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You need to carefully care for a lemon or an ornamental tree. Citrus indoor trees are demanding on the microclimate, soil and environment. Back in the 12th century, the inhabitants of India began to grow lemons at home and use them in medicine, at home, and eat them. Bright yellow fruits with a delicate aroma make the house more cozy and comfortable.
How to care for a lemon tree
Growing citrus trees is quite troublesome, but citrus is particularly unpretentious. A young plant is purchased in gardening stores or they try to grow a tree from a seed, a rooted cutting. If a seed was planted, then the first fruits will appear in 7-8 years, and a purchased tree will begin to bear fruit in 3-4 years. Initially grown lemon at home will rarely get sick, bear fruit abundantly for a long time. Over the entire period of life, the plant can grow up to 1-1,5 m.
In the early stages of growth, it is necessary to form a crown, cut off the upper branches, which contributes to the formation of new foliage. The plant will thrive in a well-lit area with natural light. It is not recommended to move a tree, sharply lift, put or carry it. This entails rapid shedding of foliage or buds. With abundant flowering, you need to remove empty flowers that do not have stamens. Also, too many fruits will deplete the tree. On a fruiting branch, from 10 to 15 adult leaves are allowed, which nourish the fruit until ripening.
A decorative lemon tree in a pot is not placed on the floor, because the roots of the plant are sensitive to temperature. The pot is placed at the level of the windowsill or so that at least 2 m remains to the ceiling. Caring for tinted citrus differs from fruit-bearing in that pruning can be omitted. The tree reaches 60-70 cm and stops growing, then begins to bear fruit like an ordinary lemon. Fruits differ in size, taste and skin thickness. They can be overexposed on the branches, and the peel will not become thick. After full ripening, the fruits either fall off on their own, or they are cut off. Caring for an ordinary fruit-bearing citrus tree is more scrupulous.
Creating optimal conditions
Creating comfortable conditions and proper care of the lemon guarantee tasty and juicy fruits, as well as a healthy plant. The tree loves heat and light very much, so the lemon is grown on stands in a room with a lot of light or on window sills on the south side of the apartment. In diffused light, the tree will develop rapidly, but in the summer the sun’s rays are dangerous for the plant, so you need to limit the time the citrus stays in the light to 3-4 hours. In winter, the plant needs more light, so the room should have regular lighting up to 10-12 hours.
During the cultivation and care of lemon at home, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime, maintaining a constant microclimate in the room from + 15 ° С to + 25 ° С. When the plant begins to bloom, the room is ventilated, the temperature can drop to + 10 ° C. A sharp change in climate should not be allowed, otherwise the foliage will crumble. After winter or summer airing, the tree is left for 20-30 minutes in a cool place so that the lemon acclimatizes. In winter, the kolirovanny tree is grown in the coolest and brightest room, providing maximum non-interference in the flowering process.
At temperatures from + 7 ° C and below, the plant hibernates and can independently suspend the vegetation process. With the onset of spring, the tree is taken out into the street at temperatures from + 12 ° C to + 15 ° C, when the earth begins to warm up completely, evaporation is released. At this time, the lemon can be watered only once a day. The tree is placed in the shade or partial shade so that the process of getting used to the sunlight goes favorably. Citrus is brought into the room with the first signs of a drop in temperature. With the onset of autumn, an ornamental tree is grown on the veranda until the first cold weather, then transferred to a cool room.
The air in the room should be regularly humidified 1-2 times a day with a spray bottle. Optimum humidity up to 60-70%. In addition to air, you need to spray the leaves of the tree with water, wiping all the foliage with plain water is allowed. In case of any stains or pests, wipe each sheet with a damp soapy cloth. The solution must be very weak so as not to harm the plant, but only to disinfect it.
How to cut a lemon
Gardeners and gardeners disagree on when to prune citrus or crown shaping. Caring for a lemon tree at home through pruning guarantees rapid crown development and an accelerated fruiting process. Tree pruning is done in spring before buds appear, in autumn before the first rains and in winter during hibernation, so that the tree bears fruit well for the next season. The first formation of the purchased plant is done in the first year of life with home care, when the main stem grows by 25-30 cm. The top of the stem is pinched or cut so that the plant begins to branch.
Before the beginning of spring in the second year of development, the lemon is re-cut by 10-15 cm so that 5-6 shoots remain on the trunk, which will branch in different directions. There are cases when one or more buds grow from the main shoot, in the first case, 1 bud is cut off, in the second, the strongest shoot is left, removing the rest. All old annual shoots are removed under the base. The crown formation of an ornamental lemon is accelerated by pruning young growing branches. A young plant can be placed on a windowsill. You can take care of a lemon before the first flowering by organizing regular watering, timely feeding and pruning.
The main formative pruning is carried out in the spring in March or April. Shoots that thicken the crown must be removed or pinched off the top of the shoot by 15-20 cm, then the branch will bear fruit. Sanitary pruning is carried out every season. Such care will not let the lemon get sick or wither. Dry, diseased, weak branches are cut to healthy shoot tissue. Anti-aging care and tree shaping is done after 5-10 years of lemon growth. As soon as the positive temperature does not change much, all the lower branches are cut from the lemon, the top is cut to fit the chosen shape. Before cutting, the tools are disinfected with alcohol, boiling water or a diluted solution of manganese.
Lemon care and fruiting at home can be adjusted even before flowering by pruning shoots and peduncles. In winter, up to 10-12 strong flowers are left on the tree. On a young tree, it is better to leave up to 7 peduncles, then every year increase the number of ovaries left.
