Calamondin is an ornamental tree obtained by crossing a kumquat (fortunella) and an ordinary tangerine. Homemade mandarin is the “folk” name of the hybrid, citrofortunella is the scientific name.
The tree has a compact size - the height reaches a meter. The leaves are dark green, glossy. The flowers are small, white, exude a pleasant aroma.
Is it possible to eat the fruits of calamondin?
In place of flowers, small yellow, bright orange ones appear. They are edible, but taste sour, more like lemons, and have many seeds.
Decorative mandarin can be grown even by novice growers. He has bright appearance, pleasant citrus aroma, easy enough to care for, which makes it very popular.
Motherland homemade tangerine is southeast Asia. In order for the fruits to appear, you need to provide warmth and light in abundance. If you do everything right, fruiting will last all year round. Flowering begins at 3-4 years of age.
Calamondin after purchase
Due to its exoticism, pleasant aroma and the presence of fruits, calamondin can be a pleasant gift. If you were gifted with such a tree or you decide to purchase it yourself, be calm: it cannot be called capricious, so caring for the plant will not be difficult.
Adaptation
In the first two weeks after the appearance of citrofortunella in your home, it must be sprayed daily, provide good lighting. The soil also needs to be moistened. It is recommended to transplant the plant after 2 weeks.
Having moved from the store to your home, the indoor tangerine begins to adapt to new conditions. In the early days, the leaves may fall off. In this case, you need to increase the humidity by simply covering the tree with a plastic bag. Do not forget to ventilate daily.
In a flower shop, capsules with growth stimulants are often injected that provide active vegetation and flowering, but this may not be compatible with the conditions of the house / apartment - perhaps the tree will begin to wither before our eyes. An emergency transplant will help here.
Transfer
2 weeks after purchase, indoor tangerine is a must. You need to transplant into a slightly larger pot with new soil. If you find rotten roots, be sure to cut off the damaged areas. In general, you should try not to damage the roots, otherwise the plant may die: it is better to carefully roll over the tree without violating the integrity of the earthy coma.
Overheating of the roots should be avoided: plant immediately in a white pot or wrap the container with a sheet of paper; it is not recommended to immediately put it in a sunny place. When re-transplanting, it is better to save the earth lump as much as possible, adding only a new layer of soil from above, removing a little old one.
How to care for calamondin at home
Location selection
A place for citrofortunella should be chosen with good diffused lighting. The sunny side of the house (east or west) is suitable so that the plant does not suffer from burns, light penetration through a transparent curtain is enough. In winter, the mandarin will miss the natural light. The pot must be placed on the north side and artificial lighting should be applied. From proper lighting fertility depends.
Air temperature and humidity
The air temperature should be moderate. Comfortable for Calamondin in summer temperature regime not higher than 25 ° C, in winter - about 18 ° C. The decrease in temperature in winter corresponds to the habitat conditions of the tree in nature, which will contribute to abundant flowering and subsequent fruiting.
Spray calamondin foliage regularly. Water as soon as it dries upper layer soil by about 0.5 cm. Water for irrigation immediately from the tap with an increased concentration of harmful impurities is detrimental to the plant. Water with warm boiled or filtered water.
In winter, air dryness increases, the number of sprays should be increased so that the beautiful crown does not dry out, but reduce watering.
Crown shaping and pruning
The beautiful rounded shape of the crown contributes to the daily rotation of the pot with the plant literally a few millimeters clockwise. It is impossible to immediately roughly turn a tangerine tree with the opposite side to the light, this can greatly harm it.
The tree will need timely regular pruning:
- To form a beautiful spherical shape, you need a bole (part of the trunk from the ground surface to the crown) about 25 cm long.
- Start forming from the skeletal branches (the largest ones that make up the skeleton of the crown), reaching the branches of the fourth order.
- You need to start the procedure from February, level up until the summer, and in the summer cut off only extra protruding branches.
Bonsai from Calamondin
- To form from room tangerine, it is necessary to leave several branches on one central trunk, and cut and pinch the rest so that they do not grow further.
- The trunk can be beautifully bent using improvised materials: you can tie ropes to branches and fasten them at the base of the pot, as if pulling them down.
