Navel Orange Tree

1. Planting: Choose a location where your tree is going to get plenty of sunlight, 6 to 8 hours per day is best. Potted plants do enjoy a daily misting for humidity but placing a tray with rocks filled with water under the plant will feed humidity to the tree as the water evaporates.

A planter with built-in casters is a good choice so it can easily be moved. Choose a pot slightly larger than what it was shipped in that has 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.

2. Watering: After watering (generally, about once weekly), allow the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil to dry out completely before watering again. For potted Navel Oranges, 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 ready to water, stop once you see it escaping the drainage holes at the base of the pot.

3. Fertilizing: Feed your Navel Orange Tree during the warmer spring and summer seasons with a citrus-specific fertilizer, like the one included in our Citrus Care Kit, once every six weeks. During the fall and winter season, ease back to fertilizing once every 2 to 3 months. Make sure to follow the application instructions written on the fertilizer bag.

4. Pruning: 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. Remove suckers as they form/grow from the base as they will steal away nutrients from the primary trunk of the tree. Pruning can be done at any time of the year for the potted Navel Oranges.

5. Pollination: Our trees are self-fertile, but you can pollinate your indoor trees by hand since most people do not keep a healthy bee population within their home. Simply take a small, dry, fine-tipped paintbrush and stick it into the center of the bloom. Swirl it around and collect the pollen on the brush. Go to the next bloom and repeat the process until every bloom has been treated. Do this once daily and 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.