Growing lemon at home: do not be afraid of difficulties! How to speed up fruiting when growing lemon? We take care of the sprouts. Further care in general terms

Lemon, despite its tropical origin, is very popular in our country. Its fruits are actively used in cooking, medicine and cosmetology.

Lemon, despite its tropical origin, is very popular in our country.

Many lovers of this fruit are interested in how to grow a lemon from a stone so that it not only becomes a room decoration, but also bears fruit.

Is it possible to grow a lemon at home

Lemon in the apartment successfully takes root subject to the rules of care

Lemon is an evergreen hybrid shrub, a representative of the genus citrus, the rue family. The same name is given to the fruits of this plant. They have a rounded oblong shape. Their color can be bright yellow or greenish. Homeland lemon is the territory of Southeast Asia, Spain and Italy.

The subtropical climate is the most favorable environment for the growth of shrubs. But if you create the appropriate conditions for a lemon, you can get its fruits in 4–5 years and in the conditions of an ordinary apartment.

Video: briefly about the features of growing a citrus tree at home

Necessary tools and materials

To plant a lemon, you will need:

• pot small size with drainage hole;
• crushed charcoal or expanded clay;
• biostimulator Epin-Eustra or Zircon;
• fluorescent lamps;
• polyethylene film;
• foil;
• tweezers.

Step-by-step instructions for growing a lemon from a stone

Lemons grown in this way are more resistant to negative factors than citrus fruits obtained by cuttings.

Bones preparation

Preparing Lemon Seeds Using a Biostimulant Solution

To get seeds for planting, two lemons will be enough. But pay Special attention on fruit quality. They must be ripe, without damage and deformation.

Rinse the lemons running water and cut into two halves. Select the largest bones.

To root system the future plant developed well, before planting the seeds need to be processed biological stimulants. For this, Zircon or Epin-Extra preparations are suitable. Add one drop of biostimulant to 250 ml of water and place the seeds in the solution for 12 hours. You can do this at night, and start landing in the morning. After such a procedure, the immunity of the bones will increase, they will be easier to tolerate dry air or lack of lighting.

How to plant a plant

Planting will require shallow containers. You can buy ready-made pots or make them yourself from improvised materials. Suitable for this purpose plastic cups 5-6 cm high. You can also cut the bottles to required size. Don't forget to make drainage holes in your homemade pots.

Before you start sowing, you need to prepare the soil. Lemons prefer loose, nutritious, slightly acidic or neutral soil with a high phosphorus content. A mixture for planting citrus fruits is in any flower shop. But you can prepare the soil yourself:

1. Mix in equal parts humus, sod land and peat. It is allowed to use ordinary land from the garden.
2. To make the soil loose enough, it is recommended to sift it through a sieve with a mesh size of 2-4 mm, then mix thoroughly.

We simply place the bone in a pot and moisten the soil a little.

The most suitable period for planting is the end of January or the beginning of February. And the process itself is performed in the following sequence of actions:

1. At the bottom of the tank, pour a layer of drainage 1.5 cm thick. For this, crushed coal or expanded clay is suitable.
2. Then fill the pot with soil and moisten it a little.
3. Make holes 2-3 cm deep and place the bones in them. Use several seeds at once. This will allow the strongest to germinate.
4. Planted seeds need weak watering. Excessive moisture can lead to the death of the roots. The soil only needs to be sprayed twice a week.

Important! If the bones are placed in the ground deeper than 3 cm, then they can rot, and if planted shallowly, they will die from drying out.

The temperature level in the room where the pots are located should not fall below 18 ° C, otherwise the seeds will not germinate. If the room is cool, cover the containers with foil. But not airtight, the seeds need air access. Place the pots in the warmest place in the room. Leave them there until sprouts appear.

Video: a master class on planting a lemon seed

plant care

When the shoots germinate, they need to create the appropriate conditions. Lemon is a capricious plant. In order for it to fully develop, you need to strictly follow all the recommendations.

Transfer

Lemon transplant should be timely

Select the strongest sprouts and move to a pot bigger size. It should be 5 cm larger than the container in which the seeds were planted. To determine the most viable seedlings, be guided by the following criteria:

1. Examine the crown of the sprout. It should be tight enough. This parameter corresponds to the shoots on which the buds are located on minimum distance from each other.
2. Do not choose a seedling with a lot of needles.
3. A good shoot has strong leaves that do not fall off at the slightest fluctuation of the wind. The more of them on the sprout, the better.

Important! If you find seedlings with thin shoots and few leaves, you can immediately remove them.

