The plant calamondin (citrofortunella) is prized for its decorative, elegant appearance, regular profuse flowering and fruiting. In addition, among all citrus crops, this individual is most suitable for growing in winter garden or at home. The tree is especially attractive during flowering and fruiting, which, when proper care continue throughout the year. Bright orange fruits in combination with white flowers look very impressive, so citrofortunella will decorate any interior or garden area.
Calamondin is unpretentious in care, it develops equally well in rooms with dry air and in greenhouses. In summer, he can live on a terrace, loggia or balcony.
Reproduction of citrus tangerine calamondin from a stone
The plant is propagated by seeds, cuttings and grafting. The simplest is the seed method of reproduction. For planting, take seeds of fully ripe, not dried fruits, as they quickly lose their germination. A soil mixture is prepared in advance, composed of fertile land, peat and sand. The seeds are placed in a small container with a soil mixture to a depth of 1-2 cm, they are leveled with earth from above, after which they are watered. The seed pot is covered with glass or plastic. To obtain seedlings, you need to provide warmth. Optimum temperature for seed germination 25-28 ° C. When sprouts appear, the shelter is removed, the container is placed in a bright, warm place. After the seedlings grow up a little, they are planted in separate pots.
When growing calamondin from a stone, the plant will begin to bear fruit in 5-6 years, in some cases the first crop appears 10 years after planting. When citrus propagates by cuttings, fruiting occurs after 3-4 years.
Cuttings are cut in early spring... Apical cuttings with mature leaves and 3-4 internodes are chosen. The lower cut is dried, dipped in a solution with phytohormones, then planted in the ground along the petiole of the lower leaf. To maintain optimal temperature and humidity, cover the top with plastic bag or glass jar... In the afternoon, the shelter is removed for 15-30 minutes. Rooting cuttings at a temperature of 24-28 °; lasts for 14-20 days. Since rooting is quite difficult, it is recommended to plant several cuttings at the same time.
How to inoculate calamondin
Calamondin can be grafted using seedlings that are most suitable as a rootstock, since they have a well-developed root system and drought resistance. The best time for grafting - the period of active growth of the tree, which lasts from March to August. During this time, the scions quickly take root and begin to grow.
When using the bark grafting technique, a suitable stock is selected, the lower branches and leaves are removed on it, cut with a pruner at the desired height, the cut is cleaned with a knife. Then a vertical incision is made on the rootstock 2 cm long. With a knife blade, the bark is pushed apart and separated from the wood. After that, cut the branch for the scion, make a cut with a knife on one side of the cutting. The stalk is inserted into the incision and the inoculation site is tightly tied with electrical tape. The inoculation is covered with polyethylene to maintain high humidity air inside, which is necessary for the growth of the scion and rootstock. After a month, the polyethylene is removed, after 2 months the electrical tape is removed.
How to grow calamondin
How to grow calamondin so that the tree develops quickly, blooms profusely and bears fruit? Before boarding, you need to select right placewhere this culture will grow. Despite the fact that citrofortunella loves warmth and bright lighting, the growing area must be protected from direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves will begin to fade and become pale. The optimum temperature for growing a crop is 20-25 ° C. In order for the plant to bear fruit well in winter, it is necessary to provide a temperature of 12-14 ° C.
Citrus needs high humidity air, so during the day its leaves are sprayed with warm, soft, chlorine-filtered water.
As the tree bears fruit all year round, feeding is carried out monthly. Gives a good effect foliar feeding ... The nutrient solution is sprayed under the leaves.
Calamondin is transplanted at the end of February. Young individuals, due to their rapid growth, are transplanted annually, adult plants every 3 years. For the transplant to be successful, it is important to know how to transplant calamondin. For transplantation, use a ready-made substrate intended for citrus fruits or prepare a mixture of leaf humus, rotted manure, turf and coarse river sand. The soil should be loose, nutritious, without clay. Needles or finely grated sphagnum moss can be added to the soil mixture. Citrofortunella does not tolerate transplanting with the complete removal of old soil from the roots, therefore it is recommended to do transshipment without destroying the earthen coma, with the addition of fresh potting soil... When transplanting, it is necessary to make a high layer of drainage, since stagnant moisture will damage the roots and lead to the occurrence of fungal diseases. After transplanting within a month, it is not required to apply, since the fresh substrate contains enough nutrients.
