The orange tree will appeal to connoisseurs of exoticism. An evergreen plant can be grown in your own apartment not just as a decorative flower, but also as a source of tasty and healthy fruits. True, the tree is somewhat capricious in growing, but if you wish, you can learn to satisfy its whims and get a good harvest even in a city apartment. The fruits will certainly please all family members.

Basic information

Repeatedly, many of us have wondered how oranges grow in nature? No less interesting is the following: is an orange a fruit or a berry? The natural habitat of oranges is the subtropics. In Turkey or even in Egypt, whole gardens grow in which orange fruits ripen in abundance. In the wild, the orange is extremely rare, since it is a hybrid and requires some care. But people got used to growing it not only in hot countries in the open field, but also in cold climates in indoor conditions.

Few people know, but orange fruits acquire their characteristic orange pulp color only in temperate climates. This happens for the simple reason that chlorophyll is destroyed due to air cooling. In countries with hot climates where oranges grow in the open field, they are eaten green and only those exported are painted. The yield of one tree in such conditions is about 5 thousand fruits per year. The description of the plant suggests that the orange fruit consists of a huge number of nests, and the seed is surrounded by juicy pulp.

It was decided to call the plant and its fruits an orange following an example from the German language, where in literal translation this word means "Chinese apple". Before that, in Russia it could be called completely differently: naranzh, oranzior, orange. The orange comes from China, where for the first time, about 2.5 thousand years BC, it was possible to cross a mandarin and a pomelo. The plant got to Europe only in the 15th century, thanks to the Portuguese. In Russia, these trees began to be cultivated only in the 18th century. Even then, the miraculous properties of fruits in the fight against epidemics of many diseases, including plague, became known.

Orange tree

Indoor orange trees are characterized by rich green leaves that form a dense crown. The bark is light green. The tree sometimes reaches 2.5 meters in height. The homemade orange flower is pale white. Fruiting occurs 8 years after planting a young plant. The taste of homemade fruits is indistinguishable from those sold in supermarkets.

The famous writer Nikolai Leikin could not ignore the exotic fruit and wrote a book with the intriguing title "Where the oranges ripen." The potential reader is drawn to look into the epilogue of this work.

Plant characteristic

Many people think that an orange is a big bush, but this judgment is wrong. For a number of characteristic features and other comparative characteristics, scientists have firmly stated: an orange is a tree. Its maximum height depends entirely on belonging to one or another variety. The plant is evergreen, powerful. On the branches, thorns quite often grow, up to 10 cm long. The leaf reaches a length of up to 15 cm and a width of up to 10 cm, has an oval shape, a dense texture and a rich dark green color.Close to the surface of the orange leaf are glands that produce aromatic oils. Leaf lifespan is up to 2 years. Both old and young specimens grow on the plant at the same time, the functions of which are different. With the help of young foliage, the tree carries out the processes of photosynthesis, and the old one contributes to the accumulation of nutrients. Most of the old green mass falls off in February or March, the rest - throughout the year.

Cherry tree

Orange does not have root hairs, with the help of which moisture and nutrients are absorbed from the soil. This is what distinguishes it from other trees. Citrus feeds on the location of specific soil fungi colonies on its roots, which receive carbohydrates and amino acids from it, and in return give minerals and moisture. The mycelium of such fungi painfully reacts to drought, a drop in temperature, or exposure of the root system. That is why an important condition for growing oranges is the inadmissibility of the soil drying out. It is worth replanting an indoor shrub only with a lump of earth, otherwise it will be very painful and may even die.

Orange flowers are bisexual, up to 5 cm in diameter, have a white or pinkish color. Inflorescences include 6 buds, in some species each flower is located separately. Flower buds are laid in early spring. The tree begins to bloom at a temperature of 16 ° C. The flowering period lasts only a few days.

