Many representatives of citrus fruits, when favorable conditions are created, develop and grow well in various residential and administrative premises. The most popular of them is lemon; it can be found in apartments and offices, school classrooms and preschool institutions, in clinics and stores. Raising this popular favorite is not easy; you have to spend a lot of time and effort on its cultivation and care. Tangerine, orange, lime, pomelo, and grapefruit require the same attention. They all have numerous useful qualities, one of which is the presence in leaves biologically active substances, capable of destroying pathogenic bacteria. Every lover of indoor plants can create all the necessary conditions for citrus fruits in a house or apartment.
Location and lighting
The place where citrus indoor plants are grown should not be on the windowsill on the north side of the house, near a microwave oven, in drafts or near central heating radiators or other heating devices. Citrus fruits are shade-tolerant crops, therefore it is more favorable to place them on the eastern or western window, but it is also possible at a short distance from the southern window sill.
Temperature
For plants, places where warm and cold air meet, as well as the presence of elevated temperature air. If at least one of these unfavorable moments is present, the leaves on citrus fruits begin to fall off.
In the period from November to February, when crops are in a dormant period, special regime contents – low air temperature in the room, absence of any water procedures(spraying and watering) and fertilizing.
Humidity
The air humidity level should be high. It can be maintained with daily spraying; the water temperature should not be below 25 degrees. Citrus plants are painful when it comes to dry indoor air.
Watering
Not recommended for watering tap water, the presence of chlorine in it will negatively affect indoor pets. Irrigation water (with a temperature of 20-22 degrees) should be settled and slightly acidified. To do this, add a few drops of vinegar to it.
Choosing a pot
The ideal material for the pot is unglazed fired clay or wood. There must be drainage holes and a good drainage layer at the bottom of the flower container.
Soil composition requirements
Indoor citrus fruits will develop fully only in a special substrate for this type of plant. It is recommended to purchase high-quality soil mixture only in specialized stores for gardeners, so that its quality is not in doubt.
Feeding and fertilizers
Exotic citrus plants need to be fed regularly from February to November. You can use organic fertilizers or mineral ones containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
Lemons, tangerines, oranges and other exotics can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and grafting. Every gardener dreams of growing an exotic citrus plant from an ordinary seed, which will not only germinate and sprout, but will also eventually turn into a small tree and bear a lot of fruit.
Growing citrus fruits from seeds, from the very beginning life path The plant’s immunity is strengthened and its resistance to life increases. After all, a tender young culture has to adapt to unusual conditions of existence from its very first days. Usually there are no big problems with seed germination, but flowering and fruiting will have to wait from 7 to 15 years. Taste qualities The fruits also leave much to be desired. In order for the crop to bloom much earlier, it will be necessary to vaccinate. Typically, experienced flower growers and gardeners recommend using cuttings of citrus fruits that are already bearing fruit as a scion.
When growing exotic crops in room conditions It is necessary to take into account that plants can reach great heights. It is better to immediately purchase seeds for planting dwarf species and varieties.
Propagation by seeds
It is recommended to plant freshly harvested seeds taken directly from the fruit. Planting depth - no more than 3 cm. The planting container should hold a volume of about 2 liters with mandatory drainage holes at the bottom. Drainage is poured at the bottom, and then a special substrate for citrus fruits. After planting, the pot should be covered with a glass jar or film to create greenhouse conditions, in which seedlings will appear much earlier. Depending on the variety and type of crop, seedlings will appear in the range from 7 days to 2 months. If several sprouts appear from one seed, then over time it is necessary to leave only one stronger and stronger plant.
Propagation by cuttings
For rooting you need to take apical cuttings and plant them in wet river sand at a slight angle, covering the top with a cut plastic bottle from transparent material. Favorable temperature for root formation is 20-25 degrees. The place should be well lit, but protected from direct sunlight. The first roots may appear in about a month, after which the plant is transplanted into a special soil mixture. When replanting, you must be careful with the root part, as it can easily be damaged.
This method is considered the most common because it allows you to preserve all the best quality characteristics of the mother plant. Flowering and fruiting occurs much earlier than with seed propagation.