Do not hesitate to transplant, otherwise the roots of the sprouts will begin to branch and tangle with each other. Also note that you should not take too large a pot. Some do this, believing that in this case there will be no need for a transplant for a long time. It's a delusion.

The root system of a lemon develops on the surface layers of the soil. Its growth is carried out in a horizontal direction. If you use an excessively large container, the roots will come into contact with the side walls of the pot and follow their contour. And the deep layers of the soil will remain intact and begin to turn sour. As a result, the lemon will begin to hurt, and if the situation is not corrected, it may die.

by the most the right time for transplantation is February or June. The process itself is performed in the following sequence:

1. Fill the bottom of the pot with 2 cm of drainage, then backfill with soil. The distance between the soil surface and the edge of the container should be 1 cm.
2. Make a hole in the center, place the plant and cover it with soil. Transplant the lemon with earthy clod.
3. Compact the soil lightly by tapping the sides of the pot. Do not press down on the ground.

During the first year, the lemon is transplanted 2 times. Then this period must be increased. Plants up to three years moved to new containers every 12 months. Adult lemons are transplanted after three years. Each time, a pot is selected that is 5–6 cm larger than the previous one in diameter.

Video: lemon transplant instructions

crown formation

Shaping will allow you to get a voluminous tree

You need to start this procedure from the first months. Do not allow the seedling to become like a stick in the process of development. Use tweezers to pinch the top of the lemon. You need to achieve lateral branching. Leave 2-3 leaves on the branches, and upper part delete.

For uniform development of the crown, the lemon must be rotated periodically, but not more than 10 °. Also remove branches that grow vertically and inwards.

If in the first year the lemon began to bloom, tear off all the buds. Some people ignore this rule. But otherwise, the seedling will use up all its strength for flowering. Then it becomes unviable and begins to fade.

Important! Lemon should bloom after 15 or more leaves per flower.

Lighting and air humidity

Low humidity and good light are important for lemon.

Lemon needs good lighting so it is important to follow these guidelines:

1. Place the lemon on a windowsill on the west or east side. But the sprouts should not be exposed to direct sunlight - this will lead to their death.
2. Organize from October to March additional lighting with help fluorescent lamps. To get a more pronounced effect, build a foil reflector for them.
3. Do not use incandescent lamps, they do not have enough power.
4. Provide the plant with additional light - 2 hours in the morning and 3 in the evening.

Lemons do not tolerate dry air well. The level of its humidity should be 40-50%. Do not use spraying, this procedure will not give the desired result when grown in room conditions. Better fence off the plant on the windowsill polyethylene film or place a humidifier next to it.

Temperature

In warm weather, lemon should be kept at a temperature of +18 ° C.. +23 ° C. With the onset of winter, when the plant goes into a dormant state, this figure should be reduced to +10 ° C. Under such conditions, the development of lemon occurs more intensively. At low temperatures, fruit pits are laid.

AT summer period for a lemon it will be useful to stay on fresh air. Take it outside where the plant absorbs better. carbon dioxide. The temperature of the content in summer should not rise above +30 ° C.

Watering

You can water the lemon with filtered water

Features of this process can be reduced to the following aspects:

1. For irrigation, you can not use artesian or well water- it has a high concentration of salts, which increase the level of alkali in the soil.
2. Tap water is also not suitable due to the high chlorine content. This substance has a toxic effect on citrus fruits, including lemon.
3. Use only filtered water. Before watering, add nitric acid to it at the rate of 3 ml of the substance per 10 liters of liquid. The water will become softer as a result.
4. Nitric acid can be replaced with oxalic acid (1 teaspoon) or acetic acid (3 tablespoons).
5. There are no clear instructions regarding the abundance of watering. Focus on the degree of soil moisture. Place your finger in the ground. If the ground is dry at the depth of the phalanx, the plant needs to be watered.
6. Do not use cold water. Its temperature level must be at least +5 °C.
7. Do not allow water to remain in the pan.

Important! Lemon can't stand a large number moisture.

top dressing

The first two months after the appearance of lemon sprouts do not need to be fed. Then start fertilizing once every two weeks.

Prepare a composition of mullein and water. Mix the components in a ratio of 1:10. Apply fertilizer at the rate of 70 ml of solution per 1 liter of soil. With the onset of the cold period, top dressing is stopped until next spring.

Stimulation of fruiting

This method will help stimulate the formation of fruit buds:

1. Prepare copper wire.
2. Drag the two main branches and the trunk of the lemon so that the wire is slightly pressed into the bark.
3. As a result of this procedure, the plant is slightly deformed, but this should not cause concern. The number of kidneys will increase.