The citrus fruit has a structure similar to the whole family. Distinctive features are the oval or round shape of the orange. It is formed from the upper ovary and is called hisperidium, so orange is a fruit and a berry. The pulp is presented in small slices, each of which is covered with a thin film. The slice contains juice bags. To taste, the pulp is sweet, bitter or sweet and sour. Some oranges contain no seeds at all, but in most cases the multi-embryonic grains are in one wedge above each other.

Orange peel does not exceed 5 mm in thickness. The top layer and zest contains many glands with a high content of essential oils. The inside of the peel is covered with a layer of albedo. It is thanks to this that the pulp has the ability to easily separate from the skin. In the total mass of an orange, the peel is 17-42%. The color of the peel can be greenish or almost red.

Orange tree - fruits

Orange is a remontant tree. Together with buds and flowers, it can contain fruits in varying degrees of ripeness. Because of this, it is difficult to say exactly when the oranges ripen. In general, this process takes up to 9 months. Ripe oranges remain on the tree for a long time without losing their commercial qualities. In the spring they tend to turn green again, and in the fall they acquire the usual orange color for us. For 2 seasons, seeds ripen much better in fruits, however, the taste of the pulp is significantly deteriorated. For eating, it is better to use the fruit ripened in one season of ripening oranges.

Characteristics of species and varieties

Raspberry tree Tarusa

Orange is a tree that can grow and bear fruit not only in the wild, but also in an apartment. There are about 600 varieties of this amazing plant, but not all of them are suitable for growing at home.

The most popular are:

  • Gamlin;
  • Pavlovsky;
  • Washington Navel.

Gamlin is a medium-sized variety, the height of an adult plant reaches 1.5 meters. Ripe oranges have an excellent sweet and sour taste, ripening in late autumn. Pavlosky is the shortest species. An adult orange tree grows up to only 1 meter. Fruiting is abundant, but the ripening period of the crop is long - about 9 months. The most popular among connoisseurs is the tall Washington variety.It has an interesting property: during the flowering period, an amazing sweetish aroma spreads around the orange tree. The fruits are quite large, the weight of one of them sometimes reaches 300 grams. As a result of the mutation of the variety, a new pink orange of the Kara variety appeared. The unusual appearance and original taste of the fruits are in demand both among consumers and among gardeners.

Washington Navel

The Navelin orange is no less worthy of the species than Washington. Differs in earlier ripening periods, regular shape and beautiful color of the fruit. The taste is also up to par. The Fragol variety looks no less worthy against the background of competitors. Its specific fruity aroma is recognizable from a thousand, and it is impossible to confuse it. The taste of oranges is also excellent. In translation, the name of this variety means Strawberry. The crop grows medium to large in size, with excellent commercial qualities.

There is also a black (bloody) orange, which has an unusual pulp color due to the presence of a large amount of coloring pigments. This species is not widespread, especially for indoor cultivation. Although its taste and market indicators are at their best.

Growing an orange tree

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What is an orange and how to grow it properly at home? First, this exotic beauty needs good lighting. It can coexist with other indoor flowers only from the south or south-east side. To prevent the orange leaves from getting sunburned, it is recommended to create a slight shade, but the amount of light received should in no case be reduced.

Before planting a homemade orange, it is worth considering that it bears fruit only at ambient temperatures in the summer from +21 to + 25 ° С. If the specified norms are exceeded, the tree will grow, but does not form fruit. In winter, the optimal temperature indicators range from +10 to + 15 ° С. It is necessary to exclude any possible draft that can cause irreparable harm to the plant.

Growing an orange tree takes effort

Orange is a capricious plant that can be difficult to grow from a seed. However, nothing is impossible if you make some effort and work. For planting, you should choose fresh, dense seeds. The sprout of the future orange must be reliably protected by a hard peel, which, moreover, will not allow it to germinate prematurely. Dried grains are difficult to make hatch. Before planting, the seed is washed with warm water, soaked overnight, and then planted in peat or loose nutrient mixture to a depth of one centimeter and covered with cellophane.