- You can use a thick wire for the same purposes: winding it around the branches and the trunk, carefully make bends in the right direction.
- When the trunk and branches become woody and accept desired shape, accessories are removed.
top dressing
Like other plants, during the flowering period, calamondin needs additional minerals and nutrients. In the period March-September, you need to fertilize in 1-1.5 weeks. The rest of the time, monthly top dressing is enough. Feeding mixes can be purchased at any gardening store. "Citrus humus" is especially popular, you can use formulations intended for indoor flowering plants.
Scheduled transplant of homemade mandarin
Young citrofortunellas are transplanted every spring, it is enough to disturb adult specimens every 2-3 years.
- You will need a large pot, because the root system of the mandarin develops well and the tree can reach quite large sizes.
- The root neck should be placed at the same level at which it was before transplantation.
- An earthen ball should not be destroyed much.
- Be sure to arrange drainage at the bottom of the pot, its layer should be about 3 cm. Next, lay the earth mixture of soddy soil, manure and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.
- Carefully transfer the tree from the old pot to the new one, filling the sides with soil and lightly pressing it with your hands.
- Pour a small amount of water, be sure to drain the excess from the pan.
Within 1.5 months after transplantation, the tree is not needed, because new ground sufficiently rich in essential substances.
Reproduction of calomondin
Calomondin can be propagated in the following ways:
- Inoculation.
- Growing from the bone.
- Cuttings.
Any method of reproduction is complex, requiring the expenditure of many forces.
An orange seedling with strong roots that is not afraid of drought is suitable for a scion.
Growing citrofortunella from seed
- pits in a pot are considered the most in a simple way, but in order for them to hatch, the ground must be regularly fertilized with special compounds that promote growth (growth stimulants). It is better to plant one bone at a time in separate cups, be sure to provide drainage: make holes in the bottom if there are none.
- The germination process takes a long time until the seeds germinate, it is better to cover them with a bag and air them daily.
- When the seeds germinate, the bag is removed.
- You need to water regularly, but without fanaticism: excess moisture is fraught with the death of plants.
Cuttings of homemade tangerine
The task is not the easiest, but perhaps the most acceptable for beginner flower growers. Propagation by cuttings has its own nuances.
- You need to choose apical stalk with large internodes and developed leaves.
- Carefully cut off the cutting, hold for several hours, or even a day, in a special root formation stimulator (zircon or root).
- The stalk must be placed in the ground to the level of the petiole of the bottom sheet.
- Top with a cut-off jar to maintain high humidity. plastic bottle or transparent package.
- Within 30 minutes it will be necessary to ventilate daily.
- It is better to water through the pan.
- At proper care in a month the cuttings will take root.
Diseases and pests of calamondin
This indoor culture may be subject to diseases such as anthracnose, gommosis, and soot fungus.
Anthracnose
In which the leaves become covered with yellow spots, which leads to the necrosis of some parts of the plant. If calamondin is not treated in time with a solution of copper sulfate (copper sulfate), then a complete shedding of the leaves will occur.
sooty fungus
It appears as a black film covering the leaves, shoots. The affected areas must be mechanically cleaned of plaque (wipe with a damp sponge). Be sure to treat with infusion of ash, a solution of colloidal sulfur or a special preparation - Fitosporin.
Gommoz
Complete yellowing of the foliage, the fruits become covered with brown spots and lose their taste qualities. All affected parts must be cut out, treat the “wounds” with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.
Pests
Indoor tangerine: aphid, spider mite, false shield, scale insect, whitefly. In the initial stages, you can defeat pests with a simple flush. warm water, but in advanced cases, it is necessary to use insecticides with repeated processing.
Calamondin sheds leaves What to do?
From drafts, lack of lighting, high temperature and dry air, calamondin can shed its leaves.
You need to find a lack of care and eliminate it, then the plant will recover:
- Move the plant away from windows and open doors.
- Place a humidifier nearby.
- Maintain room temperature without sudden changes.
- Provide additional lighting with phytolamps if the room is dark.
- Make an urgent transplant by checking the condition of the roots (if you regularly flooded the plant, it may be affected by rot). Remove all affected areas, treat the plant with a fungicide (for example, phytosporin).
