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 citrus fruits. The fruits are actively used in cooking and medicine, rich in vitamin C, helping 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 - initially it was made from lemons.

A brief description of the lemon tree

The lemon tree is an evergreen perennial. This is a representative of the genus Citrus of the Rutov family. The historical homeland is China, where lemon performed decorative functions. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that sunny yellow citrus fruits are able to heal a person from plague and leprosy. Alas, this turned out to be not the case, 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 is a worthy interior decoration and the opportunity to receive fresh fruits all year round

A short description of the lemon tree:

• It can reach a height of up to 3 meters, but at home, in a pot, it rarely exceeds 1.6 meters.
• 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 the spring. After the bud appears, you need to wait about 30 days before it blooms.
• Fruits (well-known lemons) are citrus fruits in a thick yellow peel. Homemade lemon is 5-9 cm long and 4-5 cm in diameter.Weight is about 50 g.

Briefly about 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 oriental traders. 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 growing lemons at home is not easy, home growers most often use the leaves of this citrus plant. They are also rich in vitamin C, essential oils, citric acid. Tea is brewed with them, used as components of decoctions, masks, infusions. The leaves are pain relieving 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 different varieties, modern breeders have tried. Therefore, everyone is free to choose the one that suits the best.

Panderosa

This is a unique hybrid, the product of crossing a lemon with a citron. It is not known how this variety came about.Some researchers believe that the crossing was accidental, while others are sure that it was not 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.

Kievsky

A large-fruited species that appeared in 1994 in Kiev, which is reflected in the name. 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 yield and unpretentiousness. It is able to bear fruit for 20 years, while the 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 there are pomelo, citron and tangerine. The homeland is China, where the plant is used exclusively for decorating gardens and greenhouses. Differs in rounded, rich yellow fruits. Under the skin is a greenish pulp, which is less acidic than lemon. The number of seeds is about 10.

Some others

Some other varieties are also suitable for home cultivation:

• Anniversary. An Uzbek hybrid, the fruiting of which begins from 3-4 years.
• Maikop. The height of the tree is up to 2 meters, the fruiting is rich.
• Lisbon. Many thorns, but the fruits are amazing - covered with a thin skin that can be eaten.

Organization of care

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

Lighting and temperature requirements

This plant is southern, so insufficiently high temperatures are destructive for it. In order for the leaves to develop normally, 17-18 ℃ 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 ℃. If such conditions cannot be provided, the heating devices are turned on. A jump in temperature is unacceptable, because due to stress, the lemon will shed its buds.

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

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

Watering features

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

Top dressing and soil requirements

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

• Yellowed leaves indicate a lack of nitrogen. You need to feed the appropriate composition.
• Pale, deformed fruits indicate a lack of phosphorus.
• Potassium starvation will be signaled by small fruits.
• Iron deficiency is expressed in the drying out of the tip.

Planned fertilizing of lemon is done twice a summer; in autumn, winter and spring, there is no need to fertilize a healthy tree.

Choosing a pot size

It is very important to choose the size of the lemon pot correctly. Its diameter should correspond to the size of the tree's root system. Do not choose too large containers. This makes root breathing difficult and causes rotting.

It is best to choose a clay container, but before planting such a pot must be soaked for at least a day. Wooden vessels are also good - they pass the oxygen necessary for the plant well. To make homemade lemon look neat, it is important to shape the crown in time.

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

Plant transplant

Lemon is a plant with a long lifespan. Planted from a tiny bone, after a few years it turns into a small neat tree. And then - the years go by, and the lemon is already a fairly large tree with a spreading crown. Therefore, plant transplanting 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 soil in an old pot and leave for 5 hours.
2. Carefully remove the plant from the pot, keeping an earthen ball. If the tree is more than 10 years old, its roots are pruned by 2 cm, for the young there is no need for this.
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, then carefully covered with earth and tamped. It is important to prevent the lemon from falling, but you should not compact the soil too much - root rot develops at the roots deprived of oxygen.

After moderate watering, the lemon pot is transferred to partial shade, 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, the buds appear, this happens in the spring. After a month and a half, they bloom, revealing large flowers of purple or pink flowers. The duration of flowering is 60 days, then the fruit is set, which will take 200 days (sometimes more). Care rules:

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

Lemon bloom is a feast for the owner

Reproduction of indoor lemon tree

There are two ways to propagate 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 maintain temperature and humidity. Airing is carried out every day, if necessary, the soil is irrigated. After 3-4 weeks, they are transplanted into the main pot. A year later, they are transplanted into a larger pot, and after 4 years you can expect to get a harvest. Throughout this period, you need to continue to care for the lemon.

From the bone

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

Homemade lemon may well please with small but healthy fruits.

Vaccination at home

The question that worries novice gardeners, how to plant a lemon, does not have a single answer. There are several ways: budding, splitting, copulating. For work, you will need a sharp pruner, the blades of which are disinfected, scion and stock, garden pitch, film and damp rags. You can also hold the pruner over the flame, scorching the blades to cleanse them of possible bacteria.

The sequence of actions for budding lemon:

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

To start growing lemons at home, you can use another option for vaccination - copulation. You will need a scion and rootstock of the same diameter. Even cuts are made, in the central part of which a vertical incision is made. Then they are connected in such a way that the cuts coincide. The vaccination site is wrapped with tape.

Splitting method - the need to graft on a stump, is rarely carried out at home. A deep horizontal cut is made in the stump, into which cuttings are inserted ("trimming"). Sections are covered with garden pitch.

Potential problems, diseases and pests

It is generally easy to grow a lemon at home, however, with poor quality care, certain difficulties can arise. The plant came to us from a tropical climate, therefore it reacts sharply to watering with cold water, insufficient lighting, excessive or insufficient watering. If you provide him with decent care, the risk of disease is minimal.

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

Major diseases:

• Scab. Bordeaux liquid is used for treatment.
• Sooty fungus or moles. It is easy to remove with a damp sponge; in case of serious damage, you will need to use professional products such as "Aktara".
• Root rot. The reason is the abuse of watering, soil diseases. A plant that has begun to dry out and die can only be saved by transplanting it into a dried substrate.
• Gum leakage occurs due to an excess of nitrogen in the soil. The affected plant is transplanted into a more fertile soil, moderately watered with warm water.

The main pests of homemade lemon are aphids, scale insects, spider mites. It is best to notice them in time and eliminate them manually, otherwise chemical agents will have to be used, which will negatively affect the benefits of the fruit.

It's quite possible to get a harvest of ripe citrus fruits at home.

Why the leaves of indoor lemon turn yellow and what to do in this case is a question that is important for beginners and experienced flower growers. The main reason is planting a crop in poor soil, the plant lacks nutrients for normal development, which affects 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. In a few years, you will be able to enjoy ecologically pure juicy citruses.