Anyone who wants to grow lemon Tree at home on the windowsill, can do this without much difficulty. Indeed, for planting a plant, only seeds from a fresh lemon fruit or a stalk from an adult plant are required. Caring for a plant at home does not differ in any complex manipulations, but has its own characteristics. And at proper care already in the seventh year after planting, a stable rich harvest can be achieved.

Caring for a lemon tree is not difficult.

We create the best conditions for growing lemon at home

A homemade lemon planted in an ordinary pot often reaches a size of one and a half meters (some varieties may be higher). Lemon looks like a small tree with oval dark green dense leaves. A lemon in a pot looks impressive, but a tree makes a greater impression when the fruits ripen on it. Planting and growing a homemade lemon tree is not difficult, but in order for a lemon flower to begin to bear fruit, certain conditions must be met.

Choose a place in the room

pretty lemon tree unpretentious plant, but just put the pot on the balcony and forget about it will not work. It is necessary to monitor temperature changes, because room lemon is very sensitive to changes of this nature. It is best to place the lemon on the windowsill in a room where there are no drafts. So the lemon will receive a sufficient amount of natural solar lighting during the day, and the temperature will remain stable throughout the day.

If you place a lemon next to a heater or radiator, then the thermal masses will conflict with the temperature in the room and the plant will feel a constant temperature difference. This negatively affects the plant and it sheds leaves, sometimes it can even die. If the weather is hot outside and the sun's rays fall on the lemon, then the plant will have to be watered regularly and deployed daily.

It is best to place the lemon in a bay window or a room with a glass roof, which maintains a constant temperature without sudden changes and there is high humidity.

Lemon Genoa, like other varieties, does not like drafts

Choosing the right container

To grow a beautiful lemon at home, you need to choose the right container. The material of the pot can be any (plastic, ceramic or metal). In diameter, the container should not exceed fifteen centimeters, and at the bottom there must be small drainage holes to drain excess moisture. Tall pots are not suitable for lemon, as its roots are small.

What kind of soil is needed for a lemon tree

It is easy to grow a lemon at home, for this you need to meet several conditions, one of them is right soil and drainage. Land from the garden or soil for seedlings is not suitable for lemon. In a specialized store, it is best to purchase soil for indoor citrus plants and expanded clay drainage. Drainage can also be used on the basis of sand and wood ash.

If it is not possible to purchase soil for citrus fruits, then ordinary soil you can prepare for landing yourself. To do this, take forest land with humus, sand from the river bank and wood ash. There is a special formula for preparing soil for citrus fruits, it looks like this:

1. Three glasses of forest soil with humus.
2. One and a half tablespoons of wood ash.
3. Half a glass of sand.
4. Water.

All components are mixed until a consistency similar to sour cream is obtained from the mixture. After that, the mixture is poured into a container prepared for planting, and a lemon is planted. The roots of the plant must be completely covered with the mixture.

Soil for lemon can be bought at the store

How to care for a lemon tree

Caring for a lemon tree is quite simple, you just need to maintain a constant temperature regime and avoid drafts. Then the houseplant will please with abundant flowering and juicy fruits. Those who are going to grow lemons at home are interested in the question of whether it is possible to use lemons grown on the windowsill in the usual flower pot, in food. There are such lemons can be useful. Therefore, growing lemons on the windowsill is not just an exciting activity, but also a contribution to your own health.

Watering and fertilizing

Lemon, as a southern plant, needs regular and plentiful watering. In summer, the soil in a pot of lemon should not be allowed to dry out, otherwise its leaves will begin to curl up and fall off. In winter, it is necessary to water the plant only a few times a week, as it enters an artificial dormant stage. It is necessary to monitor the leaves of the plant, it does not like the accumulation of dust. It is necessary to wipe the leaves several times a month with a damp cloth.

Citrus roots need oxygen, so when watering, you need to slightly loosen the soil. In addition to moisture, citrus fruits are very susceptible to fertilizers, with proper feeding lemon will bloom all year round (with a break only in winter). The best fertilizer to use organic fertilizers(chicken manure or manure), or mineral fertilizers for citrus without chlorine. In winter, citrus fruits do not need fertilizers.

Chicken manure is suitable for fertilizing lemons

plant pruning

In order for a lemon to please with flowering, it needs a properly formed crown. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the emergence of new branches and prune them correctly. This is an obligatory component of plant care, and not just its decorative part.

In the second year of life, a lemon produces many shoots, in which, with the onset of winter, it is necessary to cut off the top, leaving two leaves on each branch. Over time, shoots of the second order appear on the branches, on which you also need to remove the tops and leave two leaves. The operation must be repeated until six to eight main branches are formed on an adult plant. Such branches will eventually give shoots of the fourth order, on which flowers and fruits will grow. In this way, you can also form a lemon bonsai - a small flowering tree that will produce miniature fruits all year round.

