The variety of citrus trees in nature is amazing. The fruits of these plants are actively consumed by people, because they are rich in useful components. But some grow citrus plants at home, moreover, from such plants you can even get fruits regularly.
In the article I will tell you which citrus indoor plants are the most popular among flower growers. I will also outline the features of growing citrus trees at home.
For growing at home, you can choose several types of citrus fruits. All these plants are unpretentious, not demanding on any specific conditions of detention. And yet, like any other indoor flowers, citrus trees have certain characteristics.
Mandarin
An amazing plant that can become a real decoration of the interior of a house or room. The main advantage of the mandarin is a lush green crown. If the growing conditions are met, the tree will begin to actively bear fruit.
Features of growing mandarin:
- abundant and regular watering, mandatory alternation of watering and spraying;
- regular application of root dressings, especially during periods of flowering and fruiting;
- timely formation of a green crown.
Despite the beauty and gracefulness, the mandarin also has a major drawback - the fruits of this tree are very sour, so it is almost impossible to eat them.
- Forged Vasya;
- Sochi-23.
Orange
Many people have tried growing a citrus tree from a seed. If you conduct a similar experiment with an orange seed, you can get a positive result - after a while a young shoot will appear from the ground, which, under certain growing conditions, will soon turn into a chic tree.
In most cases orange trees cultivated for beauty, not for fruit. It is important to remember that ornamental plant does not have high productivity.
Features of growing an orange at home are about the same as when growing a tangerine.
The only thing you need to pay attention to is that an orange requires a more spacious container, because the tree proper care can grow up to 3 meters high.
At home, it is best to grow the following varieties of orange tree:
- Kinglet pear-shaped;
- Pavlovsky;
- Adjarian seedless;
- Gamplin.
Lemon
On the windowsills of apartments and houses you can often find decorative lemons. Flower growers love this citrus tree for its unpretentiousness and beauty.
- Maykop;
- Pavlovsky;
- Novogruzinsky;
- Genoa.
hybrids
Flower growers are actively engaged in home cultivation citrus hybrids. The following varieties deserve special attention:
- Sweet lemon (Limetta Pursha) - the plant resembles a lemon in external parameters, but only with spherical fruits;
- The limequat is a cross between a lime and a kumquat.
- Clementine is a hybrid of mandarin and orange.
- Ponderosa is a hybrid of lime and pomelo.
- Calamondin is a hybrid of kumquat and mandarin.
- Oranzhevat - crossing an orange with a kumquat.
Features of growing citrus at home
Caring for citrus fruits at home is easy. Enough to provide plants comfortable conditions. What is important to pay special attention to?
Content temperature
A low or too high air temperature will adversely affect the development of the plant - the tree will simply stop growing, become weak and may even die.
Comfortable temperature conditions for citrus fruits are:
- in summer - from +18 to +26 degrees;
- in winter - from +12 to +16 degrees.
Impact negative temperatures will be detrimental to the plant.
The plant must not be subjected to sudden changes. temperature conditions, this may end up throwing off the foliage.
In summer or late spring, a citrus tree can be taken out to the balcony, but it is important to protect it from open sun rays that can burn the leaves, which will also provoke leaf fall.
illumination
In nature, citrus fruits grow in hot regions, they are constantly under the scorching rays of the sun. But at home, such conditions for a flower cannot be created. The plant must be placed in the bright part of the room, but it is important to ensure that the bright rays of the sun do not fall on its surface.
Citrus fruits tolerate the lack of light very hard - the leaves on the trees begin to turn yellow and fall off. If it is not possible to provide the plant with natural light, then it is necessary to provide it with artificial light.
Watering
Citrus trees need moderate and regular watering. Be sure to have a layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the flowerpot; moisture should not be allowed to accumulate at the roots.
IN winter time Years, watering is reduced, but drying out of the soil must be avoided. If the plant is near heating appliances, then it should be regularly sprayed with warm, settled water.
- moderate watering;
- exclusion of drying out of the soil;
- regular spraying in the evening.
fertilizers
The introduction of root dressings is carried out only during the period of activity of the plant, that is, from the beginning of March to mid-September. During the dormant period (in winter), citrus fruits do not need additional nutrients.
Fertilizer options for citrus trees:
- Baikal;
- Vostok-EM1;
- Renaissance.
Outcome
- Growing citrus trees at home will not be difficult if the plant is provided with comfortable conditions and proper care.
- For growing at home, it is recommended to choose decorative varieties citrus fruits, characterized by small growth and unpretentiousness.
Citrus crops can be grown at home - right on your windowsill. Although this is a troublesome task, it brings a lot of fun!
What citrus fruits can be grown at home?
The most common citrus crop is the lemon.
It is lemon that is found not only in residential premises, but also in offices of administrative buildings. Everything is useful for a lemon: both fruits rich in vitamin C and leaves that emit phytoncides, enriching the air.
A little less often you can see oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, citrons, pomelo and even lime quite suitable for growing at home on the windowsills, on tables and cabinets. All these exotic plants can produce quite tasty fruits, however, if you take good care of them.
Choose a place
Citrus lovers are somewhat lucky, because these plants are shade-tolerant, but they can grow well in a sunny place, so they can be placed near south-facing windows. As for the window that faces north, it is not worth putting plants near it (with the exception of lemon and citron).
It's all in the pot
Responsibly you need to approach the choice of dishes for your exotic. The best option for placing citrus fruits is a pot of unglazed baked clay, as well as tightly knitted wooden tubs, selected according to the size of the root system. But no matter what the pot is - made of clay, made of wood - it must have good drainage and holes for the outflow of excess moisture.
