If you are only using plant lights, they should be on for 8 to 10 hours every day. Citrus trees are drought tolerant and DO NOT LIKE WET FEET! Citrus trees should only be watered when the soil is dry down to at least 2 inches.

Over-watering can lead to root rot and the unfortunate and untimely death of your tree. Richard Simmons keeps the humidity up and you should too for your navel orange tree. Citrus trees absolutely love humidity. So if you are growing yours in a dry environment, supplement by misting the leaves or even using a humidifier.

This is very important with citrus that are grown indoors during winter when our heat is running and drying out the air. Humidity is a crucial factor in how to grow navel oranges especially indoors. These fast growing plants soak up fertilizer.

Citrus trees planted in the ground do not need to be fertilized as often as plants that are grown in pots. Potted citrus plants lose nutrients as the water drains from the pot.

Feed potted plants up to 4 times per year with our slow release fertilizer or follow the directions for Espoma Citrus-Tone. Citrus trees that are planted in the ground can be fed twice per year with slow release fertilizer.

Navel orange plants growing inside do not have wind or insect pollinators. Hand pollination can really up your fruit production. It is actually pretty easy and you only need to do it once or twice daily while your citrus tree is flowering. Take a small paint brush and gently brush the inside of each flower.

Going from flower to flower spreads the love around and can increase fruit quality and quantity. Keep the roots on the dry side and the leaves on the wet side for a happy, healthy navel orange plant.

Well, now you know how to grow an orange tree. Happy planting! I truly hope you are able to enjoy the fruits of your labor! All that explained, feel free to continue with these steps if you're up for a challenge. Select seeds before they have dried out.

Cut open an orange carefully without breaking the seeds inside, or simply use the seeds that aren't damaged by the knife. Pick out seeds without any dents or discolorations. Seeds that appear withered and dry, usually after they've been left out of the fruit for too long, have a lower chance of growing.

Note that some varieties of orange are seedless. Ask a fruit seller for a variety with seeds. Wash the seeds. Hold the seeds under running water and gently rub off any pulp or other material that has gathered onto the seeds. Be careful not to damage the seeds, especially if some are already beginning to sprout.

There is no need to dry the seeds afterwards. Keeping them moist will make them more likely to sprout. Get the seeds to sprout faster by keeping them moist. Assuming you're using seeds that haven't yet begun to germinate sprout , you can shorten the time it takes to reach that point by keeping them in a moist environment.

You could keep damp seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 30 days before planting, or simply keep the soil they're planted in moist, but not soggy. This is typically unnecessary for a home project involving a handful of seeds, and can easily backfire if the wrong amount is used for your orange variety.

Plant each seed in a small pot of well-draining potting mix or soil. Optionally, you can purchase citrus potting compost to add to the mix, which will increase its ability to hold nutrients and create the more acidic low pH environment that citrus trees thrive in.

If the soil is poor at draining, mix in hardwood bark chips. This makes the soil less compact, which lets water drain through faster.

Keep the soil in full sunlight. Whether indoors or outdoors, the soil does best at temperatures between 75º and 85ºF 24º—29ºC. If you live in a cold or low-sun region, you may need to keep your orange tree in a heated greenhouse or conservatory, even before it's germinated.

Add a balanced fertilizer once every two weeks optional. If you'd like to speed up the tree's growth, adding a small amount of fertilizer to the soil every 10—14 days will help.

Otherwise, choose a balanced fertilizer with relatively even amounts of nutrients. Stop adding fertilizer once the plant has grown into a young tree.

Follow the instructions for a Seedling or Young Tree instead. It shouldn't need additional fertilizing until its second year. Remove the weakest of the three sprouts when the seeds sprout.

Citrus seeds have the unusual ability to produce exact clones of the mother plant, called nu-cellar seedlings. Cut off this weak third sprout in order to produce a tree with the consistent quality the parent was bred for.

Part 2. Plant the tree into a pot slightly larger than its roots whenever necessary. Whether you just purchased a tree or have been growing it for years, you should plant it in a container that the roots easily and comfortably fit into, but not into one far larger than the root ball.

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. The best temperatures for orange trees are between 75ºand 90ºF 24—32ºC.

