V natural conditions lemon trees grow in the tropical zone and reach a height of two to six meters. It's perennial evergreen... When growing lemon trees in standard city houses and apartments, these plants reach a lower height, but if the plant is not formed, then it can be very stretched. from seed at home does not cancel his love for stable warm temperatures, high humidity and it also requires care.
How can you grow it yourself at home and how will it differ from a citrus varietal plant from a cutting?
Plant lemon Tree at home, you can use cuttings or seeds. It should be borne in mind that varietal plants retain their properties only when vegetative propagation, that is, propagation by cuttings. From the seeds, you will get a citrus plant that will not bear fruit at home.
Lemon tree from cuttings
When planting a lemon tree, a cutting about 8-10 cm long is taken from the cutting, on which a couple of leaves and several live buds are left. Before placing the cuttings in the ground, it is advisable to treat its base with a root formation stimulator, for example, Kornevin, and then plant it in the soil to a depth of 3-4 centimeters and cover with a jar or bag. Until the cutting has roots, it will need to be sprayed daily with water and the soil in which it is rooting is well moistened. Rooting occurs in about a month and a half after planting. It should be borne in mind that only some cuttings take root - this is to some extent a matter of luck. The plant can then be transplanted into a permanent pot.
There are two ways to plant a lemon in order to get a healthy, beautiful and fruitful tree later. You can sow seeds (seeds, or you can plant cuttings. What is easier and what results you can get - the answers in the article.
If you are concerned about the question of how to properly plant a lemon at home and at the same time achieve fruiting, then pay due attention to preliminary preparation.
Soil preparation. To plant a lemon, you need to take river sand and bake it in the oven to destroy pathogenic bacteria. Then mix it in equal proportions with citrus substrate. Moisten the resulting mixture. If river sand was not available, you can use any loose soil, for example, a mixture of humus and leaf turf.
Video about growing lemon at home
The choice of capacity. For planting lemon, pots made of any material are suitable, but ceramic is still preferable. Air exchange is better in them, so the risk of stagnation is less. You need to choose a spacious pot for planting. Before laying the soil, it must be doused with boiling water or soaked in water for several hours.
Drainage. Drainage for lemon is necessary to prevent the soil from souring from excessive moisture. Therefore, it is worth laying a layer of pebbles or pebbles at the bottom of the pot, they will not allow the water to stagnate. But remember that large and sharp stones can cause irreparable damage to the thin roots of citrus. The diameter of the drainage stones should not exceed three centimeters.
In the photo pots for planting lemon
It is better to give preference to seeds from the largest and most juicy fruits. Lemons grown and ripened in artificial conditions may not ascend. Or, after a lapse of time, it does not give fruit. You cannot store them, because they quickly lose their germination.
So, we proceed to the landing:
- Sow fresh lemon seeds in a pot with moist soil.
- We periodically moisten the soil, while avoiding the accumulation of water, otherwise the bone will rot.
- Soon the grains will hatch, and small plants will appear.
- It would be wiser to plant several seeds in order to select the strongest sprouts from the obtained sprouts after 2-3 months, or to plant them in different containers and get a lemon garden at home.
- When transplanting, try not to touch the earthy clod on the roots.
- To keep the seedlings in good condition, place the pots closer to the south or west side, but be careful to sunlight was scattered, direct rays are capable of destroying the plant.
Photo of a lemon from a stone
There is an opinion, and its validity has been proven by many experienced florists that the pitted lemon does not bear fruit. To do this, the resulting tree, when it grows up, and its trunk reaches a thickness of 1 cm, must be grafted from a plant that has already borne fruit. At home, inoculation is successfully carried out using the budding method, that is, with an eye with a bud with a small piece of bark, in order to increase the chance of double budding.
Planting a lemon with a handle
Planting by cuttings is one of the most common and effective ways... By selecting cuttings from obviously healthy and fruitful trees, you will know exactly what you will get in the end.
Used last year's shoots no longer than 8-10 cm with well-developed leaves.