When the crown is formed, long fatty shoots appear at the base of the plant. They are easy to identify by their elongated rod-like shape and rapid growth. Shoots must be removed, as they interrupt the process of feeding the upper branches and the plant will not bear fruit.

Pruning a lemon gives a crown of the correct shape

Transplant Features

All citrus fruits do not react well to a change of residence, so it is better not to disturb the plants without the need to once again. It is possible to transplant plants without flowers every year without harm to it, but if the plant has flowers or fruits, then it is better to leave it alone. If transplantation can be done, then it is performed according to a certain scheme:

1. The plant is taken out of the old pot along with earthy clod. It is impossible to clean the roots of plants from the earth - it may die.
2. About five centimeters of drainage are poured into a new pot, then a few centimeters of fresh earth.
3. The plant is placed on top along with an earthen clod and sprinkled with fresh earth until the roots are completely covered.
4. The land is watered abundantly.

You can not feed a lemon for several months after transplantation. The plant needs time to recover fragile small roots that were damaged during transplantation.

If the plant has long shoots, then some of them can be planted in small pots of sand, where they will quickly take root and begin to grow.

When transplanting a lemon, do not damage its roots.

The best indoor lemon varieties for home growing

All varieties of lemon home growing can be divided into three groups:

1. Varieties of a habitual form for lemons with a bright sour taste.
2. Sweet varieties of lemons that are completely acid-free (acid-free varieties).
3. Large varieties with a shape close to a real lemon.

If you do not divide lemons into these groups, then plants are distinguished by the thickness of the skin, the roundness of the shape and the presence of seeds (seed or seedless). All types of lemons that are suitable for indoor cultivation tend to reproduce quickly. The cuttings of such plants take root quickly and grow vigorously.

When breeding indoor lemons, it is necessary to choose those varieties that are adapted to shady lighting and feel great in the dry air of apartments.

Lisbon

This variety is distinguished by a small height of mature trees, all of them do not reach the mark of one and a half meters. The fruits have an oval shape of medium size, slightly pointed downwards. The description notes that the lisbon lemon has excellent tasting fruits, there are few seeds in the pulp. The skin of a Lisbon lemon is thin and smooth, it glistens in the light. The smell of lisbon is strong and pleasant. And the branches of the tree are strong, the crown is well formed even without stopping the upper shoots.

Home care for this variety is simple - lisbon easily tolerates dry air and high temperatures and needs only constant good lighting.

Lemon Lisbon does not grow above one and a half meters

New Zealand variety

The New Zealand lemon is one of the most beautiful exotic hybrid plants that you can grow on your windowsill. Form New Zealand variety lemon is unknown in origin, but compared to other varieties it has a more attractive appearance. The New Zealand lemon is the closest relative of the citron, so it has signs of this variety:

1. Large beautiful flower shape.
2. The presence of spines.
3. Narrow winged leaves.
4. Strong fresh aroma.

This is the most large variety lemons that can be grown at home. Fruits often reach a weight of eight hundred grams, are egg-shaped with a wide nipple. The skin of the fruit is rough and thick with large tubercles. The flesh of the New Zealand lemon is juicy and moderately acidic.

Lemon New Zealand has a bumpy thick skin

Genoa

The Genoa lemon variety has a beautiful crown shape from nature. The genoa lemon is a low-growing tree with few thorns on the shoots (sometimes no thorns).

The fruits of this variety are elongated, pronounced oval shape. At the end of the fetus there is a small elongated nipple. The description of the variety says that the skin of the genoa, although dense, but without bitterness, is suitable for eating.

The plant feels great at home, endures high temperatures and exposure to direct sunlight. Best Places location for plants - windows on the south side of the building.

Yugoslav early variety

Yugoslav lemon is an early ripe variety that gardeners love very much. The plant has juicy, fragrant, medium-sized fruits that can hang on a tree for up to six months. The long stay of the fruits on the tree stains them in Orange color, it is for this attractive feature that many give preference to Yugoslavia. Such a plant becomes an ornament for a winter garden. And it grows up to three meters in height. The Yugoslav lemon is very prolific, in seven years it is able to produce more than twenty kilograms of fruit per year.

Yugoslav is unpretentious in care, but loves humidity and shade. Therefore, the plant feels best in winter gardens or on the windows of the shady side of the house.

Lemon Yugoslav early ripening unpretentious in cultivation and very decorative

Difficulties in growing indoor lemon

Although most varieties of homemade lemon are unpretentious in their care, there are certain problems when growing it.

In order for the tree not to hurt and regularly bear fruit, it is necessary to water it in a timely manner, feed it and observe a certain temperature regime in the room. An important role is played by lighting, with its lack, the plant withers and sheds leaves.

Citrus fruits often get sick, so you need to carefully monitor the condition of the tree and follow all the rules of care. And if you find any unpleasant changes in the appearance of the plant, you should carefully study the defect and eliminate its cause.

