Apply chook pellets or manure at the start of every season, and supplement this during very wet weather with a fast-acting liquid feed such as fish emulsion. Water your orange tree deeply during dry spells and maintain a layer of sugarcane or lucerne mulch.
Oranges ripen from late autumn to late spring, depending on variety. Colour is an unreliable indicator of ripeness Valencias can turn green, yet still be ripe , so the best advice I can offer is to pick a ripe-looking fruit and taste it.
Harvest with a twisting—pulling action to break the stalk but not damage the button or the fruit. Do not pick cold or wet fruit, as the moisture will reduce shelf life. Fruit can be stored for several weeks in the crisper of the refrigerator. Citrus have a reputation for being at the mercy of all manner of pests and diseases.
In reality, pests make a beeline for poorly nourished trees and can be avoided through good nutrition. Fruit fly can be an issue in spring, especially with thin-skinned navel oranges. Keep their numbers in check by using organic baits such as Eco-lure or Wild May. Queensland fruit fly — use a fruit fly lure program, such as Eco-lure.
Reduce threat by not leaving fruit on the tree beyond maturity. Bronze orange bug - may reduce fruit production. Remove by hand before populations explode. Most orange flowers do not turn into fruit and drop from the tree at the end of the bloom.
Of the flowers that do turn into fruit, many will also drop from the tree long before they mature. This natural process prevents the tree from bearing more mature fruit than it can handle.
After the flowers bloom, navel oranges take seven to 12 months and 'Valencia' oranges take 12 to 15 months to ripen. Due to the length of the maturing process, 'Valencia' trees can carry both mature and developing oranges at the same time. Peel color in an orange does not necessarily indicate it's ready to eat. Navel oranges turn from green to orange long before they are sweet, and 'Valencia' oranges sometimes redevelop a green color after the spring growth flush.
When you squeeze a ripe orange, it will give slightly. Oranges develop their sweetness over time on the tree, so taste test some each week before you decide to harvest. Depending on the variety, oranges will stay fresh on the tree for two to six months. Pack the soil gently around the roots to remove pockets of air.
The top roots should end up just under the surface of the soil. Consider an outdoor location. If you live in one of these warm climates, you may be able to find a place to plant the tree outside: Choose an area protected from the wind. To allow for root growth, plant standard-sized orange trees at least 12 feet 3. The trunk itself can grow to be 10 feet 3m wide. Plant the tree at least 5 feet 1. Plant outdoor trees in existing soil. When planting orange trees outside, dig a hole just deep enough to cover the roots.
Cover the roots with the soil you just dug out. Potting mixes tend to hold too much water for orange trees, which can lead to rot.
Keep your tree in full sun and warm temperature. Keep an eye on young seedlings, since they are always more vulnerable to burning or other dangers than established plants, but orange trees should do best in full sun. Move your orange tree indoors before a frost occurs.
Citrus trees are more vulnerable to frost than heat, although some varieties may be able to survive a mild period of frost. Water the plant with infrequently but heavily. Orange trees, once grown into young trees rather than sprouts, prefer to be in soil that dries out before being watered again.
Wait until the soil feels dry when you make a deep hole with your finger, then water heavily until the soil is soaked. A large adult plant should be left alone until the soil is dry to 6 inches 15 cm beneath the surface.
Use your judgement and water more regularly during hot, dry seasons, although you should generally avoid watering plants while the sun is high in the sky. If your tap water is hard mineral-heavy, leaving white scale on kettles or pipes , use filtered water or rainwater instead to water orange trees.
Fertilize carefully according to age. Adding fertilizer or manure at the right time gives the trees all the nutrients they require to grow and produce fruit, but incorrect use can burn the tree or cause other damage. Use a special citrus tree fertilizer, or any fertilizer that is especially high in nitrogen. Follow these instructions for applying fertilizer or compost: [18] X Research source Young trees 2—3 years old should have two tablespoons 30mL of nitrogen-high fertilizer spread under the tree 3 or 4 times a year, immediately before watering.
Alternatively, mix one gallon 4L of high quality composted manure into the soil, but only in the fall when rains can wash away excess salts before they cause damage.
Adult trees 4 years or older grown outside require 1—1. Your fertilizer should say what percentage of nitrogen it contains, which will allow you to calculate how much fertilizer you need to use to achieve the correct amount of nitrogen. Scatter over the root area of the tree and water into the soil, either annually during the winter or in three equal batches in February, July, and September. Remove dust from indoor plants regularly. Dust or grime buildup on a plant's leaves can prevent it from photosynthesizing, which is part of how it gains energy.
Brush or rinse the leaves every few weeks if the plant is kept indoors. Understand that pruning is rarely required. Unlike some varieties of trees, orange and other citrus will do fine without pruning.
Only remove completely dead branches, and suckers near the base that look especially unhealthy. You may prune your tree to shape its direction of growth and keep it short enough to pick all the fruit, but only remove heavy branches during winter months to avoid sunburning the exposed inner tree.
Part 3. Protect burned or withered trees by wrapping the trunk in newspaper. If your tree is still young and has just been planted outdoors, it may be especially vulnerable to sunburn. Tie newspaper loosely around the trunk and large branches if you see signs of sun damage, or are living in an area with strong sun. Test soil pH if the leaves are turning yellow.
Yellow leaves may be a sign of alkalinity, or too much base salt in the tree. Test your soil pH to confirm this. If the soil is too alkaline, apply an acidic low pH fertilizer and heavily wash the soil to leach out alkaline salts.
Wash off aphids with soapy water. Aphids are small green pests that feed on many types of plants. If you see them on your orange tree, wash them off with soapy water. Get rid of ants and other pests feeding on the tree. Ants can be difficult to eradicate, but placing the pot in a larger container of standing water makes it impossible for them to get to it.
Use pesticides sparingly and as a last resort, especially if the tree is bearing fruit. Insulate trees that will be exposed to frost. If possible, young trees should be brought indoors before the frost. However, if they are planted outside and you have no space indoors, you should wrap the trunks with cardboard, corn stalks, fleece, or other insulating material.
Cover the trunk all the way up to the main branches. Wait until spring to see which branches survive before pruning the dead ones off. Encourage fruit growth next year by picking all the ripe fruit this year. Leaving fruit on the tree may reduce the amount the tree produces next year, although if you are only using fruit for home purposes an adult tree should produce more than you need.
Some varieties, such as mandarins and Valencia oranges, alternate years of heavy production with years of light production. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. What do I do if there are too many green oranges and I'm afraid the branches of the tree will break as they grow?
Andrew Carberry, MPH. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 2 Helpful
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