There are many orange tree varieties out there that you can grow and gives you delicious fruits just like the Hamlin orange tree. The Hamlin orange tree produces sweet fruits and contains various vitamins and minerals.
Because of the sweet taste of its fruits, there are people who want to try growing this at home. The Hamlin orange tree is quite popular in the U.S. and this tree can be grown in the ground or in a pot.
Here are some pieces of information regarding the Hamlin orange tree.
What Is Hamlin Orange Tree?
The Hamlin orange tree (Citrus sinensis ‘Hamlin’) is named after A. G. Hamlin who planted this tree in 1879 in an orchard near Glenwood, Florida. Like other citruses, Hamlin orange trees also grow fragrant, white flowers.
This tree grows edible sweet, less acid, and juicy oranges. The fruits also have thin skin and have fewer seeds and sometimes have no seeds.
Hamlin orange trees can produce 100 to 300 oranges depending on many factors like how the tree has been cared for. Some other orange varieties can grow 400+ fruits especially when they get to the mature stage.
How Big Do Hamlin Orange Trees Get?
The size of Hamlin orange trees depends on their type. Standard Hamlin orange trees are growing 20+ feet, while dwarf varieties are growing around 6 to 12 feet.
When the Hamlin orange trees are planted outdoors they will grow taller than when they are planted in pots. If you plan to grow Hamlin orange trees in the ground they can grow tall but you can keep them small through pruning.
The same thing about those trees that are planted in pots you can also keep them smaller by trimming longer branches. Commonly dwarf Hamlin orange tree varieties are planted in pots since they are not growing too big and the spacing will just be enough for them to thrive.
Plant those standard Hamlin orange trees outdoors and you can plant those dwarf varieties in pots and place them indoors as long as they are getting good lighting.
Do Hamlin Orange Trees Have Thorns?
Yes, Hamlin orange trees have thorns. It is common for citruses like orange trees to grow thorns on their branches and main stem. Some trees will have more thorns while some orange trees are thornless. Since Hamlin orange tree has thorns it will be a little bit difficult to harvest oranges.
But the good thing about having thorns on the trees is when they are planted outside those thorns on Hamlin orange trees will serve as protection.
Animals will stay away from the trees when they see those spikes and those animals will not eat leaves and fruits on the tree.
When Do Hamlin Orange Trees Bloom?
The Hamlin orange trees will start growing buds in late winter and bloom in mid-spring. Many flowers will grow on the tree and they will turn into fruits after.
It is common for citrus trees to grow many flowers and some of those flowers drop. Not all flowers will become oranges and few of them will.
Potted Hamlin orange trees will not be benefited from the wind and pollinators especially when they are placed indoors. Try to place your potted Hamlin orange trees outdoors especially when the weather becomes fine so that pollinators like bees will help your tree to increase fruit yield.
In order for those flowers to become fruits, you can also do hand pollination to increase the pollinated flowers on the tree. You can use a small brush to move pollen to the flower’s stigma or you can pick a flower from the tree and brush them on many flowers.
Hamlin Orange Tree Cold Hardiness
Hamlin orange tree is one of those cold-hardy orange tree varieties. This tree grows well in zone 8-11. This tree can withstand a little bit of cold temperature but extreme cold can damage the fruits and other parts of the tree.
If the temperature gets too cold place your potted Hamlin orange tree indoors so that they will be safer and you can place LED grow lights near the tree to keep them warm.
The LED grow lights will serve as artificial sunlight for the tree and you can move it when the weather becomes fine.
For Hamlin orange trees planted in the ground outdoors, you can cover them with blankets or tarps to protect them against extreme cold.
How To Take Care Of A Hamlin Orange Tree?
Hamlin orange tree needs sunlight for around six to eight hours daily. The sunlight helps the tree make its food. Hamlin orange trees planted outdoors will receive more sunlight than those trees placed indoors.
If you have dwarf Hamlin orange trees planted in pots, you must place them in a spot where sunlight is abundant. Place them near the window or in an area where sunlight is available for long hours. You can also move those potted orange trees outdoors when the temperature becomes hotter.
Also, water the Hamlin tree with a good amount of water. The water will help the tree thrives better and grows faster. When the tree is well hydrated it will make them more established.
The tree will need more water when summer comes as the weather becomes hotter which makes the soil dry quicker.
Hamlin Orange Tree Pruning
Pruning can help to keep your Hamlin orange tree healthy and makes it bear more oranges. Pruning has many benefits to the tree and regular pruning will keep the tree thriving better.
Also, pruning will keep your Hamlin orange trees small. It is a good way to keep the trees short by trimming those long branches and you can keep those trees indoors because they will not use much space.
Just keep some of those healthy branches that are producing lots of oranges so that it will not decrease the fruits you are getting.
Some Problems Of Hamlin Orange Tree.
Hamlin Orange Tree Not Flowering
Let the Hamlin orange tree gets established and more mature to make them flower. Too young orange trees don’t have the ability yet to grow flowers and by making them mature the fragrant white flowers will appear sooner and will turn into oranges.
When your tree is already mature but still has no flowers, you need to analyze and know if the tree is getting enough sunlight, water, and nutrients. If the orange tree is lacking those things it is harder for the tree to produce flowers.
Water the tree with enough water, improve soil quality by adding fertilizer, and make sure it is getting enough sunlight. Also, try to check if there are pests or diseases attacking the tree and apply some treatment to prevent getting damage.
Hamlin Orange Tree Not Fruiting
When the Hamlin orange tree is not fruiting, maybe the tree is not mature yet. Commonly an orange tree bought from nurseries or garden centers can bear fruit within 2-3 years. Sometimes it can take longer than that.
So you just need to wait for the tree to bloom and then the fruits will come the next. Provide good watering and improve the soil quality to encourage the tree to fruit.
If Hamlin orange tree is growing a lot of flowers but still no fruits one reason is the flowers are not pollinated. Wind and pollinators can help pollinate flowers but if you have a potted Hamlin orange tree you can do hand pollination.
Get a small brush or just get a flower from the tree and brush them on many flowers as you can.
Hamlin Orange Tree Keeps Dropping Fruit
It is common for citruses like Hamlin orange tree to drop some of the fruits. Not all fruits on the Hamlin orange tree will mature and some of them will drop prematurely.
When your dwarf orange trees grow a lot of fruits, you need to do some fruit thinning so that the branches will not get damaged. Too many oranges will weigh too heavily and it can somewhat make the branches broken.
Another thing is by doing fruit thinning the current oranges on the tree will grow much bigger and sweeter. This is because the energy is focused on those oranges and will not be divided with those new fruits.
Hamlin Orange Tree Leaves Problem
When the Hamlin orange tree is dropping leaves, curling leaves, or getting yellow leaves, transplant shock is one of the possible causes why it happens.
If you are going to repot or move your tree to a new environment make sure that you transplant it carefully. Trees are quite prone to shock than smaller plants so to keep the tree thriving move the plants carefully.
Another reason why there are some problems with the leaves is watering issues. Underwatering or overwatering has significant effects on the leaves and this will be fixed with proper watering.
For those old leaves, it is normal for them to turn yellow, curl, or drop. It is a cycle for the tree to grow young leaves and those young leaves will get old.
