The evergreen tangerine tree has become a frequent guest of home greenhouses and winter gardens. Even in ordinary apartments you can find miniature citrus plants, because they not only delight the gardener’s eye with their greenery, but also give several dozen fragrant fruits every year. True, it is not easy to achieve a thick crown and abundant fruiting; there are special rules for watering, fertilizing and pruning that are necessary for a tangerine tree when caring for it at home. Certain difficulties in growing indoor citrus fruits can cause some trouble for the grower.
Growing a seedling from a seed
There is nothing easier than buying a ready-made grafted seedling from a fruit nursery or from an online gardening store. Most often, trees are sold with a closed root system: directly in pots or in a clod of earth, packed in a bag. In the second case, transplantation into a container will be required.
But for gardeners, growing a citrus tree from the seed of a ripe fruit is much more economical. In addition, many people get mental satisfaction from growing plants from scratch, although it takes much longer.
For germination, you need to select several seeds from ripe, juicy, sweet fruits to increase the chances of success. Tangerine seeds have good germination. As is the case with the seeds of many crops, it is advisable not to immediately place the seeds in the ground, but to soak them first. To do this, they are placed between 2-3 layers of clean gauze and placed on a saucer. The gauze needs to be moistened as it dries for several days until the bones swell. As soon as the first shoots hatch, it’s time to plant the plants in the ground. If it is not possible to wait several days, then the bones are soaked for 2–3 hours in water with the addition of a few drops of Epin (a growth stimulant).
A bag of soil for citrus trees can be bought at specialty stores. If there is no such thing nearby, then prepare the soil yourself by mixing leaf soil, rotted manure and turf soil. River sand can be added to this mixture. It is not recommended to add clay or peat to the substrate. Drainage (expanded clay, coarse gravel) and a soil mixture are poured into the bottom of a clean pot, container or other container. The seeds are planted to a depth of 5–6 cm. It is important to determine a place for the pot that is well lit, but without direct contact. sun rays so that the young sprout does not get burned. At favorable conditions The sprout will appear from the ground in 2.5–3 weeks. From this moment you can start feeding the future tree with organic or mineral fertilizers, because useful material They are washed out of the ground quite quickly when watering.
Caring for indoor tangerine
Lighting
It is recommended to choose a brightly lit room as a permanent place for the pot, because without sufficient light, the decorative tangerine will not grow large and will be painful. It would seem that the easiest way is to place the container on the windowsill of the south side of the house, but this can lead to leaf burns. A more acceptable option would be to choose the southeast or east side. If the south side is the only possible variant to install a pot of tangerine, the plant will need shading on spring and summer days. But in winter, on the contrary, the southern window sill - a good place for a seedling. When daylight hours shorten in winter, it is necessary to turn on additional lighting - special phytolamps.
Temperature and humidity
The best temperature regime for tangerine seedlings is +15+18 °C in the warm season, and about +12 °C in winter. In hotter weather, the tree begins to bear fruit worse - it blooms poorly, and weakly forms buds and ovaries. Air humidity is very important for tangerines: on hot, dry days in summer, as well as on winter days, when central heating dries out the air, it is necessary to spray the tree frequently, sometimes up to three times a day. You can place a bowl of water or another air humidifier on the windowsill (imitation of a waterfall, fountain, stream). Too dry air often provokes the appearance of pests such as mites, scale insects and others. During flowering, the tree should be sprayed carefully. To avoid moisture getting on the buds and flowers, it is better to replace spraying with regular wiping of the leaves.
Hardening. In order for the plant to become stronger, it should be hardened, that is, help adapt to changes temperature regime and lighting. To do this, in the spring during the day you need to take the seedling out to the balcony for a short time or closed veranda(Or at least open the window).
Watering
Indoor tangerine needs frequent watering. On particularly hot days, you will have to water it 2-3 times a day. In winter, if the temperature is kept fairly low and the air is well humidified, watering twice a week will be sufficient. It is recommended to first pour water for irrigation into bottles or other containers so that it settles and warms up until room temperature.