Calamondin care
Calamondin is maintained throughout the year. Citrofortunella should grow in a well-lit area, away from drafts. With insufficient care or unfavorable growing conditions, the leaves begin to fall off. At the first signs of poor health, the tree must be covered with polyethylene, this will increase the humidity of the air. In the afternoon, the bag is removed for 20-30 minutes so that the plant is ventilated.
If the leaves continue to fall, it is recommended to transplant the tree into fresh soil and remove the rotten roots. There is another way to save the plant. It is necessary to cut off all the fruits that take away the strength of the plant or remove some branches densely showered with fruits. To replenish nutrients, mandarin is sprinkled daily with special solutions containing minerals. As a result, new shoots will appear in 1-2 weeks.
Caring for citrus with calamondin mandarin consists in proper watering... Watering should be abundant in hot, dry periods, and moderate in cool weather. In winter, the amount of watering is minimal; you can limit yourself to spraying the crown.
When caring for calamondin, it is important to know that if the tree sheds leaves, fruits or flowers, it is very hot. If the plant does not bloom for a long time, it may lack light. Leaves turn yellow with poor drainage and improper watering. In variegated varieties of this culture, the leaves sometimes turn pale, this indicates a lack of nitrogen.
Caring for tangerine calamondin includes the timely formation of the crown. How to trim calamondin to get symmetrical spherical crown? This work is carried out in the spring before the onset of the growing season. Too long shoots are removed in February, pinching new shoots after 4-5 leaves during growth.
How to trim calamondin
In order to form the correct crown shape, the central shoot is pinched at a height of 17-21 cm. Of the lateral shoots, 3-4 are left, located on both sides of the plant. These are first-order branches. On each of these branches, two branches of the second order are left. On the branches of the second order, 3-4 branches of the third are formed. Later, an increase of the fourth order will appear, fruiting begins on it.
A delightful plant, obtained from the natural hybridization of mandarin and kinkan, is called calamondin or citrofortunella. The people also refer to the flower as "Chinese mandarin" and "golden orange". The plant belongs to the Rutov family, the birthplace of the flower is Southeast Asia.
The plant is decorative, grows well and bears fruit at home. Differs in small glossy evergreen leaves, has a pleasant smell. At home, the tree has a very modest size. The fruits of calamondin are small orange balls. Top covered with skin. They very much resemble mandarin fruits.
Home care
Citrofortunella is an ideal gift for any grower in all respects. First, it will be a worthy addition to your home collection of plants. Secondly, no one has ever called calamondin a difficult-to-grow plant. Yes, of course, know the basic rules of caring tangerine tree worth it, but nothing more. Thirdly, citrofortunella will perfectly fit into the stylistic design of any interior.
Let's remember! The “tangerine tree” cannot be called capricious or finicky, but special care is required for the plant.
Adaptation period. First transplant
The first two weeks in new conditions for the plant are the most difficult. "Tangerine tree", after perfectly formed growing conditions for it in the store, falls into the usual city \u200b\u200bapartment... And here very often the conditions of detention are far from ideal.
Basic rules for caring for citrofortunella during the adaptation period:
- In the first 2 weeks, replanting the flower is not recommended. But it should be actively watered and sprayed. As a rule, in flower supermarkets, the soil is slightly dried. Spraying can be carried out daily, and watering - as the upper soil layer dries up.
- After 2 weeks, the plant is recommended to be transplanted into another soil mixture. This is done not for aesthetic or any other reasons, but simply because the store-bought soil in most cases does not suit the plant. Citrofortunella, which we are offered in flower shops, are of foreign origin. This means that, as a rule, special growth capsules are introduced into the roots of the tree.
- If, under conditions of cultivation using special technologies, such stimulants are only beneficial, then at home they can harm the plant: the plant will begin to wither. Therefore, the tree should be transplanted into a suitable substrate with good layer drainage. If some of the roots are slightly or severely rotten, they should be removed immediately.
- The most important point is the choice of a place for the "tangerine tree". Of course, many owners want to decorate the interior of their home with such an exquisite and unusual houseplant. But for citrofortunella it will be better if it is placed in the immediate vicinity of the window. Ideally - on a windowsill on the west or east side of the house. Calamondin prefers diffused light, so on hot summer days the plant should be shaded.