Possible diseases and pests

Lemon is susceptible to fungus and gummosis

Lemon can be affected by ticks, aphids and scale insects. These pests feed on its greens and juice, which leads to deformation of the stems and drying of the leaves. Inspect the bush daily, so you can notice the problem in time and fix it. Finding pests, take a soft toothbrush or cotton swab, soak in soapy water and remove the insects.

With improper care, the lemon starts to get sick with gommosis or soot fungus. In the first case, the bark is affected, then the branches dry out. In the presence of soot fungus on the leaves formed gray coating, after which they are twisted.

To get rid of gommosis, remove plaque from the damaged areas, then treat them with 1% Bordeaux mixture. Next, apply garden pitch and disinfect with copper sulfate.

1% will also help cure lemon when affected by soot fungus Bordeaux mixture. Treat the affected areas and tear off diseased leaves.

Important! Do not place the lemon near other plants, this will help reduce the chance of infection.

To get the first fruits, you need to take care of a lemon for several years. But the plant will begin to benefit long before that time. Its leaves secrete phytoncides - substances that prevent the development of pathogenic fungi and bacteria. In addition, home-grown lemons are more hardy than store-bought ones. You will be able to select the strongest specimens for planting and get unpretentious plants adapted to room conditions.

Lemon is very useful plant, which brings at least useful fruits. Many people love to drink tea with lemon, especially in the cold season. Everyone knows about the miraculous healing power lemon. The phytoncides released by it purify the air of many harmful bacilli. So why not grow a lemon at home? This is entirely doable. This statement is confirmed by the fact that the home culture of lemon in our time is distributed almost throughout Russia.

Lemon at home is a perennial, undersized bonsai. There are lemons over 45 years old. They not only bloom beautifully, but also give natural fruits. Of course, the lemons that we were able to grow at home are smaller than those that we buy in the market. But they are not inferior in the content of useful substances to those purchased on the market or in a store. On a bonsai tree, you can grow up to 20 lemons. But this can only be done with proper care of the tree. By the way, one example is to properly remove the fruits of a lemon from a tree as soon as they begin to turn yellow, having a diameter of 5-7 cm in the middle of the fruit, carefully cutting them with a knife or secateurs. Overripening of lemon fruits on a tree negatively affects the formation of young growth and, in addition, lowers the quality of the fruit.

We will analyze how to grow a lemon at home, considering the aspects that are important for this.

Reproduction of lemons at home.

At home, you can grow a lemon from a cutting, but it’s not easy at all. No, it is not difficult to grow a tree, but it is difficult to force it to bear fruit. Indeed, from the seed of an ordinary lemon it is possible to grow only common tree. You can no longer keep him in the room. Yes, and in order for it to bear fruit, it must be grafted. And this is not an easy thing to do.

Therefore, in order to alleviate your fate, it is better to purchase a lemon tree that is already ready for fruiting. And the emotions that you will experience when picking lemons from a branch are indescribable. One flavor deserves it! So for the sake of such pleasure, you can cope with all the difficulties that you will face until you can grow a lemon tree.

Where can you grow a lemon at home?

It is most convenient to place a lemon tree in the room - on the windowsill, but away from the radiator, since it needs a certain humidity. You can place lemons at home on all windows, and even on the northern ones. But in winter, hypothermia of the roots can become. This will prevent the plant from growing due to the difficulty in the movement of water from the roots to the leaves. Nevertheless, this trouble is eliminated simply - you need to wrap a tub of lemon with a heat-insulating cloth and slip a piece of polystyrene under its bottom.

It must be borne in mind that the lemon is afraid of drafts, loves sunny and bright, but does not like dry rooms. At humidity below 40 percent, the tree may disappear. Therefore, it is advised in the cold season to put a container of water near the tub in which the lemon grows.

Soil for indoor lemon

Add to 2 tbsp. ordinary garden soil a little ash, a little humus, if any, and a little sand. It is better that the sand is river. The proportion is: 1 tbsp. sand, 2 tbsp. hardwood, 3 tbsp. spoons of humus and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ash All this must be mixed and water added until a thick mass is obtained. Such a mixture will be able to fill the entire volume of the pot well, leaving no air voids near the roots of the lemon.

Six months later, the time will come to transplant the already grown lemon into a container 5 cm larger in diameter with the same soil composition. By the way, the soil sold in gardening stores is made on the basis of peat and has an acid reaction, while soil with a neutral reaction is suitable for growing lemons at home.

How to fertilize.

For good growth and generous fruiting a lemon tree is required abundant top dressing. All fertilizers can be applied indoor plants, for example, "Rainbow", which can be found in any hardware store.