A tangerine tree will not die due to a short-term lack of moisture, since it will shed all or part of the leaves to reduce water loss. Fresh greenery will not grow on “bald” branches; it will appear only on new branches, so everyone tries to avoid unexpected leaf fall. But frequent overwatering of the tree with water is no less dangerous - fungal diseases can develop.
Transplantation and fertilizing
Growing and caring for a young tangerine seedling involves annual transplantation into a container bigger size. The root system of the tree grows very quickly, entwining a lump of earth over its entire surface. Transplantation consists in changing the drainage layer and adding land mass. If, having pulled out a tree with a lump of earth, it becomes clear that there was quite enough space for roots to grow in the pot, then you can replace the drainage layer, insert the tree back with the same lump of earth and add only surface layer soil. Annual transplantation is carried out until March, before the start of the growing season. The root collar should not go deep during transplantation; it should be ensured at the same level relative to the soil surface.
The entire growing season, from April to September, the seedling needs feeding. Every week it needs to be fertilized with mineral or organic fertilizers, you can alternate them. This is especially necessary for mature trees that grow in cramped pots, without replanting or renewing the soil.
So, one week you can pour a solution of liquid mullein, and a week later - ready-made complex fertilizer“for citrus trees”, purchased in a store. The finished composition must necessarily include nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Before fertilizing, which is recommended to be done in the first half of the day, the soil should be watered. The temperature of the nutrient solution must be at least +20 °C. The recommended recipe for preparing the fertilizer should be strictly followed.
The rule here is: it’s better not to top up than to overfill. Excess fertilizer, its excessive concentration, leads to burns of leaves or stems and even death of the tree.
Caring for an adult plant
Let's figure out how to care for an adult tangerine tree at home. Many of the above rules for caring for tangerine seedlings also apply to a grown plant. But as the tree grows, the need for periodic pruning of branches and pinching the tops of shoots is added.
Like all other trees, it is advisable to remove dried leaves, twigs, and downward shoots from tangerines. But these measures will not help to form a compact tree with a thick and lush green crown. They try to grow homemade tangerine as dwarf plant, therefore the crown is formed like a bonsai tree. To do this, the growing tips of the shoots are pinched (removed) at the desired length. For example, you can pinch the top of each sprout after 5 leaves appear. The so-called tops - shoots growing from the root - greatly harm the growth of the tree and the formation of a beautiful crown. They need to be removed.
Advice. In the first years of fruiting, in order to avoid unnecessary stress on the plant, florists recommend pinching the flowers of the tangerine tree. By leaving only a few flowers on the trunk, you can achieve large, fragrant fruits without depleting the plant.
An adult tangerine tree in a pot also needs to be replanted. Unlike young seedlings, it is enough to replant a fruiting tree after 2-3 years. During the procedure, the drainage and the surface layer of soil must be replaced and topped up required amount soil. It is advisable to disturb the earthen lump as little as possible.
When setting fruit, the tree trunk and fruit-bearing branches must be tied to a support to avoid them breaking off.
Reproduction of home tangerine
Most economical way get a tangerine tree seedling - grow it from a seed. But if there is already a tree, and the grower wants to get offspring from it, then he chooses one of the following methods:
- Layerings. From an adult plant, select a branch with a thickness of at least 4 mm and a length sufficient to bend the branch and pin it to the ground (preferably in a separate, nearby pot). The branch is not separated from the bush, but is buried in the ground, with the top of the branch protruding to the surface of the soil. The digging area must be kept moist by adding a root-forming agent to the water several times. The branch is separated from mother plant, only when new good roots form at the layer.
- Air layering. The stalk takes root "on weight". An adult shoot is cut in a circle, cutting off the bark 1 cm wide. The wound is treated with “Heteroauxin” or “Kornevin”, wrapped with sphagnum moss and transparent polyethylene (loosely, in the form of a cone). This “pupa” must be kept constantly moist until roots begin to form (this may take several months). When the roots become clearly visible through the polyethylene, the rooted branch is cut off and planted in a separate pot. It is advisable to create greenhouse conditions for the young seedling for the first time by covering the pot with a transparent lid or bag.
