Plantation of Sweet Orange plants
Plantation of Sweet Orange plants is one of the most important activities.
Time of Plantation:
It depends upon the availability of water and weather conditions prevailing in the region. Plantation should be avoided during extreme hot, severe cold temperatures & heavy rains. This activity can be undertaken in the month of Feb. / March with recommended practices.
Steps of plantation:
| 1. | Carrying Plants to Field |
| 2. | Pit digging |
| 3. | Media Packet tearing (not cutting) |
| 4. | Placement of plant in pit |
| 5. | Soil Filling |
| 6. | Soil Levelling & Earthing up |
| 7. | Watering |
Step 1. –
Carrying Plants to Field
The safety of graft/bud union is of prime concern while transferring plants to field for planting.
The following should be taken care of while carrying plants to field.
Use crates or baskets for carrying plants.
Keep the plants upright and straight during transport.
Avoid overloading the crates or baskets to prevent damage to the plants.
Plants being carried in crates-
Step 2: Making Hole for Plantation
At the time of plantation, a hole slightly bigger than the size of packet containing soil and plant is dug.
| STEPS | IMAGES |
| A hole slightly bigger than the size of packet is required. |  |
| Remove the soil from the hole for placement of plant. |  |
| Hole ready for plantation |  |
Step 3: Tearing the polybag
Before plantation, the polybag containing media / soil needs to be removed.
| Dos’ | IMAGES |
| Remove media packet manually. |  |
| Don’ts | |
| Do not use any sharp object like cutter or scissor to cut the media packet bag. Use of sharp objects may cut the arterial/main root section of the plant which may lead to plant mortality. |  |
Step 4: Placement of plant in the pit
Proper placement of the plant in the pit is crucial for successful transplantation. The depth of the pit should be slightly larger than the media packet.
| Dos’ | Images |
| Ensure that the top layer of the soil media (where the plant is) aligns with the surface of the bed. The graft or bud union should be at least 6 inches above the ground. |  |
| Don’ts | |
| Avoid placing the plant too high or too deep in the pit |  |
| Reason: If placed too deep, the scion may develop roots, which increases the risk of infection. |  |
Step 5: Soil Filling
Step 5: Soil Filling
When filling the pit with soil, make sure to avoid piling the soil against the plant stem. Keep the soil at ground level.
Step 6: Soil levelling / Earthing up
| Do not mound soil around the plant stem after planting. Earthing up will induce root development from scion which is not desirable. CAUTION: Many growers make raised beds after plantation or add up the soil on the plant stem. This is damaging hence to be avoided. |  |
| Correct Method: Ensure that the graft union is at least 6 inches above the soil surface. |  |
Step 7: Watering
Watering is essential immediately after planting to support root establishment and soil integration.
- Sweet Orange plants need almost 10 liters of water immediately after plantation.
- Regular watering / irrigation promotes better root system development.
- Initial watering / irrigation helps the plant soil blend well with the field soil.
| Post Plantation – watering of the plant |  |