They will do poorly in spring or summer temperatures below 45ºF 7ºC , and depending on variety might die in temperatures of 32ºF 0ºC or below. Sustained temperatures above ºF 38ºC for several days will likely cause leaf damage. 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.

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 Food Systems Expert. Andrew Carberry, MPH. It may be helpful to thin the oranges at this stage to lighten the load and allow the tree to direct its resources to the remaining fruit.

We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you.

Support wikiHow Yes No. Not Helpful 2 Helpful No, tomato feed is not the best thing to give to orange trees. The best choice for citrus plants is a balanced fertilizer, with equal amounts N, P, and K. Not Helpful 5 Helpful Feed your tree with a fertilizer labeled for citrus that contains nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, manganese and zinc.

And don't forget to water. Not Helpful 7 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

This article has been viewed , times. Orange trees are a beautiful tree to have growing in your home or backyard. Not only do they produce wonderful smelling leaves, but mature trees also bear fruit. Orange seeds are quite easy to germinate, but a tree grown from an orange seed can take anywhere from seven to 15 years to bear fruit.

If you're looking for a tree that will produce fruit faster, you're better off getting a grafted tree from a nursery. But if you're looking for a fun project and want to grow a tree for your home or yard, germinating an orange seed is a fun and easy way to do it.

To germinate orange seeds, first slice an orange in half and use a spoon to scoop the seeds out. Place the healthiest, plumpest seeds in a bowl and fill it with water. Use a cloth to wipe away any flesh and juice on the seeds. Then, transfer them to a new bowl of water and let them soak for 24 hours.

Place the pots in a spot that gets a lot of bright, direct sunlight. After the seedlings have sprouted, water them once a week, or whenever the soil starts to get dry. You should also fertilize the seedlings with a mild fertilizer, like compost tea, every 2 weeks.

Wait several weeks for the seedlings to develop a few sets of leaves, then transfer them to 8-inch cm pots so they have more room to grow. Mix some peat moss and sand into the potting soil when you transplant them so the soil is well draining and slightly acidic.

Keep your orange seedlings in a sunny spot and continue to water them once a week. Once your orange tree is a year old, you can transplant it to a sunny spot outdoors if you live in a warm climate or continue potting it in a large pot every year. For tips on transplanting your newly sprouted seedlings, read on!

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Learn why people trust wikiHow. Categories Home and Garden Gardening Planting and Growing Growing Fruit How to Germinate Orange Seeds. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Video WATCH NOW. Related Articles. Article Summary. Co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH Last Updated: November 5, Fact Checked.

Part 1. Remove the seeds from an orange. Slice an orange in half to reveal the seeds. Use a spoon or knife to pick out the seeds.

The tree that grows will likely produce similar fruit, so make sure you choose the seeds of an orange variety you like. Select and clean the seeds. Transfer the seeds to a bowl and fill it with clean water. Use a clean tea cloth to wipe the seeds and remove all traces of flesh and juice.

Cleaning the seeds is also important for removing fungus and mold spores, and to prevent fruit flies. Soak the seeds.

Fill a small bowl with clean room temperature water. Transfer the seeds to the water and let them soak for 24 hours. Many seeds have a better chance of sprouting if they're soaked first, because soaking softens the seed coating and kickstarts the germination.

Part 2. Transfer the seed to a prepared pot or into the ground. Get a 4-inch cm planting pot with drainage holes in the bottom or find a good spot in your yard to plant the seed. If planting directly into the ground, then dig a small hole and place the seed in the ground. If planting in a pot, fill the bottom with a thin layer of pebbles to increase drainage, and fill the pot the rest of the way with potting soil.

Make a half-inch 1. Place the seed into the hole and cover it with soil. After transplanting the seed to a pot, continue providing it with lots of direct sunlight every day.

Fertilize and water the sprouts as they grow. Newly sprouted seedlings will benefit from a mild fertilizer, such as compost tea. Add enough of the compost tea to moisten the soil. Repeat every two weeks. Water the soil thoroughly once a week, or if the soil starts to become dry.

If the soil dries out too often, the orange tree will not survive. Part 3. Prepare a larger pot when leaves appear. After several weeks, when the seedling has developed a few sets of leaves and grown in size, it will need to be transplanted to a larger pot.

