How to plant an orange tree

Fancy a freshly squeezed orange juice? As we know that there is nothing better than growing your own food, I will explain how to plant an orange tree step by step, so you can savor its delicious fruits either by making juices, or as a dessert.

Thus, Take note of these tips and you can have your harvest assured.

Main characteristics of the orange tree

The orange tree is an evergreen tree whose scientific name is Citrus. It is native to China and Indonesia, where it enjoys a mild and mild climate throughout the year. Medium-fast growing, it can reach a height of 8m, although in cultivation it is normally not allowed to exceed 5m. Its white flowers bloom in spring and they are slightly aromatic.

Taking this into account, we are facing a fruit tree that can grow without problems in climates with very light frosts, down to -4ºC, as long as they are of short duration. Unlike other fruit trees, does not need to have cold hours to bloom; However, during the winter we will see that it stops its growth due to low temperatures.

How to plant an orange tree in the garden

Now that we know its main characteristics, let's see step by step how it is planted:

1. The first thing to do is decide where it is going to be planted. East it will have to be exposed directly to the sun, in a sandy soil and preferably without limestone, with a pH between 6 and 7.
2. Then a 1m x 1m hole will be made. Why so big? Because in this way the quality of the soil can be improved, something that will help the orange tree to better withstand the transplant.
3. Once we have the hole finished, we mix the earth that we have extracted with perlite (20%) and a little worm castings (10%).
4. We pour a bucket or two of water to moisten the planting hole well.
5. We extract the orange tree with care of the pot.
6. We finally planted it, and we water again.

If it is very windy in your area, it is convenient to put a tutor so that it can stand upright until it is attached to its own roots.

And ready. Depending on the age of the tree, it is likely that for the coming season you will be able to enjoy your first harvest 🙂.