How to Make a Dwarf Orange Tree Branch Out

Dwarf orange trees are smart choices for greenhouses and sunrooms. They perform well in containers. Although they produce less fruit than their full-sized cousins do, each orange is approximately the same size as those you’d harvest from a large tree. Dwarf orange trees usually grow to a height of 7 to 8 feet. If you want your tree to remain a bit shorter and produce more branches giving it a bushier appearance, the dwarf orange tree responds well to selective pruning.

Container
Potting soil
Clippers

Instructions

- 1
  Plant your dwarf orange tree in a sunny spot with well-draining soil. If you prefer growing it in a container, use purchased potting soil and a pot that is at least 12 inches in diameter.
- 2
  Prune leggy or spindly growth when it occurs. Perform this pruning at any time of year for indoor trees, but wait until spring before pruning outdoor trees. Using sharp garden clippers, snip off the long tips of leggy branches above a leaf node, cutting at a 90-degree angle.
- 3
  Cut all suckers from the base of the trunk and any erratic growth that begins just above the tree’s grafted area, which is normally 3 to 4 inches up the trunk above the soil. Cut these stray branches all the way to the trunk as soon as you notice them forming, taking care to avoid cutting into the trunk.
- 4
  Prune all broken branches and those that bump into or cross over another branch. You needn’t cut these branches back to the trunk if part of a branch is healthy or if pruning part of the branch eliminates the crossing problem.
- 5
  Snip or pinch off the tips of all branches in spring when your dwarf orange tree begins showing signs of active new growth. This causes the tree to branch out and become fuller.

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