For good fruiting, there must be excellent nutrition. For citrus fruits, ordinary soil from the garden will not work; the pot should be filled with a special mixture for citrus fruits. It is better not to make such a mixture yourself, but to purchase it in a store, it is inexpensive, but you will be sure that it will benefit the plant and will not cause harm.
Components of success
An important component of successful cultivation citrus at home- humidity of air, soil and the presence of top dressing. Periodic spraying warm water- this is the minimum that will allow the plant to feel comfortable.
As for soil moisture, there are some nuances. Do not use water for irrigation, just taken from the tap. Citrus fruits should be watered with water that has settled for several days, and even with the addition of a couple of drops of vinegar to it. If the fruits are definitely included in your plans, then top dressing should be first on the list of work for a citrus plant. All exotics simply adore fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, they also love organic matter. Feeding can be carried out from February until the start of the dormant period.
How to propagate a citrus tree at home?
It is still problematic to buy seedlings of such crops, and they are not cheap.
The easiest way is to sow seeds. It seems that it could be easier - they bought a fruit in the market or in a store, took out a seed, placed it in the ground, watered it ... And after a week, a sprout will appear on the surface of the soil, which will gain strength every day and will soon become an adult, independent plant. However, in reality, everything is more complicated. We will get a plant, it will delight us only with green mass, but flowering, and even more so fruits, will either have to wait a very long time (from 7 to 15 years), or not wait at all, because many plants grown from seeds, even being large shrubs, for some reason they stubbornly do not bloom.
Such seedlings are suitable only for a stock, and any shoot that you, after asking permission from the owner, cut off from a fruit-bearing tree, can serve as a scion.
Citrus transplant
Grafting is a complicated matter, it is much easier to root a cutting taken from a fruit-bearing tree. For rooting, apical cuttings 12-15 cm long are taken, placed in river sand, moistened and covered with glass or plastic bottle. Optimum temperature for rooting - 20-25 degrees. Place a pot with a cutting covered with a jar in a well-lit place, but so that the sun's rays do not fall directly on it.
The stalk should be periodically sprayed, constantly keeping the soil moist. Usually after 35-54 days the cutting will have a well developed root system and can be transplanted into a citrus mix.
The main thing when transplanting is to very carefully remove the root system of the cutting from the sand so as not to damage the roots, because they are very fragile. Subsequently, when the plants gain mass and their roots become cramped in the dishes, it is necessary to transplant them.
Top dressing for citrus fruits at home
As organic fertilizers, you can use settled slurry that does not emit bad smell. Before watering, it is diluted with water 8-10 times.
You can apply the solution twice per season: the first time in early spring, the second - in the middle of summer. From mineral fertilizers use potassium nitrate - 50 g of nitrate per liter of water, before making this solution is diluted 10 times. Ammonium nitrate also gives good results, its dose is 30 g per 10 liters of water, this solution is diluted 10 times before application. These fertilizers are usually applied once or twice a month, depending on the condition of the plants.
citrus grafting
Grafting on a cutting
Citrus crops are usually propagated by grafting or rooting cuttings to produce fruit-bearing plants. The first method requires experience and skill. The second is not applicable to all plants. So, tangerines, kumquats and limes practically do not take root at all. A little 
oranges and grapefruits do better. So, which is better - grafting or cuttings?
Cuttings of chitrus
If you are engaged in cuttings, then you should stop at lemons, citrons and pomelo. You can root them in different substrates, I use vermiculite for this. I preliminarily keep the cuttings for 10-12 hours in a concentrated solution of Heteroauxin - I dilute 1 tablet in 500 ml of water. It is best to take root cuttings put on root from May to September.
Vaccinations take root better and grow together at the same time. Here, an important role is played quality material. Rootstock and scion must be healthy, without obvious signs pests and diseases. In addition, they must be compatible with each other. About how important this is, says my own experience. A year and a half ago, I ordered a Lisbon lemon by mail. The seller said that he was grafted onto a lemon seedling. For a long time, the plant practically did not develop.
I concluded that the problem is in the incompatibility of the scion with the rootstock. And I decided to experiment and regraft the Lisbon lemon to another variety - Macrophyll. especially since I just had a rootstock of the desired diameter, obtained by cuttings. I grafted in the splitting method in the spring of 2016. The fusion of the rootstock with the scion occurred very quickly, within a month. After that, the lemon actively began to grow and quickly overtook the plant from which the graft was taken. This is clearly visible in the photograph.
Rootstock and graft
As a stock, both a seedling grown from seeds and an already rooted cutting, taken, for example, after a formative pruning of one or another citrus, can be used.
It is believed that the rootstock grown from seeds is the most viable, it has a powerful root system and is already adapted to the climatic conditions in which it grew. I agree with this, but only partly. After all, what if we soon need to be vaccinated? It takes a very long time to wait for a full-fledged seedling of the desired diameter to grow from a seed. Therefore, in this case, you can use a stock from a rooted cutting. And, in my opinion, it is no worse, and maybe even better than the seedling.
Personally, I like to use Macrophyll lemon as a rootstock, which I specially cut into cuttings for subsequent vaccinations. They take root very quickly and grow the root system just as quickly. Citruses grafted onto Macrophyll grow together very quickly and immediately grow.
