If you love the smell of oranges and the fruit itself, but your climate is less than ideal, why not learn how to grow orange trees in pots? It's absolutely possible and you'll love this beautiful tree that will not only reward you with amazing smells and fruit, but also with a decorative component! Of course, since you'll be growing your orange tree in a pot, you will need to find dwarf varieties such as Calamondin, Trovita, or Budda's Hand. These dwarf varieties are just as delicious as the regular varieties, but they won't take up nearly as much space! Read on how to grow orange trees in pots!
How to Grow Orange Trees in Pots – A DIY Gardening Guide
Growing orange trees in pots is a lot easier than you may think, as long as you keep them protected once temperatures dip below 25 degrees F. In this case, you may bring your pot indoors and place it in a sunny spot, or cover it with a compost blanket and then plastic. Once temperatures go back up again, you can bring your orange tree back outdoors or uncover it.
Planting Orange Trees in Pots:
- When it comes to growing orange trees, the bigger the pot or container the better! While 5 gallon pots will still work, try to find an even bigger pot so that your tree can really grow!
- Make sure your pot or container has good drainage holes.
- Choose a good draining potting mix that may contain peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, and compost.
- Start by adding a layer of gravel or rock to the bottom of the pot, and then top off with a layer of soil.
- Place your orange tree on top of the soil, then fill the rest of the pot with soil, burying the tree's roots.
- Tamp the soil down to remove any air pockets.
Care:
- Fertilize your orange tree using a vitamin B1 rooting tonic right after it's been potted.
- After that, apply a slow release fertilizer to the soil surface every year in the spring.
- End fertilization at the end of July to winterize your tree.
- Choose a site that's in full sun and away from strong winds.
- Allow the upper inch of the soil to dry before watering.
- Trim the tree to encourage more fruiting.
Happy Planting!
