Varieties and types of lemons for home growing

Lemon is a medium-sized evergreen tree of the citrus genus. Its fruits are consumed fresh, used in cooking, medicine, cosmetics, perfumery, canned food. Varieties of lemons are divided into ground, greenhouse and indoor. In a tropical climate, the crop bears fruit all year round. The plant is durable, can live more than 100 years. The fruits contain vitamins A, P, group B, salts of iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, pectins, phytoncides. The most popular varieties and hybrids of lemons will be described next.

Variety of types and varieties of lemon

According to the form of growth, lemons are divided into tree-like and bushy. The former grow up to 6-8 m, the latter reach 2-3 m in height. Varieties differ in botanical and commercial. The latter depend on the condition of the fruits taken from one plant:

1. Primafiore – so called small, dark green fruits, strongly acidic fruits from the first flowers.
2. Bianchetti – harvested during the period of technical ripeness. At this time, they are no longer green, but not yet yellow.
3. Bastardo – Lemons in the stage of full maturity. Large, thick-skinned, with an oily skin. Reveal all the rich taste and aroma inherent in the fruits of this species.

The color of the peel and pulp of sour citruses is diverse, various shades of yellow, green, orange are possible. The fruit is a multi-celled berry (hesperidium) surrounded by a pericarp. It can have an oval, teardrop-shaped, pear-shaped, rounded shape, often supplemented by a neck at the base and a nipple at the end.

How many types of lemon are there

Among other citrus fruits, lemon is represented by the largest number of species and varieties. According to morphological and genetic characteristics, they are divided into 4 groups:

• common lemon – combines plants with sour fruits of a light yellow color, oval in shape with narrowing to both ends, a crust that is difficult to separate. Generous fruit, heat and drought tolerant. Represented by variety types Eureka and Lisbon. The Eureka sortoid was bred at the end of the XNUMXth century in California. These are trees with a loose spherical crown, slightly prickly shoots, medium-sized fruits with a rough or slightly ribbed skin. Lemons belonging to the Lisbon cultivar type are tall plants with a densely leafy oval crown, formed from erect, strongly thorny shoots. Form large fruits with a smooth shiny skin. Cultivated in Southeast and Central Asia, Southern Europe, the Caucasus.

  

• Sweet – includes varieties with juicy, low-acid and pleasant-tasting fruit pulp. Their skin color can be yellow, yellowish-green, light orange, the shape is round or elongated-rounded. Arose as a result of various citrus hybridizations. They are grown in the Mediterranean countries, Western Asia, Western India.

  

• Rough – trees up to 3-4 m in height, with a rounded or conical crown, thick, slightly prickly shoots. The fruits are oval or pear-shaped with a wide nipple at the end, a thick, wrinkled, rough, sometimes bumpy or wrinkled skin. The flesh is greyish-yellow, moderately acidic, has medium juiciness and contains a large number of seeds. Cultivated in South Asia and Latin America.

  

• Different – this group includes hybrids with sour and sweet fruits. These are interspecific combinations that combine the properties of 2 or more citrus plants. There are also double varieties that form sour and sweet fruits on the same tree.

  

Most types of lemon begin to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting, reaching a maximum yield by 10 years.

How many varieties of lemon are there

There are about 150 varieties of sour citrus in the world, and up to 14 million fruits of this plant are harvested annually. The cultivation of culture on an industrial scale is carried out all over the world, the leaders are India, Mexico, Argentina, China, Brazil. This is a capricious plant, demanding on the temperature and humidity conditions, the composition of the soil. In the southern regions, it is grown in open ground, in cold areas – in greenhouse and tub culture. The most popular varieties:

• Villafranca – a tree with a densely leafy spreading crown. The variety was bred in the USA. The fruits are medium in size, oblong-oval in shape, have fine-grained, juicy, tender, aromatic pulp. The skin is smooth, dense, of medium thickness. At the end there is a short blunt nipple with a semicircular groove at the base. The variety is early-growing, comes into fruition in the 3rd year after planting.

  

• Genoa – low-growing, moderately leafy tree without thorns. The fruits are oblong-oval with a sharp nipple at the top. The pulp is tender, juicy, grayish-yellow. The skin is yellow or greenish-yellow, slightly rough, dense, thick, has a sweetish taste. The variety is high-yielding: up to 180 fruits are harvested from an adult tree.

  

• Novogruzinsky – a high-yielding variety, bred at the Sukhumi experimental station, grown on an industrial scale in Georgia and Abkhazia. The tree grows up to 2 m in height, has a dense spreading crown. It begins fruiting at 4-5 years. The fruits are elongated-oval, with a wide blunt nipple, the peel is shiny, smooth, of medium thickness. The pulp has a delicate sourness and a strong aroma. In open ground it produces up to 100 fruits per year. The average fruit weight is 120 g.

  

• Commune – an old high-yielding Italian variety. Tree of medium height, with sparse small spines. The fruits are large, oval, do not contain seeds. The pulp is tender, juicy, aromatic, strongly acidic. The peel is bumpy, not thick.

  

• Drummer – bred in 1939 in Batumi. The tree is medium-sized, with a broad-oval densely leafy crown and strongly prickly shoots. The fruits are large, oval, with a wide nipple and slightly ribbed base in the form of a neck. The peel is smooth, rough, yellow. The pulp is sour, tender, greenish-yellow.

