Lemon Tree - Houseplant Care

Growing a lemon tree at home has been practiced in Russia for a long time, some craftsmen even manage to get harvests of juicy citruses. Fruits are actively used in cooking and medicine, rich in vitamin C, help to increase the body's resistance to diseases. India or China are considered the birthplace of fruits, they gave the name to the drink lemonade - it was originally made from lemons.

Lemon Tree Summary

The lemon tree is an evergreen perennial. This is a representative of the genus Citrus family Rutovye. The historical homeland is China, where the lemon performed decorative functions. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that sunny yellow citrus fruits can heal a person from plague and leprosy. Alas, this turned out to be wrong, but only one fruit contains a daily dose of vitamin C, which is why it is considered a powerful means of combating vitamin deficiency. It also strengthens the immune system.

Indoor lemon - a worthy decoration of the interior and the ability to receive fresh fruits all year round

Short description of a lemon tree:

• In height, it can reach up to 3 meters, but at home, rarely in a pot when it exceeds 1.6 meters.
• The leaves are glossy, hard, rich green color.
• The flowers are white, collected in a brush. They have a pleasant delicate aroma reminiscent of jasmine.
• Flower buds can form at any time of the year, but are most active in spring. After the appearance of the bud, you need to wait about 30 days before it opens.
• Fruits (known to all lemons) - citrus fruits in a thick yellow peel. The length of homemade lemon is 5-9 cm, the diameter is 4-5 cm. Weight is about 50 g.

Briefly about the history and application

The exact origin of the lemon in Russia is unknown. Fruits appeared here a long time ago and are even mentioned in Domostroy. According to one version, they were brought to Russia by eastern merchants. The second hypothesis connects the appearance of lemons with the name of Peter the Great, who brought amazing sunny fruits from Holland. Gradually, the plant began to be used for decorative purposes, as well as for obtaining fruits.

Since it is not easy to grow lemons at home, home growers most often use the leaves of this citrus plant. They are also rich in vitamin C, contain essential oils, citric acid. Tea is brewed with them, used as components of decoctions, masks, infusions. Leaves have painkillers, but can cause allergies.

Everyone can grow lemons in a pot, the process itself is simple

Description of the most popular varieties

Homemade lemon tree can be of various varieties, modern breeders have tried. Therefore, everyone is free to choose the one that suits the best.

Panderosis

This is a unique hybrid, a product of crossing a lemon with a citron. It is not known how this variety appeared. Some researchers believe that the crossing was random, while others are sure that it could not do without a scientific approach. Distinctive features:

• small fruits;
• average weight - up to 100-200 g;
• citrus aroma is similar to lemon, but the taste is much less sour.

Kiev

Large-fruited appearance, which appeared in 1994 in Kiev, which is reflected in the title. Due to its unpretentiousness, it can be grown not only on the windowsill, but also in winter gardens, greenhouses. The tree itself and its fruits look neat. Specifications:

• tree height - up to 2.4 meters;
• fruiting is possible up to 4 times a year;
• fruit weight - 500-650 g;
• used for culinary purposes.

Pavlovsky

This indoor lemon will delight its owners with good productivity and unpretentiousness. It is able to bear fruit for 20 years, while yield increases with age.

Despite its Turkish origin, Pavlovsky is considered a Russian variety, since it can be grown in the Russian climate.

Meyer

Another hybrid in the genetics of which are pomelo, citron and mandarin. Homeland is China, where the plant is used exclusively for decorating gardens and greenhouses. Differs in roundish saturated yellow fruits. Under the skin is a flesh of a greenish tint, which is less acidic than lemon. The number of seeds is about 10.

Some others

For home growing, some other varieties are suitable:

• Anniversary. Uzbek hybrid, fruiting of which begins from 3-4 years.
• Maykop. Tree height - up to 2 meters, fruiting rich.
• Lisbon. There are many thorns, but the fruits are amazing - they are covered with a thin skin that can be eaten.

Care Organization

Caring for a lemon tree at home is simple and consists of standard watering, top dressing, and disease prevention procedures. There are a number of features that are important to consider.

Lighting and temperature requirements

This plant is southern, therefore not high enough temperatures are fatal for it. For the leaves to develop normally, 17-18 -18 above zero is enough, but for the formation of buds and the formation of fruits, it is important that the thermometer does not fall below +25 25. If such conditions cannot be ensured, heaters are turned on. A jump in temperature is unacceptable, because due to stress the lemon will drop buds.

Lemon loves the sun. You need to plant it in a bright place

Lemon tree loves light, the duration of daylight should not be less than 10-12 hours, so the pot is exposed to the south side. When the plant grows, it is important to provide additional artificial lighting.

Features of watering

In order for the tree to bear fruit, it is important to provide it with suitable watering - moderate, but regular.

Top dressing and soil requirements

Lemon prefers light fertile soils, a mixture of leafy soil with coarse sand and humus will suit it well. You can buy ready-made soil mix for roses. How to understand that a plant needs top dressing:

• Yellowed leaves indicate a lack of nitrogen. It is necessary to feed the appropriate composition.
• Pale deformed fruits indicate a lack of phosphorus.
• Potassium starvation is signaled by small fruits.
• Iron deficiency is expressed in drying out the apex.

Planned top dressing of the lemon is made twice during the summer, in the fall, winter and spring it is not necessary to fertilize a healthy tree.