Returning to the question posed at the beginning of the story, what is better - grafting or cuttings? - I will say that I did not manage to give an unambiguous answer. In some cases, it is more appropriate to use grafting, and in others - cuttings. It all depends on individual characteristics plants. But the most important thing is not to be afraid to experiment, and then there will be a real opportunity to receive a fruit-bearing citrus plant as a reward.
New Year with citrus aroma
We have New Year always associated with the smell of citrus. But almost any of their species and varieties grow well, bloom and bear fruit in the microclimate of apartments and winter gardens. The quality of the fruits when fully ripe is excellent, and the yield only grows over the years. How to achieve this? Our experts will reveal secrets, share their experience, advice, tips.
The genus Citrus includes a large number cultivated plants Rutovye family - evergreen shrubs or trees. They bloom profusely with fragrant flowers, produce edible berry-like fruits. Most famous representatives- orange, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, pamelo, lime, kinkan, calamondin.
HOW TO PRODUCE
Citrus fruits are propagated by seeds (sowing at any time of the year), cuttings and grafting.
And although a beautiful tree can be grown from seeds: a seedling will bloom no earlier than in 8-10 years.
To get fruits, you should purchase grafted plants in specialized nurseries. Some species, for example, lemon or lime, are easily rooted by cuttings - in light soil at a temperature of + 20-25 degrees. But you need to take them from a fruiting specimen.
After rooting a cutting or grafting, citrus fruits bloom quickly, sometimes even in the first year. However, in order not to deplete the plants, flowers and ovaries should be removed and fruits should be allowed to form for 3-4 years of life, when the trees develop and get stronger.
CONDITIONS FOR EVERYONE IS THE SAME
For these subtropical crops, a dormant period in coolness (about +10 degrees) is desirable in winter. At the same time, they do not have leaf fall, like a pomegranate or fig. Even when stored for 2-3 months in a dark, cool room, they practically do not lose foliage.
The rest of the time citrus fruits are needed good lighting and maximum summer sun.
They prefer abundant watering with warm water, but without overflow and stagnation of moisture in the pan. In dry rooms, spraying and "bathing" procedures are required. Air humidity - 75-85%.
During flowering and fruiting, requiring a large consumption of food, plants are fed with complex humate fertilizers at least 2 times a month. The best option nutrient mixtures - ready for citrus. During the winter holidays, fertilizers are not applied.
Plants develop well in fertile soil rich in humus and humus. Suitable and garden land, and special soil substrates.
Citrus crops are significantly susceptible to attacks by pests: spider mites, thrips, California scale insects, scale insects and others. Attention should be paid to preventive plant protection - at least once a month, carry out treatments with appropriate preparations.
Sergey RYZHOV, agronomist, collector of exotic plants, director of the Exotic Garden nursery, Sochi.
Transfer
Young citrus plants are transplanted with careful transshipment shortly after purchase (then annually in the spring), since the peat soil dries out easily and there is a threat to dry out the plant, and the roots tightly braiding the lump can get burned from heating the pot in the sun. Coarse sand or perlite is added to the finished substrate for citrus fruits, for example, "Lemon", for looseness and a little soddy land, the amount of which in the mixture can be gradually increased during the next transplants. Older specimens are transplanted every 3-4 years, in large ones, they change annually instead of transplanting upper layer soil, adding coarse sand or perlite and soddy or leafy soil to the finished mixture.
The soil mixture for citrus fruits should be neutral or slightly acidic (if the water for irrigation is hard) - pH from 5.5 to 7.0. Before use, the substrate is disinfected by heat treatment.
FROM CHERENKOV…
A mature (about 6 months old) young shoot is cut off, which has turned from angular to rounded. It is important that it is in a dormant stage, otherwise the chance of rooting is very small.
The branch is divided into segments with 3-4 leaves, the bottom leaf is removed, and an oblique cut is made under the kidney. It is useful to slightly scratch the bark with a thin, clean needle and dip the cuttings into Kornevin powder. They are planted in sterile soil of peat and sand, buried to the next leaf. They root at a temperature of about +25 degrees, in a greenhouse, preferably with lower heating, in bright diffused lighting (fluorescent lighting can be used). If the greenhouse is humid, it is better to leave the leaves without shortening - they will serve as a source of nutrients. In case of poor tightness of the shelter, the two lower sheets are cut in half. Rooting lasts from 2 weeks to 1-2 months, sometimes longer.
… AND SEEDS
Citrus seeds germinate together, usually within a month. Seedlings grow well, are quite unpretentious, emit useful phytoncides. With the help of pruning, you can form beautiful trees.
SECRETS OF FERTILIZING
Many indoor citrus fruits are characterized by remontance - the ability to bloom and set fruits several times a year. Optimal conditions for the development of flowers - the temperature is + 18 degrees, and the humidity is about 70%. The flowers are bisexual and in many varieties self-pollinating, but for the reliability of fruit set, it is better to resort to artificial pollination with a soft brush. After flowering, not all ovaries remain on the branches, a large number of them soon fall off. The ovary can be considered complete if it has reached a size of at least 2 cm. The fruits ripen for 5-9 months, depending on the particular variety, and can hang on the tree until the next harvest.
CUTTING AND SHAPING
To give a beautiful and compact look to the crown of citrus fruits, I form a g. Best time for pruning at the end of the winter rest period (early February). In summer, too long and fattening branches should be shortened.
