Home citrus growing. Citrus fruit care

Organize your home tropics - plant indoor citrus plants. They diversify the interior and delight you with delicious juicy fruits. These plants have a special charm, because for us they are a manifestation of something exotic. IN...

Organize your home tropics - plant indoor citrus plants. They diversify the interior and delight you with delicious juicy fruits.

These plants have a special charm, because for us they are a manifestation of something exotic. IN middle lane In Russia you won’t see citrus fruits on the street or in the park; this beauty is only available in room conditions. And even here they show their rather capricious disposition, and above all this concerns wintering. This is the most difficult period for lemon-oranges; not everyone can survive it. What do citrus fruits need in general and in winter in particular?

Lighting

Task number one is to provide the plants with sufficient lighting, because they are very light-loving (they should only be protected from the midday summer sun).

The most optimal thing is to place exotics on south-eastern or south-western windows, and in the summer - in the garden, under the light shade of trees. IN winter time It is advisable to provide “pets” with additional intense lighting so that there is at least 12 hours of daylight. If there is not enough light, the plant, alas, will not be able to fully develop.

In the summer, it is advisable to take citrus plants out into the garden and be sure to place them in a sunny place.

Cool winter

Second condition good growth bright exotics - a decrease in temperature in winter to 12–16 C. In the absence of a cool winter, citrus fruits usually do not live longer than 3–4 years, gradually become depleted and die. Holidays for southerners last from November to February. In early to mid-February, when the days begin to get longer, most citrus crops wake up and begin to grow.

A winter garden or a greenhouse heated to 3–12°C are ideal places for wintering calamondin:

And Clementine:

The fruits hang on the branches all winter and begin to ripen only in spring.

Watering

A harvest, and plant life in general, is impossible without correct mode glaze. Too long breaks between waterings should not be allowed, during which the “pets” suffer either from an excess of moisture or from a lack. Citrus flora representatives should be “watered” so that the substrate in the pots never dries out and is moderately moistened to the very bottom.

During the period of active growth in spring and summer, especially in dry and hot weather, this means that you should handle the watering can every day! In winter, it is necessary to check how wet the substrate is every 2-3 days and, if necessary, water the exotic plant.

Pest Control

If you water your plants properly, they will not be stressed. And this is very important, since this negative factor reduces the resistance of your pets to attacks from pests, such as spider mite and scale insects. Fight them with special means protection for residential use. Later, you can safely use the fruits for food, since the active substances, as a rule, disintegrate within a few weeks. But a healthy plant, which is properly watered and fed with citrus fertilizers from March to October weekly (the rest of the time 2 times a month), is capable of resisting enemies on its own.

Black plaque is a consequence of the life activity of scale insects. Pests secrete a sticky secretion on which sooty fungus settles. To get rid of the scourge, spray the plant with this solution: dilute 20 ml of vodka in 1 liter of water and liquid soap. Wipe the leaves with a soft cloth.

And one more good news: caring for all citrus plants, regardless of type and variety, is, by and large, not much different. Once you figure it out, you can literally reap even the most exotic fruits, such as citron.

Such different citrus fruits

The citron, or cedrate (Citrus medica), has the largest fruits among citrus fruits. It is obtained from the peel essential oil, which is used for flavoring drinks, confectionery and culinary products.

Three-leaved poncirus (Poncirus trifoliata) is one of the most cold-resistant representatives of citrus fruits: it can withstand temperatures down to –20°C. You can harvest its beautiful, but not juicy fruits from September.

Common lemon (Citrus limon) ‘Variegata’ is a real delight for both the eyes and the stomach. The pulp of its striped fruits is very juicy and has a pleasantly sour taste.

Lemons are ripening all year round. Therefore, you can pick organic fruits whenever you like and use them for food along with the zest.

Buddha's Hand is the name of the citron (Citrus medica) ‘Digitata’, the fruits of which are distinguished by their bizarre shape and very aromatic peel.

Oranges (Citrus sinensis), such as the ‘Ovale Calabrese’ variety, taste sweet even when grown in our latitudes.

Oranges (Citrus sinensis) ‘Vainiglia’ have a particularly delicate taste.

Fortunella oval, or kumquat, or golden orange (Fortunella margarita), leaves no one indifferent: some simply adore it, while others experience real disgust.

