The variety of citrus trees in nature is amazing. People actively eat the fruits of these plants, because they are rich in useful components. But some grow citrus plants at home, moreover, you can even regularly get fruits from such plants.
In this article I will tell you which citrus indoor plants are most popular among gardeners. I will also outline the features of growing citrus trees at home.
There are several types of citrus fruits you can choose to grow at home. All these plants are unpretentious, not demanding of any specific conditions. And yet, like any other indoor flowers, citrus trees have certain characteristics.
Mandarin
An amazing plant that can become a real decoration for the interior of a house or room. The main advantage of the tangerine is its lush green crown. If the growing conditions are met, the tree will begin to actively bear fruit.
Features of growing tangerine:
- abundant and regular watering, mandatory alternation of watering and spraying;
- regular application of root fertilizers, especially during flowering and fruiting periods;
- timely formation of a green crown.
Despite its beauty and grace, tangerine also has a major drawback - the fruits of this tree are very sour, so it is almost impossible to eat them.
- Kovano-Vase;
- Sochinsky-23.
Orange
Many people have tried to grow a citrus tree from a seed. If you conduct a similar experiment with an orange seed, you can get a positive result - after some time a young shoot will appear from the ground, which, if certain growing conditions are met, will soon turn into a luxurious tree.
In most cases orange trees grown for beauty, not for fruit. It's important to remember that ornamental plant does not differ in increased productivity.
The features of growing an orange at home are approximately the same as when growing a tangerine.
The only thing you need to pay attention to is that an orange requires a larger 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:
- Pear-shaped kinglet;
- Pavlovsky;
- Adjarian seedless;
- Gamplin.
Lemon
You can often find decorative lemons on the windowsills of apartments and houses. Flower growers love this citrus tree for its unpretentiousness and beauty.
- Maikopsky;
- 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 in external parameters resembles a lemon, but only with spherical fruits;
- Limequat is a cross between a lime and a kumquat.
- Clementine is a hybrid of tangerine and orange.
- Ponderosa is a hybrid of lime and pomelo.
- Calamondin is a hybrid of kumquat and mandarin.
- Orange is a cross between an orange and a kumquat.
Features of growing citrus fruits 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
Low or too high air temperatures will negatively 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 should not be exposed to sudden changes temperature conditions, this may result in the leaves being shed.
In summer or late spring, the citrus tree can be placed on the balcony, but it is important to protect it from open sun rays, which can burn the leaves, which will also trigger leaf fall.
Illumination
In nature, citrus fruits grow in hot regions and are constantly exposed to the scorching rays of the sun. But at home, such conditions cannot be created for a flower. The plant must be placed in a 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 a 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. There must be a layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the flowerpot; moisture should not be allowed to accumulate at the roots.
IN winter time Every year, watering is reduced, but it is necessary to avoid drying out the soil. If the plant is located near heating devices, it should be regularly sprayed with warm, settled water.
- moderate watering;
- preventing soil drying out;
- regular spraying in the evening.
Fertilizers
Root feeding is carried out only during the period of plant activity, that is, from the beginning of March to mid-September. During the dormant period (winter), citrus fruits do not need additional nutrients.
Fertilizer options for citrus trees:
- Baikal;
- Vostok-EM1;
- Revival.
Bottom line
- 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 fruits can be grown at home - right on your windowsill. Although this is a troublesome task, it brings a lot of pleasure!
What citrus fruits can be grown at home?
The most common citrus crop is lemon.
Lemon is found not only in residential premises, but also in offices of administrative buildings. Everything about lemon is beneficial: the fruits, rich in vitamin C, and the leaves, which emit phytoncides, enriching the air.
A little less often you can see oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, citrons, pomelo and even limes, which are quite suitable for growing at home, on window sills, on tables and cabinets. All these exotic plants can produce quite tasty fruits, but only if you take proper care of them.
Choosing a place
Citrus lovers are partly 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, you should not place plants near it (with the exception of lemon and citron).
It's all in the pot
You need to take a responsible approach to choosing dishes for your exotic food. The best option for placing citrus fruits is a pot made of unglazed baked clay, as well as tightly packed wooden tubs, selected according to the size of the root system. But no matter what the pot is - clay, 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 buy 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 fruits at home– air humidity, soil and the presence of fertilizers. Periodic spraying warm water- this is the minimum that will allow the plant to feel comfortable.
