The orange tree is a homemade orange. Growing an orange from a seed at home: myth or reality

Among a variety of indoor plants sold in specialized stores, the eye quickly grabs neat trees with glossy leathery foliage and a mass of bright fragrant fruits. If you have patience and make a little effort, you can grow an orange tree from a seed at home, especially since a seed from a ripe fruit bought in a store is suitable as planting material.

How to grow an orange at home from a seed?

orange pits:

washed in warm water;
soak for 8-12 hours;
planted in loose soil or peat to a depth of 1 cm under the film.

Until the moment of germination, which occurs in a month or a half, the seed container remains in a shaded, warm place. A mini-greenhouse needs to be periodically moistened and ventilated. And only after the appearance of sprouts, future orange trees are brought to light.

The picking of sprouts is carried out at the stage when two true leaves open on an orange, while it is important to take into account that the plant reacts extremely painfully to all manipulations associated with transplantation and possible damage to the root system. It is unacceptable that, when transplanted, the root neck of an orange turns out to be underground.

The best way to transplant a tree is the spring transshipment of the plant along with an earthy clod, until active growth of shoots begins and buds appear. An orange grown at home will have to be regularly subjected to such a procedure, each time choosing a container with a diameter of 1–3 cm larger than the old pot:

sprawling root system a young plant once a year requires the expansion of "living space".
Mature fruiting trees are transplanted every 2-3 years.

For seedlings with 4-6 leaves, a pot with a diameter of about 10 cm and a soil mixture of two parts of soddy soil, one part of leafy humus, the same amount of peat and sand are suitable. Already at the next transshipment, the proportion of soddy land in the soil is increased and a small amount of clay is added. The orange tree, which is grown from the stone at home, must be provided with good drainage and an irrigation regime that does not allow the roots to rot.

Optimal growth conditions for an orange at home

Like all inhabitants of the subtropical zone, orange trees do not tolerate drafts, but they are very fond of light and are demanding on air and soil humidity. With a lack of lighting, citrus fruits can get sick or refuse to bear fruit, so it is better to grow them on sunny side, but protecting from burning direct rays, especially in the summer. In autumn and winter, when the length of daylight hours falls, the orange grown from the seed is illuminated.

The humidity in the room where the tree is located should not be below 40%, otherwise the plant begins to quickly shed its leaves and may die. This happens especially often in winter, during the heating season, or when the pot is close to heater. In this case, it is necessary to artificially humidify the air, spray the plant and make sure that the soil under it does not dry out.

The danger of drying out of the soil also exists in the summer, so daily watering, moisturizing the entire earthen ball, but not causing moisture stagnation, is essential for an orange.

Orange trees at home can die if the water for irrigation contains chlorine. Therefore, rain, melted water or settled water for at least a day is used, which is heated to 25-30 ° C.

Orange tree care at home

In order for the seedling to develop rapidly, and after a few years the plant began to bear fruit, it needs to create conditions, as in the Mediterranean and in northern Africa, where oranges grow in nature:

In summer, the tree can be taken out into the air, protecting from the scorching sun.
In the spring, when bud formation begins and ovary formation is expected, orange trees need to be at 15-18 ° C.
In winter, watering is reduced and a warm wintering is arranged at a temperature above +12 ° C, not forgetting about the illumination of the plant.

On transfer from room to room, changes in temperature, humidity and other growing conditions, up to turning the pot, an orange tree, as in the photo, at home can drop leaves, turn yellow and wither. Therefore, it is advised to rotate the plant so that its shoots grow more evenly by about 10 ° every 10 days.

An actively growing orange once every 7–14 days needs complex top dressing fertilizer for citrus crops or a composition based on 10 liters of water and:

20 grams of ammonium nitrate;
25 grams of superphosphate;
15 grams of potassium salts.

Caring for an orange tree at home implies that four times a year they are introduced into top dressing. inkstone, and to maintain the saturated color of the foliage, an orange is watered monthly with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Grafting an orange from the stone

If the tree is carefully looked after, it quickly grows and develops. However, not everyone manages to wait for flowering and ovary, and if the fruits do appear, they turn out to be small and bitter. The fact is that oranges grown from the stone may not carry parental characteristics and simply be wild plants. You can recognize such a wild animal already at the age of one by hard green spikes on the trunk.

How to grow oranges at home, as sweet and large as store-bought fruits? In this case, you can choose one of the following methods:

Carry out a classic tree grafting, using a seedling as a rootstock for varietal cutting obtained from a fruiting plant.
Graft an orange with budding by implanting a bud cultivated plant with a small layer of bark and wood. For reliability, up to three eyes can be used at the same time, grafting them on different sides of the trunk.

The second method is less laborious and painful for the tree. If the seedling after grafting remains only as a stock, the operation is best performed on a tree at the age of 1 - 3 years, when the trunk diameter does not exceed 6 mm.

On an adult orange tree, in the photo, various citrus crops can be grafted, since the plant practically does not reject related species.

Forming an orange crown at home

Fruiting of an orange tree at home can begin 6–10 years after seed germination and only if the crown is properly formed in the plant. The buds, and then the ovary, in the same plants appear on developed branches of the fourth order. Therefore, to get early harvest crown formation begins when the tree reaches a height of 25–30 cm:

In spring, the main shoot is pinched at a level of 18–25 cm.
Of the side shoots, three or four of the strongest are left, which are cut off, forcing them to branch.
In the next season, two branches of the second order are left from the growth. They will subsequently give from 3 to 5 shoots of the third order.
And only then will horizontal fruit-bearing branches begin to develop.
Next, monitor the density of the crown and the timely replacement of branches.

On young trees, the first flowers and ovaries are best removed. The first harvest can be only 2-3 oranges, so that the plant does not lose too much strength when they ripen.

You can speed up the entry of the tree into the fruiting season by wintering the orange at a temperature of 2 to 5 ° C, limiting watering and not feeding for three months. When the temperature rises to 15-18 ° C in the room where the oranges grow, the set of buds and the formation of the ovary begin. A properly cared for orange at home can live up to 50-70 years, regularly pleasing with the appearance of white flowers and bright fragrant fruits.

Grafting citrus fruits at home - video

Is it possible to grow a pretty and also fruitful orange tree from a seed? Yes! In this article, we will figure out how to plant an orange and what care it will require in order to please the owners with delicious fruits. There are several ways to grow an orange at home, including from seeds.