Plant the cutting in a pot, cover it glass jar... Place on a windowsill and spray occasionally with warm water, moistening the ground. Everything! It remains only to wait a little, and your cutting will take root.
Lemon planting video
When the upper buds appear, gradually begin to accustom the seedling to the microclimate of the room, removing the jar on a short time... During the week, increase the exposure of the seedling to the air without a can, in order to completely remove it by the end of the week. If heating appliances or central heating are close to the tree, you can use a piece of plywood or cardboard to fence it off from them.
A very capricious lemon plant, planting and caring for it requires not only knowledge and experience, but also selfless work. He needs special conditions, temperature drops, drafts and overheating are contraindicated for him. But all the hard work of a diligent gardener will be rewarded when a well-groomed lemon gives its first fruit.
The lemon tree is highly valued for its decorative effect, aroma, and bright yellow fruits. It ranks first in popularity among fans of home plant growing. It can be grown not from any variety, but only from dwarf decorative ones, bred by selection. And in this article, you will learn how to grow lemon at home and enjoy its yellow bright view on cloudy days.
The most popular are:
- "Pavlovsky Lemon",
- Genoa,
- "Maykop lemon"
- Lunario,
- "Novogruzinsky lemon",
- Mayer.
Each of them has a good yield, but Pavlovsky is considered the most unpretentious and fruitful variety.
It has a bushy shape and a rounded crown, glossy leaves of green and dark green color. Grows from 1.5 to 2 meters. On its branches hanging down, one and a half centimeter thorns most often grow. The foliage cycle occurs every two to three years. On the plant, both new and old leaves often coexist.
Blossoms Pavlovsk lemon all year round and is self-pollinating. Fruiting in the second or third year. To prevent the tree from depleting, in the first two years, all flowers are plucked. Only 3-4 flowers are left on a three-year-old tree, and the strongest on a four-year-old.
Fruits that set closer to the base and on short branches are more likely to ripen. They, like strong flowers, are left, and weak ones are removed. They ripen within a month. They grow throughout the year. Lemons are picked when they turn bright yellow. The color and taste of ripe fruits on the tree deteriorates.
How to grow lemon at home. Conditions of detention:
Lighting
Lemon loves light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. It is best located on the east, west or southeast side. V summer period windows are darkened with gauze or tulle. In winter, the lack of lighting is compensated for by backlighting.
Temperature
In summer, it is above +18, and in winter - from +14 to +15 degrees. Requirements to temperature regime for the root system and the aerial part are similar. Take out lemon on open air Not recommended. The plant is very sensitive to abrupt changes in its habitat.
Watering and humidity
The plant is provided with moderate watering with warm water twice a week. Humidity is maintained at 60-70%. In winter, they use an electric humidifier or install a container of water next to the flowerpot. The rest of the time, spray from a spray bottle. It is recommended to wet the place of joining the fruit with the branch periodically.
Reproduction
Seeds
Fruit indoor lemon, planted in this way, begins in 10-15 years. This disadvantage is very significant. Grafting with the kidney allows you to shorten the time before the first lemons appear. It should contain some of the bark and wood of an adult, fruit-bearing tree. Fruits on a bud grafted plant begin to set after about three years.
By cuttings
Time-tested and the most reliable way... The period from March to mid-April is considered optimal for holding. Cuttings are planted in a container with good drainage... It is covered with five centimeters of a mixture of forest soil and turf. The nutrient layer is sand and sphagnum moss taken in equal proportions. It is permissible to use high moss peat instead of moss.
Cuttings 10-13 long and 0.5 cm wide are taken from young twigs from a fruiting and healthy tree. The cut must be done at an acute angle. The cuttings should have at least four sheets. The upper ones are left or cut in half, and both the lower ones are removed.
Cuttings are planted in a nutrient substrate, sprayed, covered with a jar or film. At an air temperature of +20, periodically ventilate. Every day, this procedure is carried out after a month and a half. The time is gradually increased over two to three weeks.
