Orange Tree Advice

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by Orange Tree amateur, Oct 2, 2009.

  1. Orange Tree amateur

    Orange Tree amateur Member

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    I have posted in the Hort section with only a couple of resposnses so I thought I would try in the citrus section. I grew a orange tree from seed ten years ago. The plant was indoors for the past nine yeas and this summer I moved it outdoors in the pot. It grew from about 6 feet and now stands 8 feet tall. It has never born fruit. As winter approaches I would like to know whether I should move it back indoors or leave it outside. If outside then how do I winterize it? I live in Victoria BC Canada. If I move it indoors I will have to trim it so how much should I trim?
     
  2. aesir22

    aesir22 Active Member

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    What kind of temps do you get down to? I bring mine indoors in winter, gradually over a period of a couple of weeks introduce them to indoors.

    If you bring them in you have 2 options. If you are going to put it in the sun (by an east, south, or west window) the root temps must must must stay above 65F - above 70F would probably be better. If the root temps fall below in the sun, leaves will fall.

    The alternative is to put it somewhere with no sun at all, where the root temp will never never go above 60F, and the plant will sleep a bit for winter as the roots won't function. This should cause no harm to the tree, and may trigger blooming. It would be worth looking into Winter Leaf Drop (WLD), there is loads of info on this forum, and cooling hours as well, which can trigger blooming but I don't know much about cooling hours!

    On the plus side, your tree should be at about mature age, meaning hopefully it will start to flower and fruit soon!!
     
  3. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    A seedling orange tree needs to grow until it finally reaches the required number of nodes before it will fruit. When the tree finally grows tall enough to produce the needed node count, the tree becomes mature, and flowering, followed by fruit, will begin. For containerized orange trees, this normally requires 8 to 10 years. If you trim your tree back, you are, of course, removing the tree's needed growth required for maturity, (lowering the node count) therefore delaying the blooming and fruiting time. An orange tree that is continually pruned back will never fruit, because it will never finally produce the required node count. All the information you need to grow a successful citrus tree can be found on this site, if you read, read and read. Good luck. - Millet (1,200-)
     
  4. Orange Tree amateur

    Orange Tree amateur Member

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    Thank You, I appreciate the advice.
     
  5. Orange Tree amateur

    Orange Tree amateur Member

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    Thanks Millet and aesir22, The temps here hover between 2 degress C and 12 degrees C in the winter with the occasionally dip to minus 5 degrees ususally around end Dec to Jan for about three to five days. Based on your advice, if I move it next to the house in my unheated enclosed patio, it should be ok for the winter?
     
  6. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    As long as it doesn't freeze, and you water when needed, it shold over winter. - Millet (1,200-)
     
  7. Orange Tree amateur

    Orange Tree amateur Member

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  8. Nath

    Nath Active Member

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    I have my citrus trees encased in concrete to protect the roots just an 8 inch diamater hole for the trunk to come through and they seem to survive ok during winter, they grow along the edge of my concrete drive waywhich is around a foot thick. Don't forget that even in Barcelon in Spain where orange trees grow in great proliferation the temperature falls to -2 and a bit below in winter and they survive okay, they even say a cold snap or bit of frost makes for a sharper taste. So long as they don't get too wet in winter when it is cold they should be fine.

    Nath
     

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