Preparation and sowing of seeds

So, let's look at how to grow an orange from a seed at home. The seed for germination should be taken as fresh as possible: we eat the fruit and immediately begin to prepare orange seeds for sowing. If they dry out a bit, it will make it difficult to germinate. We need seeds that are full-weight, without skin defects, correct form fully ripe. They need to be rinsed with water. room temperature and then soak in boiled water 8–12 hours.

Then, to grow an orange at home, plant the seeds in citrus soil. You can buy it or cook it yourself. The best option: 1 part of leafy soil (or peat), 1 part of well-washed river sand, 2 hours of soddy soil. The container must have a hole for water to drain. You can use both individual (about 100 ml) and general. In the latter case, the distance between the seeds of oranges should be at least 5 cm: orange seeds are multi-embedded and can immediately germinate as a bush. An orange from the seed should be planted to a depth of 1–2.5 cm.

Then, to grow an orange from the seed at home, cover the container with cling film to help retain moisture. When choosing a location, avoid direct sunlight, however, the illumination should be good: since oranges grow in southern countries, such conditions will help create an optimal microclimate. It is better to remove the film at night so that the planted orange does not suffocate.

The rate of seed germination depends on a number of factors and can range from 20 to 45 days. After the appearance of sprouts, the film can be removed completely. Growing an orange from a stone at home is best done in the spring, when daylight hours naturally lengthen - then citrus fruits grow better.

The first picking can be carried out after the appearance of two leaves on the sprout. It is necessary to transplant the orange carefully so as not to injure the tender roots and neck that have grown, it is best to simply transfer the earthen clod into new pot. Some experts recommend not doing this at all, only adding new soil to feed the plant. If the seed has given several shoots, you need to leave only one, the strongest, and pinch the rest. For a sprout with 4-6 leaves, a pot with a diameter of 10 cm will be optimal.

For each transplant, the container is taken 3–4 cm more; an adult plant is simply changed in a pot upper part earth. It is permissible to plant the sprout initially in a large container, but then you need to monitor watering so that the land that is not covered by roots does not turn sour. In this case, the grown shoot must be periodically fed. We learned how to grow an orange seedling from a stone. Let's take care of it.

Conditions for successful cultivation

When growing a room orange, you need to provide the plant with good lighting without direct sunlight (which can lead to burns), the absence of drafts and timely watering. Since it is impossible to grow an orange at home at low humidity (it must be at least 40%), you should regularly spray the plant or place a container of water where the tree grows. This is especially important in winter, when batteries dry the air.

plant care

Growing an orange requires daily watering (without flooding and acidification of the soil) in the summer. In winter, it needs to be reduced, but daylight hours need to be extended with lamps: being subtropical plants, they require a lot of sun. The temperature in winter should be maintained low, + 12–15 degrees.

When deciding how to grow an orange tree, do not forget about fertilizers: it is advisable to use them once every two weeks. You can buy a ready-made complex mixture or prepare it from 25 g phosphate fertilizers, 15 g of potassium salts (with the exception of potassium chloride) and 20 g nitrogen fertilizers. This mixture is taken per 10 liters of water.

To obtain fruits, the tree will need to be cut correctly, since the ovaries will appear only on branches of the 4th order and above. When the tree grows to 20–30 cm, pinch the main shoot and further pinch the side shoots that it will give after that until you get branches of the 4th order. To in further plant could become healthy and strong, for the first time it is advisable to leave no more than 3 ovaries.

Pests and diseases

To protect against them, spraying with an insecticide twice a year will help. If an infection has occurred, you can use store-bought preparations, tincture of garlic or laundry soap. Of the diseases, the appearance of root rot is possible. To prevent it, water the plant once a month with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

plant grafting

It must be borne in mind that a planted tree from a stone at home may not have the qualities of a parent and its fruits cannot be eaten due to bitterness. In order to enjoy the grown crop, it is possible to vaccinate from a varietal plant. This can be done classically by using a seedling as a rootstock, as well as by budding, by planting one or more buds of a cultivated plant with a piece of bark on the stem.

Video "Planting orange seeds"

In this video, you will learn how to properly plant orange seeds.

If you think that it is impossible to grow an orange from a stone at home, then you are deeply mistaken. Undoubtedly, it is not enough to lower the seeds into the ground and wait for shoots. It will take a lot of patience and time until the orange tree will delight you with its fruits.

Orange is the most unpretentious of citrus fruits. For planting, bones obtained from fresh fruit are quite suitable. Most gardeners prefer to grow these trees from seedlings. But for decorating a house or a greenhouse, which with French translates as "winter orange garden”, you can grow a plant from a seed.

Varieties of orange

Bergamot

A hybrid of citron and orange. It has a pronounced bitter-sour taste.

All oranges are equally healthy and tasty. They contain great amount vitamins, amino acids and trace elements. We will present you the best varieties.

Washington Neville

Sweet and sour fruits with a thick porous skin. Many are mistaken, believing that the birthplace of this variety is the United States. In fact, this variety comes from Brazil. Its fruits are practically seedless.

Valencia

Blondeau Commune

Variety from Sicily. For a long time it was the most popular at home, but in recent years it has given the palm to the two previous varieties. It has many seeds and grows well from them.

Oval

Tarocco

Another early ripe Sicilian variety. The fruit picking season runs from November to January. These oranges have not only a pleasant taste and exquisite aroma. However, the fruits are popular not only because of their excellent taste, but also because of the unusual blood-red color of the pulp. How to grow a red orange from a stone, we will tell a little later.

At the end of a short review, I would like to say that Moroccan and Abkhazian oranges today compete with the varieties described above.

Soil preparation

Before planting the seeds, it is necessary to prepare the soil for the future tree. It is prepared from:

leaf earth;
sand
humus;
turf.

All components in equal parts mix thoroughly, and the soil is ready. The soil for an orange should be saturated with trace elements, so you can buy ready-made soil with the inscription "Rose" or "Lemon", which is perfect for an orange (tree). The plant needs drainage. To do this, you can use small pebbles or expanded clay. The best time to plant a tree is spring.

Seed selection

For planting, you can use any bone from a freshly eaten fruit, and if you wish, you can buy seeds of a particular variety. It is necessary to choose whole, intact and most attractive seeds. If you decide to use them from a freshly eaten fruit, then they should be washed carefully, being careful not to damage the shell.

