Potted Orange Tree Care: [Soil, Humidity, Pruning and Problems]

What characteristics does the potted orange tree have?

The orange tree is one of the most important fruit trees in nature, whose scientific name is Citrus sinensis.

It is native to China and distributed throughout the world where it is enjoyed in different ways, directly as citrus, in juices, jams, preserves and even in liqueurs.

It is one of the friendliest plants in the natural ecosystem, both for its leafy characteristics and for the contributions it makes to the table.

As a member of the Rutaceae, it has been a member of the lemon, lime and tangerine family, other citrus fruits highly sought after by humans.

Its flowers are white and beautiful, its leaves are oval and bright green.

As a tree it reaches a height of seven meters, but in good conditions it can reach 13 meters, which makes it an impressive plant of exotic beauty due to its large and dense conical crown.

However, the orange tree is also a plant that we can grow in a pot from seeds and grafts, to have our bittersweet and fragrant oranges at home, which are the envy of other less favored plants.

Carrying out this process is convenient in those places where the land does not lend itself to planting directly, where it is difficult to irrigate it or where winter frosts occur that are difficult to overcome.

Well done, this work leaves many satisfactions, but none like having a beautiful and aromatic decorative element that becomes an excellent substitute for ordinary ornamental plants.

To its dense foliage and its characteristic fragrance we will add the ease of its cultivation in a pot, as there are dwarf species that adapt very easily. That way we can place it anywhere in the house as an ornament, while enjoying the exquisite fruit.

These pots are used to decorate the corners, the balcony, the terrace, the small orchard and the garden, but to keep the plant healthy we must apply a series of care that will give it a lasting development.

What soil needs does a potted orange tree have?

The potted orange tree prefers sandy, deep and fresh soil, not clayey, limestone or saline, because it does not get along well with salinity to which it is very sensitive; best permeable soil with pH 6-6.5.

It will be very convenient for it to drain, so we will add soil with a mixture of black earth or homemade organic matter such as compost, mulch and coarse sand, with expanded clay looking for the pot to have drainage.

We can also use soil, citrus fertilizer, sand (to facilitate drainage), and quality mulch.

How to make a potted orange tree grow strong and vigorous?

The care that we will provide for it to grow with strength implies a large and deep pot that gives it enough space to develop.

We will change the pot every two or three years. Well, this is a plant that bears fruit very well for our approval.

For sowing, it is best to do it in early spring with seed or grafting. We will harvest from October to June.

Irrigation must be applied regularly, especially in those moments when it is very hot, but without exaggerating with the water.

Remember that excess water is counterproductive, bearing in mind that the roots are close to the surface in a pot, but we cannot let the fertilizer dry out completely either.

Preferable will be irrigation with stored rainwater instead of running water, not as abundant as when we have the plant in the ground, making it coincide with soluble fertilizer. We will water two or three times a week in summer and only once a week in winter.

Another aspect that we must take care of is the fertilization, which we will do from spring to autumn on three occasions, applying fertilizers before flowering, in the months of June and September, adding organic matter in autumn, as this will improve the quality of the soil.

Watering is best done at night to avoid rapid evaporation, but in winter we will move the pot inside the house where we will keep it warm, covered with a veil.

That will be one of the advantages of growing the orange tree in a pot: the control that we will have over it when seeking shelter in the winter, control that will allow us to move it to interior spaces where it has light and, if necessary, take it out in the sun during the central hours of the day.

We will move it away from hot places, with the heating off. If we do not want to take them out, having it near the windows is wonderful, but, as has been said, avoiding the cold, the frost, which does so much damage.

Being able to move it from one place to another will allow us to save it, because we must remember that the orange tree in a pot is more prone to drying out or freezing than trees planted in the ground, more resistant to the vagaries of time and climate.

What humidity does a potted orange tree need?

The orange tree requires a moist environment in the surrounding atmosphere and in the soil of the pot where it sits. Wet, not cold, huh. do not forget.

To develop its fruits well, it requires a lot of light and warm temperatures in summer, taking into account that the strong wind will cause the fruit to fall and spots on the leaves.

It does not withstand temperatures below zero and inside the house we must keep it in a place where it does not suffer the impact of strong winds.

Is it necessary to prune the orange tree in a pot?

Pruning is important to refresh the plant and give it the shape that we like best, taking into account the decoration that we want for our house. Sanitation pruning, which is always vital for plants, is also in this case.

How often should we prune the potted orange tree?

In the potted orange tree, each pruning has its moment; thus, from the first year we must cut the stems of more than 30 centimeters; at the end of winter, pruning will serve to cut off dead branches and stems.

Shortly before spring, we will endeavor to remove the leaves from the abundant branches, because in this way we will favor the growth of the fruits.

How can we avoid pests and diseases of potted orange trees?

Potted citrus has the same dangers as those planted in the ground, since its enemies do not rely on the despicable intention of damaging them.

So, we must be aware of cochineal, aphids, mites and whiteflies, and in case we verify their attack, we will defend our beautiful plant with a mixture of water and potassium soap and with Neem oil, which are very helpful. at those moments.

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