As for soil moisture, there are some nuances here. You should not use water for irrigation that has just been taken from the tap. Citrus fruits should be watered with water that has settled for several days, and even with a couple of drops of vinegar added to it. If fruits are definitely included in your plans, then fertilizing should be first on the list of tasks for the citrus plant. All exotics simply love fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, and they also love organic matter. You can fertilize from February until the start of the dormant period.
How to propagate a citrus tree at home?
It is still problematic to purchase seedlings of such crops, and they are not cheap.
The easiest way is to sow seeds. It seems that it could be simpler - we bought a fruit at the market or in a store, took out a seed, placed it in the soil, 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 receive a plant, it will delight us only with its green mass, but we will either have to wait a very long time for flowering, and even more so for fruits (from 7 to 1 5 years), or not at all, because many plants grown from seeds even Being large shrubs, for some reason they stubbornly do not bloom.
Such seedlings are only suitable for a rootstock, and the scion can be any shoot that you, having asked the owner’s permission, cut from a fruiting tree.
Transplanting citrus fruits
Grafting is a complicated matter; it is much easier to root a cutting taken from a fruit-bearing tree. For rooting, take apical cuttings 12-15 cm long, place them in river sand, moisten them and cover them with glass or plastic bottle. Optimal temperature for rooting - 20-25 degrees. Place the pot with the cutting, covered with a jar, in a well-lit place, but so that the sun's rays do not fall directly on it.
The cuttings need to be sprayed periodically, constantly keeping the soil moist. Typically, after 35-54 days, the cutting will have a well-developed root system and can be transplanted into a citrus mixture.
The main thing when replanting 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 weight and their roots become cramped in the container, it is necessary to replant them.
Fertilizers for citrus fruits at home
As organic fertilizers, you can use settled slurry that does not emit unpleasant odor. 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 mid-summer. From mineral fertilizers use potassium nitrate - 50 g of nitrate per liter of water, before adding 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 cuttings
Citrus crops are usually propagated by grafting or rooting cuttings to produce fruit-bearing plants. The first method requires experience and skill. The second does not apply to all plants. Thus, tangerines, kumquats and limes practically do not take root at all. A little 
Oranges and grapefruits behave better. So, what is better – grafting or cuttings?
Citrus cuttings
If you are doing cuttings, then you should focus on lemons, citrons and pomelo. They can be rooted in different substrates; I use vermiculite for this. I first soak the cuttings for 10-12 hours in a concentrated solution of Heteroauxin - dilute 1 tablet in 500 ml of water. Cuttings rooted from May to September take root best.
Vaccinations take root better and grow together in the same time frame. Another important role here is played by quality material. The rootstock and scion must be healthy, without obvious signs pests and diseases. In addition, they must be compatible with each other. My own experience. A year and a half ago, I ordered a Lisbon lemon by mail. The seller said that it was grafted onto a lemon seedling. For a long time the plant practically did not develop.
I concluded that the problem was the incompatibility of the scion with the rootstock. And I decided to experiment and regraft the Lisbon lemon onto another variety - Macrophylla. Moreover, I just had a rootstock of the required diameter, obtained by cuttings. I was vaccinated using the cleft method in the spring of 2016. The fusion of the rootstock and scion occurred very quickly, within a month. After this, the lemon actively began to grow and quickly overtook the plant from which the scion was taken. This is clearly visible in the photograph.
Rootstock and scion
Both a seedling grown from seeds and an already rooted cutting, taken, for example, after formative pruning of a particular citrus, can be used as a rootstock.
It is believed that a 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 need to get vaccinated soon? It takes a very long time to wait for a seed to grow into a full-fledged seedling of the required diameter. Therefore, in this case, you can use a rootstock from a rooted cutting. And, in my opinion, it is no worse, and maybe even better, than the seedling.
Personally, I like to use Macrophylla variety lemon as a rootstock, which I specially cut into cuttings for subsequent grafting. They take root very quickly and just as quickly grow the root system. Citrus fruits grafted onto Macrophylla grow together very quickly and immediately begin to grow.
