Calamondin Orange Tree

Decoratively Delicious! The Calamondin Orange Tree is one of the most popular decorative citrus plants. A close relative of the true orange true, it bears fragrant, white flowers and tiny oranges. You'll get a plentiful amount of delicious fruit, too! A cross between a tangerine and a kumquat, this mini-orange is usually used in marmalades and baked dishes... but more adventurous chefs have found many uses for it. Besides the natural beauty of this tree's evergreen foliage, it will bloom year-round and you will get a fairly large harvest. This orange tree is a very popular house plant, making its home on brightly-lit floors and tables everywhere. Calamondin Orange Trees can be planted outside in milder climates as long as it gets full sun. This tree thrives in humidity, is cold hardy, and blooms in spurts all year long. When planted outdoors, it prefers the warmth of zones 9-11... but when potted this little tree will thrive anywhere in the country! Place your Calamondin in front of a window with southern exposure to ensure it gets enough natural sunlight each day. Planting & Care 1. Planting: Choose a location where your tree is going to get plenty of sunlight, around 6 to 8 hours. And ensure the area has well-drained soil. To plant in a container, choose a pot slightly larger than the shipped container, with plenty of holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. Be sure to plant in well-draining potting soil, preferably recommended for acid-loving citrus plants. Fill your pot halfway with soil. Remove the tree from its original pot and gently place it in the potting soil. Fill in around the tree with the remainder of the potting soil but leave about an inch from the soil surface to the rim of the pot for easy watering. Immediately after planting, give your tree a deep watering until water flows from the holes in the bottom of the pot. Finally, place your tree in an area of your home, preferably a south-facing window, where it is going to get plenty of sunlight. 2. Watering: After watering once or twice weekly, allow the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil to dry out completely before watering again. For best results, stick your index finger into the soil down to about 2 inches. If there is moisture present, hold off on watering until it feels drier at that depth. When you do water your tree, stop once you see it escaping the drainage holes at the base of the pot. 3. Fertilizing: Feed your Calamondin during the warmer spring and summer seasons with a citrus specific fertilizer, such as the one included with our Citrus Care Kit, once every six weeks. During the fall and winter, fertilize once every 2 to 3 months. Make sure to follow the application instructions written on the fertilizer bag. 4. Pruning: Pruning can be done at any time of the year. Make 45-degree angle cuts to remove dead or crossing limbs and also to thin out the tree to allow more light to flow between the branches. After the tree fruits, remove any dead wood and ventilate the center of the tree, and remove suckers as they form/grow from the base. 5. Pollination: Our tree is self-fertile but you can pollinate your indoor trees by hand using a small, dry, fine-tipped paintbrush. Take your brush and stick it into the center of the bloom, swirling around to collect the pollen on the brush. Go to the next bloom and repeat the process until every bloom has been treated, and repeat the process once daily. Don’t wash the paintbrush until after the blooms have been pollinated. The bloom will fall off naturally and the fruit will begin to form in its place.