In order to grow a lemon faster at home, it is not necessary to abuse top dressing to accelerate its growth. This can just kill him.
It is necessary to feed the lemon harder in the spring, when the plant grows especially intensively and it needs strength to accumulate useful material for fruit ripening.

In winter, you need to limit the amount of fertilizer to a minimum. They should be used for irrigation in the form of an aqueous solution containing 5 grams of potassium nitrate superphosphate per 1 liter of water.
You can also use mineral nitrogen-containing fertilizers, ash and sawdust, also necessary for the normal formation of the plant. I would also add microelements, copper and zinc, to the important fertilizers.

What should be the water for irrigation.

Water for irrigation must be defended for at least 24 hours in a non-closable bottle until the absolute removal of chlorine, which is detrimental to lemon. You can use water from a natural reservoir or well, but it must be heated to room temperature. Rainwater can contain many impurities, so it will have to be discarded.

How often to water a lemon?

The degree of moisture can be determined by the stickiness of the soil. This means that as soon as upper layer the earth begins to crumble in the hands, then you need to water the plant.

How to properly water a lemon?

Water so that the roots are not exposed. Watering should be carried out along the contour of the pot - until water begins to appear in the pan. This will ensure good wetting of the roots.

Lemon care.

Lemon bears fruit on branches of the fourth or fifth order. Therefore, it must be cut. Once young tree grows by 20 centimeters, then in the spring, before the start of vigorous growth, it is necessary to cut off its crown, keeping several buds intact. From these buds shoots of the first order will go. Do the same with the grown shoots, leaving the buds for the second shoot. So it is necessary to do until the shoots of the fourth order appear. They will bear fruit. Thus, it will take several years before fruiting begins. At the same time, remember that to feed one lemon fruit, you need at least a dozen leaves on a tree. Therefore, they must be protected.

With the arrival of spring, and the rise in ambient temperature to 7 - 9 C, the lemon can be taken out to the balcony or courtyard. In the first week, the plants are placed in a shaded place. Drip the lemon along with the pot into the soil so that the soil levels in the garden and the pot match. Cover the soil in pots with moss or dry leaves with a layer of 2 - 3 centimeters. This measure will protect the lemon soil from drying out. Water in the evening as the coma dries. In rainy weather, the soil does not need to be moistened, and on other days - someone is moistened daily. Do not bring the soil to sourness from excess moisture. In this case, the plant will stop growing, the soil will be greenish in color, and brown spots and they start to fall.

If you did not bury the lemon tub in the ground, you will be able to track the excess moisture as it enters the pan after watering. If it does not go there, then either you use little water for irrigation, or the pot is too large, or the drainage is faulty. If, nevertheless, acidification of the soil in the pot happened, then the lemon plant should be transplanted with the replacement of this soil. The soil needs to be loosened after 5 - b waterings.

In the autumn, even before the cold snap, bring the lemon tree into the room. Lemons at home are warm, but not enough light. Therefore, from November to March, lemons should be kept in dry rooms with a temperature not higher than 8 - 10 C. In winter, do not fertilize and water rarely. In extreme cases, the plant can be kept at a temperature of 18 C. Then you should raise the humidity of the air by placing it in a pan in which you need to add water daily. The plant pot itself should not come into contact with this water. Place lemons away from heaters that dry out the air and spray them with water at room temperature 2 times a day.

Widely known to the inhabitants of our planet for the past 8 centuries. Back in the 12th century, the inhabitants of the Indian state domesticated this citrus tree and began to use its fruits not only in cooking, but also in medicine.

Today, this beautiful can be grown in decorative purposes right in the apartments. In the article we will talk about how to grow and plant a lemon at home, how to care for and treat it for various diseases.

Indoor lemon: choosing a variety for home growing

Lemon plants are propagated or by grafting. This is mandatory, and it is worth paying attention to when buying.

You need to ask the seller if the plant was brought from Armenia, Georgia or Azerbaijan. After all, the seedlings in these countries were separated from the trees growing under open sky, and they will not survive in your apartment.

You need to buy a lemon plant grafted on Trifoliate, as this is the most the best option for ornamental cultivation in our climate zone.

You need to buy lemon seedlings only from trusted sellers, and ask them in detail for all the data about the seedling. For the southern regions of our country most suitable varieties lemon will be "Lisbon", "Genoa", "Meyer", "Maikop".

If the cultivation of lemon at home will take place in the northern regions, then you need to look for such varieties: Pavlovsky, Kursky, Lunario, Ponderosa.