Pest Control
Even when providing tangerines with proper care at home, flower growers sometimes encounter problems such as pests. The most common are the following:
- Whiteflies;
- Scale insects;
- Red spider mites.
All of them are capable of causing irreparable harm to the plant, therefore, when pests are detected or at the slightest suspicion of their appearance, you need to wipe the leaves or spray the entire tree with special preparations, for example, Actellik or Fitoverm. It is important to use insecticidal and acaricidal preparations in strict accordance with the instructions for use!
Exotic plants can be a real decoration of the house. Of course, growing them on your own from seeds is not at all easy, but you can purchase an already grown seedling of such a tree or flower and simply organize proper balanced care for it. Thus, home-grown citrus fruits are extremely popular among lovers: tangerines and oranges, as well as laurels, etc. And growing them in an ordinary apartment is not so difficult. Today we will talk about how to care for a homemade tangerine in a pot.
So, indoor tangerine is a representative of the rue family, evergreen, which grows successfully in greenhouses and various winter gardens. Although this tree can reach quite large sizes, it can be grown on a windowsill. In addition, you can now find dwarf and low-growing tangerines on sale, the height of which does not exceed sixty centimeters - one meter.
How to care for tangerine at home?
Optimal lighting
In order for this exotic tree to feel good, readers of Popular About Health need to organize it correct lighting- quite good, but with minimum quantity direct rays of the sun. If the plant feels a lack of light, it may practically not bloom, and if there is a strong lack of lighting, its leaves will become pale, the shoots will begin to stretch and weaken. So it is best to place a pot with a plant on the windowsill of an eastern or south-eastern window; when growing on the south side, it is advisable to provide shading for the indoor pet from direct rays of the sun. In the hot season, it is quite possible to take the tree outside, but you should gradually accustom it to open space.
In cold weather, it is extremely important to place the pot of tangerine in the most illuminated place, and it is better to even provide it with additional lighting.
Optimal temperature indicators
It is best to grow indoor tangerine in the summer at temperatures from twenty to twenty-five degrees. At the budding stage, as well as during the flowering period, it is advisable to slightly reduce the temperature - to twenty degrees or even slightly lower. With more high temperature the tree may shed flowers or buds. In cold weather, in order to organize a period of short rest for your pet, it is worth lowering the temperature to five to ten degrees. If the tree has the opportunity to rest during the winter, it will bloom and bear fruit much better.
How to water correctly homemade tangerine ?
Indoor tangerines at home are quite resistant to a lack of life-giving moisture. They successfully tolerate a lack of watering, and in severe drought they can only shed their leaves. Quite often, such plants suffer from excess moisture, which can lead to the development of fungal diseases.
So you should water the tree only after the soil in the pot has dried out somewhat. It is advisable to carry out this manipulation in the first half of the day. When temperatures drop (in winter), watering is reduced, performing it only to maintain life.
Humidity
Despite their drought resistance, indoor tangerines really do not like dry air. Therefore, they should be sprayed systematically. In case of lack of humidity environment plants may be damaged by spider mite. But during the flowering period, it is extremely important to ensure that droplets of water do not fall on the tangerine flowers.
Top dressing
In order for exotic trees to look attractive and remain healthy, they must be fed. After all, the soil in the pot is depleted quite quickly. For fertilizing it is worth using soluble fertilizers; they can be used for both watering and spraying, but in the second case the concentration should be very weak. As fertilizers, you can use any complex mixtures that contain basic particles, needed by plants, they are represented by phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
Tangerines are fed starting from March and ending in September, once every two weeks. In autumn, it is worth carrying out such manipulations less often - once a month.
Experienced flower growers It is also recommended to feed indoor tangerines with organic fertilizers. In this case, it is necessary to dilute well-infused cow manure, maintaining a ratio of 1:10.