Varieties of Calamondin Citrofortunella microcarpa
Indoor tangerine itself is bred as a hybrid and a large varietal diversity does not have. Breeders have created only a few varieties that have bright foliage And various forms fruits.
The most popular varieties found in flower shops:
- Variegated - the edges of the leaves have a border in the form of an uneven strip of a whitish hue.
- Brindle - leaves are framed thin strip golden color.
Home tangerine in interior design
Calamondins are good in full size, but they can also be shaped like a bonsai.
The fruits are edible. Interestingly, the citrus pulp itself is sour, and the skin is sweetish. You can add dried peel to tea.
Calamondin - decorative tree which anyone can grow at home. Pleasant citrus aroma, beautiful and bright appearance - this is just a small list of reasons why many people fell in love with it. In particular, it can be noted that it is easy to take care of him, so he will not cause problems even for beginners in this matter.
This tree was obtained by crossing a kumquat (another name is fortunella) and an ordinary tangerine. Such hybrid plant received a well-known name - domestic mandarin, in a scientific way it is called citrofortunella, from the name of its ancestors.
As for appearance, it is characterized by relatively small growth - up to a meter. Glossy dark leaves are combined with white flowers that will please their owner with an interesting pleasant aroma. When the flowering period ends, tangerine tree ripen small bright orange or close to yellow fruit. They taste sour, and they have a lot of seeds.
Light and heat-loving calamondin came to us from southeast Asia. For the appearance of tasty fruits, it is necessary to create a suitable climate for the plant, that is, to provide both light and heat in abundance. Calamondin bears fruit all year round if done correctly.
Due to its exoticism, aroma and presence of fruits, homemade tangerine can be a very pleasant gift. If someone suddenly decided to please you with such an unusual gift, or you just never planted such plants, then you don’t have to worry that you will have to watch him 24 hours a day. He is quite unpretentious, and, perhaps, it will be difficult to call him capricious.
As soon as you got this plant in your hands, you need to immediately pay attention to the soil in the pot. It must be constantly hydrated. Within 14 days after buying citrofortunella, you need to spray it daily with a spray bottle and provide the most coverage. Also at this time it should not be transplanted - this is not required. After two weeks, you can already transplant it, but in a pot large sizes.
There are also several nuances about the content of citrofortunella. Firstly, when transplanting, try not to touch the tender roots of a young plant, otherwise it may die without producing fruit. Secondly, the roots can overheat. To avoid this, you can rearrange the pot in a white planter and cover it with a sheet of paper on the sunny side. It is worth noting that it is not necessary to change the soil during transplantation.
Moving from the store to your apartment, calamondin may encounter new conditions and a new atmosphere. Getting used to a new environment - adaptation - can manifest itself in the form of falling leaves in the first days of being in a new place. If this was noticed, it is necessary to create additional air humidity by putting an ordinary plastic bag on the tree. After that, it will need to be aired daily.
Imported plants are popular in flower shops, and homemade tangerine is no exception. Such exotics are grown in conditions specially created for them. It happens that plants are injected with capsules with hormones that are incompatible with the conditions in the apartment. For this reason, the plant may begin to fade before our eyes, which means that it is worth taking action quickly: transplant it into another soil and pot and turn Special attention to the roots. If they are rotten, you need to cut off these areas.
Location and lighting
It is very important to properly plan the place where citrofortunella will stand. The room should be well lit with natural, but slightly diffused light, so it is better to place the pot on the sunny side of the apartment (west or east), but cover it with a transparent curtain from direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
In winter, the tangerine will really miss the light, so you should put a lamp next to it to create artificial lighting, while moving the pot to the north side of the apartment is the most a good option to place the tree. Only in the presence of light will the plant bear fruit.
Temperature
When getting yourself a citrofortunella, you need to remember that she loves moderate heat and moisture, as described above. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature and humidity. In summer, a mandarin can live in a room where the temperature does not exceed +25 degrees Celsius, and in winter - up to +18 degrees. The lower temperature in winter time corresponds to the real temperature in natural conditions, moreover, this decrease provokes a greater number of flowers and, as a result, fruits.