  

• Tashkent – bred by breeder Z. Fakhrutdinov. A compact undersized tree forms many small fruits (80-90 g) with a thin skin and tender orange flesh. Blossoms and fructifies twice a year, prone to crop overload.

  

• Jubilee – bred by the Tashkent citrus expert Z. Fakhrutdinov by crossing Novogruzinsky and Tashkent varieties. A low-growing tree begins to bear fruit for 2 years. Lemons are oblong, thick-skinned, weighing from 500 g. The Yubileiny variety is unpretentious, hardy, productive, capable of 100% fruit set in conditions of low humidity and elevated temperatures.

  

• World – obtained from crossing Novogruzinsky lemon and Sochinsky orange variety. A tall spreading tree without thorns. The fruits are round, thin-skinned, large – up to 300 g, grow singly or in clusters of 5 pieces.

  

Achievements of breeders or a little about hybrids

Lemons are constantly subjected to selection improvements. They are crossed with other citrus fruits to improve appearance and taste. Here is some of them:

• Red – a hybrid of a lemon with a citron, has a yellow peel with red hues and a strongly colored pulp.

  

• Biccaro – a high-yielding variety, on a thick bright yellow thick peel of teardrop-shaped fruits there are relief longitudinal outgrowths.

  

• Borneo – Outwardly, it does not stand out among other varieties of lemons, it is notable for its strong aromatic properties, which manifest themselves even when you touch the plant.

  

• Eureka variegated – at the beginning of ripening, the fruits have a striped color, at the end the skin becomes pink. The flesh is also pink.

  

• Arkobal – A hybrid of Meyer lemon and blood orange. At full maturity, the peel turns orange, with bright red stripes. The pulp is sweet and sour, with the taste and aroma of orange.

  

• Sanguineum – forms large fruits with reddish pulp. At the beginning of maturation, the peel is amber-green with stripes, later it becomes yellow-coral.

  

• Buddha hand – decorative inedible citrus with dry bitter pulp. The fruits resemble a hand, exude a delicate violet aroma.

  

• Limandarin – a mixture of lemon and tangerine. Covered with orange skin, has a sour taste.

  

• lemonade – a hybrid of orange and lemon, has an oval-elongated shape, orange peel and citric sour taste.

  

Citrus fruits perfectly interbreed with each other, the resulting fruits surprise with their appearance, unusual taste or strong aroma.

What kind of lemon is better to grow in an apartment

There is an opinion that it is best to grow zoned varieties of lemons in tub culture. But enthusiasts who do not want to recognize the rules and frameworks manage to grow the most unusual species at home and wait for the fruits from them. The best indoor lemon varieties are:

• Meyer (Chinese lemon, Chinese dwarf) – undersized variety of early and abundant fruiting. A natural hybrid of lemon and orange. Round, slightly acid fruits of yellow or orange flowers appear in 2-3 years. Blooms at short intervals 4 times a year. The most popular among indoor types of lemon.

  

• Pavlovsky – a low plant that blooms all year round. The fruits are large, oval, thin-skinned, seedless. More than other varieties are adapted to room conditions – they easily tolerate a lack of moisture and a lack of sunlight. This is one of the best lemon varieties to grow at home.

  

• Panderoza (Canadian lemon) is a dwarf hybrid of lemon and grapefruit. Forms large, up to 1 kg in weight, fruits, up to 7 pieces per plant. Grows well in conditions of lack of sunlight.

  

• Maykop – unpretentious, high-yielding variety of lemons, bears fruit for 3 years after planting. A low-growing tree with a lush crown of thin drooping branches. Among the popular homemade varieties of lemons, it looks the most decorative, the photo confirms this.

  

• Kursk – a clone of the Novogruzinsky variety. A low shrub is undemanding to growing conditions, has an average yield. It tolerates lack of moisture and poor lighting.

  

• Irkutsk large-fruited – bred by an amateur citrus grower V. I. Borischuk. It bears fruit the next year after planting, citrus fruits can reach a weight of 1,5 kg. The plant is low, does not require crown formation. It is still a newcomer among the varieties of lemons on the windowsill, but is gradually gaining popularity.

  

Room lemons should be installed in a sunny place. During the hot period at noon, the plant should be shaded to avoid sunburn. In winter, daylight hours must be extended to 10-12 hours with the help of artificial lighting. The room should be regularly ventilated, but drafts should not be allowed. On the Internet, on gardening forums, you can often find discussions of varieties of indoor lemons with photos and descriptions of the growing process. Someone else’s experience, mistakes, advice – a good help to a novice citrus grower.

How to identify a lemon variety

Some varieties are easily recognizable by the appearance of the lemon fruit, most cannot be identified at a glance. For clarity, you need to examine several fruits of one plant, as well as the tree itself for the presence of certain morphological features. Take into account the size, color and thickness of the peel, the properties of the pulp, the aroma of the fruit. The height of the tree, the thickness of the shoots, the color of the bark, the shape of the leaves, the presence of thorns, their number and size are important. Determining a lemon variety by leaves is a technique that is inaccessible to a simple layman. You need to be a botanist or professionally cultivate a crop for a long time in order to thus identify the citrus variety.

Conclusion

Varieties of lemons amaze with their variety – sour, sweet, unusual shapes and colors. Cultivation of citrus crops is a profitable and interesting activity. Starting as a small hobby, it can turn into a lifelong passion. Perhaps a description of the varieties of indoor lemons with photos and names will push someone to grow a crop.