How to create the best conditions for planting a lemon tree at home

In order for the citrus plant not to feel discomfort and grow in the most optimal conditions, you need to plant it correctly, choose the best and place in the apartment.

Choosing a seat in a room

The fate of a homemade lemon will depend on the right place in the home. If you place this plant on (many people place it there), then you need to carefully monitor the temperature changes that the lemon tree does not tolerate well.

Natural solar lighting will fall on the crown of the plant only a few hours a day (in the morning or in the evening, depending on the side of the balcony), while the heat from the rooms will be regular, within +20 ° C.

Thermal masses from a heater or batteries will also only warm one part of the citrus plant. The result is a constant temperature drop, due to which it can often drop leaves or even die.

To avoid this, on the balcony you need to maintain a stable temperature throughout the volume.
If you place a room lemon on the windowsill, then again, the sun's rays will illuminate only one part of the crown. In addition, the summer heat can contribute to the drying of the root system.

To prevent this, the citrus tree needs to be unrolled regularly and daily. Of course, the most ideal option a bay window will become to accommodate the tree, where the lighting will occur in a more or less normal way.

However, citrus plants require different conditions in winter. From the beginning of November to mid-February, it is better to “slow down” in growth, to make the so-called artificial rest stage.

Due to the fact that in winter period the rays of the sun no longer warm, the tree should be at temperatures of + 5-10 ° C. Moreover, the fact that any sharp temperature drop can adversely affect.

Therefore, if a lemon is found on a balcony or in a bay window, then try not to open the doors there for longer than 5 minutes, otherwise the thermal masses will begin to fill the space of a colder room.

I would also like to note that the ideal place for growth citrus tree will become a room with a glass roof, where a stable temperature of about +20 ° C is maintained and high humidity air.

How to choose a container for planting a lemon at home

In order to properly plant a lemon at home, you need to know how to choose the optimal capacity. A lemon tree planting pot can be made from any material: plastic, wood, metal, ceramic, etc.

When buying a container, pay attention to the fact that its upper diameter should be no more than 15 cm, and at the very bottom there should be several small holes for excess water to drain.

The height of the pot should be 15–20 cm. It is better not to buy especially high containers, since the roots of the lemon are small, and you will only take up a lot of space on the balcony.

What should be the soil for home harvest

At the bottom of the pot, you need to make a drainage 3–5 cm high. It is made of sand or. However better drainage becomes ash mixed with sand. The bottom of the pot needs to be filled with 3 cm of ash, and then covered with a 2-centimeter layer of sand.

The soil for homemade lemon should be special, from your garden or definitely not suitable. It is best to buy such soil in specialized stores. Just ask the vendors if they have indoor citrus plants.
If you do not have the opportunity to buy soil, then you can cook it yourself. To do this, you need to take forest land (the top layer, no deeper than 10 cm, it is desirable to take it under the old ones, except for and), river sand, humus and wood ash(ash, if necessary, can be purchased at the store, as well as sand with humus).

It is important to observe the proportions in the preparation of lemon: for two glasses of forest soil, you need to add a glass of sand, 3 tablespoons of humus and 1 tablespoon of wood ash.

The resulting mixture must be stirred with water until a creamy mass is obtained. With this mass, you need to fill the pot so that the roots of the lemon are completely covered. After 6 months, it is advisable to transplant the tree into a wider container (20–25 cm in diameter).

Features of planting a lemon at home

The water that flows from the faucets high-rise buildings, not suitable for watering indoor lemon, as it contains a lot of alkali metal macronutrients, as well as chloride ions. Such water can cause leaf chlorosis and other tree diseases.
It is best to take water from a well or well, defend it for a day, and then water the plant. But if you don’t have the opportunity to draw water from a well or a well, then take hot water from the tap (it minimizes the chlorine content) and leave it for 24–36 hours.

The water temperature for irrigation should be + 30–35 ° С, especially in winter time of the year.

The container for watering the lemon tree should be with a narrow neck. When watering, tilt it close to the soil so that a strong water pressure cannot expose the root system of the plant.

You don’t need to feel sorry for the water, water the lemon until you see liquid flowing from the lower holes. This will mean that the entire soil, along with the roots, is saturated with water.

Excess water can be removed from the pan 30-40 minutes after watering. It should also be noted that the citrus plant in its natural habitat grows in a tropical humid climate, where frequent rainfall is normal.

Therefore, try to spray lemon leaves with water 1-2 times a day. So you can create optimal humidity.

How to fertilize lemon

In the fall, when the lemon is preparing for a dormant period, it can be watered 2-3 times at weekly intervals with natural black tea. In the period from November to February, the plant does not need to be fed, as it is at rest.

