Lemon - home care for real flower growers. Growing indoor lemon: nuances and expert advice

Lemon - subtropical plant and the climate of the apartment suits him perfectly. Despite this, caring for a lemon in a pot is different from growing it naturally.

Consider how to care for a lemon at home so that your plant grows healthy and that the lemon bears fruit.

Seedling selection

With the acquisition of a seedling of lemon, do not rush. You should choose a healthy-looking plant with brightly colored, shiny leaves.

Look closely at the stem reverse side sheet.

They must be clean, free of visible pests and disease.

Boarding and seat selection

Having planted the plant in open ground, be sure to water it abundantly, make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on it.

If the weather conditions are not very good (rainstorm, strong wind, etc.) it is better to build a small shelter and leave for a few days until the lemon tree takes root in a new place.

IN open field Plants meet their needs through their natural environment. Much harder to create favorable conditions for growing lemon at home.

ADVICE: Purchased decorative lemon tree seedling (for indoor cultivation) do not rush to transplant. Let it adapt to your home.

Approach responsibly to the choice of a place for a plant. Do not place indoor lemon in dangerous places:

• in a draft;
• near heating appliances;
• in an unlit corner or dark corridor;
• between closed curtains and a window in cold weather.

ADVICE: Inspect the seedling daily, spray it with water. In hot weather, 2 times a day. After a few days, the plant must be transplanted.

Features of care in different periods of the year

Consider how to care for a lemon at home, depending on the time of year.

In spring, the plant wakes up and begins to grow actively. He needs more light.

On warm days, lemon can be taken out to fresh air.

The room must be ventilated, as fresh air is necessary for good growth citrus fruits.

After watching the video, you can learn how to help your lemon in spring:

In summer, it is best to dig a lemon tree in the garden or in the country. If this is not possible, it is necessary to rearrange it to a balcony or terrace.

With over 25 years of experience growing lemons at home, I note that such a “ summer rest"gives a powerful charge for plants for the whole year.

In the autumn, before returning the lemon home, we inspect the whole plant well, if necessary, process chemicals. Be sure to arrange warm shower, we wash the leaves well, and the stems from dust and dirt.

We return to our usual place and continue caring for indoor lemon in a pot. Gradually reduce watering and fertilizing plants.

In winter, most often the plants are in a dormant period. But one of my lemons leaves with fruits in the winter and therefore the dormant period for it comes after the harvest.

I feed this plant for the entire period of fruiting and, if necessary, organize illumination for 2-3 hours daily. The rest of the plants rest during the winter.

Comfortable temperature for lemons during this period is within 14 - 16 degrees.

Winters in Siberia are long and cold. It is not always possible to save plants in the winter. Some branches dry up. Do not rush to prune such plants. Very often, a dried branch comes to life.

In the photo below you can see examples of home-grown dwarf lemons:

Maybe due to the fact that growing a lemon tree is not easy in our latitudes, citrus pruning is not practiced. But if desired, for better branching and crown formation, pruning can be done in early spring.

How to prune a plant at home can be found on our website.

Why does the lemon not bloom and bear fruit?

Often novice flower growers are faced with the fact that the lemon does not bloom.

Why isn't the lemon blooming? There are several reasons: the first and most basic - the plant was planted with a stone and not grafted.

How to make lemon bloom at home? In order for a plant grown from a stone to bloom, many years must pass or it must be grafted.

Also, your plant may be planted in poor soil and it lacks mineral fertilizers. Very dry air, pests, diseases…

Watch your pet and the plant itself will tell you the reason.

I bought my first lemon on vacation in Adjara. It was a grafted 3-4 year old seedling of Pavlovsky lemon, all in bloom and with small fruits. It so happened that the plant had to be handed over to the storage room for a day. When the plant was returned to me, I almost burst into tears - the leaves, flowers, the ovary all fell off. I kept the lemon, but it only bloomed after 5 years.

ATTENTION: If you are transporting a plant from one place to another, be prepared for the fact that it may not bloom in due time.

Lighting

If your plant does not have enough light, it will have small and pale leaves, small flowers or none at all, lower leaves yellow color, the plant practically does not grow or the shoots are weak and very elongated.