It is difficult to observe all the subtleties, so most owners are advised to think several times before purchasing a citrus. Although seasoned gardeners argue that over the years you can get used to the characteristics of citrus fruits.

Diseases and pests

The most common disease among citrus fruits is leaf yellowing. Among the causes of this disease are the following:

1. There is too little moisture in the air containing lemon.
2. Lemon has not been fertilized for a long time or the bait was wrong.
3. In winter, the plant entered a state of artificial dormancy, and it needs a certain temperature (from plus five to minus ten degrees). Elevated temperature indoors during this period causes yellowing of the leaves.
4. The plant is infected with spider mites.

Sometimes leaves fall on a lemon, and often this pathology is associated with infection of the plant with a spider mite or a change temperature regime. The main pests affecting lemon trees are aphids and mealy worms. If the plant is massively infected with pests, then chemical insecticides are used to eliminate them.

A lemon tree with bright fruits and rich dark foliage adorns the window sill and lures sunlight into the room. Even without special care, this evergreen large plant will be covered with white flowers exuding fragrance, and at least one or two fruits. The lemon tree lives from 50 to 100-150 years, which means that it can be passed on as a family heirloom. Proper care of a lemon in a pot at home will give results - the tree will annually delight with a harvest of tasty and healthy fruits.

Description of the crop and the best varieties

Lemon is a Mediterranean guest, but was born in India. From there, a beautiful tree came to the countries of America and Africa. In the southern regions everywhere you can find whole groves of these picturesque trees. It does not occur in the wild. The pulp of citrina is saturated with acids, vitamins and trace elements:

• citric acid is the main component of citrus;
• pectins, flavonoids, phytoncides, essential oils - concentrated in the peel, as well as in the pulp;
• vitamins C, B, D, PP;
• ascorbic acid, tocopherol, riboflavin and others;
• trace elements - iron, boron, copper, fluorine, zinc, manganese and others.

For growing at home, only specially bred dwarf varieties, well leafy and abundantly fruiting. To grow a real lemon tree on the windowsill, you can go in three ways:

1. Buy a seedling in the agricultural sector.
2. Plant a seed in a pot.
3. Root a cutting from another adult plant.

The first way is the easiest, the second way is more difficult. But in any case, care is required for a grown lemon.

For successful agricultural technology at home, you can choose one of the popular varieties.

Variety name	Description	Photo
Pavlovsky	Shade-tolerant. The maximum height is up to 2 meters. Flowering - in the third year after planting in the height of spring and in October. Yields up to 15 fruits with a thin skin and a pleasant, not spicy taste
Meyer	Height - up to 1.5 m. Cold-resistant, fruitful, remontant. Blooms in spring, bears fruit all year round. Lemons are thin-skinned, orange flesh with sourness
Panderose	Height up to one and a half meters. A hybrid of lemon with grapefruit and citron. Unpretentious. mature plant has spines. Often and profusely blooms, 2-3 times a year. Large fruit with thick skin
Lunario	Height 1-1.5 m. Blooms intermittently throughout the year. The fruits are elongated, pointed in shape, the skin is thin, the taste is slightly acidic, fragrant. There may be no seeds at all. The branches are long, the plant needs trellises
Lisbon	Drought tolerant, cold hardy. Demanding on lighting. The tree is large, strongly leafy. Fruits abundantly, up to 60 pieces per year. The shape of lemons is round or slightly elongated, the peel is thin, smooth, the taste is rich, fragrant, not very sour

How to care for a lemon

Taking care of the southern guest includes the usual set for any cultivated plant- requirements for light, watering, transplanting, feeding and treatment. Since a lemon is a tree growing in a room, it is necessary to cut off excess branches and form a crown.

Lighting and temperature

Lemon is a southern plant, loves brightness, but young trees do not tolerate direct sun. It is necessary to shade them or put them on the east window. In order for the crown to form beautifully and harmoniously, the plant must be turned towards the light. different sides. A mature tree tolerates heat well. In summer, it is useful to put a pot with a plant on a loggia, on Fresh air, and in winter illuminate with a phytolamp. The lack of lighting negatively affects the plant as a whole - the leaves lose their rich color, and the fruits become sour.

Read also:

Rafidophora - spectacular vine with large leaves

The air temperature near the tree should be within certain limits, depending on the life stage of the lemon:

• during the period of active growth and flowering - 17 ° C. If this threshold is exceeded, the buds will fall off. You can take the pot to the balcony;
• with the beginning of fruiting - 20 ° C;
• rest period - 14-17 ° С.

Changes and non-compliance with the temperature regime are fraught with diseases.

Humidity and watering

A young plant does not like dry air, so it needs to be watered and sprayed in a timely manner. Overwatering is unacceptable. Winter watering should not be frequent, it is enough to shed the soil once a week with settled thawed or just warm boiled water, preferably acidified. Between waterings, the soil should dry out by about one centimeter, but no more, otherwise the lemon will begin to dry out. For better water absorption, the soil must be carefully loosened, and so that it does not harden, you can put mulch on top. In summer, it is hot and bright on the windowsill, so the earth dries up quickly, and the leaves become dehydrated. Starting from March, watering is required up to 3 times a week, but not plentiful - the roots may rot. A trickle of water should go around the perimeter of the pot, and not under the root.