Transfer
Young trees need to be replanted annually, and adults - at intervals of two years. For replanting, it is best to purchase special soil intended for citrus fruits. It is advisable to move the plant into a pot whose diameter is no more than five centimeters larger than before. Extremely important role The organization of a fairly good drainage layer in the new container also plays a role.
Best time for replanting tangerines - early spring, when the active growing season is just beginning. A couple of days before this procedure, you should stop using fertilizers. Fertilizing is not carried out within two weeks after transplantation. At the end of this procedure, you need to water the tree, and after half an hour, add soil (if necessary) and water again.
Additional Information
To get in a pot in a home flower garden lush tree, indoor tangerine it is necessary to pinch the branches. It is also worth periodically removing dried leaves, elongated branches and excess flowers. For every fifteen leaves you should leave no more than one ovary. And when bearing fruit, the branches must be tied to a support so that they do not break.
The tangerine tree is becoming increasingly common in gardeners' collections; caring for it at home is not particularly difficult if you follow the rules.
These are miniature citrus fruits with a neat and attractive appearance. The bright orange fruits are especially decorative, for which this plant is purchased.
You can buy a tangerine tree ready-made in flower shops or try growing it yourself.
When purchasing a finished tree, you should pay attention to whether it is really a tangerine. The fact is that sellers often offer calamondins instead. They are similar to tangerines, but do not have a pronounced citrus smell and taste.
That is why lovers prefer to grow tangerines themselves from seeds or purchase a seedling from a nursery.
IN room conditions The following species grow most successfully:
- Clementine is a hybrid; it produces a harvest in the second year, and an adult specimen produces up to 50 fruits per year.
- Murcott - produces sweet fruits and is compact.
- Shiva-mikan is fast-growing, compact, with small fruits.
- Vasya - hybrids up to 80 cm tall, the fruits ripen in the second year.
If you decide to try growing a tangerine tree yourself, it will definitely thank you beautiful view and aroma.
How to grow a tangerine from a seed
Tangerine seeds germinate quite well, but they must be fresh and ripe for planting. The fruit is taken ripe.
- We remove the bones.
- We disinfect them. This is done to prevent mold from appearing.
- The bones can be soaked in water with the addition of epin or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- We take pre-prepared nutrient soil.
- The seed is placed at a depth of 1 cm. You should not deepen it too much, otherwise the sprout will need more strength to break through to the surface.
The tangerine tree shoots appear in about 2 weeks. It is better to decide on the location of the tree in advance - it does not like to be moved.
Tangerine tree care
Proper care is the key to ensuring that the plant will live at home for several years.
Priming
Suitable for universal soil or specifically for citrus fruits. As soon as several true leaves appear on the sprout, it should be transplanted to permanent place. The substrate should be light, consisting of leaf soil, turf, humus, and sand. Peat and clay soil are not suitable for tangerines. You must definitely remember about drainage - expanded clay, broken shards, large brick chips.
Where to place a pot with a tangerine tree
The tangerine tree needs bright light in a room. However, care must be taken to ensure that the direct rays of the sun do not burn it. This is especially dangerous for seedlings and young trees, since their foliage is delicate and susceptible to burns. In a dark place, the tangerine will develop poorly and even lose some of its foliage. It will be even more difficult for it to bloom and bear fruit. The best windows for him: east, west, southeast, southwest. At noon, the tree is covered with a thin curtain or it must be installed so that the light is always uniform, diffused, but without direct sun. On the south side they are placed next to the window. The north window is not suitable for mandarin. In winter or in a dark room, the plant can be illuminated with lamps. The most economical and at the same time brightest are LEDs. Regular fluorescent and flora lamps are also suitable.
Watering
The supply of moisture should be regular and uniform. The tangerine tree will tolerate drought, but may lose some of its leaves. Excessive flooding, especially in winter, can cause the death of a tree or the appearance of fungal diseases, which also leads to loss of foliage, decorative look, and if the watering regime is not followed further, the plant will die.
