Home-Grown Oranges for Texas Growth Why Blood Orange Trees? Famous for their distinctive aftertaste, similar to raspberry or strawberry, Blood Orange Trees offer unique, delectable fruit. And since they're easy to grow in your own Texas backyard, you can harvest this fruit yourself...no trip to the supermarket required. Especially since the Blood Orange is cold hardy. But if you live in a cooler area, simply pot your Blood Orange Tree up and place it on your patio. Once it gets cold, bring your Blood Orange Tree inside and let the citrus fragrance emanate. NOTE: This product is specific to Texas. Find Blood Orange Trees available in other states. Why Fast-Growing-Trees.com is Better Aside from the healthful benefits of having home-grown vitamin C and anti-aging antioxidants and rich flavor, you get the benefits of strong, healthful growth. Because we've planted, grown and nurtured our Blood Orange Trees, long before they arrive at your door, our trees are primed for Texas growth - that means you get a head start and greater chance of long-term success. You'll get this one-of-a-kind tree for yourself, ready for harvest in just a few seasons, without hassle - something you can't get from big box. These trees are in high demand this time of year, and we only have a limited supply available. Be sure to order your Blood Orange Tree before it sells out! Planting & Care 1. Planting: Blood Orange Trees need plenty of sunlight...6 to 8 hours per day is best. They can tolerate some shade but thrive in full sun. These trees also do better in areas with high humidity, so we recommend misting the leaves daily. If you're container planting, ensure the container you choose has drainage holes and is about twice the width of your plant's shipped container. When you're ready to plant (in the ground or in a container), make a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root system. Place the tree in the hole and backfill it with your well-draining soil. After planting, mulch around the tree to conserve moisture. 2. Watering: Generally, we recommend watering about once or twice weekly. Allow the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil to dry out completely before watering again. For potted Blood Oranges, stick your index finger into the soil down to about 2 inches. If there is moisture present, hold off on watering until it feels drier at that depth, and when you do water, stop once you see it escaping the drainage holes at the base of the pot. 3. Fertilizing: Feed your Blood Orange Tree during the warmer spring and summer seasons with a citrus specific fertilizer, such as our Citrus Care Kit fertilizer, once every six weeks. During the fall and winter season, ease back to fertilizing once every 2 to 3 months. Once the tree has matured a bit and has got a few years on it, you can skip the cold season fertilization. When you fertilize, follow the application instructions written on the fertilizer bag. 4. Pruning: Pruning can be done at any time of the year for in-ground Blood Oranges, except during the winter. Make 45-degree angle cuts to remove dead or crossing limbs and also to thin out the tree to allow more light between the branches. After the tree fruits, remove any dead wood and ventilate the center of the tree. Remove suckers as they form/grow from the base. Pruning can be done at any time of the year for the potted Blood Orange. 5. Pollination: Though our trees are self-fertile, you can pollinate your indoor trees by hand - simply take a small, dry, fine-tipped paintbrush and stick it into the center of the bloom. Swirl it around and collect the pollen on the brush. Go to the next bloom and repeat the process until every bloom has been treated. Do this once daily and don’t wash the paintbrush until all blooms have been pollinated. The blooms will fall off naturally and the fruit will form in their place.