Growing and caring for lemon should take place in conditions of high humidity (60-70 ° C). To do this, you can put a bowl of water on the windowsill, but it is better to buy a special humidifier. Moist air is more important to this subtropical plant than watered roots.

Foliage needs to be sprayed warm water from a spray bottle. In winter, the air in the apartments is very dry due to central heating, and in the summer the hot sun shines through the windows. To avoid sunburn, spraying should be carried out in the morning or in the evening, so that the leaves have time to dry before the sun hits the window. It is very useful to arrange spa treatments once a week for a lemon. warm shower. In order not to flood the soil, it must be protected with a film.

What to feed a lemon?

Lemon can bloom and bear fruit in the 2-3rd year. Caring for indoor lemon is:

• timely watering;
• regular spraying;
• competent supplements.

Once a month, after watering, apply a dose of nitrogen fertilizer dissolved in water (urea or ammonium nitrate- 2 g per 1 liter of water). This is especially true for poor organic soil. Nitrogen gives strength to plants, during spring and summer a powerful leaf apparatus is formed, with which the tree safely endures all the hardships of winter. You can water with diluted slurry of low concentration (1:30).

In no case should you fertilize with microelements. Unlike other plants, lemons do not have hairs on their roots. Mycorrhiza fungi play their role. They seem to stick to the roots of the lemon, and through them the nutrition of the whole plant is carried out. Mycorrhiza themselves feed on organic matter, such as humus. They decompose it, forming valuable substances that they feed on first themselves, and then feed the lemon. Trace elements kill mycorrhiza, thus, the tree is depleted and will soon die. Too much nitrogen is not good for lemons. The tree can grow with a powerful crown to the detriment of fruiting.

Read also:

Plums are plentiful and versatile

Starting from the second year, in addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium must be used. Superphosphate can be sprinkled on top of the ground, and it will slowly but surely feed the plant. Phosphorus promotes abundant flowering and fruiting. The flowering period of the lemon tree is spring, autumn. Single buds appear throughout the year. Fruiting period: after flowering, a fruit is formed that will grow and gain strength within 9 months. This can happen at any time. After harvesting in the spring, it is necessary to feed with urea (or nitrate) and superphosphate. If the crop was harvested in the fall, it is impossible to feed, because the plant goes to rest and excess food will only weaken it. Move feeding to February.

Transfer

The first can be done after buying a young seedling in a pot, but first it must stand in quarantine for a week away from other plants. During this time, you will make sure that the lemon is healthy and not infected with spider mites. When deciding whether a transplant is needed, inspect the soil - are the roots visible, are they sticking out of the drainage hole, is the pot not visually small. If the issue of transplantation is resolved positively, wet the soil, tilt the pot and, holding the stem, very carefully pull out the plant with a clod of earth. Examine the lump - the roots should not stick out of it. If it smells rotten, gently loosen the root system over the basin. You can lower it into warm water and clean it from the earth.

Examine the roots, remove the bad, blackened, rotten ones. A little in the pot bigger size pour drainage, then soil mixture to half, put the plant upright, spread out the roots and fill with earth, not reaching a couple of centimeters to the top. Water and put in partial shade without drafts, let the plant come to its senses and get used to the new place.

The first 2-3 weeks after transplantation, keep under a plastic bag with "ventilation" and gradually accustom to air. If the seedling is placed without covering, it may die. Keep it away from sunlight to avoid burns. After the plant is a little stronger and accustomed to the air, remove the plastic cover. Watering can already be combined with top dressing.

For the first three years, the lemon is transplanted annually. The size of the next pot should be 2-3 cm larger in diameter and depth compared to the previous one. Then the tree should be transplanted into a vessel of a larger diameter once every five years.

Diseases and pests

Indoor lemon is prone to viral, bacterial, fungal infections, and pests also settle on it.