Graft
Grafting can be carried out by budding or copulation. Scion and rootstock can be from different types citrus fruits. It is recommended to use lemon, orange or grapefruit for the rootstock.
Diseases and pests
Possible pests of citrus fruits as indoor crops are aphids, spider mites, scale insects, mealybug, possible diseases– anthracnose, wartiness and gommosis. The emerging diseases are difficult to treat, so you need to try to prevent them. At the first signs of disease, it is recommended to “help” the plants. This help consists of urgently removing the affected leaves, buds and fruits, then the plant will direct all its strength to recovery and preservation of healthy parts.
The main and most common cause of diseases and pests is violation of maintenance conditions and care rules. With increased attention to indoor pets and strict compliance with their requirements and preferences, such a danger does not threaten.
Conditions for growing citrus fruits (video)
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 old branches is olive-gray, with longitudinal cracks, on young branches it is 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 established and developed 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 turns completely 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 of 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 different high qualities. Active artificial selection is underway.
Pavlovsk lemon grows best on east-facing windows; 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, the lemon taste, and the characteristic citric acid in the fruit is almost not felt. 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% set fruit 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 a thick peel, resistant to high temperatures and dry air, it begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year (in the picture is the 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. Lemon came from China to the USA, and in the early 30s it was introduced from the USA to Southern regions 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 no a large number thorns The leaves are dark green, shiny, dense, thick, ovoid, serrated. Stands out among other varieties abundant fruiting and not very sour taste of the fruit. Fruit weight 70-150 g. Remontability, early ripening, good fruiting this variety make it promising for indoor cultivation, where it is grown on 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), solitary 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 humidified in winter time. 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, medium size 12 x 5 cm, very fragrant.
Remontant variety. The flowers are large, the outer side of the petals is lilac shade. The New Georgian lemon blooms at 4-5 years of 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.
The average fruit weight is 120 grams. The juicy and tender fine-grained pulp consists of 9-10 cloves, satisfies the most sophisticated taste, has a pleasant acidity and is very strong aroma. Chemical composition 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 and formed from the mass of grown seedlings, 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 winter 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 the harvest from a 30-year-old tree reached 750 fruits.” The height of Maikop lemons in rooms reaches 1.5-2 meters.
Lemon Genoa
A weak-growing tree without thorns. Very productive variety: in the fourth or fifth year of life it produces about 50 fruits; an adult tree produces a harvest of 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, good taste, fruit peel is edible. Needs sufficient lighting (south, southeast window, loggia.)
To be continued... Article written Alex
A citrus garden at home is the dream of many! However, is it possible to grow it at home in order to be able to delight your loved ones with fresh “vitamins”? Yes, you can. In addition, growing citrus fruits at home can become your favorite hobby, and citrus garden will turn into a source of your pride. However, to grow such a garden you will need to make some efforts and be patient.
Citrus fruit care
Suitable place
In winter, it is not recommended to place the container on the windowsill at home, because cold will come from the glass and heat from the battery, this will negatively affect the health of the green pet.
A warm, humid place with plenty of light is best. In spring and summer periods place the pot on a window that is oriented to the southwest or southeast.
Temperature
These plants do not tolerate sub-zero temperatures. Remember this, otherwise your garden may die!
In the warm season, the optimal temperature is 19-27 degrees, and in winter it can be lowered to 12-17 degrees.
Since citrus fruits react negatively to temperature fluctuations, autumn period it is better to bring the plant into the warm room before the first frost occurs. Citrus fruits come from the tropics, so you shouldn’t forget about air humidity. If the air is not humidified enough, purchase a special humidifier. Your citrus orchard will thank you for this.
Illumination
Your citrus garden will need good lighting; protect it only from direct sunlight during the hot summer. In autumn and winter, plants will not have enough natural light, so it is necessary to add additional lighting with lamps; without this procedure you will not be able to grow a decent harvest. Provide additional lighting to the citrus garden so that its daylight hours are 12 hours.
Watering
Water the plants regularly, as it is better to prevent the soil from drying out too much. But watering should be moderate!
You should also not over-moisten the soil; before the next watering, the top layer of soil must dry out.