Transplanting and caring for seedlings
Rooted and established seedlings, leaving a layer of old soil on them, are transplanted into a one and a half liter flowerpot, watered. At its bottom, they equip drainage, fill it with river sand and a mixture of manure humus, rotted wedge and linden leaves, turf.
In summer, seedlings are watered every day, in winter 2 times a week. It is better to do this in the morning. If the soil dries up in the heat, watering is carried out in the evening. They use river, melt, rainwater or tap water that has been standing for a day. Its temperature should exceed room temperature by 2-3 degrees.
Top dressing lemon
Carried out for established seedlings. During the year they are fertilized twice a month, and in winter - once. In autumn, spring and summer they water mineral fertilizers. Biennial plant fed with a phosphorus-potassium mixture. Both mineral and organic fertilizers are used.
Crown formation
For the plant to adapt to permanent place, it is turned no more than twice a month. The crown is formed from branches from the second to the fifth level, periodically pinching the shoots. The process takes up to three years. It is easier to give a bush shape to a lemon planted by cuttings, and a tree - grafted.
Transplant
When root system fills a flowerpot and sticks out of the drainage holes, the lemon is transplanted by transplanting or transshipment. It is recommended to do this in the spring, no more than once a year.
The transplant method is used when acidifying the old substrate. Decayed roots are removed. With a significant decrease in the volume of the root system, the tree is transplanted into an old flowerpot. The main thing is to increase the drainage layer and use a new nutritious soil mixture.
If the plant has a normal state of the substrate, but overgrown roots, it is transplanted by the transshipment method. The lemon, along with the soil, is transferred to a new flowerpot, the diameter of which is 2-3 cm larger than the old one. It is preferable to take a clay pot.
That's all. We hope that the information will be useful and you will grow a beautiful and strong lemon plant in your home. The whole necessary information we have provided on how to grow lemon at home. Leave your feedback and comments at the bottom of the article.
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Lemon is a subtropical plant. It grows where there is a lot of warmth and moisture, which should accompany it all year round. Lemon trees die when temperatures drop environment up to minus 4 degrees. Lemons are also light-loving. It should be remembered that direct sunlight when growing indoor conditions oppress the plant, sometimes cause foliage to fall. In nature, lemon leaves do not fall at the same time. This is not only the organs of photosynthesis, but also a kind of storehouse of useful substances. When growing, there is a direct relationship between their quantity, intensity of development and yield.
Growing lemon at home
Lemons at home grow at regular intervals. A new growth starts when the young foliage is finally ripe. The first wave of growth lasts from the end of March to June. The second begins after a short period of dormancy from mid-June to early August, and the third - from about the second decade of September to last days October. Lemons are dormant from November to early March. The trees grow 15–20 cm per year.
Often, the apical bud dries up and falls off during the dormant period, while young leaves develop rather quickly. Each time growth stops, young shoots ripen. The next growth begins after they get stronger. The upper buds germinate first and develop better than the lower ones, that is, vertical shoots are more active in growth, in contrast to horizontal ones. On vertical ones, fruits are very rarely tied, so the crown must be formed. How well it is formed depends on the start of fruiting.
It all starts with a seedling
You cannot buy lemon saplings brought from the south. They are mostly grafted on tripolyates, which in winter period fall asleep. Such seedlings shed their foliage in indoor conditions and die.
Even if the grafting was carried out on lemons at home, the southern seedlings in the north feel bad. The leaves of such scions are formed based on excessive southern illumination. With a sharp change in these conditions, plants are simply not able to function normally.
It is best to purchase them from a local hobbyist who has experience in growing lemon at home and will be able to advise if necessary. The seedling should grow in a well-sized pot and have three to four mature leaves.
You cannot buy seedlings for growing with a bare root system. The fact is that it does not have thin villi for the absorption of nutrients and moisture from the soil. The mycorrhiza fungus lives on the smooth tips of the relatively thick roots. If the root system remains exposed even for a short time, the mycorrhiza dries quickly and the seedling dies soon after planting.