Name of the disease/pest	signs	Causes	Treatment
Gomoz	Brown spots on the trunk and branches, then the bark dies off. A golden sticky liquid exudes from the cracks, which hardens in air.	Cortical injury. Soil overflow, lack of potassium and phosphorus, excess nitrogen	Cut off all affected areas and branches, treat wounds with a 3% solution blue vitriol, cover with garden pitch
root rot	Dropping leaves. No visual damage is visible. You need to get the plant and inspect the roots		Remove diseased roots, plant in fresh soil. Put in the sun, stop watering for a week, just wipe the leaves with a damp sponge
sooty fungus	Stems and leaves darken, black spots appear	The result of the appearance of a pest is a scale insect. It secretes a sugary liquid on which a black fungus settles.	Soap solution (per liter of water 2 tbsp. liquid soap), wipe the whole plant. Rinse after an hour. Repeat after 2 days. Garlic decoction, insecticide solution. Systematic washing of foliage with clean cold water
Scab	Putrefactive spots on young foliage, branches. The plant sheds fruit	Fungus	Pruning of all affected parts. Spraying the crown with 1% Bordeaux liquid
Anthracnose	Yellowing, falling leaves, drying branches. Red spots on fruit	Fungus	Removing dead branches. Three times spraying the tree with "Fitosporin" or a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid
Tristeza	Leaves fall, bark dies	The virus infects weak lemons that are not cared for	There is no cure, the plant dies
Leaf mosaic	Dark or light stripes on the leaves. Then their deformation, stopping the development of lemon		There is no cure. Can be reduced by regular feeding
Cancer of citrus	Brown spots of various shapes on leaves and fruits. The fruits are bent, the tree is dying		It is impossible to cure. For prevention: spring processing liquid copper fungicide
Aphid root and ordinary	Leaf drying, curling	Pest	Removal of affected leaves. Spraying with a decoction of garlic peel, insecticides. Complex top dressing. Transplanting to new soil
spider mite	Leaf twisting, cobweb	Dry indoor air	Solution 1% boric acid. Requires up to 5 sprays
Melseco	The shoots dry out, the foliage falls off starting from the ends of the branches. Branch break painted red	Lack of lighting. In winter, there was not enough light, the plant was not illuminated	There is no cure, only observation. If no improvement is seen, the plant is destroyed.

The lemon tree is an unpretentious indoor plant that easily adapts to home conditions. For its active growth and development, it will be necessary to create suitable conditions, as well as perform simple manipulations to care for and protect against pests. This article will help you understand all the intricacies of growing a lemon with your own hands, as well as tell you about the rules for planting and how to propagate a tree.

Material for planting a lemon tree

For planting a tree at home use:

• fruit pits;
• cuttings.

Selection of fruits

When buying lemons in a store or on the market, you need to choose only ripe fruits, from which the planting material will be extracted. Citruses should be bright yellow in color with a characteristic odor.

For harvesting seeds, choose only ripe fruits

• lethargic;
• green;
• rotten.

Seed lemon trees grow and develop much faster than plants from cuttings. They adapt better to room conditions(level of air humidity, temperature and lighting) and are less exposed to various diseases.

Planting cuttings

Cuttings are also actively used for growing at home. They can be purchased at a flower shop, or taken from a familiar grower.

Important! The offshoot lemon tree has the genetic material of its "parents".

Disadvantages of the method:

• the need to search for cuttings;
• financial costs for the purchase of planting material;

lemon tree sprout

• sprouts do not adapt well to the new environment;
• the crown of the plant is not so lush (unlike citrus grown from a stone).

Soil preparation for lemon seeds

Before you start planting the seeds in the ground, you need to prepare the pots and the ground. For active germination of grains, it is ideal as a special soil for citrus plants, it is sold in flower shops, and the soil home cooking. If the purchased land is already ready for use, then homemade soil needs some time and attention. It should consist of:

• ½ sod land;
• ½ humus land;
• a small amount of fertilizer charcoal and/or peat.

Advice. Flowerpots for planting must be taken capacious and deep in order to root system place for its growth and development.

Planting a grain in the ground:

1. Expanded clay, pieces of charcoal or polystyrene are placed at the bottom of the flowerpot (this material will serve as drainage).
2. The pot is filled with prepared or purchased soil.
3. The earth is moistened with rain or purified water.
4. Several grains are planted in a container, immersed to a depth of 0.5-1 cm.
5. The flowerpot is covered with a film to create greenhouse conditions.

At proper fit, sprouts appear quite quickly

After 2-2.5 weeks, the first sprouts will already appear on the soil surface, the strongest of them are transplanted into another container for further germination.

• Lemon, like a southern plant, loves heat very much (the ideal temperature for a lemon is 17-27 degrees). Flowerpots with shoots must be placed in bright room but not in direct sunlight.
• The tree needs moderate watering (2-3 times a week), since an excess of moisture leads to rotting of the root, and its lack leads to the death of the plant.
• For irrigation, use only settled, rain or purified water.
• Flower growers recommend spraying the tree crown 2-3 times a week (especially in winter) and wiping its leaves from dust.

Fertilizing the soil and top dressing lemon

Lemon, like any other plant, needs fertilizer and top dressing. They noticeably accelerate the growth and development of the tree, fill it with all the necessary useful substances. Experts recommend feeding the lemon tree once every three months.

The lemon tree needs to be fertilized several times a year.

For top dressing and fertilizer room citrus plant use:

• sodium nitrate (13 g per 1 liter of rainwater);
• ammonium nitrate (5 g per 1 liter of water);
• bird droppings (it is mixed with water (ratio - 1: 1), insisted for 2-3 weeks, diluted with plenty of water (1:20), poured under the root);
• other ready-made dressings sold in specialized stores.