After that, they are soaked overnight in warm water. Then the bones are laid out on a damp cloth and covered with it on top. This way you retain the moisture needed for germination. Drying will adversely affect the germination of the plant. After that, place a napkin with seeds in a bag, creating a greenhouse effect for the seeds. Orange is a thermophilic plant, so keep the bag of seeds in a warm room.

seed germination process

For seed germination, a temperature of about +25 ° C is recommended. If necessary, the seeds in the bag must be moistened. They should always be kept moist and not allowed to dry out. Germination takes on average about two weeks, sometimes a little longer. It is important to periodically ventilate the greenhouse.

Landing

Now you need to plant the seeds in a pot with sterile soil. For this bought or prepared soil composition fry in a pan for several minutes, spreading it in a thin layer. You will see the first shoots in three weeks. When they grow to two centimeters, the seedlings must be transplanted into pots with a diameter of about nine centimeters.

Lay a little expanded clay on the bottom of the container, creating the necessary drainage. The sprouts are transplanted into a larger flowerpot when the fourth or fifth leaves appear on them. The next pot should be at least 9 cm in diameter. An old clod of earth that tightly envelops the roots should be saved. Do not try to remove it - this may damage the roots.

During this period, it is necessary to create the most favorable conditions for strengthening the sprouts and hardening them. Each transplant is carried out in a container with a diameter of five centimeters larger than the previous one. Transplants are stopped when they begin to form the crown of the tree. After planting, the bone should immediately be watered with settled, filtered or boiled water.

Cover the pot plastic wrap, creating the effect of a mini-greenhouse. Place it on a windowsill and make sure it is not exposed to direct Sun rays. You can cover it with paper. At night, the film is removed so that the seedling is ventilated.

If you are interested in how to grow a fruiting tree from an orange seed, you need to know that this plant needs moist soils, so it should be sprayed daily. Water the soil as needed, but do not fill it with water.

How to grow an orange from a stone: plant care

The main requirements that this plant makes are watering and pruning. Even a beginner can grow an orange. Caring for a plant requires only accuracy, patience and following simple rules.

Watering, as we have said, should be periodic. In this case, there should be neither waterlogging nor drying out of the soil. Pruning is done annually. An orange from a stone at home for the second year is cut off the crown, leaving no more than twenty centimeters. After that, the tree will throw out healthy side shoots, however, they will have to be removed.

Thus, skeletal branches are formed. When your tree begins to bear fruit, fruit branches are pruned as needed. It must be borne in mind that too many fruits on the branches most often leads to the depletion of the plant.

Indoor orange: top dressing

Feeding the seedling begins six months after planting. Organic and mineral fertilizers are used, which today are offered in a huge assortment by specialized stores.

How to form a crown?

This heat-loving plant needs crown formation. This work should be started from the moment the tree grows to thirty centimeters. It is necessary to cut from two to four leaves from the top of the plant. This will give a powerful push, and it will launch side branches, which are second order branches.

Subsequent pruning of these branches stimulates the growth of shoots of the third and subsequent generations. The branches are cut when they reach a length of thirty centimeters. This is how all shoots are shortened. As a result, the trunk of the formed plant is fifteen centimeters, and the crown is made up of three or four branches, which are covered with small shoots.

The goal of the grower is the branches of the fifth order, since they are the ones that bear fruit. But usually it happens for 5-7 years. This largely depends on the characteristics of the variety and the conditions of detention.

First flowers and fruits

How to grow an orange from a stone in order not only to admire a beautiful plant, but also to get fruits from it? Surely the answer to this question is of interest to all flower growers. The tree begins to bloom in the fifth year after planting. But the first buds should be removed, since the plant at this age is not yet strong enough to bear fruit.

The plant will give real fruits for 8 years. There are several secrets that allow you to get a crop ahead of time. We present you some of them:

Grafting (graft a sprig from a fruit-bearing tree to a tree).
Transplant the plant often (2-3 transplants in summer will enhance the development of the root system).
Ringing - pass the branches with a wire or remove the bark in the form of a ring. As soon as the plant begins to bloom, the wire is removed.
Cold winters. Take the tree to a room with a temperature of +5 ° C for three months. Cold wintering is very effective. They are recommended for the first two or three years. At this time, the plant is not fertilized, you can only water it, but not abundantly.

After these procedures, the orange will begin to bear fruit in the fourth year.

reproduction

How to grow an orange from a seed and propagate it later? At home, this can be done in two ways: seeds and cuttings. In the middle latitudes, it is not so easy to get a cutting. You can ask for it from friends who are engaged in the cultivation of these citrus fruits, or buy it in specialized greenhouses.

For propagation, cuttings 15 cm long and 0.5 cm in diameter are suitable. The cut is made under the kidney and above it, above and below. There must be at least four buds and three leaves on the stem. The cutting is treated with a root growth stimulator. After that, it is placed in water for several days, and then planted in the ground.

Rooting can take from one to one and a half months. After rooting, the cuttings are transplanted into pots by transshipment. You already know how to grow an orange from a seed. The process is more complex, but very exciting. A tree grown in this way has strong genetics and different characteristics from its parent.

The cuttings completely inherit the donor's genetic code. At the same time, cuttings significantly reduce the time for the onset of fruiting.

Diseases and pests

Many pests can attack an orange. The tree may be affected by some diseases. His main enemies in indoor floriculture is spider mite and shields. In addition, an orange seedling can be affected by viruses and fungi.

You can fight diseases and pests with the help of fungicides and insecticides. The affected areas are cut out and smeared with garden pitch. In advanced cases, the diseased seedling is recommended to be burned.

oranges are very healthy fruits. They reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood, strengthen the immune system, and normalize blood pressure. It is not at all surprising that many flower growers and gardeners dream of growing this plant. It is unlikely that anyone will call this culture unpretentious, however, it will not cause great difficulties in caring. Constant care, painstaking work and a great desire to grow an exotic plant will definitely give a positive result.

Few true amateur flower growers have not tried to grow citrus on their own at least once. The bone sprouted, but the matter did not go further than this. It is quite possible to grow an exotic orange from a seed and get a fruit-bearing tree at home.

But this fruit requires increased attention and proper care, as it is quite whimsical. The taste of orange citruses grown at home in a pot can not be compared with store-bought ones, but this does not stop true lovers of indoor plants.