Formation and cultivation of the crown
When young shoots grow from under the adult leaves, begin to form the crown. Each branch is shortened to five to six leaves, and then, when it becomes large, the leaves are wide, dark green, firm, with scissors or shears, a branch with two leaves is cut off. Subsequently, on the left part, two or three new shoots will grow, which will again need to be shortened. A beautiful tree can be formed within two years.
Allowing lemon to bloom and bear fruit at home should be at the age of three to four. In this case, you should not leave an excessive ovary. The fruits will form and ripen, but will they withstand young plant? It can hurt for a long time or die.
Ten mature leaves are capable of ensuring the full development of one fruit under room conditions. Guided by this norm, extra flowers removed. This is best done while they are still budding.
Tree care and further cultivation
Determine the place where the lemon will constantly stand at home. The seedling must acclimatize to living conditions for one to two months. After that, it should be transplanted into a spacious pot with a hole in the bottom.
The root system of the plant is superficial, so the soil in the container must be drained. To do this, place a piece of broken ceramic over the hole, and then pour charcoal a layer of 4–5 cm (it also reduces the acidity of the soil). If there is no coal, you can use expanded clay. The drainage is sprinkled with a nutritious earthen mixture consisting of soil from under deciduous trees(except oak) and sand (3: 1). You can add three tablespoons of ash and a glass of loose humus to the mixture.
Earth
The best soil for growing indoor plants is from molehills. The soil that moles dig when building their own shelter is very nutritious, fluffed, thoroughly cleaned of insects. If the tree is transplanted into such land, then you can do without feeding. Note that soil acidity is very important for lemons. They develop best at a pH of 5.5–7.5. Increased or decreased acidity causes a deficiency of trace elements even with regular fertilization, because most of the substances are transformed into a form inaccessible to plants.
When the pot of soil is prepared, the plant is removed from the old flowerpot. Any citrus fruits are transplanted with a clod of earth so as not to disturb the sensitive roots. Such a transfer is called a full transfer. It is important not to sprinkle the root collar (the junction of the root with the trunk) with a layer of soil thicker than 1 cm, otherwise it will start to rot.
Transplant and watering
After transplanting, lemon is watered at home. room temperature, in which crystals of sodium permanganate are dissolved. In the future, it is transplanted only on condition that the roots are completely entwined with an earthen ball in a pot. You can notice this by the roots that come out through the drainage hole.
They are also transplanted when the tree stops growing, underdeveloped branches appear, and the leaves turn yellow. It is best to do a transplant in February. Here the question arises: why can not a seedling be planted immediately in a pot of impressive size, so as not to do it every year? Yes, because the root system of a small tree covers a correspondingly small volume of earthen coma, and the rest - the "idle" earth - turns sour.
A pot with a seedling is wrapped with a layer of cotton wool, batting or foam rubber and aluminum foil. This method of growing the root system appears to be in a thermos: in winter it will not be cold, and in summer it will not be hot.
Lighting
For better illumination of plants in winter, it is advisable to install a screen from the side opposite to the window aluminum foil... If there is heating under the window, then it is better to cover it so that warm air did not hit the leaves.
Lemon at home cannot be rearranged from place to place and turned into different sides... This can lead to leaf fall and the death of the seedling.
Watering and sprinkling lemons at home
It is better to water the tree with rain or melt water. However, you often have to take it from the tap, which contains disinfectants. In order not to harm the plant, the water for irrigation should be defended.
Well water often contains mineral salts, most often lime. With constant watering, the soil is saturated with "ill-wishers" so much that it acquires an alkaline reaction, and the plant loses its ability to absorb iron, manganese, zinc and further cultivation becomes difficult. Lemon leaves become pale, covered with spots. If the tree is not transplanted, then it will disappear altogether. It softens hard water by simple boiling or lemon (0.5 g per 1 liter), nitric, acetic acid (4 drops per 1 liter).
At any time of the year, it is important to spray the lemon daily at home. This should be done especially in winter when the air is too dry. This activity helps to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the leaves and thus facilitates the vital activity of the roots and the cultivation is more intensive.