Important! The amount of fertilizer should be moderate, as they are able to accumulate in the plant and its fruits.

Reproduction methods

At home, lemons multiply:

• seeds;
• bends;
• cuttings.

Lemon tree cuttings

Reproduction by seeds is a fairly common method, it is simple and understandable. Fruits on such plants appear only 10-12 years after planting.

cuttings

1. This is another way to propagate the lemon tree, and is used in spring or summer. Breeding technology:
2. A twig with 3-4 green leaves is cut off with a sharp knife or pruner (the lower edge of the shoot should have a pointed edge).
3. Immerse it in a specialized liquid (growth activator) for 10-12 hours.
4. The treated shoot is planted in prepared sandy soil.
5. It is plentifully sprayed with water, covered with a film (such water procedures are repeated daily).
6. When young sprouts appear, the film is removed from the handle, cared for in accordance with all the requirements and recommendations of specialists.

Reproduction by grafting

By grafting into a split, they are actively propagated indoor lemons. This method is quite effective, but not everyone can succeed. Technology:

Indoor citrus pests

• fungus;
• various harmful bacteria;
• viruses.

Important! Diseases can be seen by the appearance of spots and flaws on the foliage, a decrease in its size, the appearance of various growths and raids.

Common citrus tree diseases:

• gommosis;
• scab;

Lemon disease - scab

• root rot;
• sooty fungus;
• stickiness of the sheets (a sign of the appearance of scale insects).

Gommosis is one of the most serious diseases. It appears in the lower part of the tree, gradually spreading to its upper part (tubercles with a dark brown liquid form on the trunk, "burns" and cracks appear on the affected branches). Gommosis is very difficult to treat. In this situation, only processing with copper sulphate and stripping branches can help.

Manifestation of gommosis

Soot fungus also often disturbs citrus fruits. It appears in the form dark spots on the foliage, they have a bad effect on the growth and development of the lemon. You can fight it with the help of warm water, it is washed off the formed stains, thereby freeing the leaves from plaque.

Sticky leaves are the result of the appearance of a scale insect. You can fight her ready means, which are sold in specialized stores, as well as with the help of folk remedies.

How to grow a lemon at home: video

Growing a lemon from a stone: photo

What could be better than vegetables and fruits that do not contain nitrates and other impurities. And how much better if it is done by your hands. Just imagine, you wanted to drink tea with lemon, you stretched out your hand and plucked a ripe fruit that grew in your home.

At home, this is a perennial undersized evergreen with thorny strong branches. Leaves contain essential oil. Leaves generally live for 2-3 years. The buds generally begin to bloom in 5 weeks, and the opened flower in 7-9 weeks. The aroma is very pleasant. But the ripening of fruits can last 9 months.

From this article you can learn about growing and caring for lemons at home. After we reveal some secrets to you, you will definitely want to settle it in your home.

How to care

Photo of homemade lemons

Eat a large number of varieties of this plant. Sometimes it can reach a height of 1.5 meters. But to form a neat crown and provoke early flowering, it is recommended to pinch, removing the apical bud, leaving 3-4 leaves.

Lighting

This plant is photophilous and therefore the light should be bright. Young trees must be protected from direct sunlight, and overgrown trees tolerate it normally.

Temperature

It must be remembered that this is a subtropical plant. Moderate warmth will be comfortable for him.

• In winter, the temperature should be within 10-14 degrees with a plus sign
• In summer - 10-22 ° С. Also, a pot with a plant can be placed on a loggia or outside under a canopy.

Humidity

In addition to watering, it is necessary to constantly spray the plant with boiled water at room temperature. For him, moist air around the crown is more important than a large amount of moisture in the soil.

How to water

Lemon tree at home photo

How to water a lemon at home - it's simple, this plant loves moisture and the soil should be moist. The older the plant, the more frequent and abundant watering. The amount and volume of watering depends on the temperature in the environment. To do this, it is better to use settled, thawed or rain water. It should be at room temperature or a couple of degrees higher.

Watering in the summer

In spring and summer, watering should be plentiful and frequent. If the humidity in the room is high and cool, then less often, and if it is dry and warm, then more often. In spring, watering is recommended in the morning, and in summer and autumn - in the evening.

Watering in winter

In winter, water as needed, when the topsoil dries. The soil should not dry out more than 1 cm deep, otherwise the plant will dry out. So that the soil does not dry out less, it is mulched. Excessive watering can lead to plant root rot and disease.

Soil and fertilizer

They need fertile, water and breathable, loose soil. It is mainly made from equal parts sand, peat, humus, rotted deciduous soil and 2 parts of turf. The acidity of the soil should be in the range of pH 5.8-6.5. It is also recommended to lay 2 cm of drainage at the bottom of the pot, which will not allow water to stagnate.

