Knowing the lifespan of orange tree will tell people on how long they can enjoy fruits from the tree. Orange tree produces delicious fruits. They are sweet in taste but there are also some varieties that are little bit bitter. The fruits are really delicious and contains various vitamins and minerals especially vitamin c. Vitamin c helps people to have strong immune system. But how long does orange tree live?
Lifespan Of Orange Tree
The lifespan of orange tree is around 50 to 150 years. The tree can live for that long if it stays healthy. There are many things that might affect the tree and it will make the tree longevity shorter. Taking care of the tree, controlling pests and diseases will be the main weapon for the tree to live more years. And people can harvest lots of orange fruit from the tree.
Factors That Might Affect Orange Tree Lifespan
Pests
There are some pests that might cause a problem to your orange tree. When not treated it will cause some damage to the tree. The leaves, flower, bark, branches and fruits might be affected. Controlling them is the best solution to make orange tree healthy and will continues to thrive well. Knowing what are those pests and symptoms on the tree will give you an idea on what to do.
Pest like aphids are prone during the growing season, the sap from leaves are their target. When they eat they produce honeydew which lead to a fungal diseases on the leaves. The leaves also turn to yellow and curl. To control aphids from the orange tree, you can use insecticidal soap containing potassium. Its great to use because it only affects the insect damaging the tree and not causing any harm to the plants.
Some other insect pests like mealybugs, scales and snails can also cause damage to the tree. They might damage the leaves, bark and fruits. Pesticides can be use to get rid of them. If not control it will cause a lot of damage to the tree. It will make the lifespan of orange tree shorter. It is needed to control them so that the tree will be safe and abundant harvest can be expected during the picking season.
Diseases
There are diseases that might damage your orange tree. These diseases are cause by bacteria, fungi or even pests. The diseases can affect the all parts of the tree. The most common affected parts are leaves and fruits. Controlling and making the tree safe is the best thing to do so that it will continues growing.
Some of the diseases of orange tree are greasy spot, citrus scab, citrus canker, melanose, citrus greening, root rot and sooty canker. These diseases can damage the leaves. The leaves might turn yellow, turn brown, wilt and curl. Other diseases can damage the young fruit and drop early. Also the bark and roots can be affected.
The control for fungal infection is fungicides. But still knowing the right diagnosis will depends upon on what kind of disease attack the tree. If it is control then the tree will goes back to normal after a few weeks. Sometimes severe affected branches are being cut so that it will not affect other parts. Monitoring the tree regularly is a good idea to know early if there is a disease on the tree. Control the diseases so that you can expect a long lifespan of orange tree.
Sunlight
Orange tree loves sunlight. The sunlight is very important factor for them to grow. On average they need atleast 6 hours of direct sunlight in order to make their food. More sunlight is great but falling below 6 hours is not great for the tree. They need lots of sunlight so that they can make more leaves, flower, branches and fruits.
Finding a best spot to grow orange is important before planting. You need to analyze first if the place you choose receives enough sun. You need to avoid a spot where there are many tall buildings or trees that will block the sunlight. But if you don’t have a choice you can grow a dwarf varieties inside the pot and place it where the sun is available. The tree will grow faster when it receives enough sunlight daily.
If the orange tree gets enough sunlight everytime for years, they will thrive well. It will be a cause for the tree to produce more flowers and fruits. The growers will be happy if they see lots of fruits on their tree. They can eat it or maybe sell some of those at the market and get some profit. Their work hard will be really worth it.
Watering
Watering is also important for the orange tree. On the first month water the tree twice every week, then as months pass by reduce the watering and make it once every week until once every 10 days. Water is essential for the orange tree to grow. It will make the young tree establish. Right irrigation will help the tree to thrive well.
When the rainy season comes, you don’t need to water the orange tree. Adding more water can cause yellowing of the leaves. The rainfall will be enough to supply water on the all parts of the orange tree. But during the summer season where there is no source of water, you need to apply more. The water will help them to be fresh and stays cool while growing.
The water is important piece to make sure the lifespan of orange tree will be longer. It can help to make the tree healthy. A regular watering is needed and it can help also to produce more flowers and fruits. The orange fruits will be more juicy.
Nutrients
The quality of the soil is also important for the orange tree. The nutrients are the reason why the tree is growing well and why the tree have lots of flower and fruits. There are soil that already abundant in nutrients and also there are lack. If the soil is already abundant in nutrients, then the tree will grows well but if there is lack of nutrients, applying fertilizer is needed.
Fertilize the orange tree with 8-8-8 fertilizer. Give the young tree half cup of fertilizer three weeks after planting. Apply fertilizer every six weeks for the first year of growing with a distance of 3-foot radius and fertilizer are not touching the tree. Increase the fertilization on the second year and so.
The fertilizer is being applied so that the tree will grow bigger and faster. It also helps the leaves to stay green. If the soil has a nitrogen deficiency then it can cause yellowing of the leaves and nitrogen fertilizer is the solution. Another thing nutrients can help when blooming season starts and more fruits will be produce.
Weather
Weather can also affect the lifespan of orange tree. The tree can survive winter but too much frost is not good for the tree. Weather changes can if that happen it can affect the tree. Not just the tree but all parts might be affected.
Those are some informations about lifespan of orange tree, how long does it live. It can grow around 50 to 150 years. It will depends upon on how the grower nourish the tree. Taking care very well the orange tree is the most important way to make the tree live longer.