After all, its small fruits are eaten whole, that is, the zest is not removed. Their peel is sweet and the flesh is sour - together they form an incomparable combination.

Wealthy aristocrats have been growing southern citrus plants for their own needs since the 17th century, as well as wanting to surprise their guests with rare fruits. For bright heat-loving exotics, greenhouses were built: rooms with large windows, later - entire buildings made of glass, which were heated with wood, which was very expensive.

The orange (Citrus aurantium), or bitter orange, was especially popular among collectors (to this day, citrus fruit fans and gourmets especially appreciate the bitter orange ‘Fasciata’ with its bright yellow-orange striped fruits). By the way, classic English orange jam is made from the pulp and strips of orange zest.

Tips and secrets

When to prune citrus fruits?

You can use pruning shears from March to August, shortening shoots that are too long. Trimming the tips of the shoots makes the crown thicker and stimulates the formation of fruits.

Why do citrus fruits often shed many ovaries?

Young plants are not able to “feed” all the fruits until they are fully ripe. That is why they shed excess ovaries. This is a completely natural process, since then the remaining fruits grow to normal size and become more fragrant.

By what signs can you determine that the fruits are ripe?

If you twist the fruit slightly, the fully ripe one will easily separate from the branch. You need to make an effort to tear it off. It’s too early to remove it.

What to do if a citrus plant does not want to bloom?

To produce flowers, the tub with the “pet” must be taken out into the garden for the summer and placed in a sunny place. By the way, citrus fruits bloom and bear fruit from the age of 4.

Citrus fruits are grown on an industrial scale, in greenhouses and in private households. All citrus, in particular lemon, lime, tangerine and even orange or grapefruit, you can grow up in an apartment. Citrus fruits are cultigens, as they have been growing in cultivation for a long time. Grown from seed, they do not require grafting, but formation is required for them, otherwise citrus fruits will not bloom.

Features of growing Citrus fruits

In addition, they are important for the presence of mycorrhiza in citrus fruits, which is found in the mother soil in the roots of each citrus plant, since they grow in a community with microfungi living on their roots. If the microfungi die, the plant itself will die. Therefore, you should not use pesticides or a too bright solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) to water the soil when controlling pests. For the same reason, it is prohibited to use fresh manure or apply large doses when fertilizing. mineral fertilizers.

Seeds, taken from a ripe fruit, should be heated in warm water, this will speed up germination. The seeds are buried in the soil 2-3 times the diameter of the seed, that is, slightly deeper than the nail. Sometimes several plants grow from one seed at once, since citrus fruits are characterized by polyembryony. You should leave only one plant, cutting off the rest with scissors. In citrus seeds good germination. Plants grown from seed usually bloom and begin to bear fruit in the 10th year, but the quality of the fruit may be low.

You will get much best result, if first grow a seedling from a grapefruit or pomelo seed, and then graft any other citrus plant onto it early stage, when the seedling has a stem as thick as a match (2–3 years after emergence). The grafted plant develops faster, since the root system of pomelo and grapefruit is more powerful than that of other citrus fruits. This significantly accelerates the plant’s entry into fruiting. In this case, you will need a cutting of a fruit-bearing plant (you can contact a greenhouse, nursery or friends). From a grafted cutting, the plant blooms and begins to bear fruit in the 2nd–3rd year.