For lemons, southeast windows with bright diffused light and a small amount of direct light are best suited. sun rays. If there is no possibility of natural lighting, then for the normal cultivation of lemons it is necessary to organize artificial lighting. It is best to use fluorescent lamps.

Lemon is not very whimsical to air temperature - in winter it is enough for 14 - 16 degrees, in summer it can also tolerate 30 degree heat.

IMPORTANT: It is necessary that the difference between day and night temperatures should not be more than 4-6 degrees. This is especially dangerous for flowering plants.

In winter, it is necessary to insulate the window on which the plant stands, on very cold days, remove the lemon from the windowsill, and do not close the window curtains tightly. Warm air from the room must penetrate to the plant.

Air humidity

Air humidity is another important factor growing lemons.

This problem is especially relevant in the winter months.

In apartments with central heating the air becomes so dry that many plants are very hard to tolerate such conditions.

The air in the room must be constantly humidified. It is better to use industrial humidifiers.

If it is not possible to buy such a device, use the knowledge of experienced flower growers:

1. Spray your plants warm water(necessarily settled) 2-3 times a day;
2. Pour expanded clay into the pan, moisten it with water and place the flower pot in this pan. Expanded clay keep constantly wet;
3. Group several colors - the humidity will increase;
4. You can move the lemon to the kitchen, where the humidity is much higher.

ADVICE: During the flowering of a lemon tree, many sources recommend pollinating flowers with cotton swabs.

For pollination, you need to take a cotton swab. Trying not to damage the flowers, carefully collect pollen from one flower and transfer it to another, then to the third and all subsequent ones. However, in all the years of growing these plants, I have never used this method. Pollination happens by itself.

Watering

Different people have their own drinking regimen. The same can be said about plants. All houseplants need watering to one degree or another. Some like rare watering, others water often and abundantly.

If you ask beginner gardeners about the most common cause of plant death, most of them will say: - "Dry!" But much more often plants die from improper watering.

If we notice something wrong with our plant, we begin to water it abundantly. In response to this, the leaves wilt and turn yellow, and we continue to believe that the plant lacks moisture, and water it again.

Over time, in such plants, the earthen ball turns into a swamp, the roots rot and the plant dies.

How to water a lemon so that it grows healthy, develops and bears fruit?

The most important rule is to water the lemon abundantly with settled water, the water temperature should not be lower than room temperature.

Water only when upper layer the earth will dry out no less than 1-2 cm. After watering, let the water drain, loosen the top layer of the earth and only spray the leaves for the next days.

In order for the plant to develop well and grow, it is necessary to replant it in a timely manner, renew the soil for it.

IMPORTANT: Never use unsterilized soil for planting indoor plants.

It is best to buy a special mixture for planting citrus plants. How to prepare a soil mixture at home can be found on our website.

Lemons need good drainage and correct composition soil.

If you did everything as described above, but did not get the result, then your pet does not have enough nutrients. The plant must be constantly fed. In spring and summer, once a week, in autumn, once a month, in winter (if the plant is “resting”) we do not feed, if the plant has fruits or it blooms, regular top dressing is necessary.

You can find out how to care for a lemon tree with fruits at home and how to feed a plant at home on our website.

All for the sake of which we start this difficult path - the fruits of our tree (lemons). It is as if we have achieved its flowering, but there is no ovary, the fruits are not formed.

How to pollinate a lemon at home and what else you can do:

1. Manual pollination with a cotton swab;
2. The use of the drug "Buton"

to stimulate fruit formation, preserve the ovary in adverse conditions;

3. The use of the drug "Kornerost, Heteroauxin"

to stimulate the growth of the root system, strengthen the whole plant.

And now our lemon has faded, the ovary has appeared and - Oh, horror !!! The tie falls off. Why?

Several reasons are possible:

• if the plant blooms for the first time and only a few flowers, as a rule, these will be empty flowers. Do not rush, wait for real flowering;
• if the lemon blooms profusely and a lot of ovaries - the plant itself regulates the number of fruits it needs;
• if already formed, grown fruits fall, your plant lacks light, nutrition, or it gets sick (plants also get sick). Perhaps there are pests on the lemon.

If your lemon has faded, fruit has begun on it, wait for the harvest.

Lemon ripening is not a quick matter. Lemons grow slowly, be patient for a few months.