Different species and varieties have their own way of growing. So, a lemon is not very willing to branch, and it is difficult to form a compact tree from it. Orange grows powerfully upwards - regular shortening pruning is required. In mandarin, the crown thickens quickly, you have to cut out part of the shoots growing inside. Kumquat grows compactly, requiring little or no pruning. It is not often necessary to cut off calamondin - young seedlings almost immediately acquire a beautiful shape.
Seedlings of citrus fruits should be formed from the age of one, if by this time they have reached at least 30 cm, they stop the crown.
Everyone's favorite "New Year's fruit" - mandarin is not only tasty and rich in vitamins, but also an assistant in solving many health problems.
Fungal diseases of the feet and nails: rub the juice into the affected areas 2 times a day. With nail fungus - for a long time.
Colds, SARS with high fever, cough, bronchitis, bronchial asthma: drink warmed and slightly diluted juice 2/3-1 tbsp. several times a day.
Intestinal upset, loss of appetite: eat 0.5-1 fruit 2-3 times a day half an hour before meals while dieting.
Mandarin is useful for anemia, hypertension, atherosclerosis, overweight, flu, swelling of the legs, articular and skin diseases, tumors of various organs, metabolic disorders, decreased vision, intestinal candidiasis, helminths.
Attention! Tangerines and their juice are contraindicated in gastric ulcers, acute nephritis, exacerbation of colitis, hepatitis, cholecystitis and gastritis with high acidity of gastric juice.
Dina BALYASOVA, Doctor of Chem. Sciences,
Growing mandarin at home
Home tangerine- photo Did you know that the mandarin, familiar to everyone and everyone, came to Europe only in the 19th century? A hundred years ago, it was almost unknown to the general public, and now we simply cannot imagine life without its fruits. In an incredibly short period of time, mandarin spread throughout the planet, won the universal love and recognition of mankind.
The Amazing History of the Mandarin
In fact, mandarin has been cultivated for several thousand years. Its culture is almost as ancient as grapes, and perhaps older, since wild tangerines are unknown to botanical science. Only its cultural forms have come down to us. At the same time, tangerines were available to a limited circle of people for many centuries - they were grown in the gardens of tangerines, wealthy dignitaries of imperial China (hence the well-known name of the culture).
It is believed that the mandarin comes from Southeast Asia, this territory now belongs to India. There is no exact data on exactly when he migrated from China to the West. According to one story, Portuguese missionaries who returned from the colonies brought its trees with them, according to another version, a mandarin plant in a tub was presented to Napoleon Bonaparte. But one way or another, he got to Europe and conquered it.
Today, in Asian countries, Japan occupies the first place in the cultivation of mandarin, China is in second place, then India and others. On the European continent man-
Mandarin blossoms in January-February
The yield of tangerine is impressive
pot culture. Incidentally, the mandarin was the most unpretentious. compared to other citrus crops, and much easier to grow indoors than lemons and oranges.
Let's grow it!
Mandarin can be purchased at a specialty store or grown on your own.
After buying a plant, it must be kept “in quarantine” for several days, separately from others. indoor plants to make sure that harmful insects did not get into the house along with the tree.
This culture is propagated in the spring, by seeds and grafting.
The optimum temperature for growing mandarin is 16-18 °C. In winter, it is best to place pots in well-lit, south-facing windows, and rotate from time to time so that the crown forms evenly (except during flowering and fruiting, when they are best left alone). In summer, it is desirable to shade the plants from direct sunlight, and also protect them from drafts.
A mandarin tree in protected ground can reach 0.8 to 1.5 m in height. Blooms in winter, in January-February. At this time, a delicate aroma spreads in the room. Fruits densely. The fruits are tied during self-pollination, remain on the branches for several months.
Young mandarin trees form a crown before fruiting. Remove dry shoots, too long, thickening and growing inside the crown of the branch. The crown of young and fruiting mandarin trees must be sprayed with water several times a week. If necessary, with complex fertilizer(the consumption rate is indicated on the package of the drug). Mandarin is fertilized from the second decade of February to September.
As the trees grow, they need to be transplanted into larger containers. The best time to transplant is spring, from March to May. Before transplanting, plants must be watered abundantly. room temperature. The tangerine tree is carefully removed from the old pot and placed in a new one filled with drainage and moistened soil. The stem of the tree should be located in the center of the container, and its root collar should be slightly above the soil surface, but below the top edge of the container. Then they gradually fill up and tamp the soil, but make sure that the root collar remains at the same level, it cannot be filled up. After transplanting, the trees are carefully watered again, the spout of the watering can is kept closer to the surface of the soil so that the water jet does not knock the earth out of the pot and expose the root collar and roots of the plant. Subsequent waterings are carried out as the topsoil dries up.
This is interesting
The tradition of giving tangerines on New Year's Eve is almost as old as the culture itself, dating back to 1000 BC. The Chinese, coming to visit, presented the hosts with two tangerines as a gift, and leaving home, in turn, received the other two tangerines from them. The word for a pair of tangerines in Chinese consonant with the word "gold" and thus people wished each other prosperity, abundance, happiness ...
Growing citrus fruits at home - video
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A special place among indoor plants is occupied by fruit crops, and the most common among them are numerous representatives of the genus Citrus. They are better than most fruit crops adapted to room conditions: grow quickly, form well, bloom profusely and bear fruit.
A citrus plant looks especially impressive, on which flowers and fruits are simultaneously present in varying degrees of ripening.
The homeland of citruses is China, Japan, East India, Australia, where they are represented by evergreen trees (from 3 to 12 m high) or shrubs with thorns and dense, rich essential oil leaves.
citrus flowers
Citruses bloom twice a year, medium-sized, but fragrant white or pink flowers. From citrus flowers, fruits of various shapes, colors and tastes, rich in vitamins and microelements, are formed.
