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In the wild, citrus fruits grow well, multiply, bloom, bear fruit. For the home, this type of plant is quite capricious. If you want to have a beautiful tree with good fruits, take a closer look at the features of lemon care at home.
Optimal growing conditions
The lemon tree is propagated by cutting, stone or grafting. However, it is not necessary to plant it yourself. Moreover, it also requires certain knowledge. Now there are enough places where you can buy a finished plant in a pot. This is a botanical garden, a specialized nursery, or a flower shop. So you’ve brought a new guest into your apartment. Where to begin?
Place
Determine a place for your pet in advance. Consider several factors:
- provide the tree with a permanent “residence”. It does not tolerate frequent movements;
- rather large height – about two meters. Measure with the size of your ceilings. If you want something lower, you can choose citrus hybrids. For example, Meyer lemon, or citrofortunella. The tree is only up to one and a half meters tall. Require less care than other varieties (admire the photo);
- keep it away from radiators. The heat will be detrimental.
Lighting
Homemade lemon loves a bright room very much. Ideal – diffused sunlight, south or southeast side of the house. You can hold it in direct sunlight, up to two hours a day. No more, otherwise the foliage will be burned. In winter, additional lighting is required.
Homemade citrus fruits turn their leaves to follow the light. Therefore, so that you do not have one-sided, to form a beautiful crown, slightly unfold the flowerpot. Do as needed, but carefully.
Too strong, prolonged (more than 12 hours / day) lighting leads to rapid growth, but slows down fruiting. Insufficient – slows down growth, causes disease.
Temperature
The most important stage of caring for a lemon tree falls on the spring. Begins active growth, flowering. Therefore, such a factor as temperature regime plays an important role here.
Citrus bears various temperatures: from +14 to +27 degrees. The peculiarity is that it must be constantly the same. The tree does not tolerate temperature fluctuations. When the flowering period begins, the apartment should not be higher than +18 degrees. Higher temperatures cause the buds to dry out, and then to drop them.
In spring (starting from +12 degrees) the flowerpot can be moved to the balcony. A garden plot is also suitable. This stimulates growth.
In winter, lemons need cooler conditions than in summer. A warmed balcony is perfect for him. If the apartment is hot, illness can occur, even death. At night, wrap the crown with a light natural cloth.
Humidity
Humidity is of particular importance when caring for indoor lemons. It is moderate, 60-70% at an average temperature (+18 degrees). If the heat – spray the plant, also the air around it twice daily.
soil
A lemon tree needs soil with a neutral reaction. Avoid acidic. Make sure the soil is loose. An example composition is:
- deciduous land, 2 parts;
- sand, 1 part;
- humus, 0,5 parts;
- wood ash, 0,25 parts.
A little clay is added to adult trees. Be sure to use drainage. For example, small gravel or charcoal. The top layer of the soil must be periodically loosened shallowly.
Fertilizing and watering
Lemon care requires careful watering. Ideal moisture is natural: river, rain, snow. Using room water, it is boiled, defended, acidified. This makes her less rigid. 1 gram of citric acid per 6 liters of water. Or: 1 liter – 4 drops of acetic acid; 4 liters – 0,1 grams of ascorbic acid.
Abundant watering is necessary for him in the summer, up to two times daily. The bottom of the pot should be perforated and the soil should have good drainage. Thus, stagnation of moisture at the roots is avoided.
Reduce watering in autumn. In winter, bring up to one or two times a week. Remember about spraying: leaves, trunk, air around.
Signs that you need to moisturize:
- grayish tint of the earth;
- the pot makes a ringing sound when you click on it;
- drooping young sprouts;
- the leaves are rolled up in a “tube”;
- a clod of soil from dishes crumbles easily.
Watering a lemon depends on:
- his age (the older, the more often);
- air temperature (the higher, the more often);
- humidity (at high – less often);
- season.
The most important component of lemon care at home is top dressing. Nutrients are essential for normal growth and fruiting. March – October fertilizer is applied every three weeks. Organic fertilizers alternate with mineral ones. In the summer they feed when watering. The rest of the time – 2 hours after moistening. Overfeeding has a negative effect. Therefore, it is better to underfeed. In winter, it is not necessary to feed the lemon.
Video “Growing a lemon at home”
More about growing citrus fruits at home in the video below
Pests and diseases
All indoor plants, lemon, are also susceptible to disease and pest attack. Careful care is essential to ensure a healthy life for your pet. In the meantime, let’s figure out who the most dangerous pest is, what problems they can cause.
Shield
Damages leaves. They are covered with brown round scales. They are almost impossible to separate. The shield is covered with a wax shell. Therefore, chemicals are useless here. Soon sticky secretions appear from the leaves. In the absence of measures, they turn yellow, then fall off.
It is best to deal with such a disease at an early stage. Examine the sheets daily, especially the bottom. If you notice an insect, then one leaf can be donated. In case of a widespread lesion, wipe them with a cloth moistened with soapy water. Then – alcohol solution. After all the green parts, treat with an insecticide, as larvae may remain.
spider mite
The most dangerous pest of homemade lemon. At first, the leaves are covered with small yellowish spots. Later they turn brown. And then a web appears where the tick lives. It looks like moving reddish dots. Favorable conditions for propagation – high temperature, dry air. The tick lays larvae in just a week. The leaves are curled into a “tube”.
A lemon can become infected with a spider mite from other plants, or by air. It is very difficult to take out. Therefore, it is easier to do prevention:
- daily inspect conduct a thorough inspection;
- wash the crown weekly in the shower, especially both sides of the leaves;
- wipe the greens monthly with soapy water;
- citrus should be kept separate from other plants.
When a tick or aphid appears, spray with this solution: pour a tablespoon of tobacco dust with a glass of boiling water. Insist 6 days. Add shavings of laundry soap. Spray for a month, once a week.
Still use the following solution. Pour the chopped head of garlic with a glass of boiling water. Leave for two days. The dishes are dark, closed. Strain. Apply in the same way.
From a tick, aphids, there is the drug “Omite” (4 ml / 1 liter of water). Spray weekly 3 times in a row. Other chemicals may be used. However, it should be remembered that they are toxic to humans. Carry out processing and care only by wearing gloves, with good air access. They destroy aphids in the same way as a spider mite.
The lemon tree is prone to bacterial, infectious, viral diseases. The latter are incurable. These are such as: xylopsorosis. The virus can live 10 years before the first signs appear. Therefore, only a specialist can determine this disease. Tristeza – affects the bark of a plant, up to its death. Leaf mosaic, citrus cancer.
Infectious diseases
Gommoz. It hits the trunk of a tree. Its lower part becomes brown, covered with cracks. A viscous dark liquid flows out of them. The cracks are growing. The decay begins. Damaged parts are cleaned, covered with copper sulphate. The plant is transplanted. Take a new, fertilized soil. Before that, inspect, wash the roots. Sometimes it is impossible to cure gommosis.
Malseco. Affects shoots, up to death. At first, their tips are affected, moving to foliage, then wood. The diseased parts have a brick color. Leaves fall. Unfortunately, there is no specific prescription for treatment.
Root rot. It is noticeable when mass leaf fall begins. Treatment. Take the lemon out of the soil. Rinse the roots. Completely remove rotten parts. Transplant to a new pot. Get good quality soil.
The main cause of these problems is poor houseplant care. It should be remembered that not only fruitful, but also ornamental lemons require careful care.
So do everything right, then everything will be fine with your lemon tree.