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Citrus fruits are native to Southeast Asia. The benefits of the fruits and parts of these plants are undeniable. There are many types of them – from simple to exotic. In our regions, the most common, of course, is lemon. Growing a wonderful fruit at home is gaining more and more popularity. Let’s talk about this in more detail.
How to grow lemon
Wildlife is rich in citrus plants. Trees, shrubs are small, but they are still not suitable for the house. Home lemon tree has a height of about two meters. The most suitable varieties: Mayera, Pavlovsky, Novogruzinsky, Nizhny Novgorod. If you want a shorter plant, then take Eureka, Genoa. Kursk, Maikop, Ural – the most productive species.
There are several ways to grow a lemon at home: sow seeds, plant a shoot, graft. Characteristics will differ from the method: both in appearance and in fruits.
How to plant?
Seeds are planted immediately, taking them out of the fruit. Three weeks later, the first shoots will already appear. But this method will give a harvest rather slowly – after 5-6 years.
The most optimal way to breed citrus fruits is cuttings.
Choosing and caring for a seedling
You can buy them in nurseries, a botanical garden, or from experienced gardeners. The stalk from 15 centimeters long, about 5 mm thick, should have 3-4 young leaves. You can treat it with a special stimulant so that the roots grow faster. Before planting, deepen the sprout in the water to half its height. After 2-3 days, place it in humus-fertilized soil with sand 1: 1. Ready-made soil is sold by specialized stores. You just have to add sand there. Or you can take already fertilized soil from the garden plot.
Take a large plastic bottle with a hole in the bottom. Cut it in half. Fill both halves with prepared soil. Plant a shoot there, pour a small amount of slightly warm water. Connect both halves, cover with a glass jar on top.
Put the dishes with the handle near the window. Make sure that there is no draft, direct sunlight, cold. The optimum temperature is 20 degrees Celsius. In three to four weeks, the plant will take root. Can be transplanted.
Crockery
Home lemon tree does not like frequent transplants. Therefore, immediately take a spacious container. It can be a ceramic pot, with holes in the bottom. Each time it should be larger than the previous one.
Lemon Tree Care
Home conditions require proper care of the lemon. Initially, choose a place for it so that you no longer move it. Preferably south or southeast.
Lighting
The plant is photophilous, especially young. At least 2 hours a day, let it get direct sunlight. Just choose not the hottest time! Next, the usual diffused bright lighting is suitable. In winter, you need to use additional lighting. To form a beautiful crown, the tree can be rotated just a little daily. It should have time to turn the leaves behind the light.
Temperature
Homemade lemon tree loves moderate heat. The optimum temperature is 18-25 degrees Celsius. In winter, you need to provide cooler conditions – + 12-15 degrees. This stimulates, accelerates fruiting. The main thing is good lighting, the absence of drafts, a sharp temperature drop. Otherwise, the plant may get sick, stop bearing fruit.
Humidity and watering
Citrus needs an average humidity – 60-70% at a temperature of about +20 degrees. Spray once or twice a day, especially in summer. In winter, you also need to moisturize. Dry air leads to the appearance of pests.
In spring and summer, the plant needs daily watering. If it’s hot, then even twice. In cold weather, reduce watering to twice a week. Eliminate stagnation of water in the roots – the lemon may die. Overdrying the soil leads to diseases, the appearance of pests.
Soil features, fertilizer
The soil is taken fertilized with organic, chemical nutrients. You can use ready-made store mix.
Soil recipe for young plants:
- turf, 2 parts;
- earth sheet, 1 part;
- humus, 1 part;
- sand, 1 part.
Soil recipe for adult plants:
- turf, 3 parts;
- earth sheet, 1 part;
- cow dung, 1 part;
- sand, 1 part;
- oily clay (small amount).
Fertilize the lemon twice a year. The first half of summer – fertilize after watering. Such top dressing will add a little sweetness to the fruit, remove the bitter aftertaste. In winter, the plant also needs additional nutrients.
Transfer
Lemon is rarely transplanted. Young – at the beginning of growth. Adult, fruiting – every three years. There is a transshipment method, along with an earthen clod. The new pot is larger than the previous one. Provide the bottom with drainage: charcoal or expanded clay.
Crown formation
The first year of its life, a homemade lemon throws out a shoot up to 30 centimeters long. The next year, cut off the upper part of the sprout, leaving about 20 centimeters. This procedure stimulates the release of lateral kidneys. Leave 3 kidneys on top, remove from below. The upper buds will give rise to the main branches of the crown. The third year of the plant’s life is to do the same. By pruning the central shoot, we force the tree to develop lateral shoots. After 5-6 such procedures, a beautiful crown will form. Next, you need to remove fast-growing shoots.
If you are still in doubt, plant a lemon tree at home, you won’t regret it! With proper care, it will bloom in a few years. And it will begin to bear fruit when at least 20 full-fledged leaves form on it. The quantity and quality of fruits depend on the variety, the method of planting, and the characteristics of the content. It is believed that one fruit has 8-10 leaves. Lemon is a vitamin factory! It must be remembered: the longer it is on the tree, the worse its taste.
Video “How to grow a lemon at home”
After watching the video, you can read the instructions on how to grow a lemon at home