To know when to pick lemons from house tree enough to take a good look at the fruits. Well-ripened lemon fruits are bright yellow, the color is uniform.

If the lemon is ripe, it easily separates from the stalk.

ADVICE: Often gardeners ask the question: "The lemon does not grow, what should I do?" If your tree is not growing well or not moving at all, pay attention to how the plant is planted.

Perhaps during the transplant, you buried the vaccination site in the ground. Immediately remove the top layer of the earth and release the growth point.

In order to speed up the fruiting process, a seedling grown from a seed must be grafted. If you do not own this procedure, it is better to contact specialists.

You can learn how to properly plant a decorative lemon by watching the video below:

A lemon seedling is transplanted in the spring as needed. Consider when a Lemon transplant is needed and what care is needed at home.

I know three conditions necessary for transplantation:

• the root system has grown, and the roots appeared in the holes of the pot;
• after watering, the plant dries very quickly;
• the plant wilts.

IMPORTANT: If you take a previously used pot for transplantation, it must be washed well and disinfected. The pot for transplanting should be slightly larger than the one in which the lemon grew. Plant transplantation can be easily done at home.

Caring for indoor plants involves more than just watering and fertilizing.

Lemon must be periodically washed from dust and dirt.

Dust not only spoils the appearance, but also makes it difficult for the normal development of the plant. It is also necessary to tie branches with fruits to a support, in order to avoid breakage of branches.

Inspect plants regularly, clean the crown of your tree from dead leaves and dried flowers.

Where do plant diseases come from? Most of the time, we are to blame.

There are several reasons. These are unfavorable conditions for growing plants. They bought a sick plant, and, unable to withstand the quarantine, they placed others with other indoor plants.

Lemon fruits are a storehouse of vitamins. Eating brings health and vitality.

REFERENCE: They drink tea with lemon and use it in cooking. Lemon is often used in various health recipes.

Growing a lemon tree at home, we get the opportunity not only to have wonderful fruits. Smell blooming lemon fills the entire apartment with a fabulous aroma.

Is there any harm in growing lemon at home?

I would not advise to keep plentifully flowering plant in the bedroom. There may be headaches. That's all.

You can watch video from detailed story about the benefits and harms that lemon can bring:

In conclusion, I would like to say if you are for your lemon tree:

• create the required temperature regime;
• provide an appropriate light regime;
• ensure timely watering;
• you will maintain the necessary humidity;
• give your seedlings the necessary mineral fertilizers;
• give them rest;
• provide access to fresh air;
• will take care of appearance their plants;

And as a result, it will thank you abundant flowering and beneficial fruits.

The scientific name of the plant is Citrus limon, it is a plant of the rue family, genus Citrus.

Where does lemon grow?

The birthplace of lemons is Asia: China, India and the islands in the Pacific Ocean, from where in the XII century it was brought to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe (Spain, Italy). Lemons are not found in the wild, most likely, it is a spontaneous natural hybrid.

People appreciated the beauty of lemon trees and its fragrant fruits, so they are grown as an agricultural crop in many countries with a subtropical climate.

Photo

Indoor plant

In temperate climates, lemon can be grown as indoor plant. This is a low (up to 1.5-2 m) evergreen tree with a lush crown, in the depths of which fragrant flowers are hidden, and then fruits. But in order for a room lemon to become a source of pride, you need to be able to grow it.

There are several ways to propagate lemon: from seeds, from cuttings, by grafting, layering.

A plant that is more hardy and unpretentious, but it will begin to bloom and bear fruit only after 8-10 years. Not very difficult. But the most convenient and reliable is the acquisition of an already grafted small tree.

Shoots (sprouts)

Young lemon shoots appear several times a year. These are thin soft twigs of light green color with rudiments of leaves. They appear from dormant lateral buds if the tree has been pruned, or at the ends of intact stems.

To form a beautiful low tree, pinch a lemon sprout or cut it with secateurs, to encourage the growth of new side branches. Over time, when the lemon acquires the desired shape, unnecessary shoots are simply removed.

Important! Pinching shoots, in addition to purely aesthetic purposes, also contributes to earlier flowering.