Types of citrus houseplants
Citron (Citrus medica Citron)- is, along with two other ancient species, mandarin and pomelo, the progenitor of modern citrus.
Currently, a very interesting variety "Buddha's Hand" can be found in room culture. Citron fruits have a lot of zest and very little pulp.
Mandarin, or mesh citrus, unshiu (Citrus reticulate var. Unshiu)- the most precocious species with abundant fruiting. In tub culture grows up to 1.5 m.
This type of citrus houseplant has a spherical crown with slightly drooping branches without thorns, dark green leaves of an oval-elongated shape; white, very fragrant flowers are arranged in pairs or small groups in the axils of the leaves. The fruits are medium-sized, pear-shaped, orange or orange-red, with an easily detached peel and juicy sweet pulp without seeds.
All types of indoor citrus plants are grown in winter garden or as tub plants. Miniature citrofortunella will feel great on a sunny windowsill.
Fortunella, or kumquat, "golden orange"(Fortunella margarita)- looks like a miniature orange. Fruits of the extended form with a sweetish skin. Variety 'Variegata' has striped green-white or green-yellow leaves.
Calamondin or Citrofortunella (Calamondin)- a hybrid of mandarin and fortune. This type of indoor citrus is more of an ornamental than an edible plant.
It has compact dimensions (up to 1 m tall), glossy dark green oval-pointed leaves and numerous small (up to 4 cm in diameter), round, yellow-orange fruits, bitter in taste and with a large number of seeds.
Photo of homemade lemon flowers
homemade lemon (citrus lemon)- the most common species in room culture. This is an evergreen, undersized (up to 1.5 m), sprawling tree with thin but strong gray or reddish-purple shoots, long spines (there are varieties without spines) and large emerald leaves, wide oval with a pointed end. Each leaf lives for about 3 years.
The development of not only the plant itself, but also individual fruits, directly depends on their quantity and condition, since at least 10 healthy, actively functioning leaves are necessary for the ripening of one lemon.
Flowers homemade lemon, as seen in the photo, medium-sized, white or cream, arranged singly, in pairs or small brushes.
They may not be visible behind the abundant foliage, but the characteristic gentle and quite intense aroma will not allow you to miss this wonderful period. Indoor lemons can bloom 2-3 times a year, and fruit ripening lasts several months, so on one plant you can often see both fragrant flowers and fruits in varying degrees of ripening - from bright green to sunny yellow.
There are quite a few varieties bred specifically for room culture, including domestic selection.
Our photo gallery contains photos of homemade lemon flowers of the most common varieties:
Lemon "Ponderosa"- unpretentious, but large variety with tasty, very large fruits with a bumpy yellow skin; there are few fruits, but the plant can bloom up to 4 times a year, bears fruit from 6-7 years;
Lemon "Pavlovsky"- one of the oldest Russian varieties, medium-sized with large delicious fruits, bears fruit in the third year;
Lemon variety "Meyer"- compact and productive, fruits are very juicy, slightly bitter, with a thin orange-yellow skin, begins to bear fruit in the third year.
Care for indoor citrus fruits at home
Secret successful cultivation citrus fruits is to provide them with relative rest in winter (in a bright, well-ventilated room at a temperature of +4.+8 ° C with moderate watering) and maximum illumination in summer (it is better to take out open air, sunny, draught-free location).
Heat-loving oranges need a higher winter temperature (+13…+ 18 °C). Watering in the summer is also moderate, without overdrying the earthy coma and without stagnant water. To form a beautiful crown of citrus fruits, when leaving at home, pruning and pinching is done - after the appearance of 3-4 leaves, pinch the growth point. The same method will also contribute to the acceleration of fruiting throughout the year.
During active growth plants are fed once every two weeks, if possible, alternating mineral fertilizers with organic ones. Transplantation is carried out by transshipment in the spring: young plants - annually, at the age of 4-5 years - once every 2 years, older than five years - once every 3 years. Citruses reproduce well both by semi-lignified cuttings and seeds. At seed method reproduction, fruiting occurs later than with cuttings.
Let's analyze the florist's letter:
“I bought a delicious lemon, and in a month it dropped all the fruits and leaves. There is one branchy snag in a pot. In general, the snag turned out to be very decorative, I don’t drink my soul in it, water it and spray it, hung a light bulb over it, it burns around the clock It's hot at home, 28 degrees in winter, so the snag reminds me of African saxauls in some way. It's a very soulful plant. It kind of says to me: "I'd rather die, but I won't grow with you!". If so, I think, then now "I'll teach you politeness! - I tore the snag out of the ent's pot, didn't even shake off the peat from the roots, and transplanted it into a large bucket, made holes in it, poured half a pack of expanded clay on the bottom, and piled a special lemon soil around it. And what do you think? This the vile plant did not appreciate my care, there were no leaves, and there are none, even though I sprinkle it with top dressing every month and apply a special fertilizer, "Lemon" is called. Every day I spray it with water in the evening and water it in the morning. I came to the conclusion that it is completely shameless a creation of nature, and that in an amicable way with it it is impossible. From tomorrow I will begin to apply repressions to this snag: I will turn off the lamp and make a suggestion to it: if in a month it does not bear a single leaf, I will pull it out of the pot and throw it away. This is not a plant, but just an ungrateful bastard!"