On hot summer days, it is allowed to water daily, but in winter, water citrus trees less often and not so abundantly - once a week is enough.
Take water at room temperature, soft and not chlorinated.
Suitable soil for citrus fruits
The soil must be fertile and breathable. It is necessary to ensure good drainage from crushed brick or expanded clay. For these plants, the soil mixture is prepared from peat, leaf and turf soil, and sand in equal proportions. The result should be a slightly acidic environment. There is a much easier option - buy ready mixture in the store, for citrus fruits it is usually called “Lemon”.
Fertilizing the plant
Feed the plant only in spring and summer months, when it is actively growing, but during the winter dormancy period, forget about fertilizers.
Water the soil well first and then fertilize. Remember that a lack of fertilizers is better than an excess of them!
If you overfeed the plant, the root system may get burned.
As a top dressing, it is better to take special fertilizers for citrus fruits, which can be easily found in specialized supermarkets.
How to grow an orange tree at home?
Many people dream of growing it at home. After all, the orange tree produces incredibly tasty and useful fruits. Where to start?
1. The month of March is most suitable for planting. Take fresh orange seeds and rinse them in warm water.
2. Soak the seeds for 10-12 hours.
3. Plant them in a suitable fertile soil mixture and sprinkle with 1 centimeter of soil. Cover the pot with plastic and place it in a warm, dark place.
4. When the first shoots appear, the orange tree is moved to a more illuminated area.
Vaccinations
When the orange tree grows, it should bloom and then bear fruit. However, not all owners manage to achieve this, or the fruits develop, but remain small and have a bitter taste. All this is because a tree from a seed may not take on its mother’s properties, which is why it is so important to graft an orange tree. How to do this? There are 2 methods: classic grafting and budding.
In the first method, a cutting is taken from a fruiting orange; it is this that will give a certain variety to our “savage”. Then the seedling is used as a rootstock for a “thoroughbred” cutting. The second method is easier than the first, and for young plant less and less painful. In this case, a bud of a varietal orange tree is implanted along with part of the wood into the trunk of a wild citrus tree. It is better to introduce several buds at once from different sides of the plant.
Shaping the trunk
An orange tree can begin to bear fruit normally only after 5-6 years, but for this the crown must be formed correctly. What is needed for this? When the tree stretches 24-28 cm, the shoot should be pinched, leaving 18-20 cm in length.
Leave only the strongest side shoots, remove the rest so that the tree branches well. Young trees may also begin to bloom, but in this case it is better to get rid of flowers and ovaries, since the plant will waste its potential on only 2-3 fruits.
How to grow limes at home?
Lime - wonderful plant of the citrus family, when grown at home, the tree spreads a delightful aroma throughout the room. In addition, lime is beneficial when eaten. This tree is also very beautiful, it will decorate any apartment! To grow it, you need to know some nuances.
Lime can act as good rootstock for others citrus plants. Lemon, kumquat, tangerine, etc. can be grafted onto its massive trunk.
In order to grow lime at home from seeds, you need to follow certain steps.
1. Select a suitable container for planting limes. It should be spacious, 10-15 centimeters in length, and allow liquid and air to pass through.
2. Take fertile soil and ensure good drainage; you can sprinkle the bottom of the pot with sand.
3. Next, bury fresh lime seeds 2-3 centimeters into the soil. Cover the pot with plastic wrap and place it in an area with good lighting. Don't forget to water and ventilate our future lime!
4. When the sprouts hatch and the first leaves appear on them, you need to remove the polyethylene. Then the lime needs standard care, but do not forget to form the crown in a timely manner.
Your home garden will bear fruit well if it is properly cared for.
Citrus crops originated from Southeast Asia: in the tropical zone it is warm almost all year round, only in winter there is a slight drop in temperature, in addition, the plants are constantly in conditions of good light and high humidity. Create houses ideal conditions For indoor citrus plants it is quite difficult, but possible: if done correctly, they will become a real decoration for the windowsill and will even bear fruit several times a year. What are the features of citrus fruits, and what are the most common crops?
Many indoor citrus crops can bloom several times a year.
