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Fruit & berries

Bitter orange

Citrus × aurantium

Bitter orange
Photo: A. Barra · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The orange tree of streets and courtyards: very fragrant blossom and fruit for marmalade and preserves.

Light
Full sun (6 h or more)
Height
4–7 m
Watering
Moderate: 2–3 times a week in summer
Soil
loose and well-drained
Edible?
Yes: the fruit
How to plant
Dig a 60×60 cm hole with compost; 4 m from other trees. Water deeply after planting.
Care
Hardier to cold and pests than the sweet orange. The fruit is sour: not for eating raw.

Calendar by climate

Warm coast
Mild Mediterranean
Southern interior
Continental interior
Cold interior and uplands
Atlantic
Canary Islands (subtropical)
SowPlantHarvestPruneFeedTreat

Dates are for growing outdoors, based on the local climate. In a greenhouse or tunnel everything comes earlier.

Feeding and doses

Mild Mediterranean

  • Citrus fertiliserMar, Jun100–200 g / tree

Pest prevention and doses

Mild Mediterranean

  • Scale insectsPotassium soap · Jun10–20 ml / L

Approximate doses: always follow the product label. Spray in the evening, never in full sun or on flowers visited by bees. No sulphur above 30 °C.

How easy to grow by climate

  • Warm coastEasy
  • Mild MediterraneanEasy
  • Southern interiorEasy
  • Continental interiorDifficultFrost and a short season
  • Cold interior and uplandsNot recommended outdoorsHard, long frosts
  • AtlanticDifficultRain and humidity: fungal disease
  • Canary Islands (subtropical)Easy

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