Varieties of orange

Oranges are divided into two large groups: sour (bitter) and sweet varieties. There are three types that are most often found on sale in our country.

Sweet. Chinese or Portuguese fruit. The most common and popular variety.

Sour. Usually these are hybrids of mandarin and pomelo. They have a bitter-sour taste. These fruits are often called oranges.

Bergamot. A hybrid of citron and orange. It has a pronounced bitter-sour taste. All oranges are equally healthy and tasty. They contain a huge amount of vitamins, amino acids and trace elements.

Washington Navil. Sweet and sour fruits with a thick porous skin. Many are mistaken, believing that the birthplace of this variety is the United States. In fact, this variety comes from Brazil. Its fruits are practically seedless.

Valencia. Variety of Spanish oranges. They are distinguished by a thin skin of a bright orange color with red patches. The flesh is the same color. These oranges have a pleasant sweet taste.

Blonda Kommun.Sort from Sicily. For a long time it was the most popular at home, but in recent years it has given the palm to the two previous varieties. It has many seeds and grows well from them.

Oval. The name accurately describes the shape of the fruit. The taste of this variety is almost no different from Valencia.

Toropko. Another early ripe Sicilian variety. The fruit picking season runs from November to January. These oranges have not only a pleasant taste and exquisite aroma. However, the fruits are popular not only because of their excellent taste, but also because of the unusual blood-red color of the pulp.

How to prepare an orange seed for planting

The stone of an orange is covered with a rather dense, hard peel, on the one hand, preserving the sprout from all kinds of damage, and on the other, preventing its germination. If the seed dries up, it is very difficult to make it hatch, so only fresh seeds are used for planting.

orange pits:

Planting an orange at home

Since in countries where oranges grow in nature, trees generously receive both heat and light, it is possible to provide seedlings with the longest daylight hours by planting seeds at the end of winter or in March. But even in this case, young orange trees respond well to the extension of daylight hours with the help of special lamps.

A clay pot with a diameter of about 10 centimeters is perfect for this:

How to care for an orange at home

To grow an orange at home, you need to carefully care for it.

First, timely watering. To find out when a tree needs watering, take wooden stick and tap it on plastic pot where the orange grows. If you hear a dull crackle, then the plant needs to be watered. Usually, an orange requires the most abundant watering in summer and spring - to grow an orange at home, water it in the morning and evening during these periods.

Secondly, maintaining the level of humidity. Moisture conservation is achieved primarily by the application of organic fertilizers. orange loves high humidity air, so every 1-2 days spray the plant with a spray bottle or place a humidifier next to it. Give the plant a shower every three weeks by covering the ground with cellophane.

Thirdly, nutrition. In specialized stores there is a large assortment of mixtures for feeding orange trees. The only thing worth paying attention to is that the composition of the mixture should contain only organic matter(at the very least, the vast majority of ingredients must be of organic origin).

Orange transplant at home

Due to the peculiarities of the root system, the orange does not tolerate transplanting, especially with damage to the earthen clod, it is transplanted only by transshipment, and if the roots have not filled the entire space of the container, they simply replace the upper and lower soil layers.

Fruit-bearing trees are transshipped every two or three years, young, intensively growing - annually, into a pot with a diameter larger by 1-2 cm than the previous one. Transplanted in the spring before the start of growth, this kind of work should not be done during flowering, fruit ripening, or at rest. When planting, make sure that the root neck is not buried.

The soil mixture recommended for young specimens consists of soddy, leafy soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1, for mature trees the proportion of soddy land increases (3:1:1:1) and a small amount of clay is added.

Forming and pruning the crown of an orange at home

If not carried out regular pruning, orange, as a rule, does not bloom. Moreover, the crown of such a plant has an unattractive appearance. A flowering orange must go through all the stages of formation: flowers are formed only on branches of a certain age and order. In other words, if the crown is not formed, and the tree grows unpruned, the plant will not bloom. Active formation of the crown occurs before the tree reaches 3 years. In a young plant, several of the strongest shoots of the first order should be left, shortening them to 20 cm in length, and cutting off all the rest. Branches of the second order are shortened by the same length, and the third and fourth orders involve cutting only 5 cm. That's all, the formation of the crown is almost over. You just have to remove weak shoots at the beginning of each next year, gradually giving the orange crown the desired shape and proper appearance.

Propagation of homemade orange cuttings

As cuttings, choose stems with a diameter of 4-5 mm and a length of about 10 cm. The cut should be made under the kidney from below, and above the kidney from above. On the handle you need to leave 3-4 live buds and 2-3 leaves. Shank for greater effect need to be treated with a root growth stimulator, and placed 1/2 length in water for 3 days. To root cuttings of homemade orange, plant them in boxes or pots with soil consisting of a mixture of humus, coarse sand and flower soil in equal proportions. Plant the cuttings in a compacted substrate to a depth of 3-4 cm. Initially, the branches have no roots, this does not allow the plant to get enough moisture from the soil, so the orange tree requires daily spraying of the leaves with water. The soil should be well moistened, but do not allow acidification. The optimum temperature for rooting is + 20 + 25 degrees. The final rooting occurs after 30-45 days. Then the homemade orange tree can be transplanted into a separate small pot.

Latest articles about the garden and vegetable garden

Why do orange leaves turn yellow and fall off?

Sharp temperature drop. This happens if the plant is brought from the street into warm room. In such a situation, everything must be done to save natural humidity for an orange and he stood in a place that gets diffused light.

Irrigation failure. This culture does not tolerate strong overdrying of the soil, as well as its waterlogging. In summer, the plant needs to be watered once a day. warm water. In addition, the plant must be provided high humidity air, so it needs to be sprayed additionally. In winter, the plant needs to be watered only a couple of times a week, preventing the soil from drying out.

Lots of fertilizer. Orange must be fertilized, but it is important to follow some rules. Plant signing should occur no more than once a week. To do this, use special fertilizers shown for citrus fruits - superphosphates, organic salts, ammonium sulfate and potassium.

Diseases of home orange

This culture can be affected by many types of fungi and viruses, but most dangerous disease, and at the same time the most common is gummosis, also known as gum disease.