Watering and humidity
Calamondin foliage needs to be sprayed regularly and not allowed to dry out, and the soil needs to be watered frequently. As soon as the soil becomes at least half a centimeter dry, you need to repeat watering. Tap water is not suitable for sensitive calamondin, because it contains a high concentration of various impurities, including alkalis, which are very harmful to the plant. It is necessary to water it with either boiled warm water or water from a filter.
With the onset of winter, the number and frequency of watering is reduced, while increasing the number of sprayings, because at such a time of the year as winter, which is characterized by particularly dry air, it is necessary to carefully control the drying of the crown.
If you want to form a beautiful rounded crown shape with your new green friend, then you must remember to turn the pot clockwise a few millimeters once a day. But you should not rudely unfold it immediately with a completely different side to the light - this greatly harms the tangerine.
Top dressings and fertilizers
Calamondin like any other flowering plant, during flowering, it needs additional minerals and nutrients, so from March to September, you need to additionally fertilize the ground once a week and a half. At any other time, this should not be done so often, once a month is sufficient.
Specialty horticultural stores provide their customers with mixtures to feed your tree. It can also be purchased online for free. The most effective and popular fertilizer for calamondin can be called Citrus Humus. It contains many useful microelements, humic substances in a large dosage. On the other hand, you can simply purchase formulations for flowering houseplants.
Transfer
To transplant a tangerine tree, you will need a large pot, because it can have a very developed large root system. In addition, citrofortunella from a small tree can grow into a tree large enough for its species. It is necessary to pay attention to the position of the root collar relative to the ground in the old pot and ensure exactly the same, only in the new one. During transplantation, do not particularly touch the clod of earth with roots, so as not to damage anything. Drainage must be of exceptional quality.
Within a month and a half, the tangerine does not need to be fertilized, as a new fresh soil enriched with useful substances and minerals.
To lay the soil in a pot, you need to start with drainage. Lay it around the perimeter of the bottom with a layer of up to three centimeters. Next - a mixture of different soil. Soddy land, manure and sand are well suited for citrofortunella; their proportion is approximately 2:1:1.
If the plant is still young, then it needs to be transplanted quite often: every spring. An adult tree does not require such frequent transfers only once every 2-3 years is enough.
Citrofortunella pruning
All plants require timely regular pruning. To form a beautiful spherical foliage, you need a stem a quarter of a meter high. At the top are skeletal branches, followed by the formation of branches an order of magnitude higher. It is necessary to reach the branches of the 4th order, then the crown can be considered complete. The time for pruning begins in February, until the summer they level, and in the summer they cut off the extra protruding branches.
There are 3 types of reproduction of citrofortunella:
- Graft.
- Bones from fruits are planted in the ground.
- Cut cuttings with several buds.
It is necessary to immediately clarify that the reproduction of homemade mandarin is difficult and you will have to give it a lot of effort.
As for grafting, an orange seedling that is not afraid of drought and has strong roots is well suited for this case.
Planting seeds in a pot is considered by people to be the easiest way of all, however, it takes a lot of time. In order for your new tree to hatch into the light, you need to regularly fertilize the ground with special compounds for plant growth.
In the latter case, several small parts when propagating mandarin by cuttings:
- First you need to determine the stalk from the top of the crown with developed leaves and large internodes.
- Next, you need to prepare a growth stimulator, which can perfectly serve as root or zircon. In it for a couple of seconds you need to dip the stalk.
- Prepare the ground and insert the cutting into it at the level of the petiole of the lowest leaf.
- This design requires maximum humidity. It can be provided by a jar on top or a plastic bag.
- The resulting greenhouse should be ventilated daily for half an hour, but no more.
Roots germinate in less than a month with proper care.
Your indoor tree is prone to various diseases, such as sooty fungus, anthracnose and gummosis. Sooty fungus appears as a blackening of the main part of the leaves and shoots, which spoils the overall pretty appearance of the tangerine. To defeat this disease, you need to regularly wipe the leaves and shoots from black plaque. Fitosporin solution in a spray bottle can also effectively cope with the misfortune.
Anthracnose also affects the leaves, but in the end they are not covered with a film, but with yellow spots, causing the necrosis of some parts of Calamondin. Untimely assistance can lead to the reset of part of the crown. A solution of copper sulfate or, in the people, blue vitriol can save mandarin from anthracnose.