Make sure it has drainage holes in the bottom, and add a layer of stones or pebbles first. Fill the pot most of the way with potting soil. Mix in a handful of peat moss and a handful of sand to provide the tree with well-draining and slightly acidic soil.

Orange trees like a pH between 6 and 7. You can also look for citrus-specific potting soils at your garden center. Plant the seedling in the larger pot. First, put a layer of soil in the bottom of the pot you will be using.

Then, squeeze or tap the pot that the seedling is currently in to loosen the soil. As you do so, slide the soil and roots out of the pot in one piece and transfer them into the new pot.

After transferring, fill in the area around the root ball with new soil. Place the pot in a sunny location. Move the tree to a sunny location that gets plenty of direct light.

Near a southern or south-eastern window is great, but a solarium or greenhouse is even better. Provide plenty of water. for your navel orange tree.

Citrus trees absolutely love humidity. So if you are growing yours in a dry environment, supplement by misting the leaves or even using a humidifier. This is very important with citrus that are grown indoors during winter when our heat is running and drying out the air.

Humidity is a crucial factor in how to grow navel oranges especially indoors. These fast growing plants soak up fertilizer.

Citrus trees planted in the ground do not need to be fertilized as often as plants that are grown in pots. Potted citrus plants lose nutrients as the water drains from the pot. Feed potted plants up to 4 times per year with our slow release fertilizer or follow the directions for Espoma Citrus-Tone.

Citrus trees that are planted in the ground can be fed twice per year with slow release fertilizer. Navel orange plants growing inside do not have wind or insect pollinators.

Hand pollination can really up your fruit production. It is actually pretty easy and you only need to do it once or twice daily while your citrus tree is flowering.

Take a small paint brush and gently brush the inside of each flower. Going from flower to flower spreads the love around and can increase fruit quality and quantity. Keep the roots on the dry side and the leaves on the wet side for a happy, healthy navel orange plant. Well, now you know how to grow an orange tree.

Happy planting! I truly hope you are able to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Continue Shopping My Cart Your Cart is empty. length - 1]. limit cart. limit - cart. Your order has qualified for FREE shipping!

wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has been viewed , times. Orange trees are now grown all over the world for their delicious and nutritious fruit, and can be grown indoors or in a greenhouse if you don't live in a warm climate.

The best way to grow a healthy tree that produces fruit is to purchase a young tree or seedling. However, you can plant an orange seed directly into the soil if you want the experience of growing it from the beginning.

To grow an orange tree, purchase a young tree from a nursery and plant it into a pot larger than its roots. When you're ready to plant the tree outside, dig a hole just deep enough to cover the roots, then plant the tree and cover it with the soil.

Water your tree infrequently but heavily, because orange trees prefer to be in soil that dries out. To learn how to grow an orange tree from a seed or how to treat burned trees, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Skip to Content. Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In.

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Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH Last Updated: December 12, Approved. Part 1. All rights reserved.

wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U. and international copyright laws. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Understand the problems with growing from a seed.

An orange tree grown from seed will be more vulnerable to disease, and its oranges may not taste like the fruit the seed came from.

The tree could also take between four and fifteen years to bear fruit for the first time. A young tree purchased from the nursery is actually a combination of two plants: one tree bred for healthy roots and other attributes, plus branches of another tree grafted onto the first.

These branches come from a tree that produces high quality fruit, and because they are already mature, the tree should produce fruit within a year or two after purchase.

All that explained, feel free to continue with these steps if you're up for a challenge. Select seeds before they have dried out.

Cut open an orange carefully without breaking the seeds inside, or simply use the seeds that aren't damaged by the knife. Pick out seeds without any dents or discolorations.

Seeds that appear withered and dry, usually after they've been left out of the fruit for too long, have a lower chance of growing. Note that some varieties of orange are seedless. Ask a fruit seller for a variety with seeds. Wash the seeds. Hold the seeds under running water and gently rub off any pulp or other material that has gathered onto the seeds.

Be careful not to damage the seeds, especially if some are already beginning to sprout. There is no need to dry the seeds afterwards. Keeping them moist will make them more likely to sprout. Get the seeds to sprout faster by keeping them moist.