How to feed a lemon
During the care of citrus, it is useful to feed with saltpeter at any time of the year. It relieves a tinted or regular lemon from nitrogen starvation. For 10 liters of water there are 40-50 g of saltpeter, sometimes potash fertilizer is added. Mineral top dressing is done with the onset of the first cold weather and in the middle of flowering. Superphosphates replace the lack of phosphorus in the soil and dissolve for a long time, so they are applied to the soil 2 times a year. In order for phosphates to act quickly, the raw materials are boiled until completely dissolved, then diluted in 10 liters of water. The solution must cool down. Next, the lemon is watered 2 times a day.
From organic fertilizers for lemon, mullein and chicken manure are used. Wood ash can replace mineral fertilizers. 500 g of dry raw materials are poured into 10 liters of water, left for 2 weeks for fermentation. Before each watering, 500 ml of the mixture is diluted with water and watered with citrus. Top dressing is applied during watering or sprayed with a solution from a spray bottle.
Lemons are cared for and fertilized:
- During the period of initial growth. Every 2 weeks, the plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizer or a small amount of saltpeter.
- At the time of flowering. Potassium, phosphorus or organic additives are added to the soil.
- During fruiting. Citrus is fed with organic matter and minerals alternately.
- During hibernation. The plant is fed with mineral supplements 1 time during the winter season, the dosage is reduced by 2 times.
The ground must always be moist. Overdried soil during feeding with liquid solutions will stop the development of the plant, and it will die. In autumn, before hibernation, lemon is often watered with strong tea without additives.
Features of caring for indoor lemon in some cases
Indoor, decorative and purchased wood requires all sorts of care. If a homemade lemon cannot be severely injured, and a decorative one needs to be cut often, then the purchased one is unpretentious in all phases of growth.
How to properly care for a lemon after buying it in a store
In gardening stores, it is recommended to buy citrus in the spring or summer season, when the temperature is always positive, then the lemon tree quickly acclimatizes at home. Care at home consists in careful control of soil moisture and microclimate. Do not allow the soil to dry out, watering is carried out 1-2 times a day. Pruning is carried out with the beginning of autumn and in the middle of spring. Top dressing is done every month, alternating mineral and organic supplements.
How to care for a lemon in a pot in winter
Winter care for indoor lemon in a pot affects the subsequent fruiting of the plant. The temperature in the room should not rise above + 7-10 °C. Water the plant once a day with water at room temperature. Once a week, mineral supplements are combined with watering. During the winter care period, there should not be an active manifestation of growth, otherwise pruning is carried out. It is necessary to provide constant illumination or expose citrus in the sun from dawn to sunset.
How to care for homemade lemon during flowering
During the flowering period, care for the lemon should be carried out so that the plant does not shed flowers or foliage due to anxiety. On a branch with a lot of flowers, 2-3 pieces are left. Young trees should not be allowed to bloom, only after the crown is fully developed, a small number of flowers are left. From improper care during the flowering period, the leaves can become rusty. Watering is carried out daily. The length of daylight hours for a lemon should last from 8 to 10 hours. Top dressing is done with bird droppings or a diluted solution of manure and water.
How to care for a lemon at home during the fruiting period
During the fruiting period, it is better not to touch the lemon at all and take care of it carefully. With a careless rearrangement, the plant can discard the fruits. During care, you need to maintain a constant microclimate or ensure a regular temperature in the room. The optimal environment for good fruit development: + 20 °C. Every month during the fruiting period, the soil is fertilized with organic additives. If the plant is young, then top dressing of the lemon is done every 3 months until the first flowering. To obtain a large and juicy crop, ordinary water is replaced with eggshell infusion, which is watered over the plant once a week.
How to care for a lemon tree in a pot after fruiting
The fruits are cut as they ripen along with the stalk. The egg solution is again replaced with plain water. Water the plant in the morning once a day. The light regime must be extended to 1 hours, the plant should be taken out into the light. Some gardeners immediately prune and switch to winter care. After fruiting, the plant rests, so the roots are fed once a week with an organic or mineral complex of additives.
Features of caring for decorative lemon
Due to the hybridity of varieties, ornamental lemons develop rapidly in growth, so there are some features in caring for the plant. Already after 3-4 months of cultivation, the first pruning is carried out, then it is carried out every season. Such care will ensure a quality crop, citrus will rarely get sick.
Watering is carried out every day, the light regime should not last more than 10 hours. The temperature in the room should not exceed + 18 ° C, otherwise the soil will dry out quickly. Regular care of a lemon when it blooms is suspended, during this period the plant should be at rest. Decorative citrus is sprayed daily from a spray bottle. The tree tolerates moving and transplanting well. For the entire period of life, the lemon is transplanted 2-3 times and anti-aging pruning is carried out every spring.
How to Care for a Lemon Tree in an Emergency
Emergencies include dry soil, diseases or sudden reactions of the plant to the environment. A lemon that needs frequent watering rolls its leaves into tubules, sheds them, or the leaves begin to turn yellow and rust. From an excess of watering, the tree can abruptly throw off the foliage, then it is better not to water the plant for 2-3 days, then reduce the frequency of watering.
It happens that citrus freezes. Care for a frozen lemon tree is carried out gradually and carefully. You can reanimate the plant by warming the trunk with gauze, which is folded into 3-4 layers. Light day for a frozen plant is extended to 15-18 hours. The temperature in the room should be from + 15 ° C to + 18. Frozen lower branches are completely pruned. Lemon re-acclimatizes after the appearance of new buds.
Conclusion
Caring for a lemon is not as difficult as it seems. Gradually, the care process will become a habit, and the plant will delight the owner with a neat appearance and nutritious fruits. If you follow all the recommendations for caring for a lemon tree, you can not expect a sudden negative reaction to the microclimate or disease.