Gommosis can cause complete yellowing of the entire tree. The disease goes from bottom to top: from the bottom of the trunk to branches, leaves and even fruits. First you need to cut out all the affected areas of the mandarin, then start healing the wounds with copper sulfate.
Excessive wind, lack of natural light and heat environment can cause calamondin to shed its leaves. In such a case, the owner should pay attention to what turned out to be wrong and correct it.
Summing up, we can answer the most common question among "apartment" gardeners about whether tangerines growing on calamondin are edible. They are more than edible, but taste more like a lemon than a tangerine. Their main advantage is a bright appearance.
Decorative mandarin Calamondin (video)
Citrus calamondin is valued for its decorative effect, frost resistance and unpretentiousness to growing conditions. This plant grows well in an apartment on the windowsill. It is placed in greenhouses, greenhouses, loggias and south windows.
Calamondin at home reaches a height of no more than 1 m. The tree is grown in pots and containers. With proper care, Citrofortunella pleases the eye with its appearance, blooms profusely and bears fruit all year round.
Is it possible to eat the fruits of citrofortunella calamondin?
The fruits of calamondin citrofortunella are edible, they can be eaten fresh, but unlike other citrus fruits, it is better to use this fruit with the peel. The taste of calamondin mandarin can be sour and bitter. The sweet skin softens the bitterness and makes the taste of the fruit sweet and sour.
Despite the fact that the plant is frost-resistant, it is better to grow it in warm conditions, at a temperature of 20-25 0 C, with an air humidity of about 70%. Strong heat, as well as excessively low temperatures, citrus does not tolerate. The roots and crown of the tree should be in the same temperature conditions. If the temperature in the root zone is lower than in the crown zone, the roots will not have time to absorb moisture, otherwise the roots will absorb too much of it. Such a difference will lead to plant stress and leaf fall.
If the roots absorb a large number of moisture that the leaves cannot consume, dropsy will develop: hard growths will appear on the underside of the leaf. After this disease, the appearance of the leaves is not restored.
In winter, in order for the tree to rest, it is removed into a room (loggia or greenhouse) with a temperature of 10 - 15 0 C. When wintering in warm apartment the window sill is fenced off from the room with a thick film so that the required temperature is established inside. Vacation lasts from November to mid-February. By the beginning of March, the plant wakes up. After spending the winter at rest, the tree begins to actively grow and bear fruit. In the absence of a cool wintering, indoor calamondin lives no more than 4 years, quickly depletes and dies.
Flowering home citrus begins in early spring, fruiting in late September. Fruit ripening lasts 5-9 months. The fruits can hang on the tree until the next harvest.
Caring for citrofortunella calamondin at home: how to water
Like any houseplant, calamondin citrofortunella requires regular care, which provides for timely transplants, fertilizing, watering, maintaining a certain temperature, air humidity and illumination.
How to water calamondin? This question is important when growing this crop, because it tropical plant needs abundant watering and spraying. However, it should be remembered that stagnant moisture negatively affects the root system and the development of the tree, so it is watered as the earthen clod dries. Watering is carried out with warm, settled water without chlorine. In winter, they monitor the condition of the soil in the pot, make sure that it does not dry out. During the rest period, water for irrigation should be cool so that the plant does not “wake up” ahead of time.
All year round citrus trees provide good lighting without direct sun rays. Ideal lighting in summer can be created by placing the pot on a windowsill facing southwest or southeast. In winter, it is preferable to remove citrofortunella to the north side or in partial shade. In warm weather, the plant is taken out into the street, but placed away from direct sunlight. If you leave calamondin in strong sunlight, the leaves will soon begin to turn yellow and fall off. In addition, through the walls of the pot heated by the sun, the roots can get burned, as a result of which the temperature balance of the roots and crown will be disturbed. Lack of moisture and an excess of light negatively affect the fruiting of the crop. A sign of a lack of light is the appearance of excessively large leaves, as well as yellowing and fall of foliage. If the light is too bright, the leaves become pale or discolored.
In autumn, when calamondin returns to its original place, in some cases, abundant leaf fall is observed, which is the reaction of the plant to a sharp change in conditions.