With such an ailment, parts of the bark die off from the orange tree, from where a sticky liquid of golden yellow color is released - gum. Appears this disease due to various fungi that settle at the root collar and layers of wood. Deep landing, insufficient drainage, mechanical damage can provoke the appearance. To fight, you must first get rid of the external cause, and then, with a small affected volume, the wound is cleaned to a healthy layer of tissue. After disinfection, cover with garden pitch. If the plant is seriously affected, it is better to burn it. Among other things, oranges can suffer from fungal infections such as warty awn, anthracnose. These diseases are treated with fungicides. If the plant is affected by a viral disease such as tristeza, the best course of action is to destroy it. Proper crop care will reduce the likelihood of orange diseases.

I really love southern plants - tropical, subtropical, as well as everything that grows in a warm, humid climate. I especially like the southern fruits - not those that are sold in stores, but those that, like light bulbs, glow through the foliage of trees.

Well, what could be more beautiful than lemons, oranges, grapefruits or mangoes that can be picked from a tree? That's right, nothing.

Therefore, I have a tropical room in my apartment. You may not believe me, but both lemons and oranges can not only be grown from a seed, but even made to bear fruit. And in winter, look at the blizzard raging outside the window, sitting under the balls of orange oranges hanging on a tree.

I think we have a lot of lovers of tropical fruits who would not refuse to pick them right from the branch. Therefore, I decided to tell you how to grow an orange from a seed. I assure you, it is not difficult at all, even a beginner can handle it.

There are no problems with planting material - just take the seeds from the fruit purchased at the store and eaten at home.

By the way, not all oranges are suitable for growing at home, so it is advisable to collect the seeds different varieties. It is best to grow at home oranges from Egypt and South Africa. They sprout better and adapt more easily.

By the way, of all citrus fruits, oranges are considered the most unpretentious plants and are the easiest to grow. With a lemon, for example, you will have to mess around longer - soak the seeds, cover with a film, moisturize. An orange seed can simply be stuck into the ground of a flower pot, after which it usually sprouts.

However, if you want to achieve not only the appearance of a beautiful bush at home, but also the flowering of an orange tree, and in the long term - the appearance of fruits on it, then you need to follow certain conditions and know some subtleties.

These conditions boil down to the following:

the bones do not need to be dried. It is advisable not to even store them, but to plant them raw;
the bone must first be prepared;
the soil must be either special, for citrus fruits, or simply dig up land under any oak in the forest;
pot is best to take ceramic.

Now let's talk about these tricks in a little more detail.

Planting material preparation

So, you ate a couple of oranges. What to do next? Very simple - just pull the bones out of them and put them in water. You can wet two cotton pads and place the bones between them overnight. It is best to take several seeds from different fruits, in case not all of them sprout.

If you decide to soak the bones in water, then you need to take settled water, and not ordinary tap water, from the tap. Keep the bones in the water for about twelve hours.

After that, they can be taken out of a container of water or from wet disks and planted.

How to prepare the soil

AT flower shops special soil for citrus plants is sold - oranges, lemons and grapefruits grow very well in it. It is inexpensive, so there should be no problems with its acquisition.

If for some reason it was not possible to buy a special composition, then you can either cook it yourself, or simply collect land in the forest from trunk circle any large oak - in terms of composition, such soil will be very well suited for growing oranges.

You can even take the earth along with oak leaves - they will quickly rot in a pot.

In such soil, your seeds will sprout quickly, and the orange sprout will feel good and develop quickly.

Which pot to choose

In order to grow an orange tree from a stone, any container is suitable, but all flower growers advise choosing a ceramic pot. Clay containers are very good for growing exotic plants:

they absorb excess moisture and vice versa, give it away when the soil dries;
they don't let in the sun's rays plastic containers, so the roots of the plant do not overheat in the sun;
if the plant is on the windowsill, then the thick bottom of the ceramic pot protects the roots from moisture loss.

Therefore, choose a clay container to make your exotic plant feel good.

How to plant orange seeds

It would seem that there is nothing complicated in sticking an orange seed into the ground. However, when planting, you still need to follow some rules that will help your sprouts develop without problems:

each bone should be planted immediately in a separate pot, on which drainage must be placed. Of course, the seeds will sprout even in one container, but then you still need to plant them, and an orange does not tolerate manipulations such as picking or transplanting. Therefore, it is better to immediately provide each plant with a separate residence;
the seeds do not need to be deepened by more than 2 - 2.5 cm, oranges do not like deep planting and may simply not germinate. Carefully make a depression in the ground and lower the bone there with a sharp nose up or lay it on its side;
after sprinkling it with earth, lightly compact the soil with a spoon or just a finger and moisten the surface properly. You can pour it from a watering can, or you can sprinkle it with water from a spray bottle;
oranges do not need to be covered with a transparent film, like lemons, however, to improve germination, accelerate the emergence of shoots and prevent the soil surface from drying out, it is better to cover pots with planting material. The film will need to be lifted daily so that the earth in which the bones sprout breathe.
the surface of the soil should be moistened daily, this is mandatory and very important condition germination of bones. They will not grow in dry soil. If you neglect moisture, you will not wait for sprouts, even if all other conditions are met.

If you do everything right, sprouts will appear in about three weeks. Immediately after this, the film must be removed.

How to care for an orange tree

The rules of care are not complicated. First of all, it is necessary to provide the plant with conditions that are similar to those in which it grows in nature. The most important conditions are sunlight and moisture.

Despite the fact that the orange is a resident of the south, where there is a lot of sun, direct sunlight can destroy it. Therefore, provide him with a permanent place on the western or northern windowsill. With such diffused light, the orange feels great at home. In this case, periodically the pot with the plant should be deployed.

They also love oranges. water procedures. They need to be watered often enough, but the plant should not be flooded. It is optimal to ensure that the earth in the pot is always moist, but not too damp. Oranges don't grow in swamps.

In hot summer days, as well as in those periods when central heating is working at home, the leaves of the plant must be sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle. You need to repeat this procedure several times a day, oranges love it very much.

Oranges do not tolerate transplanting well, so keep changing pots to a minimum. Young plants are transplanted once a year, no more often, increasing the pot as they grow. Adult plants need to be transplanted less often, once every three to five years.

An orange reaches a height of two meters, so he will need an appropriate pot.

However, it is impossible to immediately plant a seed in a large container, because in this case the root system of the orange will grow for a long time, and until its roots fill the container, the orange will not grow normally. Therefore, it will have to be transplanted, gradually increasing the volume of the pot.

Orange trees need to be fed, so periodically (about once every three months) fertilizer for citrus fruits, which are sold in flower shops, should be applied to the soil.