Grafting for growing citrus fruits

Vaccination The easiest way to do it is by budding, that is, with an eye. Vaccination will require more than mature plant(i.e. 5–6 year old). Budding begins when the bark is well separated from the wood (in April or August). A well-ripened 1–2-year-old branch is cut from a fruiting citrus plant. Cut off the leaves, leaving only the stalk, and place it in a glass of water. On the stem of a plant grown from seeds, at a height of 5–6 cm, the place chosen for grafting is thoroughly cleaned; there should be no dirt on it. You can wipe this area with vodka, as well as your hands and the knife blade. The operation must be sterile - this is the key to success.
Using a sharp knife (placed perpendicular to the stem of the seedling), make a T-shaped cut in the bark, without touching the thin green layer of cambium between the bark and the wood. The length of the cut is about 2 cm, the width is about 1/2 cm. On the prepared grafting cutting, two transverse cuts are made in the bark 1 cm below and above the eye. Then they carefully cut off the bud, grabbing the bark along with the cambium (this is literally a jewelry job, so first practice on the branches of any plants brought from the street). While spreading the top edges of the T-shaped cut on the seedling, insert a bud (pay attention to where it is at the top) and push it deep into the cut. Smooth the cut well with your fingers, pressing the bud firmly against the cambium. Tie the top and bottom so that the bud remains outside. The easiest way is to use a narrow strip of ordinary polymer film for tying, which must be wiped with vodka.
After about 20 days, the kidney should take root, that is, begin to grow. When the cutting from the bud grows 5–10 cm, the seedling on which the bud was grafted must be cut obliquely, 2–3 mm above the base of the new shoot from the graft. After this, you need to immediately cover the cut with liquid garden varnish, or black metal varnish - bitumen, or natural oil paint(it is now sold only in art stores and is expensive). The shoot that has developed from the grafted bud is tied to a peg stuck into the soil.

The cuttings can not only be grafted, but also rooted. Rooting It goes slowly, it takes 1.5–2 months for lemon and up to 6 months for orange and tangerine! The grafted plant will begin bearing fruit in the 3rd year. In any case, cuttings should be taken from the ends of the shoots of a healthy fruit-bearing tree, which have just finished growing this season, have become slightly lignified, but still retain flexibility. The bark on them should still be green. The length of the cutting is 8–10 cm, it should have 3–4 leaves. Cut the cuttings with a very sharp and thin knife or scalpel. The lower cut is made oblique (directly under the leaf or bud), and the upper cut is made straight (1–1.5 cm above the bud). Cutting citrus fruits indoors It is possible throughout the year, but it is better to do this in April - May, then they will have time to build up a good root system by winter.

Substrate for planting cuttings when grafting citrus fruits

Best substrate for planting cuttings is a mixture of sphagnum moss and steamed sand in equal volumes. The cuttings are planted immediately in pots, at the bottom of which shards or coarse sand (2–3 cm) are placed. Then pour a layer of nutritious soil (5–6 cm), and on top - a substrate of moss and sand (3–4 cm).

After planting the cuttings sprayed and placed in plastic bag, in which you need to take several exhalations (to increase the concentration of carbon dioxide), and then tie the bag. The pots are placed in a bright but not sunny place. Every morning and evening, the bags are untied, the cuttings are sprayed with warm (about 25 ° C) water, air is exhaled into them and tied again. The procedure can be simplified by covering the cuttings with jars and exhaling air into them or using small pieces of dry ice as a source of carbon dioxide. The air temperature should be between 20–25 °C. After rooting, the top bud will begin to grow, then the jar or bag can be removed, but daily spraying must be continued throughout the life of the plant.

Soil at citrus growing

Soil for citrus fruits must be rough, but at the same time fertile, with a neutral reaction and necessarily containing a large set of microelements. The introduction of fresh organic matter or large amounts of mineral fertilizers can destroy the cohabitants of citrus fruits (microfungi) and thereby harm the plants. Be sure to place broken shards at the bottom of the pot to allow excess water to drain. And of course, you need to put the pots on pallets. A rough or heavy mixture consists of turf soil, coarse river sand and leaf humus, taken in a ratio of 1: 1: 1 by volume. Nowadays, gardening stores or the corresponding departments of large supermarkets sell ready-made mixtures for the most various plants, including for citrus fruits X.

They don't like citrus fruits movements. Plants may drop leaves even when the pot is rotated. Therefore, before starting citrus fruits, determine a place for them in the apartment. It should be light, but do not place plants on the windowsill (except in cases where there are double-glazed windows). The fact is that citrus fruits come from the subtropics, that is, they love warmth and moisture, so they get chilly on the windowsill near the glass in winter. In hot summer, without turning the pot, they should be moved away from the window, deeper into the room, to avoid direct exposure to sunlight, which can cause sunburn. In case of burns or freezing, plants should be helped by spraying them with a solution of Ecoberin or Epin-extra.