The citrofortunella calamondin plant, which is cared for in accordance with the recommendations, needs regular fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Top dressing is carried out 1-2 times a month. Nutrients are required by the root system and the ground part of the plant, so fertilizers are dissolved in water and the tree is sprayed with a spray gun. With a lack of nutrients, the plant can get sick and weaken. Feeding is especially important during the period of active growth and flowering. The intensity of feeding depends on the age and condition of the citrus.
When feeding a plant, it should be remembered that an excess of fertilizer leads to a burn of the roots and improper development of the crop, and sometimes to its death. Excess fertilizer usually appears on the leaves: a dry edge forms along the edge of the leaf. In order to avoid an overdose, it is recommended to use special ones with microelements for citrus fruits, for example, "Garden of Miracles - Lemon", "Planet of Flowers", "Flower Happiness" and others.
It is impossible to feed a heavily crumbling tree, since top dressing made at this time can harm the plant.
Pruning calamondin at home
Care for calamondin at home includes the correct formation of the crown.
In order to form a beautiful and compact crown, first a stem 20-25 cm high is formed, skeletal branches are placed at the top of the stem, then branches of a higher order are formed. With the appearance of branches of the fourth order, the formation of the crown is considered complete.
Trimming calamondin at home is carried out in early February. In summer, long and fattening shoots are shortened.
You can form a symmetrical crown of a tree in the following way: daily turn the pot 1-2 degrees around its axis.
To keep the leaves fresh and bright, the crown is regularly sprayed with warm water.
Citrus calamondins (citrofortunella) are exotic fruits that can be grown at home. They usually grow up to 40-45 centimeters tall in a one liter pot, so this standard plant is great for a small space. These trees are hardy, adapt to the cold and can withstand temperatures as low as -6°C. They are hybrids of the mandarin and the kumquat (yellow-orange tropical fruit).
Calamondin is perfectly adapted for growing at home.
Calamondin trees are grown throughout South Asia, Malaysia, India and the Philippines, where their sap is used. These citrus fruits were introduced from China to the US around 1900. In the US, they are used primarily for decorative purposes. Since the 1960s, potted calamondin citrus trees have been shipped from South Florida to other states. North America for growing as houseplants.
Description of Calamondin
Calamondin trees are small, dense evergreens, from 90 centimeters to 1.2 meters in height. The woody stem of this dwarf citrus tree is densely covered with oval, glossy green leaves. You can expect an abundance of flowers and fruits after the second year of growth of Calamondin.
On the branches of growing citrus trees there are small thorns, on which white, star-shaped flowers with a pleasant aroma appear in summer. Over time, these flowers become small orange fruits (2.5–5 cm in diameter) resembling a tangerine crossed with a lemon. Fruits ripen slowly, their color changes from dark green to bright orange.
The segmented fruits are seedless and very acidic. But do not rush to collect fruit. They can hang on a tree for a long time without falling off or spoiling, so you can enjoy their beauty for several months.
Citrofortunella is one of the hardiest citrus varieties. The fruits of this plant appear in the spring months and can be stored until winter. These fruits can be used to make drinks in the same way that lemons or limes are used. They also make marmalade, jellies and cakes. You can use them instead of lemons recipes, since both fruits are the same in their acidity.
Calamondins are used in cooking instead of lemons.
How to grow calamondin
This hardy ornamental evergreen citrus makes a great addition to the home garden, which is why many gardeners wonder how to care for calamondin at home. If you live in a cold climate region, then this specimen is one of the few citrus trees you can grow outside. Calamondin trees can grow even in the shade. They are drought tolerant but need to be watered anyway to avoid damaging stress.
Calamondins propagate through seed sowing or by rooting thin cuttings in spring period or denser cuttings in summer. They can also be bud-grafted to the stem. The flowers do not require cross-pollination and will produce fruit at two years of age, continuing to produce nearly all year round.
Calamondin bears fruit all year round
What you need for boarding
- Big pot.
- A mixture of purchased ground soils.
- Organic supplements or slow release fertilizers.
- Insecticide (optional).
- Secateurs.
Hint: place flower pot onto a tray with wheels or into a trolley for easy movement. This acquisition will facilitate the care of the tree.