How and when to prune a plant

There is a lot of information about how to rejuvenate and cut a room lemon. Some recommend cutting the plant in the fall, others in the winter, and others in the spring.

Moreover, each of the "specialists" has a lot of positive arguments in favor of their own method of trimming.

Autumn pruning, which is carried out in November, allegedly increases the fruiting of the tree, winter pruning (in February) causes minimal damage to the tree, and spring pruning stimulates the growth of young shoots, respectively, increases fruiting and strengthens the tree.
Therefore, from a professional point of view, the most optimal period for rejuvenation and pruning of a citrus tree will be spring, when the process of budding and flowering begins.

Pruning a lemon plant is necessary in order to form a crown, give growth to young shoots and provide the maximum possible lighting to the entire plant.

Therefore, in the pruning process, one must take into account the fact that a very dense plant will constantly need sunlight, in addition, a thick lemon will produce fewer fruits.

The first pruning of a citrus tree should be done only when it reaches a height of at least 20 cm. First, a zero-order shoot (main tree trunk) is pruned at a height of 20–30 cm (4 developed buds are left).

Over time, lateral skeletal branches will appear there, on which beautiful fruits will ripen. lemon fruit. Shoots of the first and second order are cut to a height of 20–25 cm.
Only those that interfere with the growth of young shoots are completely removed. The shoots of the third order are cut at a height of 15 cm, the fourth - 10 cm. The shoots of subsequent orders are not cut.

Lemon Tree Transplant Basics at Home

There are several reasons for transplanting a lemon tree, and you need to be able to identify them in a timely manner:

1. The lemon has grown a lot and there is little room for it in the old pot. Water the plant generously, turn the pot over horizontal position and try to take out the tree along with the earthen clod. If roots stick out from all sides, an immediate transplant is needed into a wider and deeper container.
2. lemon tree struck root rot. If the roots of citrus began to emit an unpleasant rotten smell, they should be washed in potassium permanganate, and the plant should be urgently planted in a new pot with new soil.
3. The plant pot broke. In this case, you need to purchase a new container, and wrap the root system of the lemon tree for a while wet rag(in this form, the tree can not be stored for longer than a day). When transplanting into the soil, you need to add the drug.
4. The plant has ceased to actively grow and bear fruit. This is a sign that it lacks micronutrients in the soil and space for normal growth and root development, so a transplant is required, and the sooner the better.

If you find a reason for a transplant in your tree, then you need to act immediately. The rules for transplanting are very similar to the rules for planting, so you need to select a pot and soil for filling as described in a few paragraphs above.

But when transplanting, you need to focus on the state of the root system of an adult lemon tree. If some shoots are rotten and emanate from them bad smell then carefully remove all rotten roots.

Then pour some soil into a new pot and add "Kornevin" there. Insert a tree with a clod on the root system and sprinkle with soil to the required level.

Since in the first month the lemon root system will actively spread its roots throughout the container, try to feed the plant at least once a week.

Difficulties in growing indoor lemon

Growing a gorgeous lemon tree at home is not so easy, difficulties always await in the most unexpected places.

In order for the citrus plant not to hurt and regularly bear fruit, you need timely watering, feeding, maintaining temperature and humidity, regular lighting, timely transplanting, etc.

All of the listed subtleties in caring for a tree must be performed regularly and in a timely manner, and this is difficult even for housewives who are constantly sitting at home, because you can always forget and miss some moment in care. For example, improper lighting and temperature failure can cause early leaf fall, and excessive watering can cause root rot.

Without top dressing, the tree will not be able to grow and bear fruit normally, and low humidity cause the leaves to turn yellow. All these difficulties always make you think before buying a lemon tree.
But many citrus growers assure that over the years all difficulties disappear, and a person gets used to his plants. Caring for them no longer seems so difficult, in addition, there is a new experience, and citrus fruits begin to grow and bear fruit more actively.

Plant diseases and pests

The most common homemade lemon disease is yellowing of the leaves. The causes of this phenomenon can be many different factors, depending on which it is necessary to take measures for treatment. The main causes of yellowing leaves:

• low air humidity;
• irregular and improper feeding;
• increased air temperature during the dormant period (from November to February, the lemon tree must be kept at temperatures of + 6–10 ° С);
• defeat .

The first three causes are eliminated mechanical methods, and to combat it is necessary to use such chemicals, like "Kleschevit", etc.

Sometimes the leaves of a lemon tree may fall off at the wrong time. This phenomenon may be related to the presence spider mite. But besides it, unstable leaves can contribute to leaf fall. temperature regime, poor lighting, as well as low soil and air humidity.