- In the winter months, the southern window is also suitable for the "tangerine tree", since in the cold season the sun is not as active as in summer. There may even be a need for additional illumination of citrofortunella. And here either traditional incandescent lamps or modern phytolamps will come to the aid of the grower. Grow calamandine in dark place, where the sun's rays do not fall, perhaps, but in this case, one should not hope for the appearance of fruits and the successful development of the plant.
Important advice! Young calamondin needs abundant watering to a much greater extent than a mature plant.
Temperature regime for cyclofortunella
The moisture-loving and thermophilic citrofortunella "makes" special requirements for temperature regime in the room where the plant is grown.
The golden temperature rule for the golden orange is:
- In the summer, the temperature of growing calamondin can range from +22 to +25 degrees.
- In the winter months, the temperature for growing citrofortunella can range from + 15 to +18 degrees.
An important point in the cultivation of "Chinese mandarin" is the dormant period. Without it, the plant will weaken from year to year, and eventually die.
Citrofortunella is in dire need of a dormant period, since in the winter months (from November to February) it is very difficult for the plant to provide full daylight hours. Therefore, calamondin cannot fully develop, form fruits.
At rest, a houseplant should be kept at a temperature not higher than +12 degrees. The room should be well lit. Watering the plants is slowly but surely reduced and brought up to 1-2 times a month.
Watering citrofortunella
Moisture-loving calamondin is very, very supportive of frequent and abundant watering. The grower needs to keep track of when it is time to water the plant. This is very easy to do. There are two ways to go:
- Make an individual watering schedule for "Chinese Mandarin" and strictly adhere to it. But such option will do only if the apartment constantly maintains the same comfortable conditions for a flower. If there are fluctuations in both temperature and humidity levels, then this option is not suitable. Watering time may come up, but upper layer the soil will still be moist. Then you should go to the second path.
- Regularly check the degree of dryness of the soil. The plant will need watering if the ground is half a centimeter dry.
Another important point - this is spraying... They should be regular and frequent. Special requirements are imposed on water for irrigation and spraying of the "tangerine tree", because the successful cultivation of the plant largely depends on its composition and properties. Spraying should be carried out exclusively with a spray bottle.
Do not forget to regularly clean the plant from dust and dirt deposits on the leaves. This can be done with a damp cloth or non-abrasive sponge. The procedure should be carried out no more than 1 time per month.
Water requirements for watering Calamondin:
- Watering the "tangerine tree" should be carried out only with settled water. Didn't have time to defend the water - it doesn't matter. Water the plant with filtered or boiled water. Distilled water is a good backup option. Remember that alkali has a destructive effect on the plant.
- Water for irrigation should be warm. Ideally - at least +20 degrees.
Remember! In order for the "golden orange" to evenly form a crown, it should be turned every day by 1-2 mm relative to the sun.
Citrofortunella transplant
The first plant transplant is carried out 2-3 weeks after purchase. In the future, the schedule of calamondin transplants will take place according to the following scheme:
- young plants should be replanted annually, in March-April;
- mature plants should completely change both the soil and the pot no more than 1 time in 3 years. The rest of the time, it is enough just to renew the top soil layer.
Calamondin transplant rules.
- A citrofortunella pot will need a tall and spacious one. After all, even young plant already boasts a developed root system.
- Transplanting can be done by the transshipment method. Do not destroy the root ball of land, this can harm the already fragile system of the plant.
- The drainage layer should be at least 2.5-3 cm. Ordinary expanded clay purchased from a florist shop is perfect for calamondin.
- Soil for citrofortunella can be purchased ready-made, or you can mix the necessary components yourself. Alternatively, you can take 2 parts of sod land, one part of sand and one part of manure and gently mix all the components.
- The neck of the plant should never be buried. It should remain at about the same level as it was in the previous pot.
- After transplanting, the "Chinese tangerine" is watered abundantly and placed in a sunny place, shaded from bright rays.
- After transplanting, it is especially important to protect calamondin from drafts.
- No fertilization should be applied within 1-1.5 months after the plant is completely renewed. The fact is that at first the plant will actively recover due to those nutrients that will be contained in the new renewed soil. Therefore, she will not need additional feeding.
Fertilizer Calamondin
During the growing season, the plant consumes an enormous amount of energy, which must be replenished regularly. This should be done with the help of dressings: both root and foliar.