Leaves

Young leaves mature quickly and become dense, bright green in color, with clearly visible veins. An adult leaf of a lemon tree has the shape of an oval, pointed at the end, and can be up to 15 cm long and up to 8 cm wide.

The outer part of the sheet is shiny, glossy, the bottom sheet is matte and slightly lighter. The leaves grow alternately, live for 2-3 years, after which they grow old and fall off, being replaced by new ones.

REFERENCE! Distinguishing a real lemon from other citrus fruits and from hybrids is quite simple: its leaves do not have stipules, and if the leaf is damaged, a clear lemon smell will appear.

Lemon stem

Annual shoots are green and smooth, but then become woody, acquire a light brown or gray tint, become hard and often prickly, with thin sharp thorns. On old branches, the bark is red-violet, covered with shallow cracks.

If the lemon is formed correctly, trunk straight, however, if the central shoot is damaged, any side branch can become the main trunk.

Bloom

Ornamental lemon tree may bloom in different time years, and sometimes even all year round: on a healthy strong plant, you can simultaneously see buds, flowers, ovaries and ripening fruits! White or cream flowers 4-5 cm in diameter, with five petals around pale yellow stamens and a powerful pistil, are borne singly or in clusters in the axils of the leaves. After 4-5 weeks, the bud opens and blooms for 7-9 weeks, exuding a strong aroma.

Lemon ovary

Flowers can self-pollinate, but for reliability they are pollinated artificially, transferring pollen to the sticky stigma of the pistil. When the petals fall, you can see ovaries - dark green seals at the bottom of the pistil. They grow quickly, become uneven and look like real lemons.

Remember: too much a large number of fruit depletes the plant, it is better to remove unnecessary ovaries immediately. The optimal number of fruits per tree is one per 15-20 leaves.

Fruit

They ripen within 6-9 months, and some varieties (for example, Lunaria) can ripen even longer, up to 19 months. Ripe lemon fruits do not fall off by themselves, but it makes no sense not to pick them: they will become thick-skinned and lose their taste and smell.

According to a strict classification lemon fruits are multi-celled berries of light or bright yellow color. The weight of the fruit depends on the selected variety: it can be from 50-70 g to a kilogram (Kiev large-fruited).

seeds

Inside the fruit, there may be lemon seeds - white or yellow-green ovoid seeds with a single embryo, light green inside.

Homemade lemons have a thinner skin and usually fewer seeds than store-bought ones. In some varieties (Novogruzinsky), the fruits are generally pitted.

Lemon Tree - one of the home centenarians: it can grow and bear fruit for 30-35 years, and sometimes even up to 45!

In addition to the usual, there are exotic varieties with fruits. unusual shape: For example, lunario, blooming in the new moon and having elongated spiky fruits, or a completely amazing variety Buddha hand, the fruits of which resemble a hand with spread fingers, but are inedible.

Home Care

Despite such a variety of varieties, the care of lemon trees is the same: most of them are photophilous, love warmth, but do not tolerate direct sunlight, which causes burns on the leaves. Lemon is a plant that should be watered abundantly, but not very often, so that the earth has time to dry completely.

Important! You should not expose the tree to sudden changes in temperature: if in the summer it stands on the balcony, bring it into the house in advance, without waiting for a significant cooling.

Useful video

You can learn more about the lemon tree, as well as the features of its cultivation, in the video below:

homemade lemon- a bright friendly plant with fragrant flowers will remind you of summer and the subtropics, creating warmth and comfort in the house. And if you do everything right, you will certainly taste your own grown lemons!

Lemon is an evergreen plant, whose homeland is the subtropics, but with appropriate care and the creation of certain conditions, the tree feels great in the apartment.

You can grow it from an ordinary bone, however, you can achieve excellent taste and normal fruit ripening only from seeds purchased in a specialized store. More than X centuries ago, lemons were brought to the Mediterranean countries from India, and only later came to Africa and America. Now in the wild, lemon is not found, all lemon groves are the work of human hands.

Lemon - growing at home

As is known, in room conditions growing a whimsical lemon is not easy. This requires the optimal creation of growing conditions close to tropical, as well as timely, regular care . Of great importance in the cultivation of citrus is its variety.

In room conditions, the success of growing a tree is guaranteed in a bright, ventilated room and if there are regular top dressings.