Air temperature when growing citrus fruits

Citrus fruits love warmth, so room temperature should not fall below 24–25 °C. In addition, all citrus fruits need moist air, for this reason they should not be placed close to heating radiators. In addition, in winter, when the apartments are too dry, constant spraying of the leaves with water is required. For this, water obtained from melted snow or ice and heated to 22–25 ° C is best suited. Do not use water directly from water tap, it must be passed through a filter or at least allowed to settle for a couple of days and be sure to be heated before spraying.

Watering citrus fruits

For glaze, which must be combined with fertilizing, you should also use filtered or settled water, always warm (temperature not lower than 20–22 °C). How much water should you pour, what fertilizers should you add to it, and how much of them are needed? All these questions will definitely arise in your mind. Despite their love of moist air, citrus trees die from excessive watering. They should be watered moderately, especially in winter. Their leathery leaves evaporate little moisture, and therefore excess water leads to rotting of the roots. Better loosen more often upper layer soil. With infrequent watering, the water should moisten the entire lump of earth. An indicator of sufficient watering is the appearance of water in the pan. I advise you to combine watering with weak mineral fertilizers (1 teaspoon per 5 liters of water).

Fertilizer for growing citrus fruits

Top dressing must contain all the necessary composition of macro- and microelements. It is best to use Uniflorom-bud. It has everything needed by plants macro- and microelements, including extremely useful substances for citrus fruits - magnesium, selenium, cobalt and molybdenum. In addition, all minerals are enclosed in an organic shell, that is, they are in chelated form, and therefore are absorbed by plants immediately. The fertilizer itself is liquid and easy to dose. Pour the cap into 5 liters of water, stir and let it settle. The finished solution can be stored indefinitely.

You can also use the powder fraction fertilizers AVA. You need to pour 1 teaspoon of powder into 3 liters of water and let it brew for at least 3 days. Then you need to stir, let the sediment settle and water the plants. This fertilizer does not dissolve in water (so you don’t have to boil it for the sake of the experiment), but due to Brownian motion, ions of mineral elements contained in the fertilizer gradually penetrate into the water, and in very small doses. You will add water to the sludge for most of the year and continue to use it. This is a very profitable fertilizer, despite its apparent high cost. It contains everything necessary elements nutrition, but at the same time it does not contain any harmful impurities that are necessarily present in other mineral fertilizers, although this is not written about anywhere. All plants, especially citrus fruits, require organic silicon. It is contained in the preparations Energen and Siliplant. You only need to add 1-2 drops per 1 liter of solution for watering and fertilizing.

When citrus fruits bloom, especially lemons, there is a fabulous aroma in the apartment! They bloom for a long time, usually in inflorescences collected in a brush. The flowers are pink or white, appearing on the current growth of 3-year-old lateral horizontal shoots. During flowering, plants can be pollinated manually by applying pollen from the stamens to the pistil with a soft (squirrel) brush.

Citrus leaves emit phytoncides, so the smell of these plants is constantly diffused in the apartment. It is very gentle and also has a detrimental effect on pathogenic microbes in the room. At temperatures of 18–20 °C the fruits do not ripen. To ripen one fruit, 15 leaves are needed; if there are not enough of them, the lemon will shed excess fruits. Therefore, store the leaves, each of them is very valuable for the plant. Leaf shedding can occur as a result increased dryness or air temperature (more than 24–25 °C). If the plant does not bloom for too long, you can “hurry it up” by reducing watering and slightly pulling the horizontal 3-year-old branch with a tight constriction.
Citrus leaves are glossy, shiny, leathery, and well adapted to retain moisture. Although these plants are called evergreens, each leaf lives for only 3 years. Dead leaves turn yellow and fall off, so don't be alarmed when this happens..

Transplanting citrus fruits

The transplant is being done every 3–5 years along with the entire clod of earth. Plants should not be planted or replanted in pots that are too spacious. If you give the plants the opportunity to grow freely, then they either stretch upward with one trunk without side branches, which means there will be no fruiting, or they take the form of a very dense bush.
You definitely need to study citrus crown formation. In a young tree that has reached 15–20 cm in height, in February, before the next growth begins, the top is cut off, leaving 5–6 well-developed buds below. These buds will soon germinate and give rise to lateral branches of the 1st order. Of these, 3–4 shoots are left, growing in different directions.
As soon as these branches finish growing, their ends are trimmed, leaving 3-4 buds on each. Second-order shoots will appear from them, the ends of which are also cut off after their growth has finished, again leaving 3–4 buds. Fruit branches of the 3rd order begin to grow from them. They do the same with them.
From the moment the branches of the 4th order appear, the formation of the crown ends and the fruiting period begins. Until the formation of skeletal branches of the 4th order is completed, fruiting should not be allowed, since the premature appearance of buds on the branches of the 3rd order will stop the further growth of the tree, therefore, before the growth of the branches of the 4th order ends, the first buds on the branches of the 3rd order should be removed .