Returning to the question posed at the beginning of the story, what is better - grafting or cuttings? – I will say that I was never able to give a definite answer. In some cases, it is more advisable to use grafting, and in others, cuttings. It all depends on individual characteristics plants. But the most important thing is that you should not 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 scent
We have New Year always associated with the smell of citrus. But almost any of their types and varieties grow well, bloom and bear fruit in the microclimate of apartments and winter gardens. The quality of the fruit when fully ripe is excellent, and the yield only increases over the years. How to achieve this? Our experts will reveal secrets, share experience, advice, and tips.
The genus Citrus includes a huge number cultivated plants of the Rutaceae family - evergreen shrubs or trees. They bloom profusely with fragrant flowers and produce edible berry-like fruits. Most famous representatives- orange, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, pamelo, lime, kincan, calamondin.
HOW TO REPRODUCT
Citrus fruits are propagated by seeds (sown at any time of the year), cuttings and grafting.
And although you can grow a beautiful tree from seeds, the seedling will bloom no earlier than in 8-10 years.
To get fruits, you should purchase grafted plants from 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 they need to be taken from a fruit-bearing specimen.
After rooting cuttings 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 in the 3-4th year of life, when the trees have developed and become stronger.
CONDITIONS ARE THE SAME FOR EVERYONE
For these subtropical crops, a cool dormant period (about +10 degrees) is desirable in winter. However, they do not have leaf fall, like pomegranates or figs. 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 need 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 “bath” procedures are required. Air humidity - 75-85%.
During flowering and fruiting, which require large amounts of nutrition, plants are fed with complex humate fertilizers at least 2 times a month. The best option nutritional mixtures - ready for citrus fruits. During winter rest, fertilizers are not applied.
Plants develop well in fertile soil, rich in humus and humus. Both garden soil and special soil substrates are suitable.
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 - treatment with appropriate preparations should be carried out at least once a month.
Sergey RYZHOV, agronomist scientist, collector of exotic plants, director of the Exotic Garden nursery, Sochi.
Transfer
Young citrus plants are replanted by careful handling soon after purchase (then annually in the spring), since the peat soil dries out easily, and there is a threat of drying out the plant, and the roots, tightly entwined in the lump, can get burned from heating the pot in the sun. To a ready-made substrate for citrus fruits, for example, “Lemon,” add coarse sand or perlite for looseness and a little turf soil, the amount of which in the mixture can be gradually increased during subsequent transplants. Older specimens are replanted once every 3-4 years; for larger ones, they are replaced annually instead of replanting. upper layer soil, adding coarse sand or perlite and turf or leaf 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 CUTTINGS...
Cut off a mature (about 6 months old) young shoot, which has turned from angular to round. It is important that it is in the dormant stage, otherwise the likelihood of rooting is very low.
The branch is divided into segments with 3-4 leaves, the bottom leaf is removed, and an oblique cut is made under the bud. It is useful to lightly scratch the bark with a thin, clean needle and dip the cuttings in Kornevina powder. They are planted in sterile soil made of peat and sand, deepened to the next leaf. Root at a temperature of about +25 degrees, in a greenhouse, preferably with bottom heating, in bright diffused lighting (fluorescent lighting can be used). If the greenhouse is humid, it is better to leave the leaves without shortening them - they will serve as a source of nutrients. If the shelter is not tightly sealed, the two bottom sheets are cut in half. Rooting lasts from 2 weeks to 1-2 months, sometimes longer.
...AND SEEDS
Citrus seeds germinate quickly, usually within a month. The seedlings grow well, are quite unpretentious, and release useful phytoncides. By pruning you can form beautiful trees.
SECRETS OF FRUIT BEARING
Many indoor citrus fruits are characterized by remontancy - the ability to bloom and set fruit several times a year. Optimal conditions for flower development - temperature + 18 degrees, and air humidity about 70%. The flowers are bisexual and in many varieties are self-pollinating, but to ensure reliable fruit set, it is better to resort to artificial pollination using 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 specific variety, and can hang on the tree until the next harvest.
CUTTING AND SHAPING
To give a beautiful and compact appearance, I form the crown of citrus fruits. Best time for pruning at the end of the winter rest period (beginning of February). In summer, branches that are too long and fattening should be shortened.
Different species and varieties have their own way of growing. Thus, lemon does not branch very readily, and it is difficult to form a compact tree from it. The orange grows powerfully upward - regular shortening pruning is required. The tangerine's crown thickens quickly, and it is necessary to cut out some of the shoots growing inward. Kumquat grows compactly, requiring virtually no pruning. It is not often necessary to prune calamondin - young seedlings almost immediately take on a beautiful shape.