Calamondin prefers large pots
Caring for calamondin trees at home
Although calamondin trees can be grown indoors, they are best suited for growing outdoors in partial shade or full sun. Caring for citrofortunella is to fulfill the following conditions:
- Light. Give the tree as much as possible sunlight throughout the year (at least 4 hours of direct sunlight every day). Rotate the plant a quarter of a turn every week because it will grow rapidly towards the light source and its trunk will twist. During the warmer months, it is best to move the tree outdoors to give it room to grow.
- Temperature. The most suitable temperature is 18-24 °C. In winter, this tree can withstand a minimum of 10°C, but any temperature below 12°C will adversely affect the growth of the tree.
- Watering. It is impossible to flood the plant too much, so that the roots do not rot. Before watering, the soil should dry to a depth of 2.5 centimeters.
- Humidity. In a place where citrus grows, there should be moderate humidity. Dry air causes flowers to drop. Place the container or flower pot on a tray of damp pebbles to increase the humidity.
- The soil. For calamondin, any good mixture of earth is suitable, you can buy it ready-made or mix it yourself by buying soil different kind. Use a soil mix designed for potted plants and not the soil from the garden.
- Fertilizer. The best and most suitable for citrofortunella is organic fertilizer from fruit trees. It contains all the nutrients necessary for the healthy growth of citrus roots and promotes the growth of the tree and its fruits. When fertilizing calamondin during the winter, use a single-use, water-soluble fertilizer approximately every five weeks. Then in early spring add a slow release fertilizer and continue to fully fertilize the soil with a water soluble fertilizer every month during the growing season.
- Purity. Make sure that the leaves are not covered with dust. This prevents infestation by mites or other pests. Check the tree's foliage regularly for them. When they appear, treat the leaves chemicals by following the directions on the package. But this must be done before the leaves begin to fall. Important Note: If you plan on eating fruit, be very careful when spraying pesticides to avoid poisoning them. Reapply natural organic insecticides whenever possible to prevent the introduction of new pests.
- Reproduction. Take stem cuttings at the beginning of summer. With a sharp knife or blade, cut off 10 centimeters of stem with at least 2-3 leaf nodes without flowers or fruit. Dip the end of the trimmings into the hormone powder for the soak before inserting it into the wet mixture. Then invest in plastic bag to maintain moisture. The cutting planted in the substrate will begin to grow in about 6-8 weeks, developing roots and buds.
- Collection of fruits. Harvest the fruits by cutting them with scissors so as not to damage the stem. Fruits are best eaten shortly after harvest or kept cold as they rot quickly at high temperatures.
Compared to others citrus trees Calamondin is easy to care for. Follow the necessary rules for growing this plant, and citrofortunella will bear fruit and bloom all year round.
Calamondin loves constant but moderate humidity.
Citrofortunella bears fruit at the age of two. Pay attention to the age of the plant when you buy it. You can buy annual seedlings for cheap, but once purchased, it will take a lot longer for you to enjoy the ripe fruit.
When the plant grows in spring, it is necessary to shorten it so that it does not become too large. Pruning long branches in spring will encourage new branches to grow just below the cut. Dried or diseased branches should be removed. Cut the stems at an angle just above the leaf node (where the leaf attaches to the stem).
Repot young trees every 2-3 years. Plants will not bloom if there is not enough space for them. At first, it is worth growing calamondins in small containers. Use a pot of about 15 cm until the plants are three or four years old. And then transplant them into a 20 cm container. Always use a pot with a drainage hole to prevent root rot.
For fruiting, the plant must be pollinated. Calamondin trees that are grown indoors must be handled by hand.
Use a small, dry brush to fertilize each flower. Move the brush around the center of each flower, moving from one flower to another. This is how you transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers, just like bees do.
If you moved the plant indoors for the winter, then after warming, put it on open air not immediately possible. Take the citrus outside at night for about a month. And when calamondin adapts to the temperature, you can leave it in the fresh air for the whole day. Remember that indoors, any extra light and humidity you can provide will be good for your tree.
In order for indoor plants to look good and retain their attractiveness, it is important to properly care for them - replant and fertilize them in a timely manner, provide full lighting, temperature control and the necessary air humidity. And with exotic indoor plants More often than not, things are not easy. They need a special approach. Just such cultures include Citrofortunella, also known as Calamondin. That's why there are two names of this plant in the title! So, let's talk about the Citrofortunella plant and take care of it at home, and also try to clarify if the Calamondin flower sheds leaves, then what to do with it?
