How many years after sowing orange seeds will they bear fruit?
If you plant with orange seeds, it takes 3-5 or even 5-8 years before they bear fruit. So generally, grafted orange tree saplings are used for planting, which can shorten the time to fruit and improve the quality of the oranges. Below, I will introduce the grafting method for orange trees, friends in need can take a look.
How to graft an orange tree?
1. Grafting varieties
Grafting generally involves choosing closely related plants, so common rootstocks for grafting oranges include trifoliate orange, citrange, red tangerine, sour tangerine, sweet orange, Goutou orange, sour pomelo, local mandarin, red tangerine, Goutou orange, Zhuluan, and so on. Of course, different rootstocks are suited to different orange varieties; for example, sour tangerine is suitable for sweet orange, banana orange, ponkan, etc. Everyone should choose according to different needs.
2. Grafting time
The grafting time for orange trees is quite long; generally, grafting can be done in spring, summer, and autumn except winter. But autumn is the best time for grafting, and its survival rate is also the highest.
3. Grafting method
When grafting, first treat the rootstock, then cut the bud. Using “T”-shaped budding, first cut a “T”-shaped opening 3-5 cm above the ground on the rootstock, with a depth suitable for seeing the xylem and being able to peel back the rootstock bark; then carefully peel back the rootstock bark with the tip of the knife, and quickly insert the shield-shaped bud with leaf petiole. After grafting, mound soil 10 cm high. After 10-15 days, dig away the soil and check the survival situation. If the bud piece is fresh and light green, and the leaf petiole falls off at a touch, it means it has survived; otherwise it has not survived, and it should be re-grafted on the back of the rootstock.
4. Management after grafting
If grafting in autumn, after the following spring begins, cut the trunk 18-20 cm above the grafted bud point and untie the binding material. In summer, prune 3-4 times, cutting off branches sent out by the rootstock. When the new branch of the grafted bud grows to 8-10 cm, tie it near the base to the live stake; when it grows to 20-25 cm, tie it again at the upper end. Until the grafted branch becomes woody, cut off the live stake, and it can continue to remain in the field to cultivate large saplings.
Afterward, it is much the same as the general process for orange trees; just do well in pruning and shaping, watering and fertilizing, and so on.