The evergreen orange tree impresses with its even growth, its strong, green leaves and its year-round, fragrant flowers. Even the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe admired the beauty of the orange tree - no wonder that the tree is very popular as a houseplant.
Only keep the orange tree in a bucket
You should never plant an orange tree in our latitudes - the cold-sensitive tree would not survive the winter. Therefore, keeping them in buckets is the best choice, although oranges - like olives - appreciate fresh air and sunshine. So if you have a balcony or a terrace, put your little tree out through the summer - it will thank you for this boon with a wealth of flowers.
Orange tree as a houseplant
In indoor culture, the plants should be in the sunniest place on the south window all year round. Due to the limited light conditions, even in summer, oranges form larger and thinner leaves - so-called shadow leaves - which then cope better with the given light conditions in winter. Indoor oranges should be showered occasionally or sprayed all over and checked regularly for pests, especially spider mites. Oranges kept exclusively indoors are often attacked by pests of all kinds, especially if the tree is overwintered warm.
Overwinter the orange tree properly
In winter, the natural light supply is not sufficient for an orange, which is why many trees react by shedding their leaves towards the end of this time. To prevent this, you can install additional plant lamps or keep the tree cold - but frost-free! - hibernate. To do this, place the orange tree in a little or unheated room or in the stairwell or in a greenhouse. The location should be around 10 to 12 °C warm and as bright as possible. If an orange otherwise needs a lot of water, you should only water it once a month in winter. In addition, there is no fertilizing during the winter break.
tips and tricks
Orange trees grow very quickly and can reach an impressive size within a few years. Therefore, you should prune the plant regularly and make sure there is enough space. Citrus plants like these feel particularly at home in bright conservatories.