WITH fruit tree at the end of February - beginning of March you need to trim by 10–15 cm strong branches, cut out vegetative branches. In addition, it is necessary to cut out fattening sprouts, remove dry branches and branches that bear fruit (they are usually without leaves). Branches that grow too strongly upward are bent to a horizontal position (while they are growing upward, they will not bear fruit). In addition, branches growing inside the crown that are not capable of bearing fruit are cut out.

All citrus fruits are very sensitive to frost, during which the roots may dry out. In winter, it is best to keep plants in a bright room with a temperature of 7–8 °C. A glazed loggia or balcony is suitable for this. At the same time, it is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature so as not to overcool the trees, otherwise they will die (citrus crops do not tolerate temperatures below 5 ° C). Watering at this time is done very moderately.
In case of frost, plants should be brought indoors, maintaining their orientation towards the sun (that is, without turning), and keep them near balcony door. If you do not have loggias or balconies, keep citrus fruits on the window sills close to the glass, but in severe frosts, move them deeper into the room. Transfer the lemons carefully without turning the plants. In a dark room, citrus fruits, especially lemons, can lose their leaves, so lighting is needed in winter.

Pests when growing citrus fruits

Citrus pests, like any other plants in the apartment, - whitefly, aphids, scale insects, and less often thrips. The enemy of citrus fruits exclusively is the mealybug.
Spraying with the absolutely safe and also useful for both people and plants with the Healthy Garden preparation (4 grains per 1 liter of water) helps against aphids. The scale will have to be scraped off onto the litter and destroyed. Whiteflies and thrips are sucking insects. To combat them, you need to use the absorbable biological product Fitoverm, which is allowed to be used in an apartment (1 ml per 3 liters of water). It is especially effective when combined with Healthy Garden.
Whitefly- This is a disgusting insect, similar to a very small moth, which sits on the underside of the leaf and is therefore hardly noticeable. It multiplies as quickly as an aphid, but at the same time, a sooty fungus (black smearing coating) immediately settles on its sweetish secretions. The whitefly should be destroyed, the plaque should be washed off the leaves with soapy water, and then the leaves should be sprayed with Zircon (4 drops per glass of water).
Against scaleworm you need to use a pink solution of manganese the next time you water the plants. For preventive purposes, this is done with each watering and fertilizing, since potassium permanganate contains not only manganese, which has a detrimental effect on the mealybug, but also potassium, and all citrus fruits love potassium. Do not forget that too strong (dark pink) potassium permanganate solution can destroy microfungi living on the roots.

Recommendations:
Growing citrus fruits at home is very promising view home business , ornamental plants are always in high demand. You can sell plants on the market, through flower shops.

Profitability:

Initial costs: from 500 rubles
Monthly income: from several thousand rubles

Care

Pavlovsk lemon.
Pavlovsky is one of the most attractive varieties of this type of citrus fruit grown indoors. This is a small compact bush from 1 to 1.5 meters in height, rarely reaching 2 m. It usually has 2-4 stems. Its crown is round, up to 1 m in diameter, or up to 1.5 m if formed like a fan, with branches hanging down. The bark on older branches is olive-gray, with longitudinal cracks, on young ones - green. The branches have spines up to 1-2 cm long, pointed at the ends. Young spines are green, then they turn brown.

Lemon leaves are light green, 13-15 cm long, 5-8 cm wide. Leaf blades vary in shape - from oval to oblong. But there are specimens with ovoid and broadly lanceolate leaves. As a rule, winging on petioles is not found, with rare exceptions. The serrations at the ends of the leaves also vary, with the serrations usually located at the top of the leaf. The surface of the leaves is glossy and shiny. Leaves live for 2-3 years.