The need for watering is determined by the size of the container, air temperature, time of year, air permeability of the soil - the rate of moisture evaporation. To determine the need for water, it is convenient to plunge your finger into the ground. In a small pot, the need for liquid is determined by weight.
It is better to water in the evening in summer, in winter in the morning.
Low air humidity has a negative effect on the plant, so it is useful to spray the tangerine tree. Do this carefully during flowering. Drops of water on the buds can cause them to rot and fall off.
Temperature
Mandarin grows successfully at normal room temperature. During flowering, the best temperature is 18-20 degrees. In winter, the tangerine tree goes into a dormant period, the most comfortable temperature at this time – 5-10 degrees. This helps to gain strength and set flower buds.
Fertilizers for tangerines
Fertilizing is applied during the period of growth, flowering and fruiting. Suitable fertilizers for citrus fruits, potassium humate. Feed once every 2 weeks in summer. In winter, during the dormant period, fertilizers are not given; the plant is not able to fully absorb nutrients at this time, which will adversely affect its development.
Fertilizers are applied after watering, preferably the next day, diluted in the recommended dose and not exceeding it.
Excess fertilizer is much more harmful than a small deficiency. Excessive feeding inhibits growth and development and can cause leaves to fall and diseases to appear.
Formation
In nature, tangerine grows freely, but at home it should be shaped. This is done not only for beauty, but also for full fruiting. A neat tree is obtained by controlling the growth of shoots; they are periodically pinched at the level of 5-6 leaves. Strong, fatty, fast-growing shoots can slow down the appearance of buds; they are also removed. Branches growing inside the tree are also removed.
Reproduction
Mandarin is propagated by seeds and layering. Adult specimens that are well formed are propagated by air layering. You can try propagation by cuttings by placing them in water.
To achieve a harvest, the tree is grafted. This is done in the spring, in May-April. You will need the following:
- The rootstock is the tree itself on which the graft will be made.
- A scion is a sprout from a healthy, fruit-bearing plant.
At approximately a height of 7 cm, a sharp T-shaped incision is made, which should preferably be disinfected. The bark is slightly pushed back, and the scion is placed into the resulting incision. After which this place must be treated with garden varnish.
Some gardeners prefer to simply tie thick fabric. Next, the plant is placed in a greenhouse or put on it plastic bag. It will take about a month to germinate.
Transfer
The young plant is replanted once a year, after the root system has completely entwined the earthen ball. The pot is taken with a diameter of 6 centimeters wider than the previous one.
When the tree reaches the age of 7 years, replanting is done once every two years, since its growth is no longer so fast.
You cannot immediately plant a young plant in a large container, this will slow down growth and can lead to rotting of the root system, since moisture from a large pot takes a long time to evaporate and acidification of the soil occurs.
Transplantation is carried out in the spring and not during flowering to avoid bud drop. After transplantation, fertilizing is resumed a month later - the new soil contains all the necessary nutrients.
Diseases, problems in growing
The tangerine tree gets sick if the rules for caring for it are not followed.
Yellow leaves:
- Bay
- Lack of nutrients.
- Excess fertilizer.
- The appearance of pests: spider mites, aphids.
Dropping leaves:
- Excessive drought.
- Draft.
- Bay
- Rearrangement.
- Errors during transplantation.
- Lack of lighting for a long time.
- Dormant period - sometimes in winter the plant may remove some of its leaves.
It is important to monitor air humidity. The Mandarin will not like being next to central heating radiators.
Sometimes the plant can be attacked by pests:
- Spider mite.
- Mealybug.
First aid - wash the plant warm shower using laundry soap. It might hold back 
reproduction of pests, but will not destroy them completely, so special preparations are used.
From aphids, scale insects - Aktara. For spider mites – Fitoverm. Actellik – effective and strong remedy, but it is not recommended for indoor use.