Assuming you're using seeds that haven't yet begun to germinate sprout , you can shorten the time it takes to reach that point by keeping them in a moist environment. You could keep damp seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 30 days before planting, or simply keep the soil they're planted in moist, but not soggy.

This is typically unnecessary for a home project involving a handful of seeds, and can easily backfire if the wrong amount is used for your orange variety. Plant each seed in a small pot of well-draining potting mix or soil.

Optionally, you can purchase citrus potting compost to add to the mix, which will increase its ability to hold nutrients and create the more acidic low pH environment that citrus trees thrive in.

If the soil is poor at draining, mix in hardwood bark chips. This makes the soil less compact, which lets water drain through faster. Keep the soil in full sunlight. Whether indoors or outdoors, the soil does best at temperatures between 75º and 85ºF 24º—29ºC. If you live in a cold or low-sun region, you may need to keep your orange tree in a heated greenhouse or conservatory, even before it's germinated.

Add a balanced fertilizer once every two weeks optional. If you'd like to speed up the tree's growth, adding a small amount of fertilizer to the soil every 10—14 days will help.

Otherwise, choose a balanced fertilizer with relatively even amounts of nutrients. Stop adding fertilizer once the plant has grown into a young tree. Follow the instructions for a Seedling or Young Tree instead. It shouldn't need additional fertilizing until its second year.

Remove the weakest of the three sprouts when the seeds sprout. Citrus seeds have the unusual ability to produce exact clones of the mother plant, called nu-cellar seedlings. Cut off this weak third sprout in order to produce a tree with the consistent quality the parent was bred for.

Part 2. Plant the tree into a pot slightly larger than its roots whenever necessary. Whether you just purchased a tree or have been growing it for years, you should plant it in a container that the roots easily and comfortably fit into, but not into one far larger than the root ball.

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.

The best temperatures for orange trees are between 75ºand 90ºF 24—32ºC. They will do poorly in spring or summer temperatures below 45ºF 7ºC , and depending on variety might die in temperatures of 32ºF 0ºC or below. Sustained temperatures above ºF 38ºC for several days will likely cause leaf damage.

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.

Insects pollinate citrus outside. Since these are not usually present in the home, shake the flowers gently or flick them with your fingers to spread pollen from flower to flower. All rights reserved.

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Home Yard and garden Find plants Houseplants Growing citrus indoors. Quick facts Tangerine, lemon, kumquat and small orange trees can be grown as houseplants. Citrus plants grow best indoors at 65° during the day, dropping five to ten degrees at night.

Plant in soil containing a fair amount of organic matter. Make sure the leaves are kept clean by periodically washing them. Stem cuttings root easily.

Selecting plants There are several species that make good houseplants when cared for properly. The calamondin orange Citrofortunella mitis is the most common species grown indoors.

Its fruits are small and sour but can be used for marmalade or as a garnish in summer drinks. The Otaheite orange Citrus limonia is not actually an orange. It is a dwarf, spineless cross between a lemon and a tangerine. Tangerines Citrus reticulata can also be grown indoors.

Satsuma oranges, which are really tangerines, are particularly good and have abundant fragrant flowers. There are two varieties of lemon which may be used as houseplants, 'Ponderosa' and 'Meyer'.

Citron Citrus medica and kumquat Fortunella species can also be grown indoors. Growing and caring for your citrus plants Growing citrus plants is not difficult if you can meet these requirements.

Citrus plants grow best indoors with 65° days, dropping five to ten degrees at night. They need some direct sun for at least part of the day. During the summer, put citrus plants outside to take advantage of better growing conditions and extra light. Let the plants acclimate to sunny conditions by putting them in the shade of a tree or the north side of the house for the first several days.

Make sure they have plenty of direct light once they're used to being outside. Get them used to lower light at the end of the summer by keeping them in a shady place for a week or so before bringing them back indoors. Use the right potting mix and fertilizer Since citrus plants prefer acid conditions, use peat in the potting mix to help keep the pH down.

Use about one-third sterile potting soil, one-third perlite or vermiculite, and one-third peat or other organic matter in the potting mix. Use a fertilizer made specially for acid-loving plants. Mix at half the recommended strength.