The principles of fertilizing citrofortunella.
- The plant needs both root and foliar feeding.
- For calamondin, special complex mineral fertilizers for citrus fruits. Another good option top dressing - solution ammonium nitrate and calcium chloride. They should be mixed in the proportion: 5 g of nitrate and 2 g of calcium chloride are dissolved in 1 liter of settled water.
- In the spring summer period it is recommended to apply fertilizers once every 10 days, and in winter - once a month and a half. During the rest period, top dressing is completely excluded.
- Horse dressing should be applied to moist soil. Therefore, it is recommended to apply them the next day after watering the plant.
Important! If the plant does not have enough fertilizer, it will begin to throw off the leaves and stop tying fruits.
Reproduction of calamondin
The two most the best way for the reproduction of citrofortunella: cuttings and grafting.
- Propagation by cuttings... For reproduction, cuttings at least 10 cm long with three healthy buds are required. They should be carefully cut from the plant and then placed in an organic growth promoter solution. In this case will fit indoleacetic acid. Cuttings can only be cut from mature plants.
Cuttings are rooted in a nutritious substrate (a mixture of moss and peat) and germinated in greenhouse conditions. Cuttings should be provided with a high temperature (not lower than +25 degrees) and high humidity. After the appearance of the first leaves, young sprouts should be regularly ventilated.
- Reproduction by grafting... It is necessary to inoculate citrofortunella in the same sequence and according to the same principle as citrus fruits grown from seeds. The stalk propagated in this way blooms very quickly, and the appearance of fruits can be expected as early as next year.
Difficulty growing calamondin
The main reason for the appearance of pests on citrofortunella is improper care. Golden orange can be affected by ticks, thrips, or shields. It is good to fight pests with acaricides. For preventive purposes, the plant can be treated with soapy water from time to time. It should be applied only to the leaves. To prevent soap from getting into the soil, cover the soil with a layer of polyethylene. After processing, the soap should be washed off with a stream of water from the shower.
Citrofortunella often suffers from fungal diseases. So that gommosis or anthractosis is not terrible for your plant, it is recommended to periodically process it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Citrofortunella is a very vibrant citrus plant. Growing calamondin at home will only bring the grower positive emotions, and no difficulties will be terrible for him!
Among decorative trees Calamondin is especially loved by many. This plant is quite undemanding to care for, but at the same time it has a pleasant aroma and a look that attracts the eye.
Calamondin is an interesting hybrid of the Rutaceae family, obtained by crossing a mandarin and fortunella (kumquat). Another name for the plant is citrofortunella, but the people almost always call it home tangerine or tangerine tree. The appearance of Calamondin is very pleasant: a branched tree up to 90-95 cm high with shiny dark green leaves and small white flowers, thinning the wonderful aroma. The fruit of a tangerine tree is 3-4 cm in diameter, deep yellow or orange in color, with a thin skin and sour pulp with many seeds.
Calamondin is native to Southeast Asia. The plant prefers an abundance of warmth and light, and therefore it will take a little work to wait for the appearance of bright beautiful tangerines. But with careful observance of all the rules for caring for calamondin at home, the plant will bear fruit all year round.
Placing calamondin and starting caring for it
Due to its unusual appearance and pleasant smell, citrofortunella often acts as a present for a holiday. If you are lucky enough to receive such a gift, or you decide to add to the collection yourself indoor plants tangerine tree, then you should not worry about the difficulties in growing - the plant is not listed in the category of the most capricious and fastidious flora units.
It is necessary to put the pot with a tree in a room filled with diffused bright light. However, direct sunlight should be avoided as it does not the best way will affect the state of calamondin. In winter, you can and should illuminate the plant with a lamp. Growing citrofortunella is also permissible in a shaded room, but then there is no need to hope for the appearance of fruits.
If we talk about the most optimal place for placement homemade tangerinethen it is western or eastern premises during the warm season and northern part - in winter.
Calamondin does not need a transplant for at least 2 weeks from the date of purchase. During this time, it is necessary to spray the plant as often as possible and provide it with maximum light. Particular attention should be paid to the soil: after keeping the plant in the store, it is often dry. The soil where the young tree grows must be perfectly moistened.
