Growing orangish trees in the desert might seem to be a hopeless undertaking . When you mean of orange you plausibly call back of lush green California or tropic Florida . The desert around Phoenix , Arizona , has major citrus woodlet that include oranges . The mild wintertime temperatures are perfect for oranges . Almost all that ’s need to add is piddle .
Step 1
Select valencia , bellybutton , Arizona sweets and Mandarin orange form that farm well in the desert .
Step 2
Dig a hole that is 3 feet deep by 3 feet wide for a 15 - congius sizing Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . set expectant Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in hole at least 2 feet bigger than the sizing of the tree diagram ’s container .
Step 3
Mix half of the bump off soil with equal total of bagged topsoil , compost and organic matter . Backfill the hollow with the mixed soil and amendment high enough that the depth the tree is planted at the same depth it was in the tidy sum . Water enough to settle the soil . Add more soil , if necessary , to come upon the required height in the soil .
Step 4
Score the side of meat of the root ball with a knife before planting if the roots are compacted . implant the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and cover the top of the assorted soil with a 4 - inch stratum of garden dirt to prevent the orange tree from drying out . Mound the soil around the tree to constitute a well that ’s 3 feet in diam and about 6 inches gamey .
Step 5
irrigate the tree once a week for the first month after planting by get the well occupy up with body of water . Water deeply every few weeks after that , more often in hot summer month and less often in cooler winter calendar month .
Step 6
Fertilize with a citrus plant food twice a twelvemonth in February and August . Water well before and after fertilizing . fertilise more if leaves are twist yellow .
Step 7
Protect the orange tree from freeze and moth-eaten temperatures by shroud it with a blanket or string it with decorative lights .
Tip
Harvest the crop in late pin and former wintertime look on orange variety . The orange tree should be graft onto sturdy sour orange stock . Most tags will define the diversity of the grafting and the root stock . Pruning is not require . However , trees can be pruned to keep them within size of it limit without a job . Caliche , compacted calcium carbonate , is rock heavily and not very porous . It occurs course in the desert stain . It may be necessary to jack up hammer the caliche out . If that ’s not possible turn up the tree somewhere else .
Warning
take out fallen oranges so rats do n’t become a job . They be intimate oranges and will climb wall to get at them . The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree needs Fe if the vein of the leaves are green but the foliage are scandalmongering . Do n’t expend contribute light as a author of heat for the tree . They do n’t give off enough heat .