Calamondin belongs to citrus crops. This plant is popular among flower growers due to its decorative effect, unpretentiousness and frost resistance. It is believed that this culture can grow without problems on the windowsill of an ordinary city apartment. But you still need to take care of it properly.
Temperature regime
Citrofortunella is considered a frost-resistant plant. But it is best to provide such a flower with enough warm conditions content - within 20 - 25C.
The optimum air humidity for Calamondin is seventy percent. The flower does not react very favorably to heat and cold. For its successful growth and development, it is important that the roots of such a plant and its crown are located in the same temperature conditions.
Wintering
In the cold season, citrofortunella needs to provide a good rest. To do this, the pot with the plant should be transferred to a heated loggia or to a greenhouse, where the temperature is maintained from 10 to 15C. If the tree hibernates on the windowsill, it should be fenced off well from the room, using a thick film. This will help to create the necessary temperature around Calamondin and maintain it. Rest should last from November to the fifteenth of February.
Toward the beginning of March, citrofortunella, transferred to comfortable temperature, awakens. A complete winter holiday provides active growth and development of indoor citrus, contributes to its flowering and fruiting. If calamondin does not hibernate in coolness, it will not be able to live more than four years, it will quickly become exhausted and die.
indoor citrus begins to bloom in the first month of spring, and gives fruit towards the end of September. It is worth noting that the fruits need about five to nine months to fully mature. Sometimes they remain on the branches until the next harvest.
Features of watering calamondin
Home Citrofortunella needs abundant watering and systematic spraying. But at the same time, it is important to take into account that moisture stagnation can greatly harm such a flower, cause rotting of the root system and adversely affect the development of the tree. That is why watering should be carried out after the earth ball dries out a little.
For irrigation, it is best to use warm, settled water, which does not contain chlorine.
During the wintering period, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the earthy coma in a pot with a plant. It must not dry out. While the flower is resting, it should be watered less often, using cool water.
Lighting and location
Regardless of the time of year, citrofortunella needs sufficient lighting. But the direct rays of the sun can harm her. It is believed that it is best to put a pot with such a plant on a windowsill that faces southwest or southeast. And in the cold season, it is desirable to provide Citrofortunella with partial shade or move it to the north side.
Keep in mind that with homemade calamondin, which is in the sun, the leaves may become covered with burns, and the roots may also suffer from overheating.
Feeding features
Citrofortunella needs regular application mineral fertilizers. So, it is advisable to feed her once or twice a month. Both the root system of the plant and its crown need nutrients. Therefore, calamondin lovers are often advised to dilute fertilizers in water and spray the tree using a spray gun. Nutrient deficiency is fraught with the occurrence of diseases and weakness of citrofortunella. For top dressing, it is worth using special complex formulations for citrus fruits.
Keep in mind that fertilizers should not be applied when the tree is crumbling heavily.
Pruning and transplant
Calamondin should be cut in early February at the end of wintering. In the hot season, shortening of long and fattening shoots is allowed.
Transplantation must be carried out in bulk pots by transshipment. For citrofortunella, a combination of peat with soddy and leafy soil, sand and manure humus is excellent. You can use ready-made soil mixture for citrus fruits. It is important for the plant to have good drainage.
Why Citrofortunella sheds leaves?
Most often, calamondin leaves fall off due to insufficient proper care:
Overdrying or waterlogging;
Excessive dryness of the air;
Lack of lighting;
Nutrient deficiencies;
Lack of full wintering.
By improving the care of the plant, you can cope with the problem of falling leaves.
It is worth remembering that sometimes dropping leaves with citrofortunella is absolutely normal. A similar situation is observed when the plant is moved and when the ambient temperature changes.
Dropping leaves can also be explained by the attack of pests:
Spider mite;
Shields;
Mealy bug.
Sometimes leaf fall is caused by some diseases:
Sooty fungus (for treatment, you need to use Fitosporin);
Anthracnose (for treatment, spraying with Bordeaux liquid should be carried out).
