Even if you may have read something different in various forums or your specialist dealer tells you the opposite: orange trees are not hardy. The plants come from a subtropical climate zone where it is very humid and very warm - all year round. This heat-loving tree would not survive our German frost.
Keeping an orange tree in a bucket
If possible, do not plant your orange tree out, the best way to keep them in our latitudes is (and will remain so for a while, despite global warming) keeping them in containers. The bucket must be big enough, a diameter of about a third larger than the circumference of the tree crown is ideal. Orange trees need a lot of water, plus they love the sun - the brighter the location during the growing season, the better. If it is warm enough, you can also place the tree in a sheltered, bright corner of the garden or on the terrace.
Protect the orange tree from the cold from 5 °C
However, as soon as the temperatures drop below 5 °C, the tree should be protected from the cold. The best way to do this is to simply bring it into the house - a hibernation spot with temperatures around 10 °C is ideal. In this case, the orange tree does not need to be too bright, because in this case it is in hibernation. The plant only starts its vegetation period from around 12 °C, so the location should be adjusted accordingly. Overwinter your orange frost-free, but as cool as possible - then more flowers will develop in the following spring.
Optimal places for the winter rest
Hibernation in a heated place such as B. a heated conservatory or the living room is not really suitable. In most cases, these locations are simply too dark in winter for the sun-loving plant - the few hours of sunshine during the day cannot usually cover the light requirements of an orange tree. Therefore, a hibernation is the best solution. However, since the plant should overwinter indoors, the following unheated or only slightly heated solutions are a good choice:
- conservatory
- staircase
- unused, unheated room
- Garage or basement with window
- Glasshouse
Incidentally, too warm a hibernation often leads to an infestation with harmful insects, especially scale insects. In addition, improperly overwintered oranges often shed their leaves by the end of winter.
tips and tricks
If you cannot provide a species-appropriate place to overwinter your orange, it is usually possible to store it in a nursery greenhouse.