Pot size selection

It is very important to correctly choose the size of a pot for a lemon. Its diameter should correspond to the size of the root system of the tree. No need to select too large containers. This makes root breathing difficult and causes decay.

It is best to choose a clay container, but before planting such a pot you need to soak for at least 24 hours. Wooden vessels are also good - they pass the oxygen necessary for the plant well. To make homemade lemon look neat, it is important to form a crown in time.

Lemon in a beautiful pot - a bright accent in the interior of the room

Plant transplant

Lemon refers to plants with a long lifespan. Planted from a tiny bone, after a few years it turns into a small neat little tree. And then the years go by, and the lemon is already a fairly large tree with a spreading crown. Therefore, plant transplantation is the most important care procedure. The step-by-step sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Place the prepared soil in a new pot, at the bottom of which there is already drainage. Lightly moisten the ground in an old pot and leave for 5 hours.
2. Carefully remove the plant from the pot while maintaining an earthen lump. If the tree is more than 10 years old, its roots are cut by 2 cm, for the young it is not necessary.
3. The root system of the lemon is immersed in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate for 3-5 minutes.
4. The plant is carefully placed in a new container, the roots are straightened, and then carefully sprinkled with earth and rammed. It is important to prevent the lemon from falling, but it is also not necessary to compact the soil too - root rot develops in roots lacking oxygen.

After moderate watering, the pot of lemon is transferred to the penumbra, where it will spend a week. Then the plant is returned to its original place.

Lemon blossom

Many are interested in how a lemon blooms. First, buds appear, it happens in the spring. After a month and a half they bloom, revealing large flowers of purple or pink flowers. The flowering time is 60 days, then the fruit sets, which will take 200 days (sometimes more). Care Rules:

1. At the first early flowering, buds are cut off to preserve the strength of a fragile plant. If you already have 20 or more leaves, you can save.
2. Faded inflorescences are not removed, they will turn into ovaries.

Lemon blossom - a holiday for the owner

Propagation of indoor lemon tree

There are two ways to multiply indoor lemon.

Cuttings

Small branches are cut from the mother plant, on which there are 2-3 leaves. For rooting, they are placed in a moistened mixture of fertile soil and peat, covered with a plastic bottle on top to preserve temperature and humidity. Every day airing is carried out, if necessary, irrigate the soil. After 3-4 weeks, transplanted into the main pot. After another year - they transplant into a larger pot, and after 4 years you can count on getting a crop. Throughout this period, you need to continue to care for the lemon.

From bone

This method is also called seed, because the seeds are the seeds of a lemon tree. They can be obtained from ripe fruit, including those bought in a store. It is enough to extract the seeds and place them in a substrate consisting of peat and fertile land mixed in equal proportions. Leaving involves regular watering.

Homemade lemon may well please with small, but healthy fruits.

Vaccination at home

The question that worries novice gardeners about how to plant a lemon does not have a clear answer. There are several ways: budding, splitting, copulation. For work, you need a sharp pruner, the blades of which are disinfected, scion and stock, garden var, film and damp rags. The secateurs can also be held above the flame, to singe the blades - this will clear them of possible bacteria.

The sequence of actions for budding a lemon:

1. T-shaped cuts are made in the scion trunk, and a kidney with a piece of bark is carefully cut from the stock.
2. On the scion, the bark is pushed back, a kidney is inserted into the incision so that it fits snugly against the trunk.
3. It remains to wrap the place of vaccination with tape, leaving the eye open.

To engage in the cultivation of lemons at home, you can use another option for vaccination - copulation. Scion and stock stock, matching in diameter, will be required. Make even cuts, in the central part of which a vertical cut is made. Then they are connected so that the incisions match. Place the vaccine wrapped with tape.

Split method - the need to vaccinate on a stump, at home is rare. A deep horizontal cut is made in the stump, where the cuttings are inserted (“cuttings”). Slices are covered with garden var.

Possible problems, diseases and pests

Growing a lemon at home is generally not difficult, however, with poor care, certain difficulties may arise. The plant came to us from a tropical climate, so it reacts sharply to cold watering, insufficient lighting, excessive or insufficient watering. If you provide him with decent care, the risk of disease is minimal.

Timely care - a guarantee that the lemon tree will delight its owner for many years

The main diseases:

• Scab. For treatment, Bordeaux is used.
• Sooty fungus or black. It is easy to remove with a damp sponge; in case of serious damage, you will need to use professional products such as "Actara".
• Root rot. The reason is the abuse of watering, soil diseases. Only a transplant into a dried substrate can save a plant that has begun to dry and die.
• Gumming occurs due to excess nitrogen in the soil. The affected plant is transplanted into more fertile soil, moderately watered with warm water.

The main pests of homemade lemon are aphids, scale insects, and spider mites. It is best to notice them on time and eliminate them manually, otherwise you will have to use chemicals, which will negatively affect the benefits of the fruits.

Getting a ripe citrus crop at home is real

Why do the leaves of a room lemon turn yellow and what to do in this case is the question that is important for beginners and experienced gardeners. The main reason is planting the crop in poor soil, the plant lacks nutrients for normal development, which affects the development. Feeding with mineral complexes will help.

The owner of his own homemade lemon will have regular daily work. There is nothing tricky in it; it is enough to clearly fulfill the basic requirements. After a few years, you will be able to enjoy environmentally friendly juicy citruses.

Watch the video: Growing Citrus Trees in Containers! . Garden Answer (May 2024).