Miniature Orange

[Wicker]

Some time back I put a thread on about a miniature orange I had bought and which was really struggling and sickly on the balcony and in the house.  Latterly I took it to the lottie and sunk the pot in the ground where it had stayed thru all the torrential downpours and winds we have had and it has really flourished!  Loaded in mini oranges which are quite bitter but refreshing.  

Now literally covered in tiny white "buds" - will these become blossom/fruits?  I know I'll have to keep it somewhere warm in the winter - g'hosue isn't heated all winter so will it survive there inside a mini plastic g'house for added protect?  Hope so.

Oooh, should this have been in "Edible Plants" since I nibble the occasional fruit from it ???

[Wicker]

[Spurdie]

Aye aye, Wicker, fit like the day? I winnert if ye'd noticed a bittie aboot Wick on the news a feow days ago? It wis something aboot a hospital shuttin' doon.
As fer yer wee orange tree, I'm awfa sorry bit I canna help ye on that ... did ye try pittin yer post on anither bit o' the board - edible plants?

[Jesse]

Feed your orange tree and if no insects are able to access your tree make sure you pollinate the blossoms (I used to use a soft paintbrush on my lemon tree). Most common reason for blossoms not setting fruit is due to lack of pollination or lack of feeding. My lemon tree survived quite happily in an unheated conservatory through the winter but the conditions in the South are not as cold as your part of the country so not sure how it would fair in an unheated greenhouse. I believe citrus will tolerate occassional drops of temp to 0 degrees C or slightly below that, but don't like prolonged periods of temps below freezing. Not sure if you will have enough time in the season for the new blossoms to set fruit but it will be nice to have the blossoms anyway, they smell lovely.

[Wicker]

Thanks Jesseve I hadn't thought about pollinating but will surely do that since you ahve suggested it.  I think I'll take it home for the winter - don't want to lose it as it can get pretty cold especially at nights in the winter.

Fine till hear fae ye, Spurdie.  Hev sent a wee pm till ye.

[Mimi]

That sound great Jesse.  How do you stop the dreaded scale bug and following sooty mould.. happens everytime i bring mine indoors.

[Jesse]

Mimi perhaps I've just been lucky but haven't had that problem. I do run a dehumidifier in the house throughout winter, wonder if that makes a difference? Otherwise resort to spraying with some sort of pesticide/fungicide, something I don't like to do but sometimes you don't have much choice.

[Iain D]

Hi, I've had a mini orange for the last two years. It comes in the house over winter and spends summer mainly in the garden but sometimes in the greenhouse if the winds are really bad. I'm not very good with indoor plants but orange is still going strong and full of flowers at the moment.  The only problem I've had is a spot of chlorosis on the leaves but I've recently started using citrus food which I'm hoping will help - it's quite involved though as you get two different feeds, one for summer and one for winter!  I only tried eating a fruit once - too sour for me!! Perhaps if I coated them with sugar........

[Wicker]

Thanks, Ian, I'll look out for citrus food and make sure I get the appropriate one for winter!  I don't have a very sweet tooth so I call them "refreshing"!