small oranges

On a trip to B&Q this week I noticed a small bush with tiny oranges growing in it. Was priced at just under a tenner.

I thought that one of those would be perfect for growing in my office, does anyone know where I can get seeds and any comments on how easy this would be to grow?

 

Hello Milamber. I just hate to be a merchant of doom and gloom but my thoughts here are:
If you like that little orange bush then part with your £10 and buy it.
It won't do well but will be nice for a couple of months.
What does a bunch of flowers cost ????? ------- so bargain really.
I don't know where you can buy seeds, and wouldn't waste my time looking. You'll be old and gray before you get your money's worth from those seeds.
Sorry Milamber. Maybe this wasn't the answer you wanted.
Maybe someone else has a better one.

 

My thoughts too on the seeds - certainly would take a long time to get anything that would be as attractive as the one that was seen. I've often 'almost' bought one........but have figured it wouldn't do well and haven't bothered.

 

Might be wrong but I'm thinking Solanum capsicastrum

http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/solanum.jpg

 

Yes, they are the ones.

What makes you think they won't turn out very good?

 

I think we are talking about Calamondin ... very popular, very expensive and something I have never been interested in ... designer fruit you can't eat ....

http://oliodigest.com/calamondin/

 

Milamber, if you look it up its a fairly fast growing plant usually grown as an annual, but having said that, its really perennial and can be trimmed back once the fruits start to fall and it will flower again.

Its even quite hardy outside, but not this winter for me.

You can grow it from seed fairly easily, but it will require some sunshine on a window sill perhaps, or it will get leggy.
You could probably buy seed online, if mine was still with us I could have let you had some, unfortunately I dont have any.

I think it also grows from cuttings.

You only need one ripe fruit and you will have loads of seed.:wink:

 

I thought calamondin also Victoria, but I thought the price was a bit low.

 

.... and I thought the price a bit high for Solanum, Pete ... :dh:

 

yep I agree

 

Well they are lovely plants.
If they were any good we would all have one on the coffee table and every office in the world would have one.
But we don't, because after a short period of time they are just a mess.
Everybody I know who has bought one has found it to be short lived.
I wish I was wrong - I would love all those orange plants dotted round my conservatory - but I'm not.
They just don't do well.
But if you really like it £10 is a small investment for something which will be good for a few months.

 

I think we need to get a definite ID in order to make sure we are all talking about the same plant here.

This is Calamondin Milamber, a totally different plant to the one in my first link, and much more picky about its enviroment.

http://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/v3/citrus-mitis-calamondin-orange-plant-p-11368.html

 

One or the other Pete. I think they will have the same problems.
Has anybody had any long term success ???
Or grown a good one from seed ?

 

Errr yes, regarding solanum, althoughI wouldn't bother with calamondin from seed.
A totally different kettle of fish.

Which is why I'm really wanting to nail down what plant we are actually talking about.

 

I've always heard that growing citrus from seeds is not worthwhile. You might get something growing, but it won't bear fruit. You need clippings (Mr K did once get a clipping of our lemon tree to grow) or grafts.

I agree with Alice about the price of what you saw, Milamber, and the price of a bunch of flowers.