How to Grow an Orange Tree

Understand the issues associated with growing plants from seeds. Although you can grow an orange tree this way, the tree is susceptible to disease and other problems. It can also take 4 to 15 years for the tree to bear fruit for the first time. ^[1] Young plants purchased at nurseries are actually propagated from two types: a plant for strong roots and other attributes, plus a branch of a grafted tree to the first plant. These branches are taken from the tree that produces a lot of high quality fruit, and because they are mature, the tree will bear fruit in a year or two after you buy it. That is to say, continue with the following steps if you are ready to grow your own orange tree.

Pick the seeds before they dry out again. Carefully cut an orange without cutting into the seeds on the inside or using only the intact seeds. Choose seeds that are free of cracks or pale in color. The seeds are flat and dry (usually after they have been removed from the orange for a long time) and are incapable of developing.

• Note that some varieties are seedless oranges. You need to ask to buy oranges with seeds.

Wash the seeds. Rinse the seeds under running water and gently scrub away any grit or orange peel from the seeds. Be careful not to damage the seeds, especially those that have already begun to sprout.

• There is no need to dry the seeds afterwards. Keeping them moist will create better germination conditions.

Make seeds germinate faster by keeping them moist. Assuming you are using seeds that have not yet begun to germinate, you can shorten the time it takes to get there by keeping them in a humid environment. You can keep the wet seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 30 days before planting, or simply keep them in the potting soil in moist, but not waterlogged, soil. ^[2]

• If you use dried seeds, they are in a dormant state and may take several months to germinate or never sprout at all.
• Professional orange growers soak some slow-germinating orange varieties in gibberellic acid before planting to speed up germination even more. ^[3] This is usually not necessary when you are growing your own homegrown plants with seeds, and can easily backfire if you use the wrong amount of seeds for your orange varieties. ^[4]

Plant each seed in a small well drained pot incorporating potting soil. Plant them about 1/2 inch (1.2cm) below the surface. ^[5] isn’t too picky about the type of pot you choose, but it’s important that the water doesn’t flood around the seeds (and later roots) and cause rot. ^[6] Water needs to drain through the pot quickly when you water it. Alternatively, you can buy potted citrus added to the mix, which will increase their ability to hold nutrients and create a more acidic (low pH) environment that citrus trees thrive in. ^[7]

• Remember to place a wooden board or other object underneath the pot to catch the water running.
• If the soil is poorly drained, mix in hardwood bark. This makes the soil less compact, allowing for faster drainage through. ^[8]

Keep the soil in full sunlight. Whether indoors or outdoors, soil does best at temperatures between 75º and 85ºF (24º-29ºC). [10] Sunlight is the best way to warm your soil to the correct degree, since a radiator can dry out the soil too quickly. If you live in a cold or low sun area, you may need to keep your orange tree in a hot greenhouse or conservatory, even before it germinates.

Add a balanced fertilizer every two weeks (optional). If you want to speed up plant growth, adding a small amount of fertilizer to the soil every 10-14 days will help the plant grow well. ^[9] For best results, you will need to adjust your choice of fertilizer to the level of nutrients in your soil, which should be listed on the label of the potting soil if you buy it. If not, choose a fertilizer that is balanced with relative amounts, even nutrients.

• Stop adding fertilizer Once the plant has grown into a young plant. Follow the instructions for a replacement subtree or subtree. It does not need additional fertilizer until the second year.

Remove the weakest third sprout when the seed has germinated. Citrus seeds have the unusual ability to produce exact clones of the parent plant, known as the nu-cellar tree. ^[10] These are typically the two fastest growing sprouts, while a “genetic” third seedling tends to be smaller and slow growing. Cut off this weak third germ to produce a plant of the right quality the parents bred for.