If you see small jumping insects on the surface of the soil, these are podurs; they appear when the soil is waterlogged. The first action is to dry the soil; perhaps this measure will allow you to get rid of them completely. Additionally, the drugs Grom 2 and Aktara can help. Also, when flooding and using homemade fertilizers, fungus gnats - sciarids - may appear above the pot. The same drugs are used for them as for foolishness.
In general, tangerine is quite easy to care for and is a good addition to the interior. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the climate, refreshes the air and releases aromatic substances.
Seed propagation in the garden strawberries we are used to, unfortunately, leads to the appearance of less productive plants and weaker bushes. But another type of these sweet berries, alpine strawberries, can be successfully grown from seeds. Let's learn about the main advantages and disadvantages of this crop, consider the main varieties and features of agricultural technology. The information presented in this article will help you decide whether it is worth allocating a place for it in the berry garden.
Often at the sight beautiful flower we instinctively lean in to smell its fragrance. All fragrant flowers can be divided into two large groups: nocturnal (pollinated by moths) and diurnal, whose pollinators are mainly bees. Both groups of plants are important for the florist and designer, because we often walk around the garden during the day and relax in our favorite corners when evening comes. We are never overwhelmed by the scent of our favorite fragrant flowers.
Many gardeners consider pumpkin to be the queen of garden beds. And not only because of its size, variety of shapes and colors, but also for its excellent taste, useful qualities and a rich harvest. Pumpkin contains a large amount of carotene, iron, various vitamins and minerals. Thanks to the opportunity long-term storage this vegetable supports our health all year round. If you decide to plant a pumpkin on your plot, you will be interested in learning how to get the largest possible harvest.
Scotch eggs are amazing! Try to cook this dish at home, there is nothing difficult to prepare. Scotch eggs are a hard-boiled egg wrapped in chopped meat, breaded in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep fried. For frying, you will need a frying pan with a high side, and if you have a deep fryer, then that’s just great - even less hassle. You will also need oil for frying so as not to smoke in the kitchen. Choose farm eggs for this recipe.
One of the most amazing large-flowered tubs of Dominican Cubanola fully justifies its status as a tropical miracle. Warm-loving, slow-growing, with huge and in many ways unique bells of flowers, Cubanola is a fragrant star with a complex character. She demands special conditions contents in the rooms. But for those who are looking for exclusive plants for their interior, a better (and more chocolatey) candidate for the role of indoor giant cannot be found.
Chickpea Curry with Meat is a hearty hot dish for lunch or dinner inspired by Indian cuisine. This curry is quick to prepare but requires some prep. The chickpeas must first be soaked in large quantities cold water for several hours, preferably overnight, the water can be changed several times. It is also better to leave the meat in the marinade overnight so that it turns out juicy and tender. Then you should boil the chickpeas until tender and then prepare the curry according to the recipe.
Rhubarb can not be found on everyone garden plot. It's a pity. This plant is a storehouse of vitamins and can be widely used in cooking. What is not prepared from rhubarb: soups and cabbage soup, salads, delicious jam, kvass, compotes and juices, candied fruits and marmalade, and even wine. But that's not all! The large green or red rosette of leaves of the plant, reminiscent of burdock, acts as a beautiful background for annuals. It is not surprising that rhubarb can also be seen in flower beds.
Today, experiments with non-banal combinations and non-standard colors in the garden are in trend. For example, plants with black inflorescences have become very fashionable. All black flowers are original and specific, and it is important for them to be able to select suitable partners and a position. Therefore, this article will not only introduce you to the range of plants with slate-black inflorescences, but also teach you the intricacies of using such mystical plants in garden design.
3 delicious sandwiches - cucumber sandwich, chicken sandwich, cabbage and meat sandwich - great idea for a quick snack or for a picnic in nature. Just fresh vegetables, juicy chicken and cream cheese and a little seasoning. There are no onions in these sandwiches; if you wish, you can add onions marinated in balsamic vinegar to any of the sandwiches; this will not spoil the taste. Having quickly prepared snacks, all that remains is to pack a picnic basket and head to the nearest green lawn.