Dear fellow gardeners, in no case do not make such mistakes!
I want to describe in detail the scheme for caring for citrus fruits so that you do not have problems with them. And I'll tell you about it on the example of the above letter.
** Consider the causes of leaf loss in citrus fruits:
1. If you put the plant on the window, then you do not need to periodically transfer it to another place; citrus fruits are "one stop" plants.
2. The most common mistake - the citrus pot should not be strongly "twisted" by 180 or 90 degrees. In this case, the leaves turn yellow and fall off - the tree dies. Every 10 days you need to turn the pot 10 degrees (no more), and better - counterclockwise.
3. When you get into an unusual climate, i.e. when moving from a store or greenhouse to an apartment, citrus fruits can also shed their leaves.
4. If there are drafts in the apartment, citrus leaves will definitely fall off.
5. If the soil is excessively moistened in winter, it turns sour and, as a result, citrus leaves turn yellow and fall off.
6. If you plant a small plant immediately in a bucket, and even more so in a tub, then in a week the leaves of the tree will turn yellow, and after another 1.5 weeks it will have "leaf fall";
7. Many do not know this, but, based on their own years of experience, I want to warn you: in no case should you put citrus fruits next to the microwave. Otherwise, the leaves will not just fall off - the tree will die.
8. Citrus fruits lose their leaves and fruits due to improper feeding and transplanting.
If in winter the leaves of citrus fruits begin to curl, turn yellow, fall off, the shoots dry out, then the tree sheds unripe fruits. If a plant with fruits was bought in winter, then it will definitely shed the fruits (especially if the tree is imported), and then part of the leaves (or all the leaves). When buying citrus trees in winter, I recommend taking them off most fruits (and preferably all), remove the emerging flowers and cut off the fruiting shoots by 1/3.
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**Transfer
The root system of citrus plants has a peculiarity - it does not have root hairs, through which the absorption of water and minerals dissolved in it usually occurs. Their role is played by a symbiotic fungus that forms mycorrhiza of the roots. The death of mycorrhiza leads to the extinction of the plant itself. She is very sensitive to conditions, suffers under prolonged absence moisture, lack of air in heavy and dense soil, low and high temperatures, and especially when the roots are exposed or damaged. Sometimes you can see outwardly normal roots in a dead plant - this is precisely due to the death of mycorrhiza. That is why citrus fruits do not tolerate transplantation well and can get sick for a long time after it. It is worth replanting citrus fruits only by the most accurate transshipment, in no case changing the soil and without washing the roots (with the exception of severe damage to the roots, when there is no other way out).
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**Substrates for growing citrus fruits.
There are several recipes for land mixtures for citrus fruits - they include peat, turf and leaf soil, sand, manure humus. It is important that the mixture is slightly acidic or neutral (pH 5.5 to 7.0). If your water is hard, then it is better to take a slightly acidic soil. However, preparing a mixture of all these components separately and adjusting the acidity is quite difficult. It's easier to take ready soil for citrus (usually called "Lemon"), and bring it to the desired condition. Before use, the substrate must be subjected to heat treatment in a water bath (to kill larvae, eggs and adult pests, pathogenic fungi and bacteria).
Small plants should be transplanted shortly after purchase, as the peat soil dries out easily, and the densely braided roots are easily overheated and dried out. Then transplanted every year in the spring (if necessary). Older plants in the first year can not be touched, then transplanted every 3-4 years. Large-sized plants are not transplanted, but the topsoil is replaced annually.
If you have purchased a small plant that is usually planted in a peat substrate, in no case should it be changed or a denser soil added - roots will not be able to sprout into it. It is better to use a ready-made peat substrate for the first transplant, adding sand and a little soddy soil to it. With further transplants, the amount of soddy land in the mixture can be gradually increased.
Large specimens are usually already planted in the ground with the addition of soddy soil, so sand and more soddy or leafy soil can be added to the finished mixture.
It is better not to use manure humus in mixtures, but to replace it with an extract, which is added to irrigation water.
And do not abuse the loosening of the soil, in which it is easy to damage the roots.
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**Watering
For watering citrus fruits, water just taken from the tap of the water supply is completely unsuitable (it contains a large number of chlorine, which they don't like). It is better to water citrus fruits with settled water, to which vinegar is added (a few drops per liter of water); they respect it very much.
Citrus fruits need regular feeding. They need:
- nitrogen (provides rapid growth). Thanks to nitrogen, citrus leaves acquire a rich green color;
- phosphorus (thanks to phosphorus, the seedling begins to bear fruit faster). Phosphorus is also needed for the ripening of fruits and young wood;
- potassium (normal and timely ripening of young leaves, shoots, as well as fruits depends on potassium). With a lack of potassium, citrus fruits become ugly and often fall off before ripening. In addition, potassium supplements help increase resistance to various diseases.
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**Reproduction from seeds
Citrus seeds, freshly extracted from the fruit, germinate very well, usually within a month. Seedlings are actively developing and quite unpretentious. From them, you can form beautiful trees with the help of pruning, which will also enrich the atmosphere of the house with useful phytoncidal substances. But for fruiting, such seedlings must be grafted with cuttings of varietal plants.
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**Crown formation
Shaping is needed to give a beautiful and compact appearance of the crown. The best time for her comes at the end of the winter holiday period, in early February. In summer, too long and fattening shoots should also be shortened. Different kinds and varieties of citrus fruits have their own growth pattern. So, a lemon does not branch very willingly, and it is rather difficult to form a compact beautiful tree from it. Orange grows powerfully upwards, requiring regular shortening. In mandarin, the crown thickens quickly, you have to cut out part of the shoots growing inside. Kumquat grows quite compactly, requiring little or no pruning. Calamondin does not have to be cut too much.
