Immediate Care Instructions
Please water immediately upon arrival, and then carefully review this instruction sheet for specific information on how to ensure you enjoy a healthy Blood Orange Tree. We highly recommend referencing a miniature citrus tree book to supplement this overview.
About Your Blood Orange Tree
This relative of our beloved navel orange has a long history in its home continent of Asia. Prized through the centuries for its sweet rind and culinary applications, these citrus jewels go one step further. At first glance the fruit appears to be a familiar orange. Cutting into the fruit reveals a surprisingly unique dark red color which is imparted to the juice as well creating a most unusual fresh citrus drink! Fantastic as a juice mixer or eaten right off the tree, the natural dark red color complements seafood and other entrees while making dessert a whole new experience. The white flowers are most notable for their creamy, delicate, tropical fragrance. This small- scale orchard replica will delight for many years to come. Use the general guidelines below as a point of reference.
Temperature
Citrus grows best between 55° and 85° F. Indoor temperatures averaging 65° are conducive to growth if light is adequate.
Light Exposure
As bright as possible but avoid excess heat, this will dry out the soil too quickly. In the landscape they enjoy full sun. A location that provides morning sun or filtered light throughout the day is ideal. When grown indoors tree should be kept a minimum of 24” from windows as they will act as a magnifying glass and burn the leaves.
Water and Fertilizer
Water as needed to keep soil moist, not wet. Watering frequency varies with location and climate. A well balanced liquid fertilizer should be used with every 2nd or 3rd watering and is important to the health of your tree. Vital nutrients are flushed from the soil with each watering and need to be replenished. Citrus in general are heavy feeders, especially iron, manganese and zinc. Your local nursery should have an adequate liquid feed available. Yellowing leaves indicate lack of fertilizer or overwatering
Pruning
Prune to shape as you desire, keeping in mind the small- scale size of the plant and its container. Flowers will appear from small shoots that originate where the leaves meet the stem. Flowers sporadically throughout the year, heaviest in the spring. If too much new growth is produced at the branch tips, don’t be shy about cutting it back to a lower position to shorten the trees height as it begins to re-grow. Remove the tree from its pot every 2-3 years and remove about 1/3 of the roots. Re-pot with a blended potting soil. This will encourage new roots and keep it growing happily.
Winter Period
Keep the tree from cold extreme temperatures in a bright location through the winter. Depending on your location, you could leave it outside in a frost free area or in a bright, warm room if freezing temperatures occur. Heated rooms may need additional humidity to help the leaves stay lush. As old leaves fall off, fertilize regularly to create new growth and keep the tree productive.