Grow today citrus houses, including lemons, has become very fashionable. Appeared in specialized stores great variety of varieties both the lemons themselves and their hybrids.

How to understand such an abundance, how to choose a variety that suits your climatic and room conditions?

Types and varieties of lemon for home growing

The following varieties of lemon are ideal for growing indoors:

1. Pavlovsky. An old variety popular with gardeners. It begins to bloom in the third year after planting. Fruits with a thin skin, weighing 200-400 gr, very tasty. For a year, a tree can produce from 6 to 15 lemons.
2. Lunario. It is most widespread in Europe. It blooms for 2-3 years and brings from 8 to 16 fruits weighing 130-180 grams. The taste of lemons is average. The variety is very unpretentious and does not require special care.
3. Ponderosa. The tree is small (up to one meter), blooms for 1-2 years. The fruits are tasty, weighing up to 300 gr. The only negative is the low yield (3-5 per year). The variety is unpretentious.
4. Lisbon. The variety is resistant to heat, unpretentious in care, has thorns on the branches. Fruits of 180-200 gr with excellent taste. It bears fruit for 3 years after planting, the yield is from 6 to 16 lemons. The height of the plant can be reduced by properly forming the crown.
5. Meyer. Thanks to their small size(0.5-1 m) this variety has gained the greatest popularity among lovers of ornamental plants. Blooms for 1-2 years. Fruits 150-190 gr, taste qualities medium. The tree produces 6 to 15 lemons per year.

Also suitable for growing at home are varieties such as Novogruzinsky, Villafranca, Maikop(have the highest yields), Genoa and Kursk, variegated Eureka (veins are noticeable on the leaves white color).

Indoor lemon - home care

The lemon tree is bred by grafting, stone or cuttings. However, it is not necessary to plant it yourself.

The finished plant can purchase in flower shop , specialized nursery or botanical garden.

It is necessary to determine in advance a place for the newcomer. In this case, the following factors should be taken into account:

• Keep it away from heating systems, as the heat will adversely affect the plant.
• Consider the height of the ceilings - indoor lemon grows up to two meters. If the size of your ceilings does not allow you to grow an ordinary tree, you should pay attention to citrofortunella or dwarf varieties(Meyer lemon).
• Frequent movements have a bad effect on the well-being of the plant, so it is necessary to immediately determine a permanent place for the pet.

Lighting and humidity

Indoor lemon is a photophilous plant. The ideal place for it would be the southeast or south side of the apartment, where there is diffused sunlight.

For some time it can be held in the sun, but not more than two hours a day, otherwise the tree may get burned.

winter lemon needs additional lighting. Since indoor citrus fruits turn their leaves to follow the light, it is necessary to periodically unfold the flowerpot so that the plant does not look one-sided.

The procedure should be carried out with great care. Lack of light causes various diseases and leads to a slowdown in growth, and vice versa, too long (more than 12 hours a day) and strong lighting slows down fruiting and provokes growth.

The level of humidity plays an important role in the care of indoor lemon. Ideal performance - 60-70% at an air temperature of +18 ° C. If the room is very hot, you need 2 times a day spray the plant and the air around it.

Temperature

The temperature regime plays an important role at the main stage of plant care (in spring period). At this time, the lemon begins to actively grow and bloom. citrus trees able to withstand temperatures from 14 °C to 27 °C.

However, these values should be permanent. Temperature fluctuations negatively affect citrus fruits. During the flowering period, the air temperature in the house should not exceed + 18 ° C, otherwise the buds will dry out and crumble.

In spring (from +12 °C) a container with a tree can be placed on a balcony, loggia or garden plot. This has a beneficial effect on the growth of lemon.

In winter, the plant needs colder conditions content. An insulated balcony can be an ideal place. In a hot apartment, citrus fruits can get sick and even die. At night, the crown should be wrapped with a natural, lightweight cloth.

The soil

Citrus fruits do not tolerate too acidic soil, the soil should be neutral. The earth must be constantly loosened. The approximate composition of the soil may be as follows:

• wood ash - ¼ parts;
• sand - 1 part;
• deciduous land - 2 parts;
• humus - ½ part.

Necessarily need to make drainage(charcoal, small gravel, etc.). A small amount of clay is added to adult plants.