Citrus seedlings should be formed from the age of one year; if by this time they have reached at least 30 cm, the top of their head is cropped.
Everyone's favorite "New Year's fruit" - tangerine 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. For nail fungus - long-term.
Colds, ARVI with high fever, cough, bronchitis, bronchial asthma: drink warmed and slightly diluted juice with water, 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 following a diet.
Mandarin is useful for anemia, hypertension, atherosclerosis, overweight, flu, swelling of the legs, joints and skin diseases, tumors of various organs, metabolic disorders, decreased vision, intestinal candidiasis, helminths.
Attention! Tangerines and their juice are contraindicated for stomach ulcers, acute nephritis, exacerbation of colitis, hepatitis, cholecystitis and gastritis with high acidity of gastric juice.
Dina BALYASOVA, Doctor of Chemistry. sciences,
Growing tangerine at home
Homemade tangerine- photo Did you know that the mandarin, familiar to everyone, came to Europe only in the 19th century? A hundred years ago it was almost unknown to the general public, but now we simply cannot imagine life without its fruits. In an incredibly short period of time, tangerine spread throughout the planet and won universal love and recognition of humanity.
The amazing story of the mandarin
In fact, tangerine has been cultivated for several thousand years. Its culture is almost as ancient as grapes, and perhaps even older, since wild tangerines are unknown to botanical science. Only its cultural forms have reached us. At the same time, tangerines for many centuries were available to a limited circle of people - they were grown in the gardens of mandarins, wealthy dignitaries of imperial China (hence the well-known name of the culture).
Mandarin is believed to originate in Southeast Asia, an area now part of India. There is no exact data on exactly when it migrated from China to the West. According to one story, its trees were brought with them by Portuguese missionaries returning from the colonies; according to another version, a tangerine plant in a tub was given to Napoleon Bonaparte. But one way or another, he got to Europe and conquered it.
Today, in Asian countries, the first place in growing tangerines is occupied by Japan, followed by China in second place, then India and others. On the European continent man-
Mandarin blooms in January-February
Mandarin yield is impressive
pot culture. By the way, tangerine turned out to be the most unpretentious. compared to other citrus crops, and it is much easier to grow in protected soil than the same lemons and oranges.
Let's raise him!
Mandarins can be purchased at a specialty store or grown yourself.
After purchasing a plant, it must be kept “in quarantine” for several days, separately from others. indoor plants to make sure that no harmful insects entered the house along with the tree.
This crop is propagated in the spring, by seeds and grafting.
The optimal temperature for growing tangerine is 16-18 °C. In winter, it is best to place the pots on well-lit, south-facing windows, and rotate them from time to time so that the crown is formed evenly (except for the period of flowering and fruiting, when it is better to leave them alone). In summer, it is advisable to shade plants from direct sunlight and also protect them from drafts.
A tangerine tree in protected ground can reach from 0.8 to 1.5 m in height. It blooms in winter, in January-February. At this time, a delicate aroma spreads throughout the room. Fruits thickly. The fruits set during self-pollination and remain on the branches for several months.
Young tangerine trees have a crown formed before fruiting begins. Remove dry shoots that are too long, thicken branches and grow inside the crown. The crown of young and fruit-bearing tangerine trees must be sprayed with water several times a week. If necessary - with complex fertilizer(the consumption rate is indicated on the drug packaging). Mandarins are fertilized from the second decade of February to September.
As the trees grow, they need to be transplanted into larger containers. The best time for transplantation is spring, from March to May. Before transplanting, the 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 trunk 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 add and compact the soil, but make sure that the root collar remains at the same level; it cannot be covered. After replanting, the trees are carefully watered again, the spout of the watering can is kept closer to the surface of the soil so that the stream of water does not knock the soil out of the pot and expose the root collar and roots of the plant. Subsequent watering is carried out as the top layer of soil dries.
This is interesting
The tradition of giving tangerines for the New Year is almost as old as the culture itself; it originated 1000 years BC. The Chinese, when they came to visit, presented their owners with two tangerines as a gift, and when they went home, in turn, they received another two tangerines from them. Word for a pair of tangerines 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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Fruit crops occupy a special place among indoor plants, and the most common among them are numerous representatives of the Citrus genus. They are better than many others fruit crops adapted to indoor conditions: they grow quickly, form well, bloom and bear fruit profusely.