However, in winter, it is advisable to lower the room temperature slightly: since the duration of the sunny day decreases, the plant suffers from a lack of sunlight. Due to large energy losses, it will look exhausted, and leaves will often fall off. To avoid unnecessary energy consumption, you need to either provide additional artificial illumination of the required spectrum or lower the temperature in the room.
Citrus indoor crops have several more growing features:
- They all love sunlight very much - it is recommended to place them in southern and east windows. If you want to plant citrus fruits, they should be well lit; you can plant them in the partial shade of other plants. Lack of light quickly depletes the plant, and it may die.
- The optimal temperature is +18 degrees with air humidity up to 70%. It is difficult to provide such conditions in a room, so it is advisable to plant the plant regularly warm water. Without a seasonal drop in temperature and a dormant period, citrus fruits live no more than 3-4 years, so you need to harvest them for the winter from November to February.
- Citrus fruits love water: it should be regular and plentiful. However, in order to prevent rotting of the roots, it is necessary to allow the soil to dry between waterings, and during the dormant period the plant is watered no more than once a week.
These are just the basic rules for growing citrus fruits; each crop has its own special requirements for maintenance. Let's take a closer look at the most common citrus indoor plants.
Indoor tangerine can be a dwarf or regular variety: this plant has long been used for growing in a greenhouse and on a windowsill. Mandarin can be grown as a bonsai - this is a special technology for forming a dwarf bush, which allows you to get miniature tree, which will bloom and bear fruit.
Mandarin is popular for its beautiful green leaves, white flowers with a pleasant scent and fragrant fruits that can hang on the branches for several months.
The fruits of indoor tangerines have only decorative value: they are not worth eating because the taste is too sour. It is possible to improve the taste of mono fruits through breeding work with several plants, but developing a new variety will take a very long time. look after indoor tangerine not too difficult, you need to meet a few basic requirements:
- Regular, but not excessive watering. The more leaves a plant has, the more actively they evaporate moisture; the required amount of water depends on this. In apartment conditions, it is advisable to grow tangerine regularly, since the plant suffers from constantly dry air.
- Regular feeding with soluble minerals. In large quantities nutrients tangerine especially needs it in the spring, before starting - at this time it is carried out with a fertilizer solution 1-2 times a week. Do not exceed the dosage: the plant is not able to absorb large doses of fertilizers, and they can destroy.
- . If you purchased not an indoor variety, but a regular one. Several large branches should not be allowed to grow: their tips are regularly pinched to achieve the appearance of lateral shoots.
- On young plants, flowers and ovaries need to be controlled: the fewer fruits a plant has, the larger they will be, so excess ovaries must be removed in time. At first, only one ovary is left, on next year the number of fruits can be increased.
Constant care will make the tangerine strong and beautiful: it will decorate your home with thick foliage and magnificent orange fruits with a pleasant smell. Growing a tangerine on a windowsill does not require much trouble: following the basic principles of care will allow you to quickly achieve good growth.
Growing oranges
An orange can be grown at home from a seed obtained from the most common store-bought fruit. In nature, this plant is a medium-sized tree up to 7 meters high; indoor orange can reach 3 meters in height. You can grow it not only from seeds, but also if one of your friends already has an adult plant at home.
When planted with seeds, an orange begins to bloom and bear fruit no earlier than after 7-10 years; growing a plant from a cutting goes much faster.
The conditions for growing a homemade orange are approximately the same as for other citrus crops: the plant needs a lot of light, regular watering, but it is not advisable to loosen it often - this can seriously damage the roots.
When growing an orange from a seed, you need to follow the correct sequence of actions:
- You will need a mixture of peat and fertile soil, it is placed in small pots. For planting, it is advisable to take seeds from several fully ripened fruits; the seeds must have the correct shape.
- They are planted in the soil at a distance of 5 cm from each other, the seed planting depth is approximately 1 cm. In about two weeks, sprouts will appear.
- Of all the sprouts, only the strongest should be left. A mi-greenhouse is equipped for them: the plants are covered with a glass jar to ensure sufficient temperature and humidity underneath. To ensure ventilation, the can must be removed for half an hour every day.