You can transplant calamondin no earlier than 2 weeks after you bought
In order to avoid overheating of the roots, it is recommended to cover the pot with paper and rearrange it in a white planter.... After a couple of weeks of caring for the new "green friend", it will need to be transplanted by careful transshipment into a slightly larger container. Replacing the soil does not play a significant role: it is much more important not to damage the roots of a tree that has not yet matured during transplantation. Nothing bad will happen if you perform the transplant immediately after purchasing the plant.
In some cases, citrofortunella is difficult to adapt, which is caused by a significant contrast of parameters external conditions in the store and living quarters... A few days after being placed in the room, calamondin sheds its leaves. To the question "What to do?" it is worth answering that you will have to cover the plant with a plastic bag (this will increase the humidity of the surrounding atmosphere to 95-99%), devoting time to airing every day.
Almost always, commercially available calamondins are imported and grown according to special technologies, involving the introduction of capsules with hormones into the roots of the tree. In apartment conditions, the effect of these capsules can become negative, and the plant will begin to wilt. Then you should immediately transplant citrofrotunella into another pot, carefully examining the roots in the process. Their rotten areas must be removed.
The optimum temperature for calamondin is 15 to 18 degrees Celsius
This plant belongs to the category of heat-loving and moisture-loving. Therefore, one of important aspects in the care of citrofrotunella at home is to control lighting and moisture levels. The optimum temperature for calamondin in the summer is within + 22 ... + 25 degrees, in the winter - + 15 ... + 18 degrees. The fact is that in winter, a slight decrease in temperature contributes to more efficient flowering and fruiting.
Calamondin needs frequent watering and good regular spraying of the crown. The watering procedure is carried out as the outer layer of mail dries up by 0.5 cm.Water should be used warm, filtered and settled, since the soil saturated with alkali is destructive for the plant. In winter, the frequency and intensity of watering are somewhat reduced, but due to increased dryness air will have to carefully monitor the condition of the soil and spray the plant with a spray bottle much more often.
To form a beautiful and regular tree shape, it is turned every day by 1-2 mm. Don't twirl the pot different sides to the sun by 180 degrees, as this is harmful to the plant.
Calamondin transplant, soil requirements, fertilizers
Young Calamondin trees are replanted every spring
To transplant citrofrotunella, you will need a fairly spacious pot. Even at small plant can be extremely developed root system... In the process, you should not strongly destroy the clod of earth at the roots. Ensuring good drainage is important. The neck of the root in the new pot should be at about the same level as in old dishes... After transplanting, within 30-40 days, calamondin does not need fertilizers, since fresh soil will already provide the plant with sufficient nutrients.
For citrofrotunella, a soil consisting of turf, manure and sand in a ratio of 2/1/1 is perfect. At the bottom of the pot, it is necessary to install drainage up to 2.5-3 cm high.
Young plants are transplanted every spring, more mature ones - once every couple of years.
Like most plants, calamondin requires additional nutrition during intense flowering from March to September. Fertilizers are applied to the soil during this period every 7-14 days, the rest of the time - about once a month.
Useful formulations for feeding trees can be purchased at specialized stores or ordered online. One of the most popular fertilizers is Humus. Citrus "containing at least 2.5 g / l of humic substances, a number of trace elements and having a pH of at least 7.5. Formulations for indoor flowering plants are also suitable.
Pruning and reproduction of calamondin
One of the points of plant care is its regular and timely pruning. To form a neat, even crown, you will need a bole with a height of about 25 cm: skeletal branches are located at the top, further branches are formed more high order... As soon as the branches of the fourth order appear, the formation of the crown is complete.
The branches of the tangerine tree are pruned in February, and in the summer, if necessary, long and overly dense shoots are removed.
Reproduction of calamondin is a rather time-consuming process, carried out in one of the following ways:
- Planting seeds in the ground;
- Cutting cuttings with 2-3 buds;
- Grafting.
Reproduction of calamondin is a rather complicated process.
Despite the fact that the first method is more extended in time, it seems to many to be simple. Growing a tree from seeds will require the regular introduction of special substances into the soil to accelerate germination and ripening.
Orange seedlings are ideal for grafting, as they are drought tolerant and have well-developed roots.
Calamondin is propagated by cuttings, adhering to the following rules:
- Choose a stalk from the top, with pronounced internodes, mature leaves;
- Immerse the tip of the cutting in a growth stimulator (for example, zircon or root) for a few seconds;
- Immerse the cutting into the prepared soil to the level of the petiole of the lower leaf;
- Cover the planted sprout with a plastic bag or glass jar to maintain high humidity;
- Air the mini greenhouse daily for up to 20 minutes.