A citrus plant looks especially impressive, on which flowers and fruits are simultaneously present in varying degrees of ripening.
The homeland of citrus fruits is China, Japan, Eastern India, Australia, where they are represented by evergreen trees (from 3 to 12 m in height) or shrubs with thorns and dense, rich essential oil leaves.
Citrus flowers
Citrus fruits bloom twice a year, small but fragrant white or pink flowers. Citrus flowers produce fruits of various shapes, colors and tastes, rich in vitamins and microelements.
Types of citrus indoor plants
Citron (Citrus medica Citron)- is, along with two other ancient species, tangerine and pomelo, the progenitor of modern citrus fruits.
Currently, in indoor culture you can find a very interesting variety, “Buddha’s Hand”. Citron fruits have a lot of zest and very little pulp.
Mandarin, or net citrus, unshiu (Citrus reticulate var. Unshiu)- the earliest ripening species with abundant fruiting. In tub culture it grows up to 1.5 m.
This type of citrus indoor plants has a spherical crown with slightly drooping branches without thorns, dark green oval-elongated leaves; white, very fragrant flowers are arranged in pairs or small groups in the axils of the leaves. The fruits are small, pear-shaped, orange or orange-red, with an easily peelable peel and juicy, sweetish pulp without seeds.
All types of indoor citrus plants are grown in winter garden or as pot plants. Miniature citrofortunella will feel great on a sunny windowsill.
Fortunella, or kumquat, "golden orange"(Fortunella margarita)- looks like a miniature orange. The fruits are elongated with a sweetish skin. The Variegata variety has striped green-white or green-yellow leaves.
Calamondin, or citrofortunella (Calamondin)- a hybrid of mandarin and fortunella. This type of indoor citrus fruit is more of an ornamental than an edible plant.
It has compact sizes (up to 1 m in height), 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 limon)- the most common type in indoor culture. It is an evergreen, low-growing (up to 1.5 m), spreading tree with thin but strong gray or reddish-purple shoots, long spines (there are varieties without spines) and large, wide-oval emerald leaves with a pointed end. Each leaf lives about 3 years.
The development of not only the plant itself, but also individual fruits directly depends on their quantity and condition, since the ripening of one lemon requires at least 10 healthy, actively functioning leaves.
Flowers homemade lemon, as can be seen in the photo, are medium-sized, white or cream, arranged singly, in pairs or in small tassels.
They may not be visible behind the abundant foliage, but the characteristic delicate and quite intense aroma will not allow you to miss this wonderful period. Indoor lemons can bloom 2-3 times a year, and the ripening of the fruits 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 lot of varieties bred specifically for indoor cultivation, 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 lumpy yellow skin; there are few fruits, but the plant can bloom up to 4 times a year, bearing 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 "Meyer1"- compact and productive, the fruits are very juicy, slightly bitter, with thin orange-yellow skin, begins to bear fruit in the third year.
Caring 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 lighting in summer (it is better to place them outside open air, sunny, draft-free place).
Heat-loving oranges require higher winter temperatures (+13...+ 18 °C). Watering in summer is also moderate, without drying out the earthen clod and without stagnating water. To form a beautiful crown of citrus fruits when caring at home, pruning and pinching is done - after 3-4 leaves appear, the growing point is pinched. The same method will also help speed up 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. Citrus fruits propagate well from both semi-lignified cuttings and seeds. At seed method reproduction, fruiting occurs later than with cuttings.
Let's analyze the flower grower's letter:
“I bought a delicious lemon, and in a month it dropped all its fruits and leaves. There is one branched driftwood in a pot. In general, the driftwood turned out to be very decorative, I love it, I water it and spray it, I hung a light bulb over it, it burns around the clock . It's hot at home, 28 degrees in winter, so the snag somehow reminds me of African saxauls. A very soulful plant. It seems to say to me: “I’d rather die, but I won’t grow with you!” If so, I think, now I'll teach you politeness! - I tore the snag out of the 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 into the bottom, and piled special lemon soil around it. And what do you think? This is the vile plant did not appreciate my care, there were no leaves, and there are no leaves, even though I feed it monthly 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 this is completely shameless a creation of nature, and that it is impossible to be kind to it. Starting tomorrow, I will begin to apply repression to this snag: I will turn off the lamp and give it a suggestion: if in a month it does not produce a single leaf, I will tear it out of the pot and throw it away. This is not a plant, but just an ungrateful bastard! "
Dear fellow gardeners, do not make such mistakes under any circumstances!