How to transplant a lemon? A young lemon should not be planted immediately in a large pot. . That soil that is free from roots will sour from excess moisture. When transplanting, it is recommended to take a pot that is 5-6 cm larger than the previous one. But remember the root neck, it should not be covered with earth.

top dressing

For normal development, it is necessary to periodically apply organic and mineral fertilizers.

• From March to the beginning of October, fertilizers should be applied 1 time in 3 weeks. Better to underfeed than overfeed. It is advisable to alternate mineral and organic fertilizers.
• In winter, you can not fertilize the plant in a cool room.

The main requirement is watering the plant clean water 2 hours before fertilizing, in order to avoid burning the roots.

pruning

The pruning of the lemon should be mandatory procedure care. The crown should be formed depending on the purpose for which it is grown. For ornamental plant form a small compact crown, and a completely different method is used to obtain fruits. A fruiting lemon is characterized by a certain number of stem branches, which consist of fruit wood. To form a crown, you can use the clothespin method.

• Zero shoots that have reached 20-25 cm are pinched. Next, the clothespin of the escape is made at a height of 15-20 cm from the previous one. 4 developed kidneys should remain on the segment.
• The shoots of the first order are pinched after 20-30 cm. When they ripen, they are pruned 5 cm shorter than the previous one.
• We complete the formation of the crown on the shoots of the 4th order.

If such a procedure is not carried out, then the shoots grow long, and the formation of shoots with fruits is delayed. In addition, pruning also has a sanitary function. It allows you to remove weak branches and those that grow inside the crown.

reproduction

There are several ways to propagate homemade lemons:

1. Seed lemon. Growing a lemon from a stone at home is a very long process and you will probably get the first fruits in 12-18 years.
2. Lemon from cuttings. For cuttings, shoots 4 mm thick and 10 cm long are selected. The lower cut is made under the kidney, and the upper cut is above it. On the handle should be 3-4 formed buds and 2-3 leaves. Treat the cut with a stimulator and lower it halfway into the water. After 3 days, they are planted in a mixture of flower soil, sand and humus. Immersion depth - 3 cm. Since the cuttings do not yet have roots, they must be sprayed every day with settled warm water. The soil must be moist. The temperature for rooting is 20-25 degrees. Roots will form in 1-1.5 months.
3. Lemon through vaccination. How to plant a lemon at home? For such a procedure, a good stock is important. A seedling from a 2-3-year-old stone with a trunk diameter of no more than 1.5 cm would be ideal. They are mainly grafted onto other citrus fruits. Take healthy, non-lignified annual shoots. Leaves are cut from the cuttings, leaving only the buds in the axils. How to instill homemade lemon during active growth? It's best to do it in early spring. To do this, make a T-shaped incision in the bark on the rootstock trunk and bend its corners. Cut off the bud from the graft cutting, along with the petiole and scutellum. The piece of cut bark should be large enough to fit into the incision. Lift the bark and place the shield there. Then lower the bark, do not touch the cut with your fingers. Wrap the trunk of the rootstock with tape or plaster. Engraftment takes about 3 weeks. If the petiole of the grafted kidney turns yellow and falls off, then this indicates a positive result of the case. Then it is necessary to cut the stem of the graft 10 cm above the graft and remove the tape. Remove the shoots on the trunk below the graft.

Diseases and pests

Pests include: whitefly, scale insect, spider mite, aphid, worm.

Among the most common diseases are:

• Leaves and buds fall off. Reason: lack of moisture. Solution: spray more often and prevent the soil from drying out.
• Lemon leaves are pale or light green. Reason: lack nutrients in soil or light. Solution: fertilizing, increasing lighting.
• Brown leaf tips. Cause: insufficient watering or dry air. Solution: spraying and increasing watering.

The lemon doesn't bloom. Reason: too tight pot. Solution: feed and transplant.

Knowing such secrets of growing this plant, you will definitely plant it at home and enjoy its fruits. In addition, its fruits can hang and not fall on a tree for up to 2 years. So the fun can last for a long time!

Many amateur flower growers would like to know how to properly grow this plant. Caring for this plant is relatively simple. However, in order for the lemon to grow lush and spectacular, you should follow certain recommendations regarding the technology of watering and top dressing. This is especially true for the winter season.

How to care in October - April: general rules

How is it grown in the autumn-winter period at home? Care in winter for him is carried out a little differently than in summer. This plant remains green all year round. However, in October - April, all vegetation processes in him, of course, slow down. In the warm season, lemon is usually fed twice. In winter, this operation is not performed. However, this plant needs watering, including cold period. IN wild nature lemon tree grows in humid tropics and subtropics. Therefore, it is very sensitive to drying out of the soil. The only thing is to moisten the soil in a pot in winter should be less frequent. In the warm season, the lemon tree is watered 2-3 times a week, in winter - no more than once.