- As soon as the sprouts have several true leaves, they are transplanted into separate pots and placed on a well-lit windowsill. A repeat will be required when the height of the plant reaches 20 cm, from about this time it will be necessary to form a crown.
Like homemade tangerine, fruits indoor orange have predominantly decorative value. When propagated by seeds, due to cross-pollination, the fruit will not be the same as that of the parent plant. When growing oranges in greenhouses, breeders select seeds from the sweetest and most delicious fruits to convey these qualities to the next plant by inheritance, but this is a long, multi-year work.
It is better not to move your homemade orange from place to place; it may react to changing conditions by dropping its leaves. A spacious, well-lit window sill is immediately selected for it and conditions for consistently good growth are provided.
Calamondin is a dwarf citrus tree that most closely resembles a small tangerine with bright, small fruits. Its advantage is small sizes: It’s easy to find a place for such a plant on the windowsill, and you don’t have to worry about regularly trimming the crown. Calamondin requires approximately the same conditions as other citrus fruits, but there are still several important nuances in its cultivation.
Calamondin is a light-loving indoor plant, but it loves diffused rather than direct sunlight.
In summer it feels comfortable on the south and east sides; in winter it can be moved to the windowsill on the north side of the house. If calamondin does not have enough light, it will grow very slowly without flowering or fruiting. During the summer months it can be taken out fresh air, it can be placed in partial shade for a while.
The plant requires regular, heavy watering during the summer months, but in winter it is sufficient to water it once a week. For wintering, it is advisable to move it to a cool room - the dormant period helps the plant restore strength and prepare for new flowering and fruiting.
Calamondin reproduces in two main ways - and. Seed propagation is too long way, fruiting will have to wait several years. You can propagate a plant much faster using cuttings; this work is carried out as follows:
- Cuttings are young shoots that should contain at least 2-3 buds. They are cut from an adult plant and placed for some time in a nutrient solution.
- When the cuttings form their own young roots, they are transplanted into the ground. The optimal soil mixture consists of peat and flower earth, they need to be mixed well in a 1:1 ratio.
- The cutting is covered with a glass jar to create a high temperature and humidity environment. To change the air in a mini-greenhouse, the jar needs to be removed once a day for half an hour.
- As soon as the cuttings have their first leaves, the jar can be removed, after which the calamondin is grown as an ordinary indoor citrus plant.
With proper care, the plant will bear fruit every year; the bright fruits look beautiful among the thick dark green leaves. You should not eat pods as food; they will be too sour or even bitter.
Growing grapefruit at home is not as difficult as it might seem. If the crown is formed correctly, the height of the plant in indoor conditions does not exceed 1.5-2 meters; it will look very beautiful thanks to the dark leaves on especially curved petioles. Indoor grapefruit varieties are capable of producing juicy and quite tasty fruits, and their weight can reach 400 grams.
Grapefruit is a light-loving plant; it needs a sufficient amount of sunlight and free space.
It is suitable for growing not only in an apartment, but also in an office, in a greenhouse or on an insulated loggia. Grapefruit does not like cold weather; even short-term frosts can cause serious harm to it, so keep it at outdoors only possible during the summer months.
Watering the plant:
- Grapefruit requires regular watering warm time years, and the water should not stagnate in the pot - install a drainage layer of expanded clay at the bottom.
- To ensure normal humidity air, the plant must be constantly sprayed with a spray bottle.
- In winter, the plant is removed to a room with a lower temperature and less light; during the dormant period, it is enough to water it only 2 times a month.
Young plants are replanted annually; for adult grapefruits, the soil substrate should be replaced at least once every 5-6 years. During the period of active and fruiting, the plant is fed with complex, for example, "Rainbow".
Grapefruit – best option For home grown from a seed. Ordinary seeds from mature fruits germinate quickly and take root well; the plant can begin to bear fruit as early as the fourth year if comfortable conditions are created for it. It is important to provide it with a sufficient amount of sunlight: if there is not enough light, growth slows down and the trunk becomes bent. If it is not possible to place the plant on a southern or eastern windowsill, you need to purchase a special fluorescent lamp for indoor flowers. The result of care and maintenance will be regular fruiting and beautiful abundant flowering.