I want to describe in detail the care regimen for citrus fruits so that you don’t have problems with them. And I will tell you about this using the example of the given letter.
**Consider the reasons for the loss of leaves in citrus fruits:
1. If you put the plant on the window, then you do not need to periodically move it to another place; Citrus fruits are one-stop-shop plants.
2. The most common mistake is that the pot of citrus fruits should not be “twisted” much 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 preferably counterclockwise.
3. When you find yourself in an unusual climate, i.e. When moving from a store or greenhouse to an apartment, citrus fruits can also shed leaves.
4. If there are drafts in the apartment, the citrus leaves will definitely fall off.
5. If you moisten the soil excessively 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 fall;
7. Many people don’t know this, but based on their many years of experience, I want to warn you: under no circumstances should you place citrus fruits near a microwave oven. Otherwise, not only will the leaves fall, but the tree will die.
8. Citrus fruits lose leaves and fruits due to improper feeding and replanting.
If in winter the leaves of citrus fruits begin to curl, turn yellow, fall off, and the shoots dry out, then the tree drops unripe fruits. If a plant with fruits was purchased in winter, then it will definitely drop the fruits (especially if the tree is imported), and then part of the leaves (or all the leaves). When purchasing citrus trees in winter, I recommend removing them most fruits (or better yet, all of them), remove emerging flowers and trim fruit-bearing 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 water and minerals dissolved in it are usually absorbed. Their role is played by a symbiotic fungus that forms mycorrhiza in the roots. The death of mycorrhiza leads to the extinction of the plant itself. She is very sensitive to conditions, suffers from long 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 apparently normal roots in a dead plant - this is precisely explained by the death of mycorrhiza. This is why citrus fruits do not tolerate transplantation well and can be sick for a long time after it. Citrus fruits should only be replanted by the most careful handling, without changing the soil or washing the roots under any circumstances (except for severe damage to the roots, when there is no other choice).
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**Substrates for growing citrus fruits.
There are several recipes for soil mixtures for citrus fruits - they include peat, turf and leaf soil, sand, and manure humus. It is important that the mixture is slightly acidic or neutral (pH from 5.5 to 7.0). If your water is hard, it is better to use 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 fruits (usually called “Lemon”), and bring it to the desired condition. Before use, the substrate must be heat treated in a water bath (to destroy larvae, eggs and adult pests, pathogenic fungi and bacteria).
Small plants should be replanted soon after purchase, since peat soil dries out easily, and tightly entwined roots are easily subject to overheating and drying out. Then they are replanted every year in the spring (if necessary). Older plants can be left untouched in the first year and then replanted every 3-4 years. Large trees are not replanted, but the top layer of soil is replaced annually.
If you have purchased a small plant, which is usually planted in a peat substrate, under no circumstances should you change it or add denser soil - roots will not be able to grow into it. It is better to use a ready-made peat substrate for the first transplant, adding sand and a little turf soil to it. With further transplants, the amount of turf soil in the mixture can be gradually increased.
Large specimens are usually already planted in the ground with the addition of turf soil, so sand and more turf or leaf 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 that is added to irrigation water.
And do not overuse loosening the soil, which can easily damage the roots.
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**Watering
Water freshly taken from the tap is completely unsuitable for watering citrus fruits (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 has been 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 (the normal and timely ripening of young leaves, shoots, and fruits depends on potassium). With a lack of potassium, citrus fruits take on an ugly shape and often fall off before they are ripe. In addition, potassium supplements help increase resistance to various diseases.
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**Propagation from seeds
Citrus seeds, freshly removed from the fruit, germinate very well, usually within a month. Seedlings are actively developing and are quite unpretentious. Using pruning, they can be formed into beautiful trees, which will also enrich the atmosphere of the house with useful phytoncidal substances. But in order to bear fruit, such seedlings must be grafted with cuttings of varietal plants.