Pavlovsk lemon is a self-pollinating plant. Cross pollination is done artificially. Flower buds are laid and develop throughout the year. You can often see young ovaries, flowers, and mature fruits on the same specimen.

But Pavlovsk lemon blooms profusely in March and April, and in the fall - in September-October. Each flower blooms for 7-10 days. The flowers are fragrant, solitary, 2-3 cm in diameter, but sometimes collected in small inflorescences.

Pavlovsk lemon has several growth periods. The first period begins at the end of February and lasts until June. Then there is a short rest. From July 15-20, the second wave of growth begins. And the third - from about September 15 and ends at the end of October. During this period, shoots can increase by 50-70 cm.
Fruits are first formed in the third or fourth year after the rooting of slightly lignified green cuttings. High yields in tubs are produced by 15-20 year old plants - several dozen fruits.
After flowering, the growth of the ovary and the ripening of the fruit lasts 8-9 months.

The last stage of ripening is 30-35 days. If the plants are poorly lit, then the duration of ripening increases to 11-12 months. If a ripe lemon is not removed from the branch, its growth continues. The fruits acquire a green color, grow, and increase in volume.
Pavlovsk lemons can ripen from 8 months to a year or more. Moreover, a partially yellowed lemon begins to turn green again and increase in size. Then within a few months it completely turns yellow. Sometimes " full cycle" takes about a year and a half. A fully ripe Pavlova lemon is pure yellow in color.
Pavlovsk lemon is large-fruited. Young, well-leafed bushes produce fruits weighing 300-540 g. The surface of the fruit can be smooth, shiny or to varying degrees rough and even slightly bumpy.

The amount of vitamin C in the pulp varies from 25 to 57 milligrams per 100 grams of substance, and in the peel it is 1.5-2 times more. Acidity ranges from 4 to 7 percent, its ratio with sugar and aromatic substances is in most cases favorable. Average The thickness of the peel is 4 - 5 millimeters. Often the fruits are seedless. But fruits with 5-10 seeds and multi-seeded ones (10-20) are also often found. Seeds with high viability. Their germination rate ranges from 80 to 90%. The fruits are in no way inferior to the best southern varieties. The amount of vitamin C in the pulp varies from 25 to 57 milligrams per 100 grams of substance, and in the peel it is 1.5-2 times more. Acidity ranges from 4 to 7 percent, its ratio with sugar and aromatic substances is in most cases favorable. Average peel thickness is 4 - 5 millimeters.

Room conditions, not typical for the nature of citrus fruits, contributed to the appearance of deviant forms, which were fixed vegetatively (by cuttings). As a result, many different forms were formed, differing in growth strength, leaf shape, and especially in shape, size, color, internal structure and the taste of the fruit. Both high-quality and low-value forms are formed. But most of them are of high quality. Active artificial selection is underway.
Pavlovsk lemon grows best on windows with an eastern orientation; on southern windows it often burns from direct sunlight. Easily propagated by green cuttings.

Panderosa (Ponderosa)
A variety of indoor culture, belonging to a natural hybrid between lemon and pompelmousse or citron, in indoor conditions it is a small compact bush with a beautiful decorative form, very resistant to high temperatures and dry air, begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year. The branches are strong, the leaves are dark green, smooth, hard, round in shape.

It blooms profusely, the flowers are large, white-cream in color, often collected in inflorescences,

but little fruit is produced. True, they are larger in size than previous varieties, often weighing up to one kilogram.

The pulp is pleasant, lemon flavor, characteristic citric acid it is almost not felt in the fruits. The peel is thick, lumpy on top. The variety has proven itself well in indoor cultivation, thanks to its small crown volume and abundant flowering. Easily propagated by cuttings. Sometimes it begins to bloom already at the stage of rooted cuttings, which interferes with growth.