Depending on the varietal group, the age of seedlings suitable for planting in open ground, is: for early tomatoes - 45-50 days, average ripening periods - 55-60 and late ones - at least 70 days. When planting tomato seedlings at a younger age, the period of its adaptation to new conditions is significantly extended. But success in obtaining a high-quality tomato harvest also depends on carefully following the basic rules for planting seedlings in open ground.
Unpretentious plants“background” sansevieria does not seem boring to those who value minimalism. They are better suited than other indoor decorative foliage stars for collections that require minimal care. Stable decorativeness and extreme hardiness in only one species of sansevieria are also combined with compactness and very rapid growth - rosette sansevieria Hana. The squat rosettes of their tough leaves create striking clusters and patterns.
One of the brightest months garden calendar pleasantly surprises with the balanced distribution of days favorable and unfavorable for working with plants lunar calendar. Vegetable gardening in June can be done throughout the entire month, while the unfavorable periods are very short and still allow you to do useful work. There will be optimal days for sowing and planting, for pruning, for a pond, and even for construction work.
Meat with mushrooms in a frying pan is an inexpensive hot dish that is suitable for a regular lunch and for a holiday menu. Pork will cook quickly, veal and chicken too, so this is the preferred meat for the recipe. Mushrooms - fresh champignons, in my opinion, are the best choice for homemade stew. Forest gold - boletus mushrooms, boletus and other delicacies is best prepared for the winter. Boiled rice or mashed potatoes are ideal as a side dish.
I love ornamental shrubs, especially unpretentious and with interesting, non-trivial coloring of foliage. I have various Japanese spirea, Thunberg barberries, black elderberry... And there is one special shrub, which I will talk about in this article - viburnum leaf. To fulfill my dream of a low-maintenance garden, it is perhaps ideal. At the same time, it is capable of greatly diversifying the picture in the garden, from spring to autumn.
Many people have tried at least once in their lives to stick a tangerine or other fruit seed into the ground, in the hope that flower pot soon a fruit-bearing tree will grow. The task is difficult and overwhelming, mainly due to a lack of knowledge on cultivation, and then there is no need to talk about proper care.
But it turns out that if you approach the matter correctly, without relying on “maybe”, then, for example, anyone can grow a tangerine tree in an apartment, even those who are not a skilled gardener. The main thing is patience, the ability to care and the desire to achieve what you want!
As is the case with other citrus crops, there are two possible ways to grow a tangerine tree - purchasing a seedling from a specialized store, or growing a tree yourself from a seed. The second way is more interesting and exciting (if you have the habit of caring for plantings), and if everything works out, then in a couple of years you will be filled with pride that your homemade tangerine not only smells fragrant, but also bears fruit!
It’s worth starting the process of growing at home with production seed material
The procedure is expected to be as follows:
- Extraction and preparation of seed material
- Preparing the container
- Land preparation for planting
- Waiting for shoots
- Preventive measures against diseases and pests
So, let's start moving through the list from the very beginning. It is worth starting the process of growing at home by obtaining seed material - several tangerine seeds, preferably 5-6, since not all of them can sprout. To do this, purchase ripe tangerines from your nearest store, which are stored in appropriate conditions (not in the refrigerator, not in direct sunlight), from which you can obtain the necessary this stage bones. Rinse the “extracted” seed thoroughly and place it on a flat, open surface to dry. After the seeds have dried, you need to start preparing them for planting.
For this, seed for better germination it is necessary to soak: it is better to take a clean, damp cotton cloth, wrap it in it tangerine seeds and leave them for a couple of days. It is not necessary to fill the fabric with seeds with water, but you need to make sure that the canvas is constantly wet - its complete drying is unacceptable, as this will ruin the whole thing in the bud. For those who do not want to deal with the fabric and monitor the state of its moisture all the time experienced gardeners I advise you to purchase a hydrogel (perhaps the name is aqua soil, eco-soil), which will allow you to carry out the desired process without the hassle. The hydrogel will replace wet cloth/gauze: by mixing the powder in the required proportion with water and placing the seeds inside the resulting jelly, you will not need to worry about the seed drying out at home for several days.