Watering and fertilizing indoor lemon

The lemon tree needs abundant watering. It is better to use natural water: snow, rain or river. If applies tap water, you must first boil, stand and acidify. This will make it softer.

In summer, the plant need to be watered abundantly twice a day. The bottom of the flowerpot should have holes, and the soil should be well-drained, which will avoid stagnant moisture in the root system.

IN autumn period watering should be reduced, and in winter it is enough to water 1-2 times a week. Do not forget about periodic spraying of the trunk, crown and ambient air.

The need for moisture can be determined by the following signs:

1. A lump of soil from a flowerpot easily crumbles in the hands.
2. Young borers have a drooping appearance.
3. Grayish soil.
4. The leaves of the crown curled into a "tube".
5. If you click on the flowerpot with your finger, you will hear a ringing sound.

Watering house tree depends on the following factors:

• season;
• air humidity (at low - more often);
• temperature (the lower, the less often);
• the age of the tree (the younger, the less often).

Feeding plays an important role in caring for a lemon tree. Nutrients are needed for normal growth and fruiting. Between March and October fertilizer should be applied once every three weeks.

At the same time, mineral additives must be alternated with organic ones. In summer, fertilizers are applied during irrigation, in other periods - 2 hours after soil moistening.

Overfeeding the plant negatively affects growth and development, so it is better to underfertilize. In winter, citrus fruits can not be fed.

Diseases and pests

Like all houseplants, the lemon tree is also susceptible to pest attack and infection.

Shchitovka damages foliage. The leaves are covered with round brownish scales, which are practically not amenable to mechanical separation. The pest is protected by a shell of wax, so chemicals do not have any effect on the scale insect.

After some time, a sticky mass is released from the leaves, and if the necessary measures are not taken - leaves turn yellow and fall off. It is better to start pest control right away. To do this, it is necessary to inspect the sheets daily, especially from the underside.

Ideal conditions for growth and development spider mite are dry air and heat. The leaves of the plant are wrapped in a "tube". It takes only a week for the insect to lay eggs.

• The lemon tree must be placed away from other houseplants.
• Crown leaves should be inspected daily.
• rub the leaves soapy water every month.
• Rinse the crown weekly in the shower.

If aphids or mites are found, spray with solution: 1 tbsp. l. pour tobacco dust with boiling water (1 tbsp), leave for 6 days. Laundry soap grate and add to the resulting infusion. Spray once a week for a month.

You can also use garlic infusion: chop the head of garlic and pour boiling water (1 tbsp), leave for 48 hours in a dark sealed container. Strain. Use the same way as the first option.

To combat spider mites, you can use chemical drug"Omite" in the proportion of 4 ml per liter of water. Spray every week for 21 days. There are other means, but it must be borne in mind that they are toxic and the treatment should be carried out with gloves, ensuring unhindered air access.

The citrus tree is susceptible to various kinds viral, infectious and bacterial diseases. The first ones are not amenable to treatment. Before the first signs appear, the virus can live for 10 years. Therefore, only a specialist can determine its presence.

infectious diseases

root rot . Well visible during mass leaf fall. Treatment: remove the tree from the flowerpot, rinse the roots thoroughly, removing the rotten parts. Transplant the plant into a new container filled with high-quality soil.

Disease Malseco affects young shoots and can lead to death. First, the tips get sick, then the foliage and wood. Patients acquire a brick color. The crown is shedding its leaves. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment.

Gommosis disease. The trunk is damaged. The lower part begins to crack gradually and acquires a brown tint. Cracks grow, a dark adhesive liquid is released from them. The tree is rotting.

Treatment: damaged areas cover up blue vitriol , transplant the plant into fertilized, fresh soil. First, you should carefully inspect and rinse the roots. In severe cases, gommosis cannot be treated.

The main reason for the occurrence infectious diseases is insufficient care behind a house plant. It must be borne in mind that both fruit-bearing and decorative types lemon tree.

What could be better than vegetables and fruits that do not contain nitrates and other impurities. And how much better if it is done by your hands. Just imagine, you wanted to drink tea with lemon, you stretched out your hand and plucked a ripe fruit that grew in your home.