Jubilee lemon
Mysterious variety. Here's what you can read about this variety on the Internet.
“Obtained in Uzbekistan by grafting the Tashkent lemon variety onto the Novogruzinsky variety. At the same time, one of the branches began to grow quickly and produce gigantic fruits weighing up to one kilogram or more. This is a rare phenomenon of gigantism among plants. The Yubileiny variety turned out to be sterile in relation to any other varieties, although it cross-pollinates them. The endurance and yield of this variety is even higher than that of the Tashkent variety. Jubilee lemon deserves the attention of specialists and amateurs for its shade tolerance, productivity, unique ability to reproduce, grow, and almost 100% fruit set in conditions of low air and soil moisture.”
This statement may be true, but what is alarming is that this variety is very similar to Panderosa in many ways. It is possible that he is a Panderosa hybrid or a clone.
The tree is medium-sized: the height of an adult plant is no more than 1.5 m. It tolerates dry room air well and rarely needs crown formation. The variety is high-yielding, the fruits are large with thick skin, resistant to high temperatures and dry air, it begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year (in the picture there is a Jubilee lemon at the age of two years), but sometimes the fruits set in 1 year of life. It is very difficult to achieve growth from a tree; instead of new branches, bouquet branches with buds constantly appear, there are a lot of them on the tree - several such branches appear from each leaf axil, from each dormant bud.

It blooms profusely, large flowers are collected in inflorescences of 10-15 pieces. When flowering, the tree turns into a white ball. (in this photo the Jubilee is blooming, 1 flower is left on each bouquet branch).

The branches are strong, but droop under the weight of the fruit. The leaves are large, dark green, smooth, hard, round or oval.

Meyer lemon
This variety of lemon is also often found among lovers; its origin is as mysterious as that of the Jubilee lemon.

According to some sources, “Meyer” is considered the result of a long-standing natural hybridization of lemon and orange; according to others, it is a variety or hybrid of Cantonese lemon with an orange-red peel. Lemon owes its name to researcher Franz Meyer, who discovered it in Beijing; city residents grew lemon in pots. From China, lemon came to the United States, and in the early 30s it was introduced from the United States to the southern regions of the Soviet Union.

The variety is widespread in open ground subtropics of the Black Sea coast, where it is grown on trifoliate rootstock. The tree is medium-sized, 1-1.5 m high, with a rounded, compact, well-leafed and easily shaped crown, with a small number of thorns. The leaves are dark green, shiny, dense, thick, ovoid, serrated. It stands out among other varieties due to its abundant fruiting and not very sour taste of the fruit. The weight of the fruit is 70-150 g. The maintainability, early ripening, and good fruiting of this variety make it promising for indoor cultivation, where it is grown on its own roots. It blooms earlier than other varieties, usually in March-April. Buds are formed only on the shoots of the current year.

The flowers are white, very fragrant, smaller in size than other varieties (3-4 cm in diameter), single or arranged in clusters of 2-6 in an inflorescence.

The fruits are round in shape, practically without a nipple, with a thin peel of bright yellow or orange color, ripen 8-9 months after ovary.
Meyer lemon fruits are picked unripe, similar in color to the limequat fruit.

The pulp consists of 6-10 cloves, tender, juicy, slightly bitter, containing 5% sugar. about 40% vitamin C and more than 20% vitamin P.

The plant easily tolerates warm, dry air in living spaces when moistened in winter. Needs good lighting, prefers south-facing windows. It is easily propagated by cuttings, and when grown from seed it begins to bloom in the fifth year.

Novogruzinsky (Novo-Athos) lemon
Selected by breeder of the Sukhumi experimental station VIR N.M. Murri. On Georgian plantations it is considered the best in terms of yield and quality of fruits. The trees are vigorous, with a spreading, beautiful, well-leafed crown, reaching 1.5-2 m in height in a room and a large number of thorns. The leaves are light green, elongated with a pointed tip, average size 12 x 5 cm, very fragrant.

Remontant variety. The flowers are large, the outer side of the petals has a purple tint. New Georgian lemon blooms at 4-5 summer age being a powerful tree.

The fruits are almost without seeds and look very impressive on the tree. The shape of the fruit is elongated-oval, with a wide blunt nipple, the peel is smooth, glossy, up to 5 mm thick.

Average weight fruit - 120 grams. The juicy and tender fine-grained pulp consists of 9-10 cloves, satisfies the most sophisticated taste, has a pleasant acidity and a very strong aroma. Chemical composition of the pulp: sugar - 1.7%, acid - 6%, vitamin C - more than 58 milligrams per 100 grams of substance. It begins to bear fruit later than the Pavlovsk lemon, by 4-5 years.