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**Crown formation
Shaping is needed to give the crown a beautiful and compact appearance. The best time for it comes at the end of the winter rest period, in early February. In summer, shoots that are too long and fattening should also be shortened. Different kinds and varieties of citrus fruits have their own growth pattern. Thus, lemon does not branch very readily, and it is quite difficult to form a compact, beautiful tree from it. The orange grows powerfully upward, requiring regular pruning. The tangerine's crown thickens quickly, and it is necessary to cut out some of the shoots growing inward. Kumquat grows quite compactly, requiring virtually no pruning. You don't have to trim the calamondin too much.
Young plants grown from rooted cuttings begin to form almost immediately, giving the tree beautiful view. Seedlings should begin to form at one year of age. If by this time they have reached at least 30 cm, the crown is cropped. However, even the correct formation of seedlings does not lead to the long-awaited fruiting at home.
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**Feeding.
Citrus fruits should be fertilized only during the months of active growth, from mid-February to mid-September, and should never be fed during winter rest. When preparing for the rest period and when leaving it, reduce the concentration of fertilizers by 2 times. Fertilize only on a previously moistened clod of soil. For good absorption of mineral fertilizers from the soil, it is important to control the acidity of the soil. To assimilate organic fertilizers, be sure to maintain the beneficial microflora of the substrate by systematically introducing microbiological preparations (Vostok-EM1, Baikal, Vozrozhdenie). Plants respond well to foliar feeding.
You should not feed a plant that is heavily crumbling - the reasons for leaf fall are often not due to lack of nutrition, and feeding done at the wrong time will only cause harm. After purchasing or replanting a plant, do not feed it for 1-2 months.
And you should always remember the rule that it is better to underfeed a plant than to overfeed it. Lack of nutrition is easily eliminated by timely feeding, 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; diagnosing this imbalance and accurately establishing the cause is quite difficult. But in order to avoid it, you should only use special fertilizers for citrus fruits, which must also include microelements. Their application rates are designed for the period of maximum growth. If the plants receive insufficient light or other maintenance conditions are not met, the dose of fertilizer must be reduced.
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**Pests and diseases
The most common pests of cirus crops are mealybug, scale insect, false scale insect. Citrus fruits are also affected by aphids and spider mites.
White lumps in the axils, on branches and trunks - infestation with mealybug.
Plaques that look like droplets of wax on the leaves, branches and trunks, sweet discharge on the leaves - infestation with scale insects or false scale insects.
Uneven small yellow dots on the leaves, powdery coating on the bottom of the leaf, sometimes cobwebs - spider mite.
Accumulation of small green or black insects on young shoots, sweet secretions - aphids.
Small, mobile, light-colored insects in the ground that jump when watering - podras, or springtails. They start when over-watered and do not harm the plant. It is enough to reduce watering and water with Aktara (1 g/10 l).
Small black flies flying above the ground are fungus gnats. 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 it with Aktara (1 g/10 l).
Read more in the article Pests of indoor plants and measures to combat them.
Chinese sweet orange
Citrus diseases occur due to improper care and damage by various pathogens (which is also often caused by errors in maintenance).
Fungal diseases often affect citrus fruits on plantations or in greenhouses. Drying and blackening of branches - malseco - are of a fungal nature; gum bleeding - gommosis, when a wound forms on the trunk from which a liquid resembling resin oozes; leaf spotting and anthractic blight, when weeping spots spread across the leaf and subsequently merge; powdery mildew when a white powdery coating forms on the leaves. The fight against fungal diseases comes down to establishing care, removing and destroying the affected parts of the plant, and treating 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 sooty fungus. It does not harm the plant; it usually settles on the sugary secretions of pests. The cause of sugary discharge should be eliminated, sooty deposits should be removed by soaking in soapy solution swab, wash well under a warm shower.
Diseases caused by viruses appear as marbling and cannot be treated.
Causes of yellowing of leaves: chlorosis caused by a lack of iron, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, excess calcium; lack of nitrogen; lack or excess of light; spider mite infestation.
The reasons for the appearance of brown spots on the leaves: non-compliance with the watering regime (overdrying or waterlogging of the soil); sunburn; burn from a strong dose of fertilizer; imbalance in 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 replanting, too much fertilizer dosage, prolonged lack of light.