Rooting of the cuttings occurs on average 2.5-3 weeks after planting in the ground.
Diseases of Calamondin and caring for him during this period
In the photo, calamondin affected by anthractosis
Indoor tangerine is susceptible to diseases such as black fungus, gommosis and anthracnose. The appearance of the plant is extremely spoiled by a sooty fungus, or rabble, which manifests itself as an unpleasant dark film on the leaves and shoots. Eliminates the nuisance of rubbing or spraying the affected areas of the tree with Fitosporin, ash infusion or sulfur solution.
Copper sulfate saves calamondin from anthractosis... This disease is expressed as pinpoint yellow spots on the leaves of the plant. If you do not provide help in time, you will have to watch how calamondin sheds leaves with dead areas. By the way, during the growing season, only Bordeaux liquid is suitable to get rid of the disease, but not vitriol. All damaged leaves must be removed to avoid re-infection.
If calamondin turns yellow, then the most likely cause may be gommosis - one of the most common ailments affecting citrus fruits. The disease begins in the lower fragment of the trunk, after which it spreads to branches, leaves and fruits. A tree is treated by cutting out diseased areas from the bark, eliminating diseased leaves and then cleaning the wounds. Then the plant is processed copper sulfate and smeared with Bordeaux paste.
With a lack of sunlight, an excess of moisture in the soil, frequent drafts, high air temperatures, you can also observe that calamodin sheds leaves. All that remains to be done is to adjust the conditions of its containment.
Finally, I would like to answer one of the popular questions - is it possible to eat calamondin? Yes, the fruits of this decorative tree are absolutely edible, but the taste is significantly different from regular tangerines, and not in better side... Citrofrutonella fruit can be used instead of lemon juice: add to tea and various dishes... However, the main advantage of this tree is not in the taste of the fruit, but in its aesthetic and colorful appearance, capable of enlivening even the most boring interior.
We recommend watching a video on how to care for a calamondin plant at home, florist Irina Valerievna Kozyulina shares her experience in growing this citrus tree, we wish you pleasant viewing.
Citrus Fortunella or Calamondin is a hybrid of mandarin and kumquat, and, accordingly, is a member of the rue family. This plant outwardly looks like a smaller copy of a tangerine tree, with small tangerine fruits. Its fruits do not provide much nutritional value, but calamondin is one of the most popular ornamental citrus fruits for growing at home in a pot.
Calamondin is quite unpretentious and intended for growing in limited conditions, although it does require some maintenance. The tree can reach one meter in height closed ground, and in nature it grows up to 4-5 meters. Evergreen calamondin has a consistently dense crown, with gradual deciduous replacement throughout the year. The plant responds well to pruning and allows for any shape within the growth height. The fruits are small tangerines in shape with a sour taste and many seeds. Citrofortunella can bloom and bear fruit all year round, and a prolonged absence of flowering and ovaries is a sign of inappropriate conditions or poor care. Suddenly falling leaves are also a signal to take emergency measures to save the tree.
Calamondin flowers are similar to lemon flowers and have five white petals and a bright pleasant aroma... The plant is capable of self-pollination, so no additional manipulations are required to obtain ovaries. Not all citrus flowers are capable of producing ovaries, since pistils are not developed in male specimens - they are only pollen producers. Nevertheless, even small calamondins can often be seen hung with many small tangerines.
Too much fruit can drain the plant and cause it to die. Therefore, you need to ensure that their number does not exceed permissible norm... About 5-7 leaves are capable of normally containing one fruit, the rest of the ovaries should be removed after flowering, or right at the bud stage. You should also remove fruits and flowers when transplanting a tree, especially after purchasing it in a store.
When buying an adult, lushly dotted with citrofortunella fruits, you need to know that the plant is most likely saturated hormonal drugs, stimulating fruiting, inhibiting vertical growth, enhancing the absorption of nutrients from fertilized soil. Therefore, your home tree should be translated into natural conditions, i.e. he needs to be transplanted into new soil, get rid of all fruits and flowers, place him in the light that he will be prepared to consume throughout his life. In the future, having adapted to home conditions, calamondin will acquire its characteristic amount of small tangerines.