At home, this is a perennial undersized evergreen with thorny strong branches. Leaves contain essential oil. Leaves generally live for 2-3 years. The buds generally begin to bloom in 5 weeks, and the opened flower in 7-9 weeks. The aroma is very pleasant. But the ripening of fruits can last 9 months.

From this article you can learn about growing and caring for lemons at home. After we reveal some secrets to you, you will definitely want to settle it in your home.

How to care

There are many varieties of this plant. Sometimes it can reach a height of 1.5 meters. But to form a neat crown and provoke early flowering, it is recommended to pinch, removing the apical bud, leaving 3-4 leaves.

Lighting

This plant is photophilous and therefore the light should be bright. Young trees must be protected from direct sunlight, and overgrown trees tolerate it normally.

Temperature

It must be remembered that this is a subtropical plant. Moderate warmth will be comfortable for him.

• In winter, the temperature should be within 10-14 degrees with a plus sign
• In summer - 10-22 ° С. Also, a pot with a plant can be placed on a loggia or outside under a canopy.

Humidity

In addition to watering, it is necessary to constantly spray the plant with boiled water. room temperature. For him, moist air around the crown is more important than a large amount of moisture in the soil.

How to water

How to water a lemon at home - it's simple, this plant loves moisture and the soil should be moist. The older the plant, the more frequent and plentiful watering. The amount and volume of watering depends on the temperature in environment. To do this, it is better to use settled, thawed or rain water. It should be at room temperature or a couple of degrees higher.

Watering in the summer

In spring and summer, watering should be plentiful and frequent. If the humidity in the room is high and cool, then less often, and if it is dry and warm, then more often. In spring, watering is recommended in the morning, and in summer and autumn - in the evening.

Watering in winter

In winter, water as needed, when the topsoil dries. The soil should not dry out more than 1 cm deep, otherwise the plant will dry out. So that the soil does not dry out less, it is mulched. Excessive watering can lead to plant root rot and disease.

Soil and fertilizer

They need fertile, water- and breathable, loose soil. Basically, it is prepared from equal parts of sand, peat, humus, rotted hardwood soil and 2 parts of turf. The acidity of the soil should be in the range of pH 5.8-6.5. It is also recommended to lay 2 cm of drainage at the bottom of the pot, which will not allow water to stagnate.

How to transplant a lemon? A young lemon should not be planted immediately in a large pot. . That soil that is free from roots will sour from excess moisture. When transplanting, it is recommended to take a pot that is 5-6 cm larger than the previous one. But remember the root neck, it should not be covered with earth.

top dressing

For normal development, it is necessary to periodically apply organic and mineral fertilizers.

• From March to the beginning of October, fertilizers should be applied 1 time in 3 weeks. Better to underfeed than overfeed. It is advisable to alternate mineral and organic fertilizers.
• In winter, you can not fertilize the plant in a cool room.

The main requirement is watering the plant clean water 2 hours before fertilizing, in order to avoid burning the roots.

pruning

Pruning a lemon should be a mandatory care procedure. The crown should be formed depending on the purpose for which it is grown. For ornamental plant form a small compact crown, and a completely different method is used to obtain fruits. A fruiting lemon is characterized by a certain number of stem branches, which consist of fruit wood. To form a crown, you can use the clothespin method.

• Zero shoots that have reached 20-25 cm are pinched. Next, the clothespin of the escape is made at a height of 15-20 cm from the previous one. 4 developed kidneys should remain on the segment.
• The shoots of the first order are pinched after 20-30 cm. When they ripen, they are pruned 5 cm shorter than the previous one.
• We complete the formation of the crown on the shoots of the 4th order.

If such a procedure is not carried out, then the shoots grow long, and the formation of shoots with fruits is delayed. In addition, pruning also has a sanitary function. It allows you to remove weak branches and those that grow inside the crown.

reproduction

There are several ways to propagate homemade lemons:

1. Seed lemon. Growing a lemon from a stone at home is a very long process and you will probably get the first fruits in 12-18 years.
2. Lemon from cuttings. For cuttings, shoots 4 mm thick and 10 cm long are selected. The lower cut is made under the kidney, and the upper cut is above it. On the handle should be 3-4 formed buds and 2-3 leaves. Treat the cut with a stimulator and lower it halfway into the water. After 3 days, they are planted in a mixture of flower soil, sand and humus. Immersion depth - 3 cm. Since the cuttings do not yet have roots, they must be sprayed every day with settled warm water. The soil must be moist. The temperature for rooting is 20-25 degrees. Roots will form in 1-1.5 months.
3. Lemon through vaccination. How to plant a lemon at home? For such a procedure, a good stock is important. A seedling from a 2-3-year-old stone with a trunk diameter of no more than 1.5 cm would be ideal. They are mainly grafted onto other citrus fruits. Take healthy, non-lignified annual shoots. Leaves are cut from the cuttings, leaving only the buds in the axils. How to instill homemade lemon during active growth? It is best to do this in early spring. To do this, make a T-shaped incision in the bark on the rootstock trunk and bend its corners. Cut off the bud from the graft cutting, along with the petiole and scutellum. The piece of cut bark should be large enough to fit into the incision. Lift the bark and place the shield there. Then lower the bark, do not touch the cut with your fingers. Wrap the trunk of the rootstock with tape or plaster. Engraftment takes about 3 weeks. If the petiole of the grafted kidney turns yellow and falls off, then this indicates a positive result of the case. Then it is necessary to cut the stem of the graft 10 cm above the graft and remove the tape. Remove the shoots on the trunk below the graft.

Diseases and pests

Pests include: whitefly, scale insects, spider mites, aphids, worms.

Among the most common diseases are:

• Leaves and buds fall off. Reason: lack of moisture. Solution: spray more often and prevent the soil from drying out.
• Lemon leaves are pale or light green. Reason: lack of nutrients in the soil or light. Solution: fertilizing, increasing lighting.
• Brown leaf tips. Reason: insufficient watering or dry air. Solution: spraying and increasing watering.

The lemon doesn't bloom. Reason: too tight pot. Solution: feed and transplant.

Knowing such secrets of growing this plant, you will definitely plant it at home and enjoy its fruits. In addition, its fruits can hang and not fall on a tree for up to 2 years. So the fun can last for a long time!

In Russia, domestic cultivation of citrus fruits dates back more than three hundred years, because the first ones were imported into the Russian Empire under Tsar Peter I.

lemon blossom

Lemon, in fact, is an evergreen plant that blooms several times a year. Flowers have a very pleasant smell, and the number of petals is limited to 5 pieces. Bright yellow fruits are born mainly on branches that are not lower than the fourth level. Fruits appear on short twigs - fruits.

The ripe fruit can remain on the branches of the plant for two years, first changing color to green, then again to yellow-golden. Indoor lemon trees, unlike ground ones, have a thin skin. Despite the fact that these lemons have less seed, they are much more aromatic. Given that proper care indoor lemon trees will bloom and delight you with a harvest just like the trees from your garden.

How to care for lemons at home

Caring for an indoor lemon tree has several differences from caring for a tree from the garden. One of the differences is the flowering time. Most indoor lemon trees bloom and bear fruit throughout the year. This primarily applies to lemon varieties such as Meyer and Lisbon. But if, for example, you grow a lemon of the Eureka variety in a mild seaside climate, then it will also be able to bloom and bear fruit all year round.

Lemon flowers, as a rule, of both sexes, are located alone, in pairs or in small racemes, they are quite large: 4-5 cm in diameter. The bud development period lasts 5-6 weeks, after which the flowering period begins: 7-9 weeks. The period of growth and development of fruits from the ovary (falling petals) to the beginning of ripening in room conditions during the spring flowering period can last up to 230 days.

In summer better lighting And optimum temperature air, so the period of fruit development can be reduced to 180-200 days. If in the first year of life a young, recently grafted tree "throws out" flowers, they must be plucked before they bloom. This will allow the young plant to save its strength and save them for further proper development.

At the second flowering, the buds are no longer removed. Often, the tree itself decides how many fruits it can "feed" and how much it needs to shed "extra" flowers. It is recommended to allow lemon flowering if it has at least 20 full-fledged healthy leaves.

Every time, during the flowering period of a lemon tree, serious attention must be paid to watering. Lack of water can cause flowers to drop. A potted lemon tree needs watering when the top layers of the soil dry out at a level of 3-5 centimeters. It is necessary that the soil in the pot is constantly well moistened.