By the way, a growing orange tree must be pinched and shaped into a crown. Only in this case, flowers and subsequently fruits will appear on the side shoots.

How does an orange winter

Wintering for an orange tree is a very important period and must be experienced correctly. The fact is that not only the flowering of an orange depends on wintering, but also the appearance of fruits on it. Therefore, take this with all responsibility.

For an orange, the most suitable is a cold winter, in which the air temperature should not rise above fifteen degrees (the lower temperature limit is five to six degrees, it should not fall below). It is clear that such conditions in ordinary apartment with central heating in winter you will not be able to achieve.

Therefore, move the plant to a suitable room, reduce watering and stop feeding it until spring. Then it will bloom in the spring.

Conclusion

So, if you want to grow an orange tree at home from an ordinary seed, remember the following rules:

plant raw and prepared seeds in special soil for citrus fruits, this way you will improve their germination;
plant seeds only in clay pots;
do not forget about the constant moistening of the soil in which the seed sprouts, a transparent film will help protect the soil from drying out;
provide a growing orange with watering, sunlight and top dressing;
in the warm season, take your plant outside (to the country terrace, balcony, etc.). Just make sure that your plant does not burn out in the sun.

If you comply with all these conditions, you will not only grow an orange tree, but in a few years beautiful flowers will appear on it, and then fruits.

It is quite possible to grow a real orange tree from a seed. Of course, it will not be enough to put the seeds in a pot and wait for germination. Orange will require a lot of time and patience before it will please you with its fruits. It should be noted that this type of citrus is considered the most unpretentious among the rest. For planting fit the bones of fresh fruit. But still, many gardeners prefer growing trees from young seedlings. The main methods of orange propagation are from seeds and cuttings. For cultivation, a greenhouse is perfect, which is translated from French as “winter orange garden”.

Varieties of orange

All oranges can be divided into two large groups: sweet and sour (bitter) varieties. There are three types that are most often found on sale.

orange fruit

Sweet. Portuguese or Chinese fruit. The most common variety.
Sour. A hybrid of pomelo and mandarin. Has a bitter taste. Another name for it is Pomeranian.
Bergamot. A hybrid of orange and citron. It has a pronounced bitter-sour taste.

All oranges are tasty and equally healthy. They contain a large amount of vitamins, trace elements and amino acids. Oranges are a real storehouse of vitamin C, which is responsible for immunity.

There are several other varieties that differ in appearance and taste.

"Washington Nevil". Sweet and sour fruit with a thick skin. Many mistakenly believe that the United States is the birthplace of this variety. The Washington Nevil is actually from Brazil. The fruits of this variety ripen without stones.
"Valencia"- Spanish variety of oranges. His hallmark is a thin peel of a bright orange color with small red patches. The flesh has a similar color. The taste of orange is sweet.

Variety Valencia

"Blondo commune"- Sicilian variety. Ranked first among the consumed varieties of oranges in Sicily. At present, he gave primacy to the two previous varieties. Has many bones.
"Oval". The name speaks for itself. The fruits of an orange resemble an oval in shape, and the taste is not much different from the Valencia variety.
"Tarocco" - early ripe variety originally from Sicily. The harvest season is from November to January. Tarocco oranges are distinguished not only by their pleasant taste, but also by the unusual color of the pulp. She is blood red.

Variety Tarocco

"Sanginello". Oranges with a bitter taste. Their homeland is Sicily.

Abkhazian and Moroccan oranges also compete with the above varieties.

Planting an orange tree

The most common way to grow an orange is to plant the seed in the ground. But first, this land needs to be prepared. You will need:

One piece of leafy soil (rotted leaves).
One part sand.
One part of humus.
Three pieces of turf.

Consider the landing process:

Mix all the components and the soil for the future citrus is ready. The land for planting an orange should be rich in trace elements, so the best option will be the purchase of the finished mixture in stores. You can buy land marked "Lemon" or "Rose", they are perfect for growing an orange.

Drainage should be laid at the bottom of the pot. Expanded clay or small pebbles are suitable for this.

Planting an orange seed

The stone for planting must be fresh, that is, only removed from the fruit. It needs to be buried 2 cm into the ground. Then sprinkle with earth and compact a little.

Attention! best time for planting an orange is spring.

Immediately after planting, the bone should be watered with boiled, filtered or settled water.
Cover the pot with polyethylene, so you create the effect of a mini-greenhouse.
Place the pot on a windowsill and keep it out of direct sunlight. To do this, cover it with paper. At night, the film must be removed in order to ventilate the seedling.
After 20-25 days, a sprout will appear.
Oranges love moist soil, so they need to be sprayed daily. And water as needed, but in no case do not fill with water.
After a year, the seedling can be transplanted into a pot that has a larger diameter.

orange tree care

The main requirements for the care of an orange include watering and pruning. Watering should be periodic, drying out or waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed.

As for pruning, it must be done annually. In the second year of life young seedling cut off the crown, leaving only 20 cm. After that, the tree should throw out side shoots, but they will also have to be removed. So you can form skeletal branches. When the tree begins to bear fruit, fruit branches are pruned as needed. It should be borne in mind that an excessive number of fruits on a branch leads to the depletion of the plant.

Watering the orange tree should be moderate, without overflow.

An orange seedling should be fed no earlier than 6 months after planting. You can buy suitable fertilizers at any specialized flower shop.

reproduction

At home, an orange can be grown in two ways: by cuttings and from seeds (pits).

cutting not so easy to get in the middle latitudes of our country. You can ask friends who grow this citrus fruit from friends, bring it from a vacation in the subtropics, or buy it in specialized greenhouses.

Suitable cuttings with a diameter of 0.5 cm and a length of 10-15 cm. The cut is made under the kidney and above it, below and above. At least 4 buds and 3 leaves are left on the stem. The stalk is treated with a tool that stimulates root growth. After that, it must be placed in water for several days, and then planted in containers with soil. The rooting process can take from one to one and a half months. Only after the cuttings take root, they can be transplanted by transshipment into pots.

orange stalk

planting an orange from the bone a more complex process, but a tree grown in this way has strong genetics and carries different characteristics than the parent. At the cuttings goes full transfer of the donor's genetic material. An orange grown from a stone will begin to bloom only after 8-10 years. Cuttings reduce this period by half.

Diseases and pests

Orange trees are subject to attack by many pests, and are also affected by some diseases.
So, the main misfortunes when grown in apartment conditions are scale insects and spider mites.