Lemon Maykop
A variety of folk selection. Bred by seed propagation by selecting the best seedlings. Thus, over a period of more than a hundred years, individual plants were gradually selected from the mass of grown seedlings and formed, which then began to bear fruit, producing fruits best quality than the original forms.
Currently, several forms or types have been identified among Maikop lemons, which differ markedly from each other in a number of characteristics, here are two of them:
1st type. The trees form well almost without a trunk, giving a large, loose, well-leafed crown with an abundance of thin fruit branches. The branches are flexible, without thorns, mostly located horizontally, and some hanging down. The leaves are dark green, smooth with a waxy coating and almost smooth edges. Flowers and ovary are collected in brushes of 3-5 pieces. The fruits are rounded and elongated, not deformed, the nipple is medium, almost without a rim. The peel of the fruit is rough and thin. The aroma of the fruit is strong. The average weight of the fruit is 130-140 g. The trees are unpretentious, adapted to ordinary apartment conditions.
2nd type. The trees are formed with a symmetrical crown, having strong, stable branches without thorns, located semi-vertically. Leaves with smooth edges and noticeable veins. Fruit branches are located singly. The fruits are oblong, with a slight thickening at the top, slightly noticeable ribbing, are not deformed, the nipple is small without a rim. The peel of the fruit is thin, as if polished, with small dimples. The aroma of the fruit is good. The average weight of the fruit is 125-140 g. The trees are adapted to wintering in indoor conditions, but overwinter better in cold rooms.
Here is what breeder V.M. Zinkovsky writes about this variety: “Maykop is famous for its indoor lemons, bred in tubs. 100-300 fruits are harvested from a tree annually, and there have been cases where harvests from a 30-year-old tree reached up to 750 fruits.” The height of Maikop lemons in rooms reaches 1.5-2 meters.

Lemon Genoa

A weak-growing tree without thorns. A very productive variety: in the fourth or fifth year of life it produces about 50 fruits; an adult tree yields 120-180 fruits. The fruits are oblong-oval in shape, with a small sharp nipple at the top. The quality of the fruit is higher than that of other varieties, the pulp is very tender, juicy, sour, pleasant taste, the peel of the fruit is edible. Needs sufficient lighting (south, southeast window, loggia.)

To be continued... Article written Alex

All citrus fruits are light-loving plants. Orange, tangerine and grapefruit indoor plants prefer southern windows. Lemon can tolerate slight shading, and windows facing southeast are most suitable for it.

For citrus fruits, you need to provide long daylight hours every day. They need 12 hours of light. The local climate fully satisfies the need for lighting only in the spring-summer period.

The citrus family does not tolerate even the slightest frost.
These plants tend to grow unevenly. This feature can be clearly monitored in the active and passive periods. First, the plant grows - it forms new shoots and leaves. And with the onset of autumn, the plant stops growing and its wood begins to ripen. And only after this, in the spring, new shoot growth is activated again.

Most of citrus plants capable of blooming and producing fruit several times a year. A grafted plant, or grown from a rooted cutting, can bloom quite quickly. In nature, seedlings bloom around the fifth year, and some varieties can wait up to 15 years. But in indoor conditions, seedlings bloom very rarely.

For fertilization of citrus flowers, which can be of both sexes, the favorable temperature is +18C and humidity 70%. Some citrus varieties can be self-pollinating. But to be sure, you need to help the plants using a soft brush. Not all ovaries remain on the plant after flowering. Some of them fall off.

Citrus diseases

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 next to microwave. 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 in winter citrus trees I recommend taking them off most fruits (or better yet, all of them), remove emerging flowers and trim fruit-bearing shoots by 1/3.
______________________________________
**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).
_________________________________________________________
**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.
______________________________
**Watering
Water freshly taken from the tap is completely unsuitable for watering citrus fruits (it contains a large amount of chlorine, which they do not 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.

_________________________________________
**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.
_______________________________________
**Crown formation

Shaping is needed to give the crown a beautiful and compact appearance. Best time for her it comes at the end of the winter rest period, at the beginning of 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.
_____________________________
**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. For assimilation 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.
_____________________________________________
**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 mites.
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 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.
____________________________________________________
**Physiological disorders associated with a lack or excess of nutrients

_______________________________________________
**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!