How to Grow Mandarin Orange Seeds as a Potted Plant? A Step-by-Step Guide to the Planting Method

In the golden autumn month of October, osmanthus fragrance fills the air, and it is also the season when mandarin oranges and pomelos hit the market in large quantities. Among them, after eating the sweet and sour mandarin orange, the seeds can also be grown as a potted plant. So how do you grow mandarin orange seeds as a potted plant? How do you care for them normally?

1. How to Grow Mandarin Orange Seeds as a Potted Plant?

First, wash the pulp off the mandarin orange seeds, then soak them in clean water for about a week, changing the water once a day during this time. After a week, remove the thin outer skin and bury them in the prepared potting soil. When sowing, place the seeds with the pointed end facing up and bury them about 2 cm deep. Water every day, and they will generally sprout in about 3 weeks.

2. How to Care for a Potted Mandarin Orange?

1. Light

Potted mandarin oranges like plenty of sunlight, and a warm, humid climate allows them to grow better. During care, place them in a spot with ample sunlight. If there is not enough light, the branches and leaves tend to grow leggy, with fewer flowers and fruits. In summer, when the light intensity is high, be sure to place them in a shaded spot. In winter, the room temperature is best kept at around 6 to 12 degrees Celsius.

2. Watering

Although potted mandarin oranges like moisture, water must not accumulate in the pot, as overly wet soil easily causes root rot. Therefore, simply keep the potting soil moderately moist. In spring and autumn, when it is dry and windy, it is best to spray water on the leaves once a day to increase air humidity. In summer, spray water 2-3 times a day and also spray the surface of the pot. However, avoid spraying water during the flowering period to prevent the flowers from rotting.

3. Fertilizing

For potted mandarin oranges, it is best to use a growing medium mixed from leaf mold, sandy soil and cake fertilizer. From the start of new bud growth until before flowering, apply decomposed fertilizer water once every 7-10 days (the fertilizer water should be diluted with water), alternating with a few waterings of alum fertilizer water. After summer begins, apply more phosphorus fertilizer to promote bud formation and fruiting.

4. Pruning

Prune for the first time each year before the spring buds have sprouted, cutting off dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, overly dense branches and leggy branches, keeping 3 to 4 healthy branches that grew in the previous year. When new shoots grow to 15-20 cm, pinch off the tips. When flowering, thin the flowers appropriately. When there are young fruits, thin the fruits: keep 2-3 fruits on each strong branch and one fruit on weak branches, and make the fruits evenly distributed over the whole plant. Of course, also promptly prune dead branches, overly dense branches and leggy branches that grow later.

5. Pests and Diseases

Mandarin oranges are susceptible to foot rot, scale insects, mites and aphids, so prevention should be done in advance and corresponding pesticides sprayed.