Besides, citrus seedling can be affected by fungi and viruses. The most unpleasant is gommoz.
Pests and diseases can be controlled with insecticides and fungicides. The affected areas are removed and smeared with garden pitch. In the most advanced cases, the affected seedling is recommended to be burned.

Orange is a healthy citrus fruit. It reduces blood pressure and is a good prevention of the development of cancer. Strengthens the immune system and lowers blood cholesterol levels. Protects against infections and promotes weight loss. These are not all of his positive qualities.

It is not surprising that many people want to grow this fruit. by the most affordable option will be the cultivation of an orange from the stone. This culture cannot be called unpretentious, but it will not cause any special difficulties either. Patience, constant care and the desire to grow exotic will give a positive result, but, unfortunately, not as soon as we would like.

Planting an orange from the stone: video

How to plant an orange from the seed: photo

Probably every grower at least once in his life tried to grow an orange from a stone by sticking it in flower pot. But rarely has anyone managed to grow an orange tree to a decent size without observing certain conditions. Therefore, in order not to torment the plant and not suffer yourself, it is better to study the recommendations for growing oranges at home.

We plant correctly

How to grow an orange from seeds? For planting, be sure to take the bones of raw fruits, heat-treated fruits will not work. You need to plant a fresh seed as soon as you eat an orange - immediately start planting, the chances of germination in this case are great.

It is worth preferring a clay pot. Its walls breathe, absorb excess moisture well, and, if necessary, give it back to the ground.
A drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the landing tank. Expanded clay is quite suitable as drainage.
Soil for citrus fruits should be nutritious. You can buy it in a specialized store or make it yourself. For planting an orange, a mixture of 1 part sand, 1 part humus, 1 part leafy soil and 3 parts sod is made.
It is better to plant several seeds at the same time, using a separate pot for each, deepening them by 2.5 centimeters.
After planting, the earth is moistened, covered with a film and placed in a bright place without direct sunlight.
Shoots will appear in about 3 weeks, before that the film should not be removed. It is desirable to maintain the temperature all this time in the range of 22-25°C.
The orange has multi-seeded pits, so several sprouts appear at the same time. For further growth, the strongest of them is left, the rest are pinched.

How to care for a seedling

If you're growing an orange tree, home care comes down to creating the ideal conditions for it to grow and thrive. In the room, the tree grows up to 2 meters in height, so care must be taken to choose the right place.

Orange prefers bright diffused light. Unless necessary, you should not rearrange it to another place, but it is necessary to turn it around its axis - in this case, the crown will grow evenly. Once every 10 days, slightly turn the pot with the plant (by 10-12 °). In the summer months, it is useful to put an orange on Fresh air so that the sun does not fall on it.

The lack of light does not affect the plant in the best way.: growing shoots stretch out, and the leaves become smaller and may even fall off the tree. Therefore, in a room with windows to the north or west, growing an orange from a stone at home, it is placed on the windowsill. But in rooms with southern and eastern windows, the pot is placed a little to the side.

An adult orange tree does not like a transplant, its roots painfully endure this procedure. So that the plant does not feel a deficiency nutrients, fed regularly. The top layer of earth in a pot is replaced from time to time with a fresh one. Young plants are transplanted annually as they grow, using a slightly larger pot.

Watering, spraying, fertilizing

Citrus fruits love water. therefore, watering an orange at home should be regular and plentiful. A layer of drainage will prevent stagnation of excess moisture at the roots and their decay. Water should be soft and without chlorine, room temperature. Preliminarily, it is better to defend it for 1-2 days. In the cold season, when the temperature drops, the frequency of irrigation is reduced and less water is used for them.

Spraying the shoots will affect the plant in the most favorable way. For this procedure, it is better to use boiled or bottled water so that whitish salt spots do not remain on the leaves after drying. In hot weather, an orange is sprayed 4-5 times a day. During the heating period, spraying is also necessary. As an alternative, consider installing a humidifier nearby. These devices are quite affordable and serve as an additional interior decoration.

In active growth phase orange needs feeding every 7-10 days. It is best to alternate the application of mineral fertilizers and organic matter. Use any complex fertilizer for citrus or weak solution organic fertilizer. Once every three months, iron sulfate is introduced under the root - this will prevent yellowing of the leaves. Any top dressing is applied to moist soil so as not to damage the root system.

Wintering

Proper orange tree care winter time important for further flowering and fruit formation. The plant just needs a cold winter. A pot of orange should be moved to a cool room with a temperature of 6-12 ° C, they stop feeding it and reduce the frequency of watering to 1-2 times a week in small portions.

If it is not possible to provide the plant with such conditions, it is left summer scheme cultivation with the same frequency of watering and fertilizing. Spraying is carried out more often. In order for the plant to suffer less in the heat with a short daylight hours, it is necessary to provide illumination with fluorescent lamps in the evenings and on cloudy days.

How to grow an orange so that it bears fruit? The formation of the crown is important for the proper development of the ovaries and the production of fruits. In an ungrafted orange grown from seed, flowering occurs in the 5th year under favorable conditions. By this age, it is necessary to achieve a well-formed bushy crown with horizontally arranged branches. All vertical shoots must be cut.

The first formative pruning is carried out, leaving the main trunk 18-23 cm in size with four strong developed shoots. In the future, two main branches are left on each of them. 3-5 shoots are formed on them, which are no longer touched. Subsequent pruning is reduced to cutting out dry or inward-growing branches and pinching young shoots to stimulate branching. Do not allow excessive thickening of the crown.

Possible mistakes in care

Compared to other citrus crops an orange is considered quite capricious. If the plant does not like something in the care, it begins to drop leaves, flowers and ovaries. Foliage may suddenly turn yellow. What are the reasons for this?

In conclusion, it can be said that not all growers manage to achieve orange blossom from the stone at home and try its fruits in the future. But, in the end, we can buy oranges in the store. An elegant tree with glossy leaves in itself will enliven and decorate any interior.

Orange tree- citrus evergreen perennial rue family, grown in a subtropical climate and does not tolerate negative temperatures. The growth of the orange tree in a warm climate continues constantly, the plant is medium-sized, can grow up to 7 m in height when open cultivation. There are also undersized varieties up to 3 m. Thermophilicity and low demands on conditions make it possible to successfully grow oranges at home. orange tree at home at good care will be able to bear fruit and reach a decent size.

