grow an orange at home with low air humidity (it should be at least 40%), you should regularly spray the plant or place a container with water where the tree grows. This is especially important in winter, when the batteries dry the air.

Plant care

Growing an orange requires daily watering (without flooding and acidifying the soil) in the summer. In winter, it needs to be reduced, but daylight hours need to be extended with the help of lamps: being subtropical plants, they require a lot of sun. The temperature in winter should be kept low, + 12-15 degrees.

When deciding how to grow an orange tree, do not forget about fertilizers: it is advisable to use them every two weeks. You can buy a ready-made complex mixture or prepare it from 25 g of phosphorus fertilizers, 15 g of potassium salts (excluding potassium chloride) and 20 g of nitrogen fertilizers. This mixture is taken per 10 liters of water.

To obtain fruit, the tree will need to be properly cut, since the ovaries will appear only on branches of the 4th order of magnitude and higher. When the tree grows to 20-30 cm, pinch the main shoot and then pinch the lateral shoots that it will give after that, until you get branches of the 4th order. In order for the plant to become healthy and strong in the future, it is advisable to leave no more than 3 ovaries for the first time.

Pests and diseases

To grow an orange tree from a seed, you also need to protect the plant from parasites such as scale insects, spider mites, and whiteflies.

Spraying with insecticide twice a year will help to protect against them. If an infection has occurred, you can use store preparations, tincture of garlic or laundry soap. From diseases, the appearance of root rot is possible. To prevent it, water the plant with a weak solution of potassium permanganate once a month.

Plant grafting

It must be borne in mind that a tree planted from a stone at home may not have the qualities of a parent and its fruits cannot be eaten due to bitterness. So that the grown crop can be enjoyed, it is possible to vaccinate against a varietal plant. This can be done classically, using a seedling as a rootstock, as well as by budding, by planting one or more buds of a cultivated plant with a piece of bark on the stem.

Orange Seed Planting Video

This video will show you how to plant orange seeds correctly.

Few of the true amateur flower growers have not tried to grow citrus on their own at least once. The stone sprouted, but it didn't go further than that. It is quite possible to grow an exotic orange from a seed and get a fruiting tree at home.

But this fruit requires special attention and proper care, since it is quite whimsical.The taste of orange citruses grown at home in a pot cannot be compared to purchased ones, but this does not stop true lovers of indoor plants.

Growing other decorative trees at home:

• Growing a tangerine tree from a bone at home
• How to water a money tree at home?

Planting seeds (seeds)

Orange seeds can be planted at any time of the year, but it is preferable to do it in the spring. First, a mature fruit is selected, the bones are removed. Empty and dried seeds are not suitable for planting. It is advisable to soak them in warm water overnight.

The soil for the plant can be purchased at a garden store ready-made or made by yourself (1 part of peat, 1 part of sand, 2 parts of turf soil). For planting, it is advisable to use a clay pot - it absorbs excess moisture well.

The seeds are planted to a depth of 2-2.5 cm, after which it is necessary to slightly moisten the ground and cover with foil. This crop prefers high humidity at high temperatures, so the pot is placed in a well-lit place.

22-24 ° C is the optimum temperature for an orange to germinate. If these conditions are met, the first shoots appear in 3-4 weeks.

Sprout transplant

Sprouts that have grown to 1.5 - 2 cm are transplanted into separate containers with a diameter of 8 cm. Drainage must be placed at the bottom, and earth for citrus fruits is placed on top. At this stage, the seedlings are quite fragile, therefore, when transplanting, the roots are handled as carefully as possible.

For young plants, regular watering and spraying with settled water at room temperature is required. In larger pots, oranges are transplanted by transferring after at least 6 leaves appear.

Pruning is an important care element

How to grow an orange from a seed at home and see the fruits on it? This is possible if the crown is formed correctly. Since this plant blooms and bears fruit on branches not lower than the fifth order, you should not expect the appearance of fruits earlier than 5 years later. The shaping procedure is simple. When the branches reach the desired length (10-15 cm), they are pinched. New shoots soon awaken from the dormant lateral buds, they also need to be shortened. As a result, after five years, an orange tree is obtained, which has many short shoots.

For the first time, a blooming plant needs to adjust the number of ovaries for proper development. In the first year, 2-3 fruits are left, in the second - 7-8, then - about 10.

Is it possible to achieve flowering in 3-4 years? Keeping in a well-lit place at temperatures up to 10 ° C in winter, rare and moderate watering provokes a more powerful growth in spring. In this case, the flowers appear ahead of schedule. Cold wintering promotes better fruiting.

Care

In order for a planted orange to please with its excellent appearance and bear fruit well, it is necessary to create conditions close to optimal.

Lighting

Fairly bright place, but not in direct sunlight. With a lack of lighting, the fruits may not ripen or become bitter. Placing in direct sunlight will result in leaf burns.

Temperature

The growing room should be cool enough. The most comfortable temperature is 17-20 ° C in the spring-summer period. At a higher one, the culture does not set fruits and is strongly affected by pests and diseases, at a low one, all growth processes slow down.

Air humidity

Daily spraying is desirable, especially in the warm season.

Fertilizers

Growing an orange from a seed requires regular feeding. Special fertilizers for citrus fruits are applied 2-3 times a month from March to October. A good result is given by burying the sleeping tea leaves into the ground.

Watering

Should be moderate, with strong waterlogging, citrus can rot (especially in winter). It tolerates short-term drought normally.Water at room temperature is used for irrigation.

Orange tree pests

It is not enough to simply plant an orange from the seed and provide it with the required conditions in the hope of a good harvest. A daily inspection of plants for viruses, pests, diseases and regularly taken preventive measures are mandatory.

• Loosening the soil and watering with a solution of potassium permanganate will save the orange from root diseases.
• Removing dust from leaves, spraying with water at room temperature will help protect against many diseases.
• An insecticide treatment once every six months will prevent spider mites, thrips, scale insects and aphids from spreading.

To guarantee a harvest, you need to grow an orange at home and, when it reaches the age of three, to graft. To carry out this procedure, you need a certain experience, so it is better to entrust this to a specialist. Inoculate the branches of a fruiting tree of orange, grapefruit or lemon. From crossing, not only the number and size of the fruit benefits, but also their taste.

Possible problems

As a houseplant, an orange is demanding on temperature, lighting and humidity. If these rules are not followed, yellowing and falling of leaves and buds begins. In severe cases, the tree dies.

Main reasons:

• insufficient watering;
• excess fertilizer (in the cold season, the plant is not fertilized);
• bay (especially when kept cool in winter);
• too abrupt change of conditions of detention (for example, from a cool balcony to a warm room);
• low illumination during warm wintering (above 10 ° C);
• unnecessarily large pot;
• drafts;
• too dry air.

Growing citrus fruits at home is quite costly and troublesome. But if you want to get your own harvest of these overseas fruits, then you can try.

General principles of growing citrus at home

The cultivation of citrus fruits has its own characteristics that are common to oranges, lemons, tangerines, and more. You can find out about them from this video: