The orange tree Citrus sinensis, the Christmas fruit tree
Citrus sinensis
- Exposures
- Sun, Half-shade
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 8b (-9.4°C ≤ T° < -6.7°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Family
- Rutaceae
- Genus
- Citrus
- Species
- Orange tree Citrus sinensis
The orange tree, or Citrus sinensis, belongs to the Rutaceae family. It is probably a cross between Citrus x paradisi and Citrus reticulata. Originally from India and China, the fruit tree first appeared in Europe in the 16th century. At the time, it was reserved for the nobility. Its fruits, oranges, were synonymous with luxury and given to children at Christmas. Today, you don't have to be an aristocrat to enjoy an orange tree. The citrus fruit is widely cultivated as an ornamental shrub and its fruit is eaten all over the world.
How to recognize the orange tree, Citrus sinensis?
Planted in the ground, the orange tree grows to a height of eight meters. In pots, its growth is more modest and the shrub doesn't exceed six meters. Whatever its size, Citrus sinensis retains its spreading habit, reaching a spread of four meters. Its highly branched crown is a tangle of thorny branches.
They are covered with evergreen foliage. The leaf blades are oval and 4 to 15 centimetres long, with a shiny outer surface. At the base of the orange leaf is a winged stalk.
Flowering takes place in spring, between March and June. White, waxy flowers with five petals decorate the branches. Highly fragrant, they produce a nectar appreciated by bees.
The fruits are called sweet oranges, to distinguish them from the bitter oranges of the sour orange tree. These spheres, from four to twelve centimetres in diameter, are green. They turn orange only when exposed to cold. Color is of little importance. To taste the sweet segments, you have to wait until the fruit is ripe.
Sweet oranges are eaten for their pulpy, juicy flesh. It's one of the thirteen Christmas desserts served in Provence. But the fruit of Citrus sinensis is also appreciated the rest of the year. In juice, sauce or liqueur, there are 1001 ways to enjoy it.
Our care tips
Maintaining a Citrus sinensis is not difficult. Above all, you need to protect it from frost in winter and provide it with the nutrients it needs to grow. With the right potting soil and regular fertilizing, you'll soon be enjoying your own citrus fruits.
Orange trees citrus trees need regular watering all year round. During hot spells, water early in the morning or in the evening. Water evaporates less quickly, and your shrub benefits from it for longer.
Watering
Wait until the surface of the soil has dried by two or three centimetres before watering again.
Pour in water at room temperature. The substrate should be moist but not soggy. Drain any water that collects in the cup or planter.
Repotting
In spring, transfer your Citrus sinensis to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.
When roots are sticking out of the pot or visible on the surface, it's time to repot!
To prepare your Citrus sinensis for repotting, soak the root ball. Then gently loosen the root ball.
Choose a terracotta pot or a wooden planter. Both materials promote water evaporation and reduce the risks associated with excessive watering. Make sure the container has drainage holes to allow water to drain.
Place a layer of clay pellets or gravel at the bottom to aid drainage.
Fill the rest with a rich substrate, such as a special citrus potting mix or general-purpose potting mix. You can make your own mix using:
- one-third potting mix;
- one-third garden soil;
- pozzolan.
Place your shrub in the center. The top of the root ball should be two centimeters below the rim of the pot. Fill in with substrate and firm it down to remove air pockets. When planting, be sure not to bury the root collar.
Fertilization
You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.
Orange trees are greedy plants. They need to be fertilized. Feed yours with a special liquid or granulated citrus fertilizer.
Cleaning
Dust prevents leaves from absorbing light and slows photosynthesis. You can use a brush or feather duster to clean the foliage.
Harvest
Pick the fruit from the tree when it's ripe.
Prune
Size is not essential. It only helps to control shape and development and improves fruiting. When pruning, always use clean, sharp pruning shears.
Citrus trees flower and fruit on the year's wood. To maintain the compact, rounded shape of your shrub, remove dead branches and shoots growing along the trunk. You can also aerate the center by removing some shoots that have already borne fruit in previous years.
If you want to improve your harvest, you can also carry out a fruiting pruning operation: one month after the appearance of a new shoot, prune it back to a height of 20 centimetres.
Pinch
Pinch your Citrus sinensis during its growing season.
To encourage stem branching, pinch off the terminal buds.
Planting
Once the last spring frosts have passed, you can plant.
Find them a place sheltered from the wind and isolated from other plants. Citrus plants have shallow roots and don't like to share their space.
Dig a hole 70 centimetres wide and 1 metre in diameter. While you're at it, soak the root ball.
Plant the plant in the middle, with the top of the rootball level with the ground. Take care not to bury the collar.
Orange trees plants thrive in light, well-drained, rich soil. When filling in, add potting soil or citrus soil to your garden soil. Tamp and water.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Exposures
- SunHalf-shade
- Substrate
- Humus soil
- Planting methods
- Open groundIn potsIn tubs
- Categories
- TreeShrubFruit tree
- Tag
- Edible fruit
- Origins
- South AsiaEast Asia
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 8b (-9.4°C ≤ T° < -6.7°C)
- Leaf color
- Dark green
- Flower color
- White
- Fruit colors
- Light greenOrange
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