How and what to feed when growing
The first time a lemon is fed at home 30 days after the transplant. In winter - once a month, and in spring and summer - once a week. It is advisable to regularly change the set of nutrients. Dry chemical fertilizers not recommended because they contain chlorine compounds, sulfurous and fluoride substances that adversely affect mycorrhiza.
The available fertilizer is used tea leaves, coffee grounds (they are scattered over the surface and mixed with soil), water in which the meat and fish were washed. Once a month it is watered with an ash solution (1 tbsp. Spoon per liter of water).
It is good to feed the plant with a decoction of unsalted fish. To do this, take 200 g of waste after cleaning, boil in 2 liters of water for 30–40 minutes, cool, filter and dilute (1: 1) with boiled water.
Basic and effective fertilization- manure. But how can you use it in a city apartment? Firstly, not so much is needed, and secondly, dried manure has practically no smell. You can use chicken manure, cow and horse manure.
Growing with life-giving solution: liter jar fill with manure (1: 1), close tightly and leave to ferment for 3-4 weeks. This "infusion" is treated to citrus fruits twice a month. The ratio for horse manure is 1: 8, mullein is 1:10, chicken droppings-1: 25. It is worth reminding that it is important to adhere to this dosage, since lower concentrations are ineffective, and large ones are harmful, and can burn the plant.
To avoid pests
Finally, about the sorrows that can befall the owners when growing indoor lemons. They arise with the appearance of pests, and most often they are brought in along with a new houseplant or flower bouquet... In summer, pests enter the room through an open window, so it must be tightened with a thick mesh.
It is possible to prevent the appearance of unwanted guests if organic fertilizers are poured with boiling water before use, and the earth is well warmed up or steamed during transplantation.
Pests settle and feel well on plants that stand in a room where the air is too dry, or on a windowsill, where the temperature is above zero all year round. Do not allow thickening of plants, dust on leaves and branches. A strong shower will prevent the appearance of pests, which will wash the crown and leaves from all sides.
Lemon is one of the most famous and ancient hybrid species. citrus plants... Back in 200 A.D. in Italy it was known about the cultivation of lemon. It turns out that the leaves of this not only beautiful, but also useful tree secrete phytoncides - substances that can refresh and disinfect the air. If you take proper care of the lemon, you can also get wonderful fruits.
Lemon is propagated at home by seeds or cuttings. When growing from seeds of fruits, you can wait only after 7-8 years, or you can not wait at all. Most the best option planting - from a ready-made cutting. Cut off a young green twig with 4-5 leaves from an adult tree. For rooting, take a small pot of wet fine sand and plant the plant. Cover the top of the pot with a transparent plastic bottle, having previously cut off her neck. Make several holes in the bottle for air circulation. This will create a greenhouse effect and the lemon will take root faster. The temperature should be high: 22-25 degrees. You can plant a tree already grown from seed. To do this, we cut off the shoot from the tree of the variety we like and insert it into the split. The cleavage must be done quickly and carefully so as not to infect the infection. Treat the grafting site with garden mixture. If everything is done correctly, then after about two or three weeks you will notice that the newly grafted branch has begun to grow. A fabulous effect and surprise of guests can be achieved by grafting a lemon on one side and a tangerine on the other. Turn out amazing combination and a variety of fruits.
For citrus fruits, which include lemon, home care is a rather painstaking, albeit simple matter. This is a light-loving tree. Therefore, carefully choose a place for growing. Open sunlight should also be avoided; diffused light is needed. Transplanting for this plant is quite painful, it is better to use transfer to a larger pot without affecting the roots. To winter the lemon, the temperature in the room must be reduced to 10-12C degrees, or the pot with the plant must be placed on the veranda. In this case, take care in advance that the roots of the plant do not freeze, wrap the flowerpot warm blanket.
Lemon begins to bear fruit at home at the age of three. If there are too many fruits, then the newly appeared ovary should be torn off. One fruit should have 10-12 green leaves.
Subject to all the rules, making a lemon at home is not such a time-consuming task. Please the plant proper care and then it long years will delight you with beautiful, tasty and healthy fruits!