An orange seed sprouts only after a month, so until this time the pot should be in a warm, but shaded place. It is worth ventilating the greenhouse regularly, moisten the soil if necessary. Only after the seeds have been germinated can the shelter be removed.

As soon as two true leaves appear on a young plant, it must be dived. It should be remembered that the seedling tolerates such manipulations well, therefore all work is carried out as carefully as possible. A young orange tree is transferred to a new place of growth along with a lump of soil. The area of ​​the root collar should never be underground. It is preferable to carry out work in the spring, so that the full range of activities is completed before the shoots start growing.

A step-by-step master class on growing an orange tree at home says that you cannot do without a plant transplant. This procedure must be treated very responsibly. It is carried out approximately once a year, as the rhizomes grow. An adult tree can be replanted every 2-3 years.

It is important to know which pot to choose for growing an orange at home.If the seedling has 6 true leaves, then the diameter of the container is 10 cm. So that the tree has where to take nutrients from, a mixture is prepared from turf soil, humus from leaves, river sand and peat. On subsequent transplants of the orange tree, a small amount of clay is added. A drainage layer is preliminarily laid at the bottom in order to prevent stagnation of moisture and rotting of the root system during watering.

Care features

To get a healthy harvest of orange fruits, you need to create a climate similar to the Mediterranean at home. In the summer season, the plant can be taken out into the fresh air, but at the same time protected from the scorching rays of the sun. During the formation of buds and the formation of ovaries, the temperature regime should be ensured at the level of + 15-18 ° C. In winter, it is worth reducing the amount of watering the orange tree, and maintaining the room temperature above + 12 ° C. This provides additional illumination with phytolamps.

Care is important

The main mistake of novice florists is a sharp change in climatic conditions when growing an orange: turning the pot, transferring the plant from one room to another. As a result, it begins to ache, shed its leaves and wither. Caring for a room orange involves applying a complex mineral fertilizer once every 1-2 weeks. Also, every season is fed with iron sulfate. You can also add a weak solution of potassium permanganate and water the plant with it.

With proper care, an orange seedling develops quickly and grows well. However, an orange tree grown from a stone will not always please with a rich harvest. If it bears fruit, then the coloring of the fruit is by no means presentable, and the taste is poor. This is due to the fact that the orange does not carry the characteristics of the parent plant and is a wild tree. It can be recognized at the age of one year by the presence of solid green thorns on the trunk.

In order for full-fledged and tasty oranges to ripen on a home plant, it needs to be vaccinated. The seedling plays the role of a rootstock for a varietal cuttings, which can be obtained from a fruiting adult plant. In the process of growth, the tree will need crown formation and pinching of the main shoot. Only in this case, after 6-10 years, you can get the first harvest of your own oranges.

Major diseases and pests

Thrips

Indoors, the orange tree is not safe from exposure to potential pests and pathogens. Most often, the plant is attacked by various types of scale insects, which tend to settle on the leaves. The spider mite is no less dangerous.

Less commonly, an orange tree is attacked by insects such as:

  • thrips;
  • aphid;
  • a variety of ticks.

They fight them by treating the orange with broad-spectrum insecticides. The shield is removed by hand using a brush dipped in alcohol.

Of the diseases for the orange tree, the most dangerous are gummosis and gum disease. When damaged, a certain part of the bark and roots die off. The causative agents are pathogenic fungi parasitizing in the area of ​​the orange root collar. As a control measure, it is necessary to remove the external cause, and then disinfect and treat the wound with garden varnish. In case of severe damage, the tree will have to be burned. In case of damage to an orange with anthracnose and citrus wart, the plant is treated with a fungicide. As a preventive measure, the tree is treated with Bordeaux mixture.

Growing oranges at home is not easy and requires certain skills and good theoretical training. Only in this case, the end result will pleasantly surprise, and the orange fruits of our own harvest will lie on the festive table. Beginners should also not be afraid of the difficulties in growing an orange tree, but feel free to start experimenting. After all, experience does not come by itself, but requires constant work and self-improvement.