Why is leaf fall dangerous? Depending on the age, lemon leaves perform different functions; with aging, they turn into a storehouse 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 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 branches - fruitlets. On long branches, fruits grow more slowly.
It takes several months for the fruits to ripen. There are so many ovaries that there is an active shedding of young ovaries and fruits that have not yet filled with juice. The fruit fall can be 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, pick 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 all the fruits (do not spare them);
3. Cut the branches on which there were fruits in half;
4. Spray the plant more often;
5. The soil should 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 correctly, your citrus pets will be happy appearance and harvests. Good luck!
Many representatives of citrus fruits when creating favorable conditions They develop and grow well in various residential and administrative premises. The most popular of them is lemon; it can be found in apartments and offices, school classrooms and preschool institutions, clinics and shops. Raising this popular favorite is not easy; you have to spend a lot of time and effort on its cultivation and care. Tangerine, orange, lime, pomelo, and grapefruit require the same attention. They all 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 where citrus indoor plants are grown should not be on the windowsill on the northern side 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 an eastern or western window, but it is also possible at a short distance from the southern window sill.
Temperature
For plants, places where there is warm and cold air, and there is also an increased air temperature. If at least one of these unfavorable moments is present, the leaves on citrus fruits begin to fall off.
In the period from November to February, when crops 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 air humidity level should be high. It can be maintained with daily spraying; the water temperature should not be lower than 25 degrees. Citrus plants are painful when it comes to dry indoor air.
Watering
Not recommended for watering tap water, the presence of chlorine in it will negatively affect indoor pets. Irrigation water (with a temperature of 20-22 degrees) should be settled and slightly acidified. To do this, add a few drops of vinegar to it.
Choosing a pot
The ideal material for the pot is unglazed fired clay or wood. There must be drainage holes and a good drainage layer at the bottom of the flower container.
Soil composition requirements
Indoor citrus fruits will receive full development only in a special substrate for this type of plant. It is recommended to purchase high-quality soil mixture only in specialized stores for gardeners, so that its quality is not in doubt.
Feeding and fertilizers
Exotic citrus plants need to be fed regularly from February to November. Can be used organic fertilizers or mineral containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
Lemons, tangerines, oranges and other exotics can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and grafting. Every gardener dreams of growing an exotic citrus plant from an ordinary seed, which will not only germinate and sprout, but will also eventually turn into a small tree and bear a lot of fruit.
By growing citrus fruits from seeds, from the very beginning of its life, the plant’s immunity is strengthened and its resistance to life increases. After all, a tender young culture has to adapt to unusual conditions of existence from its very first days. Usually with seed germination big problems does not occur, but flowering and fruiting will have to wait from 7 to 15 years. The taste of the fruit also leaves much to be desired. In order for the crop to bloom much earlier, you will need to be vaccinated. Usually experienced flower 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 that plants can reach great heights. It is better to immediately purchase seeds of dwarf species and varieties for planting.
Propagation 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 mandatory drainage holes at the bottom. Drainage is poured at the bottom, and then a special substrate for citrus fruits. After planting, the pot must be covered glass jar or film to create greenhouse conditions in which seedlings 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 appear from one seed, then over time it is necessary to leave only one stronger and stronger plant.
Propagation by cuttings
For rooting, you need to take apical cuttings and plant them in damp river sand at a slight slope, covering the top with a cut plastic bottle from 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 replanting, you must be careful with the root part, as it can easily be damaged.
This method is considered the most common because it allows you to preserve all the best quality characteristics mother plant. Flowering and fruiting occurs much earlier than with seed propagation.
Graft
Grafting can be carried out by budding or copulation. The scion and rootstock can be from different types citrus fruits. It is recommended to use lemon, orange or grapefruit for the rootstock.
Diseases and pests
Possible pests of citrus fruits as indoor crops are aphids, spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, possible diseases– anthracnose, warts and gommosis. The emerging diseases are difficult to treat, so you need to try to prevent them. At the first signs of disease, it is recommended to “help” the plants. This help consists of urgently removing the affected leaves, buds and fruits, then the plant will direct all its strength to recovery and preservation of healthy parts.
The main and most common cause of diseases and pests is violation of maintenance conditions and care rules. With increased attention to indoor pets and strict compliance with their requirements and preferences, such a danger does not threaten.
Conditions for growing citrus fruits (video)
