Bill Bowden wrote:
I sprouted a little orange tree from a seed and planted it a large
styrofoam coffee cup with "supersoil" potting mix.
It has grown with 3 or 4 shoots, the longest is about 9 inches but
doesn't do well in direct sunshine.

It seems content in my kitchen window with indirect sunshine, but if I
take it outside in direct sunshine, 1 or 2 of the shoots will turn
brown and die in a couple days.

I'm wondering if it needs some special fertilizer, or more water, or a
larger pot, or less sunshine?

What are the recommended conditions for small orange trees?

-Bill


Citrus requires fast-draining soil. Be sure your cup has a hole in the
bottom to allow excess water to drain away.

Also, citrus is sensitive to too much sun on the trunk of the tree. In
your case, this is the skin of the shoots. Commercial orchards often
paint the trunks of their trees with whitewash.

Move the seedling to a flower pot about 6 to 10 inches in diameter.
Make your own potting mix per my recipe at
http://www.rossde.com/garden/garden_potting_mix.html. Keep the mix
moist but never really wet.

After the seedling is established in its new container, feed it VERY
LIGHTLY but frequently with an acidic fertilizer (e.g., commercial
citrus food, ammonium sulfate). Occasionally add iron and zinc sulfate.
Over-feeding or feeding when the potting mix is dry will burn the roots
and kill the plant. A teaspoon of ammonium sulfate once a month should
be enough in a 10 inch pot.

Eventually, you will have to move the plant to a much larger container
or even into the ground. It will grow into a tree that can be 15-20
feet tall and equally wide. Also, it might not bear fruit of the same
quality as the source of the seed. Citrus (and most fruits) from seed
do not yield the same variety as the parents. Even if the fruit is not
very good, however, the tree will be aesthetically pleasing: evergreen,
with sweet-smelling blossoms in the spring, and nice-looking fruit in
the fall.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/