Growing citron
Citron is a rarer citrus plant; it is grown indoors only for its decorative qualities. Citron has large yellow fruits that look beautiful against the background of dark green leaves. In indoor conditions, the plant reaches a height of 1.5 meters.
The most interesting decorative variety considered to be a finger citron - it is also called the “Hand of Buddha”.
It is interesting due to the unusual shape of the fruit - in appearance they most closely resemble a bunch of bananas. Such a citron begins to bear fruit already in the third year after planting. This plant is a light-loving plant; even during the dormant period it should be in a well-lit room. In summer, citron needs abundant regular water; in dry indoor air, it is placed in a pan of water or regularly sprayed with a spray bottle.
Citron can also be planted as seedlings: the first option is longer, you will have to wait more than 5 years for fruits. When propagated, it is possible to obtain a plant that completely copies the parental traits; you can plant a citron with the largest and most fragrant fruits at home. It is not difficult to grow citrus fruits at home, and they will quickly turn into one of the main decorations of the windowsill. If good conditions are provided, any citrus plant will quickly begin to bloom and bear fruit.
More information can be found in the video.
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 reminds me of African saxaul. It’s a very soulful plant. It’s like saying to me: “I’d rather die, but I won’t grow on you!” 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? the vile plant did not appreciate my care, there were no leaves, even though I feed it monthly and apply a special fertilizer, “Lemon”, I spray it with water every day 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 some of the leaves (or all the leaves). When buying citrus trees in winter, I recommend removing most of the fruits (or better yet, all of them), removing the emerging flowers and trimming the fruit-bearing shoots by 1/3.
______________________________________
**Transfer
Root system Citrus plants have a peculiarity - they do 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. It is very sensitive to conditions, suffers from prolonged absence of 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. At further transfers 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 period winter holidays, at the beginning of February. In summer, shoots that are too long and fattening should also be shortened. Different types and varieties of citrus fruits have their own growth patterns. 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 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 cannot 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 mealybugs, scale insects, and false scale insects. Citrus fruits are also affected by aphids and spider mites.
White lumps in the axils, on branches and trunks - a mealybug infestation.
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.
Irregular small yellow dots on leaves, bottom of leaf powdery plaque, sometimes the cobweb is a spider mite.
Accumulation of small green or black insects on young shoots, sweet secretions - aphids.
Small, mobile, light-colored insects in the ground that jump when watering - podras, or springtails. They start when over-watered and do not harm the plant. It is enough to reduce watering and water with Aktara (1 g/10 l).
Small black flies flying above the ground are fungus gnats. They also start from waterlogging. The larvae live in the soil, but do not cause harm to healthy roots. It is enough to adjust the watering; you can shed it with Aktara (1 g/10 l).
Read more in the article Pests of indoor plants and measures to combat them.
Chinese sweet orange
Citrus diseases occur due to improper care and damage by various pathogens (which is also often caused by errors in maintenance).
Fungal diseases often affect citrus fruits on plantations or in greenhouses. Drying and blackening of branches - malseco - are of a fungal nature; gum bleeding - gommosis, when a wound forms on the trunk from which a liquid resembling resin oozes; leaf spotting and anthractic blight, when weeping spots spread across the leaf and subsequently merge; powdery mildew when a white powdery coating forms on the leaves. The fight against fungal diseases comes down to establishing care, removing and destroying the affected parts of the plant, and treating with systemic and contact fungicides.
Sometimes a black coating forms on the leaves of citrus fruits, which can be easily removed with a damp swab - this is a sooty fungus. It does not harm the plant; it usually settles on the sugary secretions of pests. The cause of sugary discharge should be eliminated, sooty deposits should be removed by soaking in soapy solution swab, wash well under a warm shower.
Diseases caused by viruses appear as marbling and cannot be treated.
Causes of yellowing of leaves: chlorosis caused by a lack of iron, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, excess calcium; lack of nitrogen; lack or excess of light; spider mite infestation.
Reasons for appearance brown spots on the leaves: non-compliance with the watering regime (drying 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, over-wetting the substrate, over-drying 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!