The mandarin orange orange tree tree(Citrus reticulata ) is known for its modest , sweet fruits , and the’Clementine’variety ( Citrus reticulata’Clementine ' ) is the smallest of the mandarin cultivar , with fruit often fewer than 2 1/2 column inch in diam .
' Clementine ' is winter - hardy in U.S. Department of Agricultureplant hardiness zones9 through 11 , which means it can be grown outdoors all yr in Central and South Florida . In the Panhandle , the tree diagram is more likely to do well when grown in a container and taken indoors for winter .
Selecting a Site
Choose a site in your garden that is discover tofull , lineal sunlightto develop ' Clementine ' mandarin tree . They can tolerate some promiscuous shade but produce more fruits when they have plenty of memory access to sunshine .
Plant the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in an orbit withwell - drained soil ; flaxen soil works well . Citrus trees do not expand in standing pee , and they scramble when constitute in soil that does n’t enfeeble quickly and completely . If you want to plant ' Clementine ' trees in containers , then fill the sess with a liberal , well - enfeeble potting mix , and control each container has holes in its bottom for drain . Place only one Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in a pot . Young Tree will do well in 3 gallon containers , but larger and more ripe trees ask gravid container approximately 5 to 7 gallons in size .
Plant the tree any meter during the year , space them 15 feet aside . check that the planting domain is devoid of weeds and sod . Planting in a site where bugger or weed butt against the automobile trunk promote molder and fungous problems . Do not mulch around the tree and if implant in an area where mulch is instal , check that the mulch is kept at least 1 foot off from the automobile trunk .
Watering
Established ' Clementine ' trees do n’t take much water , but young trees call for consistent wet . Water the treestwice each weekfor the first month after constitute them , giving each 8 to 10 Imperial gallon of urine every time you irrigate . After the first month , water less frequently , but water whenever the tree diagram ' new growth start to droop .
Fertilizing
' Clementine ' trees call for regular fertilization , and theirfertilizer needsincrease as the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree grow larger . Give each first - year tree 4/10 to 8/10 lbf. of a granular6 - 6 - 6 fertilizerin each of six applications , applying the fertiliser every six week begin when the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s leaf buds start to swell in the other part of the growing season , typically in February , and cease in October . Increase the amount of plant food per app to 1 to 2 pounds for each tree in the 2d year , but decrease the number of applications to five .
Scatter the fertilizer on the soil airfoil around each tree , offer the r of the software beyond the tree ’s drip mould line by 1 understructure for each year of the tree diagram ’s age .
Growing Them Indoors
In areas of Florida where frost is a possibility , take container - grow ' Clementine ' trees indoors in fall before temperature plow coolheaded . Keep the container Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in a cool location near a windowpane with asouthern vulnerability . Use a atomiser bottle to fog their leaves daily . Move the potted trees back into the out-of-door garden after all danger of frost has lapse in spring .