Many domesticated, specially bred varieties of the orange can bear fruit all year round and have a minimal crown size. These varieties (for example: Washington Navel, Kinglet, Gamlin) allow you to get a small crop of oranges at home on a regular basis. And three or four plants can create the feeling of a citrus garden in a room.

Planting an orange at home.

Propagation of orange trees is carried out in two ways: cuttings and seeds. Both methods have their pros and cons. Firstly planting material must be found somewhere. With seeds, everything is simple - we go to the store and choose the first fruit we like. As with growing avocados at home, the orange fruit must be ripe, have a uniform orange. Almost all orange fruits contain seeds suitable for germination. You need to get the cuttings somewhere: ask a friend who already owns a homemade orange, you can buy a ready-grown seedling in a store, or, for example, bring a cutting from a vacation from the subtropics by cutting off a sprig of an orange growing in the open field.

An orange planted at home from seed is a stronger plant. It will grow better and adapt to new conditions, more unpretentious to diseases, the tree will acquire a beautiful crown, which cannot be said about plants planted by cuttings. However, keep in mind that an orange grown from seed will have slightly different biological characteristics than its parent. Planting by cuttings causes 100% transfer of the genetic material of the parent tree. And the last thing that can affect the choice of how to plant an orange at home is the beginning of fruiting. A tree from a seed will begin to bloom and bear fruit with sufficient care at the age of 8-10 years, the cutting method of propagation reduces this period by half.

Growing an orange tree from seed.

Take the formed seeds of the correct form from the orange fruit. Use as a guarantee several pieces from different fruits, so as not to sow only non-pollinated or immature seeds. Plant immediately after seed extraction, in small pots or long boxes spaced 5 cm apart and 3 cm from the walls. For soil, use a mixture of peat and flower soil in a 1:1 ratio, with good drainage.

Deepen the seeds by 1 cm and maintain a constant soil moisture, avoiding overflow. Optimum temperature for germination 18-22 degrees. Orange sprouts at home will appear in about 2 weeks. From the hatched oranges, select the strongest, most powerful, with the right leaves. Carry out growing under a small glass jar - to create a microclimate. Place the pots in a bright place, but without direct sunlight. Once a day, remove the jar for half an hour to refresh the atmosphere around the orange.

After the appearance of two true leaves, transplant healthy specimens into separate pots, 10 cm in diameter, lay out good drainage. When transplanting, try to keep the roots intact and the peat mixture around them. For soil, use a substrate of humus and flower soil. In this pot, the orange should grow to 15-20 cm, then the next transplant will be needed.

Propagation of an orange tree by cuttings.

As cuttings, choose stems with a diameter of 4-5 mm and a length of about 10 cm. The cut should be made under the kidney from below, and above the kidney from above. On the handle you need to leave 3-4 live buds and 2-3 leaves. For a greater effect, the stalk must be treated with a root growth stimulator, and placed 1/2 length in water for 3 days. To root cuttings of homemade orange, plant them in boxes or pots with soil consisting of a mixture of humus, coarse sand and flower soil in equal proportions. Plant the cuttings in a compacted substrate to a depth of 3x-4x cm. Initially, the branches have no roots, this does not allow the plant to get enough moisture from the soil, so the orange tree requires daily spraying of the leaves with water. The soil should be well moistened, but do not allow acidification. The optimum temperature for rooting is 20-25 degrees. The final rooting occurs after 30-45 days. Then the homemade orange tree can be transplanted into a separate small pot.

Growing conditions and care for homemade orange.

To grow an orange tree at home, soil endowed with a good supply of nutrients should be used. For these purposes, a flower mixture, which can be purchased in stores, or soil from your suburban area treated with boiling water and enriched with humus. Be sure to lay out drainage from expanded clay or charcoal. When watering, do not allow stagnation of water and rotting of the soil. At the same time, you need to ensure that the entire earthen ball is moistened, otherwise the tree will begin to lose roots and hurt. Watering is required about twice a week. The soil must be completely saturated with moisture, and then it must dry out. When acidified, the earth must be replaced. The recommended utensil for growing an orange is a clay pot. It is quite moisture permeable and this property helps to regulate soil moisture, clay absorbs and evaporates excess water through the outer surface.

Orange loves light, so a grown tree needs direct sunlight but no more than 2 hours a day. Orange at home does not like to be moved to a new place, so you need to find a permanent place for it from the very beginning. house tree in the southern bright room. To form a beautiful crown, you can turn the pot of orange, but every day at a small angle so that the plant has time to turn around. Every year, as the house orange grows in size, it needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. New dishes should be slightly larger than the previous one by 3-4 cm in diameter. When transplanting, an earthen ball with roots should be taken out with minimal damage and moved to a larger pot, and the difference should be filled with fresh soil. A pot of 8-10 liters in volume can be left as a permanent one, and transplants can be replaced with top dressing, while at least twice a year you need to renew the topsoil.

Comfortable temperature for growing orange: 17-28 degrees. Orange, like any indoor plants, does not tolerate drafts. Homemade orange needs to be sprayed with water several times a week to maintain optimal humidity. AT heating season daily spraying is required.

For an aesthetic look orange at home it is necessary to take an active part in the formation of the crown. In the first year of life, the tree produces a single shoot up to 30 cm high. In the second year, before the start of active growth - in spring, you need to cut off the top of the shoot with secateurs or scissors, leaving only about 20 cm. This will cause the tree to release lateral buds. Next, remove the lower kidneys, leaving only the top 3. Of these, the skeletal main branches of the home orange crown should be formed. On the next year do similar manipulations with the side branches of the second order, stimulating branching. Often pruning the central shoot of an orange does not give the desired result, the tree releases a single new sprout from above, then you need to cut the shoot again along with the upper kidney, and if the length allows, then from the second. The orange tree acquires a pretty appearance when the branches develop up to 5-6 levels. In the future, it will be enough to cut off individual rapidly growing shoots, or remove them altogether.

With careful care, after a few years, an orange grown at home will bloom. To form ovaries, move the pollen with a cotton swab from the anther to the sticky stamen. If quite a lot of fruits are formed, then some will need to be removed, otherwise the tree may die from exhaustion. For normal growth, one fruit should correspond to 10-15 leaves. Try growing your homemade ornamental Pink Banana from seed and get it to bear fruit.

Tell your friends about it.