Video about how to grow a tangerine from a seed
While the seeds are swelling and hatching, they do not need any more care than described above, and therefore it is time to start preparing the container and soil. Let's start with containers: at the first stage, you can take a container of any volume, up to plastic cup. In the future, the grown seedling will need to be grown in a pot with a volume of about 4 liters. Before filling with soil, drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot (or any other container you have prepared). Let it be small pebbles, crushed walnut shells.
Now let's decide on the land. Like the “wild” one, homemade tangerine does not like acidic soils, so if you purchase the substrate at a specialized point of sale, you need to make sure that the soil is peat-free. If you prepare the soil for planting yourself, then some light mixture that allows air to pass through well, for example, a mixture of turf, leaf soil and sand, is best.
After everything is prepared, and the seeds have hatched and sprouts have already appeared, you can proceed directly to planting. Selected grains must be placed in grooves 3-4 cm deep and sprinkled with earth. Water the soil well, but try not to overwater. After this, we remove the pots with plantings in a dark, warm place. As a rule, tangerines even in natural conditions take quite a long time to sprout, so do not be alarmed or despair because there are no sprouts for a long time; as a rule, they appear 3-4 weeks after planting. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that the soil in the container is moist, but not waterlogged.
Water the soil well, but try not to overwater
After the sprouts have appeared, it is necessary to move the pot to a bright, but again warm place. Mandarin is a heat-loving plant, and for its good growth and development, the ambient temperature must be at least 200C.
First of all, as noted above, tangerine grows only in suitable temperature conditions. If the pot with sprouts is placed in a cool place (below 20 -22 0C), the plant will stop growing and may soon die completely.
After each watering, it is strictly necessary to care for the tangerine: loosen the soil
Secondly, it is imperative to remember that citrus tree is moisture-loving. In the summer, care includes mandatory watering, which should be done several times a day (depending on temperature and humidity conditions). In winter, watering is done less frequently - about 3 times a week, as the soil in the pot dries out. In addition, the leaves of the tree must be sprayed generously every day, and a container of water must be placed next to the pot. All these measures are necessary to ensure sufficient humidity, which is vital for the tangerine tree, since under natural conditions it, as a rule, does not lack moisture. The water must be filtered and settled, at room temperature. However, you can’t overwater the plant either. After each watering, it is strictly necessary to care for the tangerine: loosen the soil and, if necessary, apply fertilizer.
Thirdly, some gardeners who have had a citrus tree growing in artificial conditions for several years advise replanting the plant annually in the spring. Moreover, this must be done extremely carefully, trying not to touch the soil around the roots. After the tree reaches eight years of age, replanting can be done once or twice a year. Like home care will not just allow the tree to grow better, but from a certain point will also influence the qualitative and quantitative indicators of tangerine yield.
Fourthly, mandatory when growing citrus fruits at home, are feeding the tree with mineral and organic fertilizers. Balanced fertilizers are best purchased at a specialty store. The most frequent feeding should be done when the plant has its first leaves. The frequency of fertilizing in the summer is once every 14 days, with the onset of autumn once a month.
Video about tangerine tree
Pest and disease control.
Citrus trees grown at home can be severely damaged by flies, aphids, red mites. That's why mandatory care should also include a weekly visual inspection of all parts of the plant, from the trunk and basal part to the leaves and shoots.
As soon as you notice pests, you must immediately take a number of measures aimed at saving the tree. If you notice pests in time, then you won’t need strong “chemistry”. It will be enough to prepare a solution of onion peel or garlic, and with it, thoroughly rinse the entire plant - leaves and trunk. Don’t be lazy, wash everything carefully and thoroughly, since spraying will not give the desired results. Instead of homemade infusions prepared yourself, you can buy a biological product “green soap” in a specialized store, which will help cope with pests.