Calamondin does not tolerate a change of residence, and an abrupt change in any of the vital important conditions... Often the tree sheds its leaves and dies a few days after it appears at home. Even after losing the crown, the tree can be revived. Create a humid microclimate using a transparent bag or jar, provide abundant lighting, if necessary, use artificial lighting lamps, use nourishing and restorative preparations for plants. If successful, after a few weeks calamondin will turn green with renewed vigor.
Conditions for growing calamondin at home in a pot.
Citrofortunella is a light and heat-loving tropical plant. For normal development, citrus needs the maximum amount of light throughout the day, which the northern hemisphere can provide. In winter, additional illumination with an artificial light lamp is required, since it can be cloudy for whole weeks in a row. The location of calamondin at home should exclude the ingress of hot summer sun all daylight hours. That is, a window sill, illuminated by the morning rays before lunch, is ideal. The scorching heat of the day can damage the leaves of a tree, especially a young one.
Calamondin is very sensitive to changes in lighting conditions - sharp turns, changing directions, moving. Place the plant from the very beginning of its appearance in your place in a suitable permanent place, this will allow him to develop his own biorhythms and start performing the main function - reproduction. For the formation of the crown, gradual turns of calamondin are permissible - a couple of degrees a day, until the desired result is achieved.
In the warm season for calamondine, the preferred temperature is in the range of 20 - 25 degrees Celsius. To stimulate fruiting, citrus needs to recreate a tropical annual temperature cycle, that is, it is necessary to organize wintering at 10-13 degrees Celsius, although the plant can withstand lower temperatures. After hibernation, with a gradual increase in daylight hours and temperature, the tree will begin to grow rapidly, with the formation of many leaves, buds should appear, and then small tangerines.
Calamondin needs careful watering. The entire earthen coma should not be allowed to dry out; watering should be done after the top two centimeters of the soil have dried. The amount of water should be optimal for soaking the entire thickness of the soil, its temperature should be room temperature. Excess water should easily come out of the soil, through drainage and a porous structure. In the cold season, watering should be reduced both in frequency and in volume, since the processes of evaporation of moisture from the soil and leaves are greatly slowed down. In the hot season and heating season in an apartment, the crown of a tree needs periodic spraying with water.
It is convenient to use as a soil for calamondin ready mix for citrus plants with neutral acidity. For self-cooking, you will need two parts of sod land and one part each of organic humus and coarse sand. To maintain the strength of the tree and the possibility of fruiting in limited home conditions, annual feeding with complex fertilizer for citrus fruits is required. You can also add new compost to the topsoil once a year.
How to plant and grow calamondin from seed or cuttings at home.
The seeds of a ripe calamondin fruit are quite germinating. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to get its fruit - a small tangerine, you can plant its seeds and grow your own tree. Citrofortunella grown from seed on its own will be stronger and more adaptable to your home environment from birth than a commercial one. But such citrus will be able to bear fruit only after 3-4 years.
After planting the calamondin seed, in a suitable soil in a small pot, you need to provide a mini greenhouse by covering the pot with a glass jar and placing it in a warm, sunny place. Once a day, the seedling must be opened and ventilated, and as the top layer dries up, water it. Viable calamondin seeds will sprout in 1 to 2 weeks. And after the appearance of several pairs of real leaves, the greenhouse can be removed, and the seedling can be transplanted into a large container by 2-3 centimeters in diameter.
Every few months, as homemade calamondin grows and branches, it should be transplanted into a pot one size larger than maximum preservation roots, until the plant takes up the maximum capacity allotted for it. Further maintenance of the nutrient medium must be done with the help of dressings.
Calamondin can also be grown by cuttings. Cuttings take root poorly, often die or sit dormant for several weeks. Therefore, it is recommended to use special substrates for germinating cuttings, as well as agents that stimulate the formation and development of roots. Besides, necessary condition is to provide a warm - 24-26 degrees Celsius, light and humid microclimate with a greenhouse device.
The calamondin tree, grown from a cuttings, will fully retain all the qualities of the parent citrus and will bloom and bear fruit already in the first year of life, under suitable conditions. However, its disease resistance and survival rate will be weaker than that of calamondine planted and grown from seed.
Tell your friends about it.
It is popular among flower growers for its undemanding care and attractive appearance and aroma.
But there are still nuances in growing it.