Furthermore, improper care behind a citrus plant provokes the drying of young green leaves.

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In our country, lovers of indoor gardening in the direction of citrus fruits have been growing them for almost three centuries. After all, the first plant was brought by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great. Today, many people love indoor lemon, but not everyone knows how to grow a lemon at home.

Indoor lemon: temperature, lighting, pot selection

The homemade lemon tree is a true tropical guest that loves abundant, quality light. Direct sunlight will only damage it by singeing the leaves. Therefore, when the hot months come, it is necessary to shade the plant standing on the windowsill in a pot. To do this, a window or loggia is hung with tulle or gauze, and in the winter months, on the contrary, it is additionally illuminated with fluorescent lamps. It is best to give him a place in a pot on the western windowsill, east window or southeast window in the apartment.

It is important to remember that caring for a lemon at home does not involve sudden changes in temperature, so it is clearly not worth taking it out into the open air from a warm one.

Such manipulations can cost the fallen leaves of a lemon. The optimum temperature for it is more than 18 degrees Celsius, in cold period years, it can be slightly reduced to 14 degrees. If it is above 18 degrees, then the plant must be watered with heated water so that the temperature for the roots and for the leaves is the same, otherwise the lemon tree at home will shed its leaves. It is best to plant lemon in small pots or boxes. When planting in boxes, they must be planted at a distance of about five centimeters from each other and three centimeters from the walls of the container.

Soil and fertilizer for lemon

For its cultivation, it is best to purchase a peat mixture and flower ground, which are mixed in half, and a drainage layer is laid out on the bottom of the pot. In order for the soil not to quickly deplete, it should be fed. To do this, they begin to use fertilizers from the third or fourth month after planting. AT spring time, in summer and autumn, you can water with ammonia, diluting about two grams per 1000 grams of water. To activate the growth of the gardener, ammonium nitrate will wash.

If the leaves suddenly begin to fall off, then fertilizers without chlorine compounds are used. As the tree turns two years old, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers can also be applied every 2 weeks.

To prepare a fertilizer mixture, you need 2 grams of fertilizer per 1000 grams of liquid. This is enough for one tree, do not forget to water it first so that the roots of the plant do not get burned. In winter, the number of top dressings is reduced to once every 30 days. Slurry as a fertilizer will also help feed the lemon, for this it is diluted in water in a ratio of one to twenty. You can activate the growing foliage with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Grow a lemon from a seed: how will it be right?

Growing a lemon from a stone is a laborious process, but the result is definitely worth it. Growing a lemon from a stone will help the selection of fresh ripe lemons without signs of decay and disease. What falls into our hands from the shelves of stores, of course, cannot be called freshly picked fruits, so the seeds that will be planted are selected in more than landing requires.

So, how to grow a lemon tree from seed? Scatter the prepared soil into small containers (cups). And the seeds themselves are deepened by 2-3 centimeters into the soil, after which we cover plastic bag. After three weeks, the first shoots appear, and the fruits on it will appear in a decade. After the rooting of the sprout, it is time to transplant it into a larger pot, for which you should change the soil to a mixture of rotted foliage, turf and humus. Drainage is required at the bottom of the tank. We grab it with a clod of earth, lay the regrown roots in rings, after it carefully, without ramming, sprinkle it with earth and water it. As the plant grows, turn it once every two weeks.

How to grow a lemon at home so that its crown is beautiful and lush? For this, pruning is done, which stimulates active growth twigs. Every year, branches of a new level will grow on it, for example, the first shoot, upon reaching a height of 20 centimeters, is pinched, leaving the buds. Then the branches that will grow from these buds are pruned. It is necessary to leave the kidneys on them when they reach a height of twenty-five centimeters. Next trim will be carried out for branches of a different level, cut off after they grow ten centimeters. The remaining levels are left 5 centimeters high.

How to care for indoor lemon?

Caring for a homemade lemon is not easy, because the plant is rather capricious. The main thing is to catch the balance between the overflow of moisture and the drying of the soil, because the lemon tree does not like either one or the other. Care consists of watering twice a week and spraying with a spray bottle to maintain high humidity. In winter, when the air in the room is dry, it is necessary to place containers filled with water or special air humidifiers near the tree. So that the plant does not drop the fruits that have hatched from its branches, it is best to water them with water where the lemon is connected to the branch.

Remember that lemons do not tolerate changes in temperature, lighting and change of place. If you still decide to move your lemon tree from one place on the windowsill to another, then carefully select it.

