How to Grow Orange Trees

Hi I'm Jessica Smith with Blands Nursery in West Jordan, Utah and today we are talking all about trees and shrubs. Right now we are going to discuss how to grow orange trees. Now orange trees are a tropical tree that needs a mild climate. It can't take a freezing climate where we are at so it is actually used as an indoor plant here or an outdoor annual throughout the Summer months. Now an orange tree can reach up to 30 feet in height so it is a large tree. If you are lucky enough to live down in a mild climate, plant it just like you would everything else. Organic matter down in the soil, good deep applications of water, and let it dry out in between waterings. If you do need to bring it indoors remember that you do need a big enough pot because you are dealing with a tree and not a small house plant and if you are bringing it from indoors and outdoors remember that this can be a chore getting in those big pots. It needs a sunny location so make sure it gets plenty of sun. A sun room is best, however, not all of us have those sun rooms in our homes so make sure you give it some bright light in the sunniest location in your home, turn it around occasionally so it is not stretching to one side or the other, let the soil dry about a couple inches down before you water. You don't want to keep it too wet it can rot out the root system and also bring on fungus gnats which are real common in the wet soil in your homes. A good citrus fertilizer when it is in the active season which is about the end part of the Winter or early part of Spring and then cut back on your fertilizing just a little bit in your inactive season which is about the end part of Fall or first part of Winter.