Conditions for citrofortunella
Citrofortunella, or calamondin, in everyday life is often called a tangerine tree or homemade.This is a beautiful low, up to one meter, quite branched Dark green leaves with a certain shine, as well as small white flowers, from which the aroma characteristic of this tree emanate, is especially attractive. With proper care, the tree appears bright orange or yellow fruits with big amount seeds, sourish in taste and with rather thin skin. There is also a variety of citrofortunella, fruiting in small so-called
Did you know? Calamondin spread throughout the world from Southeast Asia.
very thermophilic and moisture-loving, and creating such conditions in our climate is quite troublesome. But if calamondin, when grown at home, will be able to provide everything necessary, then it is able to delight with its fruits all year round.One of the most significant steps in the care of calamondin is its systematic pruning.A bole up to 25 cm will help to form the correct crown: the main branches are on top, then the process of forming branches of the following order is in progress; after the appearance of branches of the fourth order, it is considered that the crown is formed. Pruning of branches is carried out mainly in February, and in the summer it is simply possible to remove very long shoots. Calamondin, like every plant, needs regular and transplanting.
Lighting and location
The most suitable place for citrofortunella is a place in a bright room with diffused lighting, but in no way with direct sunlight-the condition of the plant in this case deteriorates significantly. IN winter period for calamondin is not only allowed, but also extremely necessary artificial lighting... In the shade, it will also grow, but in this case one cannot count on fruits. It is best to grow citrofortunella in an eastern or western place in a warm and solar time and the northern one in winter.
Important! So that the roots of the plant do not overheat, it is advisable to place the pot in a white planter or wrap it in white sheets of paper. Calamondin has a hard time adapting to a new location, so it's better for a few weeks after acquisition do not transplant, but often spray at this time and keep in the most illuminated place.
Remember to rotate the Calamondin little by little to create an attractive and symmetrical tree shape. 
Temperature and humidity
loves warmth and moisture very much. The suitable temperature for growing it in summer is + 22–25 ° С, and in winter - + 15–18 ° С. This winter temperature drop is necessary for the continued effectiveness of flowering and fruit emergence.
Citrofortunella also needs regular and adequate hydration by spraying the crown, watering is necessary as it dries up For watering and spraying, the water must be warm enough, it must be defended or filtered. In winter, watering is not so often necessary for citrofortunella, and the need for spraying increases, because the heating season makes the air in the room more dry.
Immediately after purchasing calamondin, you need to see if the soil in which it is located is dry: a young plant should grow in well-moisturized soil. 
Important! Over-saturation of the soil with moisture, lack of sunlight, creating conditions for drafts, very high air temperatures can cause calamondin to shed its leaves. It is imperative to understand what the reason is and eliminate it. But you need to be very careful, because the same signs can be with some
Propagation by cuttings
Reproduction of citrofortunella is a challenging process. There are several ways to propagate Calamondin: by seed, and by grafting, for which well-rooted and easily drought-tolerant orange seedlings are best suited. But the optimal among these methods is reproduction using cuttings.
When and how to prepare
For reproduction of citrofortunella by cuttings, it is necessary to pick up a cutting with two or three buds and mature leaves from the top and cut it off.
Rooting process
The tip of the cut cutting must be immersed for a few seconds in a product that is growth stimulant. Plant the stalk in the soil to the bottom leaf. A sprout planted in the ground should be covered with a glass jar or plastic bag to preserve high level moisture required for better survival and rooting of the cuttings. The sprout takes root approximately three weeks after planting. The rooting process of calamondin is rather complicated and unpredictable, so it would be more rational to plant several cuttings at a time.
Planting care
Above the handle should be ventilated every day for 20-30 minutes. The optimum temperature for rooting cuttings is + 24–25 ° С. 
Important! The process of pollination of calamondin at home occurs manually: with a dry brush, it is carried out in the center of the flowers and thus the pollen is transferred from male flower on female.
Growing from seed (from seed)
Although the process of growing calamondin from seeds or seeds is quite lengthy, some gardeners find it easier. 
Choosing seeds
Seeds of fresh, not dried, ripe fruits are suitable for reproduction. When dried, the seeds quickly lose the properties necessary for reproduction and germination.
Substrate preparation
For planting, it is necessary to prepare a special earthen mixture of fertile nutritious soil, sand and