You also need to turn it a little every day so that the crown grows evenly, but so that your lemon has time to turn its leaves. If everything is done correctly, then soon you will receive its first flowers. In order for the flowers to become ovaries, you need to transfer from the anther to the stamen with a cotton swab. If so many fruits are tied that it will be difficult for the plant, then you can most just remove. The approximate proportion at which the plant gives good offspring: for 1 lemon - ten to fifteen leaves. Such a tree brings the aroma of a subtropical forest into the house, gives the home a pleasant atmosphere, and if you apply love and patience, you will get your first harvest.

In our country, the most common the following types lemon:

• "Pavlovsky" is the fruit of Russian breeders. This is the undisputed leader among indoor lemon trees. The plant is unpretentious. It is active in growth, reaches two meters with proper care. The crown is compact. Foliage is shiny. The harvest is about forty lemons per year. The fruits are distinguished by a bright taste and a sweetish aftertaste.

• "Meyer", its second name is "Chinese", is a hybrid of lemon and orange. The tree reaches one and a half meters, there are small thorns on the crown. The fruits have a thin skin and a bitter-sour taste. It produces excellent yields. The rate of fruit ripening differs. Easily tolerates heat and dry air, loves good light. Used in the treatment of diseases.

• "Jubilee" is the fruit of the selection of Uzbek breeders. Unpretentious, the tree reaches a height of up to one and a half meters. Possesses high yield and flowering. It has large fruits reaching six hundred grams, their skin is thick. The ovaries are easily formed even under adverse conditions.

• "Genoa" has a short stature, without spikes. The crown of the tree is spreading. Lemons themselves are oval-shaped, weighing about a hundred grams on average. The taste is sour, the pulp is juicy. The yield reaches fifty lemons annually.

Tell me how to grow a lemon at home? My daughter wants to plant a seed, but I'm leaning towards the option with a seedling. I'm planning to go shopping this weekend. What does a homemade citrus tree need to grow well?

Among indoor ornamental plants it is worth highlighting the lemon trees. Glossy dark foliage and an easy-to-shape crown make them look very pretty. In addition, with proper care, they will also delight you with fragrant vitamin fruits. Of course, there are always on sale, but homemade is tastier, and even more useful. There is nothing complicated about how to grow a lemon at home, no. After the next purchase of exotic fruits, just do not throw away the seeds, but plant them. And you can make it even easier - if possible, buy a young seedling in a flower shop and surround it with care and attention.

In room conditions, most often grown undersized varieties lemon. Among them, it is worth noting Canadian lemon, Chinese dwarf and Genoa. Their height does not exceed 1 m, besides, the fruits are tasty, because they are lemon-orange hybrids. Slightly higher and sourer are Lunario, Maikopsky and Pavlovsky lemons.

We grow homemade lemon from a seedling

Most fast way get a beautiful tree and drink tea with the first sour fruits - purchase a ready-made seedling in the store. First of all, transplant it from the transport soil into nutritious light soil. For the first time, a pot of up to 2 liters will suffice. Do not forget about drainage - it will protect the roots from rotting.

The soil for a lemon can be made at home by mixing sand, humus and soddy soil in equal proportions.

Lemon loves the sun, but it is better to choose a place for him where the lighting will be diffused. But in winter, when the day is shorter, the plant will feel better on the window.

Care indoor lemon simple and includes:

1. Daily watering in summer and less frequent (once a week) in winter. Do not use cold water, so as not to provoke illness. In summer, spray the crown often, especially if you take the lemon outside. In winter, simply wipe the foliage with a damp sponge.
2. Regular seasonal top dressing. Get a special mineral complex- it contains the full composition nutrients required by citrus plants.
3. Annual transplant. Transfer the bush along with a clod of earth into a more spacious flowerpot, but you do not need to take too large dishes. In it, the soil remains wet longer, which is fraught with the occurrence of fungal infections.
4. Pruning. In the spring, shorten long shoots and cut branches growing deep into the crown. This will help the tree to get a beautiful look.

How to grow a lemon at home from a seed?

If you decide to go through all the steps on your own and cherish a citrus pet, choose large seeds from a large lemon. Then everything is simple:

• pour the substrate into small pots with drainage holes;
• moisturize it;
• plant a bone, but do not bury it too much - 2 cm is enough;
• if desired, cover the container with a film, but you can do without it;
• put the flowerpot on a bright and warm windowsill.

After about a month, you will see a green sprout appear from the ground. When the seedling grows up to 4 leaves, transplant it into a large bowl and take care of it as you would a store seedling. The only thing worth considering is that a lemon grown from a seed will not begin to bear fruit soon. If you do not want to wait 5 years, or even 3 times longer, it is better to plant your own lemon.