Young plants grown from rooted cuttings begin to form almost immediately, giving the tree beautiful view. Seedlings should begin to form at the age of one. If by this time they have reached at least 30 cm, the top of their head is stopped. However, even the correct formation of seedlings does not lead to long-awaited fruiting at home.
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** Top dressing.
Citrus fruits should be fertilized only during the months of active growth, from mid-February to mid-September, and in no case should they be fed during winter rest. In preparation for the rest period and when leaving it, reduce the concentration of fertilizers by 2 times. Fertilize only on pre-moistened earth. For good absorption of mineral fertilizers from the soil, it is important to control the acidity of the soil. For the assimilation of organic fertilizers, be sure to maintain the beneficial microflora of the substrate by the systematic introduction of microbiological preparations (Vostok-EM1, Baikal, Vozrozhdenie). Plants respond well to foliar feeding.
It is impossible to feed a heavily crumbling plant - the causes of leaf fall are often not a lack of nutrition, and top dressing done at the wrong time will only bring harm. After buying or transplanting a plant, do not feed it for 1-2 months.
And you should always remember the rule that it is better to underfeed the plant than to overfeed. Lack of nutrition is easily eliminated by timely top dressing, and excess fertilizer leads to burns of the roots, improper development and often ends in the death of the plant. One of the signs of excess fertilizer is a dry border along the edge of the leaf and the beginning of leaf fall. An excess of one element often causes a deficiency of another, and it is quite difficult to diagnose this imbalance and determine the exact cause. But in order to avoid it, only special fertilizers for citrus fruits should be taken for top dressing, which must also include trace elements. Their application rates are calculated for the period of maximum growth. If there is insufficient light for plants or other conditions of maintenance are not met, the dose of fertilizers must be reduced.
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**Pests and diseases
The most common pests of cirus crops are mealybug, shield, false shield. Citrus fruits are also affected by aphids and spider mites.
White lumps in the sinuses, on branches and trunks - defeat by a mealybug.
Plaques that look like droplets of wax on leaves, branches and trunks, sweet discharge on the leaves - a lesion with a scab or a false scab.
Uneven small yellow dots on the leaves, powdery coating from the bottom of the leaf, sometimes cobweb - spider mite.
The accumulation of small green or black insects on young shoots, sweet discharge - aphids.
Small mobile light insects in the ground, jumping when watering - podura, or springtails. They start when waterlogged, do not cause harm to the plant. It is enough to reduce watering and shed Actara (1 g / 10 l).
Small black flies flying over the ground are mushroom mosquitoes. They also start from waterlogging. The larvae live in the soil, but do not cause harm to healthy roots. It is enough to adjust the watering, you can shed Aktara (1 g / 10 l).
Details - in the article Pests of indoor plants and measures to combat them.
Chinese sweet orange
Diseases of citrus fruits are caused by improper care and lesions by various pathogens (which is also often due to errors in the content).
Fungal diseases often affect citrus fruits in plantations or greenhouses. Drying and blackening of branches - malseko have a mushroom nature; gum disease - gummosis, when a wound forms on the trunk, from which a liquid resembling resin oozes; leaf spot and anthracosis, when weeping spots spread over the leaf and subsequently merge; powdery mildew when a white powdery coating forms on the leaves. The fight against fungal diseases is reduced to the establishment of care, to the removal and destruction of the affected parts of the plant, to the treatment with systemic and contact fungicides.
Sometimes a black coating forms on the leaves of citrus fruits, which can be easily removed with a damp swab - this is a soot fungus. It does not harm the plant, usually settles on the sugary secretions of pests. It is necessary to eliminate the cause of sugary secretions, remove the sooty coating moistened with soapy water swab, wash well under a warm shower.
Diseases caused by viruses appear in the form of a marble color and cannot be treated.
Causes of yellowing leaves: chlorosis caused by a lack of iron, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, excess calcium; lack of nitrogen; lack or excess of light; spider mite damage.
The reasons for the appearance of brown spots on the leaves: non-compliance with the irrigation regime (overdrying or waterlogging of the soil); sunburn; burn from a strong dose of fertilizer; imbalance in the batteries; fungal and bacterial diseases.
The cause of leaf fall in citrus fruits can be any severe stress: sudden temperature fluctuations, hypothermia, overheating, waterlogging of the substrate, overdrying of the substrate, improper transplantation, too much fertilizer dosage, prolonged lack of light.
Why is leaf fall dangerous? Depending on age, lemon leaves perform different functions; with aging, they turn into a pantry of nutrients, ensuring the growth and development of young growths. The loss of these leaves leads to the depletion of the plant.
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**Physiological disorders associated with a lack or excess of nutrients
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** Flowering and fruits
Fruiting lemons, tangerines and other citrus fruits bloom profusely, which leads to a weakening of the tree. Therefore, flowers located nearby should be thinned out, leaving larger ones - those on which the ovary is better developed. Preference should be given to fruits sitting on short twigs - fruits. On long branches, the fruits grow more slowly.
