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Home Guides | Garden | Gardening

By Audrey Lynn

Fresh oranges from your own

orchard always taste sweetest,
but they need a little help to
get that way. Orange trees
require a certain amount of
heat to develop that sweet
flavor, and plenty of sunlight.
When establishing a home
orchard, however large or
small, planting orange trees at the proper distance apart helps the trees get
the proper amount of sunlight, warmth and air circulation. Depending on
the variety, most orange trees grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture
plant hardiness zones 9 through 11.

Spacing Full-Sized Orange Trees

Full-sized, or standard, orange trees can grow a little over 20 feet tall. To
avoid crowding the canopies as they mature, plant these orange trees at
least 12 to 25 feet apart. If planting more than one row, space the rows 10
feet apart. Growing oranges as hedgerows helps keep the trees smaller but
usually results in reduced fruit production. The trees must be pruned

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regularly to control the height and size of the canopy. Close planting works
best with orange trees that have the same type of rootstock. Hedgerow trees
1
can be planted 10 feet apart.
2
Spacing Dwarf Orange Trees
Dwarf orange trees take up less room in the home orchard, growing only 8 3
to 12 feet tall. Semi-dwarf orange trees grow about 10 feet tall. Plant these
orange trees 6 to 10 feet apart. Keep rows about 10 feet apart unless the
trees are growing as a hedgerow. To make the hedgerow, plant the trees no
more than 6 feet apart. Very small dwarf varieties can be planted a foot or
two closer together, depending on the expected mature size of the variety
you choose. Dwarf orange trees produce full-sized fruit and have the same
type of shallow, far-reaching root system as their larger relatives. Dwarf
trees do well espalier-trained against walls and fences.

Spacing Around Structures

Orange trees can grow successfully along fences or walls as long as the site
receives enough sunlight. These sites can help protect the tree from wind
damage. South-facing walls receive the most durable heat -- temperatures
at night are higher there than in other parts of the yard. The west side is
generally the second warmest spot. Space orange trees 6 to 8 feet away
from structures such as buildings and sheds, and the same distance from
sidewalks, driveways and walkways to avoid cramping the shallow, often
far-ranging root system. The tree can be planted closer to fences if the
fence posts won't interfere with the tree's roots or shade the tree too much.

Orientation
When planning a home orange orchard, one of the most important
elements of good fruit production is sunlight. Orange trees need about six
hours of direct sunlight per day for proper fruiting. Generally, trees planted
in a north-south direction receive the most sunlight to both sides of the
canopy, allowing improved photosynthesis and fruit production. Planting
orange trees too close together can cause the trees to shade each other as
they mature, reducing fruit production.

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