Question
Hello,

We recently purchased a home in Southern California which has a lot of beautiful plants in the backyard. Hidden underneath a big deciduous tree and some kind of fir-ish looking shrub appears to be an orange tree. It looks more like a bush as it hasn't been able to grow up much, but it has tiny little oranges on it. I read a previous answer you wrote about how to replant an orange tree in better sun, but I am also wondering what other care instructions we should take with it. I picked off all of the tiny oranges so that the tree stopped giving its energy to them, but I'm wondering how many seasons we should do this for and if there is any fertilizer or other care that we should give the tree to help it overcome the first however many ignored years it had.

thank you!
Megan

Answer
Sounds like you have transplanted the orange tree and want to know the effect of the fruit to the health of the newly planted tree. whet you did by removing the fruit is fine but no need to remove any other of the fruit produced. IF the tree can not support the fruit the fruit will be shed naturally by the tree.


Create a 2-foot-diameter watering ring around the trunk with extra soil. The ring should be 4 inches tall and wide. Fill the watering ring and allow the water to seep into the soil. This directs the water directly to the roots.

Water the young orange tree every three days for the first two weeks, then once a week for the next two months. Once the watering ring has washed away, the tree is established. Irrigation should be kept up for the first two growing seasons at a rate of once every 10 days if there has not been sufficient rain

Mulch around the tree with organic mulch not more than 2 inches deep. This will help hold moisture around the roots.

Fertilize with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of a cup scattered around the tree and watered in good. If you are located in an area which never freeze then fertilize 3 times per year, otherwise fertilize once in late spring, only.