It takes several months for the fruit to ripen. There are so many ovaries that there is an active discharge of young ovaries and fruits that have not yet filled with juice. The fruit fall is so strong that the soil under the trees is completely covered with small fruits. That's why
it is recommended to regulate fruiting. Immediately after flowering, cut off a number of young ovaries. I do not recommend buying trees with fruits in the store. It is better if you buy only a flowering tree. But if, nevertheless, a tree with fruits comes home to you, then proceed as follows:
1. try to find out how old the tree is;
2. Pick off all the fruits (do not spare them);
3. Cut the branches on which the fruits were in half;
4. Spray the plant more often;
5. The soil must always be moist.
And now - advice for everyone: do not expect the impossible from a citrus tree! In winter, citrus fruits most often do not bloom at home. Be patient and do everything according to the instructions. If you do everything right, your citrus pets will delight appearance and harvests. Good luck!
Many representatives of citrus fruits when creating favorable conditions perfectly develop and grow in various residential and administrative premises. The most popular of them is lemon, it can be found in apartments and offices, school classes and preschool institutions, clinics and shops. Growing this popular pet is not easy, you have to spend a lot of time and effort on its cultivation and care. Mandarin, orange, lime, pomelo, grapefruit require the same attention. All of them have numerous useful qualities, one of which is the presence in the leaves of biologically active substances that can destroy pathogenic bacteria. Create All the necessary conditions for citrus fruits in a house or apartment, every lover of indoor plants can do it.
Location and lighting
The place for growing citrus indoor plants should not be located on the windowsill from the northern part of the house, near microwave oven, in drafts and near radiators central heating or other heating devices. Citrus fruits are shade-tolerant crops, so it is more favorable to place them on the east or west window, but it can also be at a short distance from the south window sill.
Temperature
Plants are dangerous places where warm and cold air, as well as elevated air temperature. In the presence of at least one of these unfavorable moments, the leaves on citrus fruits begin to fall off.
In the period from November to February, when the cultures are in a dormant period, a special maintenance regime is introduced - low air temperature in the room, the absence of any water procedures(spraying and watering) and fertilizing.
Air humidity
The humidity level must be high. You can maintain it with daily spraying, the water temperature should not be below 25 degrees. Citrus plants endure dry indoor air painfully.
Watering
Not recommended for irrigation tap water, the presence of chlorine in it will negatively affect pets. Irrigation water (with a temperature of 20-22 degrees) should be separated and slightly acidified. To do this, add a few drops of vinegar to it.
Pot selection
The ideal pot material is unglazed fired clay or wood. Be sure to have drainage holes and a good drainage layer at the bottom of the flower container.
Soil composition requirements
Indoor citrus fruits will fully develop only in a special substrate for this type of plant. It is recommended to purchase a high-quality soil mixture only in specialized stores for flower growers so that its quality is not in doubt.
Top dressings and fertilizers
Exotic citrus plants need to be fed regularly from February to November. Can be used organic fertilizers or mineral with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus content.
Lemons, tangerines, oranges and other exotics can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and grafts. Every grower dreams of growing an exotic citrus plant from an ordinary seed, which will not only germinate and sprout, but will eventually turn into a small tree and give many fruits.
Growing citrus fruits from a seed, from the very beginning of its life path, the plant's immunity is strengthened and resistance to life increases. After all, a tender young culture has to adapt to unusual conditions of existence for it from the very first days. Usually with seed germination big problems does not occur, but flowering and fruiting will have to be expected from 7 to 15 years. The taste of the fruit also leaves much to be desired. In order for the culture to bloom much earlier, you will need to be vaccinated. Usually experienced growers and gardeners recommend using cuttings of citrus fruits that are already bearing fruit as a scion.
When growing exotic crops in room conditions it is necessary to take into account the fact that plants can reach great heights. It is better to immediately purchase seeds of dwarf species and varieties for planting.
Reproduction by seeds
It is recommended to plant freshly harvested seeds taken directly from the fruit. Planting depth - no more than 3 cm. The planting container should hold a volume of about 2 liters with obligatory drainage holes at the bottom. Drainage is poured at the bottom, and then a special substrate for citrus fruits. Cover the pot after planting glass jar or film to create greenhouse conditions in which shoots will appear much earlier. Depending on the variety and type of crop, seedlings will appear in the range from 7 days to 2 months. If several sprouts appeared from one seed, then over time it is necessary to leave only one stronger and stronger plant.
Reproduction by cuttings
For rooting, you need to take apical cuttings and plant them in wet river sand at a slight slope, covering them with a cut plastic bottle from above. transparent material. Favorable temperature for root formation is 20-25 degrees. The place should be well lit, but protected from direct sunlight. The first roots may appear in about a month, after which the plant is transplanted into a special soil mixture. When transplanting, it is necessary to take care of the root part, as it can be easily damaged.
This method is considered the most common, because it allows you to save all the best quality characteristics. mother plant. Flowering and fruiting occurs much earlier than with seed propagation.
Graft
Grafting can be done by budding or copulation. Scion and rootstock can be from different types citrus fruits. It is recommended to use lemon, orange or grapefruit for rootstock.
Diseases and pests
Possible pests of citrus fruits as indoor crops are aphids, spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, possible diseases- anthracnose, warty and gommosis. Emerging diseases are difficult to treat, so you need to try to prevent them. At the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to "help" the plants. This help consists in the urgent removal of the affected leaves, buds and fruits, then the plant will direct all its forces to recovery and the preservation of healthy parts.
The main and most common cause of diseases and pests is a violation of the conditions of detention and care rules. With increased attention to pets and strict observance of their requirements and preferences, such a danger does not threaten.
Conditions for growing citrus fruits (video)