What should be the air temperature

In city apartments and houses in winter, it is usually quite warm. The air temperature can fluctuate within 12-25 gr. In principle, lemon tolerates such a microclimate well. However, although the plant is not deciduous, its crown at such temperatures may thin slightly. Therefore, some amateur flower growers set a lemon in private room and periodically open a window there. The fact is that at a temperature of 10-12 gr. the process of photosynthesis is greatly slowed down in the tree. Its roots stop taking in nutrients and it stops growing. But at the same time, not a single leaf falls from the bush. The plant remains as spectacular as in summer.

Where is the best place to put a lemon tree

In terms of lighting, this plant is considered quite whimsical. The lemon tree feels best on a southeast window. Of course, the ability to arrange the plant in this way does not always exist. In principle, a lemon can be placed on both the northern and southern windowsills. However, in the first case, in the cold season (and preferably in spring and summer), the plant will have to be illuminated with an artificial lamp.

On the south window, the leaves and branches of the plant should be slightly shaded, including in winter. Otherwise, they may get burned.

How does a lemon reproduce?

As you can see, it is actually not particularly difficult to exercise in winter (and in summer) for such houseplant, like a lemon tree, care at home. Reproducing it is also a fairly simple procedure. You can grow a luxurious healthy citrus from:

Selection of planting material

As for seedlings, they can often be seen in specialized stores. However experienced growers buying such material is not advised. Stores usually sell plants brought from Brazil, Greece or Holland. In these countries, young lemons are grown in greenhouses. This is done so that they are as lush as possible and have a marketable appearance.

Being transferred to city ​​apartment, such seedlings very quickly become unsightly and even stop growing. A change of scenery (especially for the worse) lemon tolerates extremely poorly. In this case, among other things, it will be very difficult to care for a plant such as a lemon tree at home. Diseases, developmental arrest, leaf shedding - these are the problems that a lover of indoor flowers will most likely have to face.

Therefore, in an apartment, it is better to try to grow a lemon from a cutting or a seed. The first is simply cut from an adult plant. If there are no lemons in the home greenhouse yet, you can ask for a stalk from some familiar grower.

It is also undesirable to write out such material by mail. The cutting, most likely, will be of poor quality and unviable. The fact is that in this way sellers usually just get rid of the lemons that go to the plantations for disposal.

A good solution would be to grow a seedling from a seed. This technique is considered even simpler. However, unfortunately, in this case it is impossible to quickly get a fruit-bearing lemon tree. Home care (a seedling grows extremely slowly from a seed) for a plant in this case for a long time will consist only in fairly frequent watering. But the fruits on such a seedling will begin to grow, most likely, not earlier than in 12 years.

Which variety to choose

Of course, only a wild bird can be grown from a seed. As for cuttings, in this case there is a choice. Many amateur flower growers are interested in which is better to grow, high or low, lemon tree at home. Care for compact and big plants performed approximately the same. However, a tall lemon should still be chosen only if the grower has enough free time. Watering, cutting and feeding such a plant will have to be a little more often than a small one.

Tall ones include, for example, such as:

Novogruzinsky.

Of the undersized, the most popular are:

Meyer (Chinese).

Lemon Genoa.

Planting container and soil

Since the lemon is a rather capricious plant in terms of root rot, the pot for it must be selected as carefully as possible. Clay is best for a seedling. The walls of such containers pass air well, allowing the roots to breathe. Of course, the pot must have holes in the bottom. Clay shards should also be laid on these drainage holes. A layer of coarse sand is poured over them.

Soil for lemon also needs to be selected correctly. Best for this plants fit this composition:

leaf humus - 1-2 parts;

soddy soil - 1 part;

coarse sand - 1 part.

How to grow from a cutting

The planting material of this variety should have a length of about 10 cm. The cutting should first be soaked in warm water for 2-3 days, immersed in half the length. Then it is buried in the prepared soil by 3 cm. The roots of the lemon cuttings appear after about 60 days. It is better to plant several in a pot at once. Then the chance to get at least one new plant will increase.

Until the lemons take root, they should be sprayed periodically (at least once a day). The soil in the pot should have moderate moisture.

Growing from seeds

It is also a very good way to get a luxurious lemon tree at home. Caring for a seedling in this case will be even easier. An amateur florist will only have to make sure that the earth in a pot with a planted lemon does not dry out.

Seeds should be taken from healthy, large fruits. They must not be allowed to dry out. As soon as they are taken out of the lemon, they should be planted immediately. They are buried in the ground by 2 cm. The seed planted in this way is watered and covered with a jar on top.

Lemon transplant

Periodic transplants - this is what is required without fail for such an inhabitant of a room greenhouse as a lemon tree. Home care for him, even the best, otherwise will not be particularly effective. The fact is that the roots of a lemon, and especially a large one, consume quite a lot of nutrients. Therefore, the soil in the pot under the plant is quickly depleted.

Transplanted lemon in the spring, or autumn (later). Young lemons are transferred to other containers once a year, adults - no more than 1 time in 2 years. Actually, this procedure itself is as follows:

The day before transplanting, the soil in the pot is thoroughly shed.

The plant is carefully removed from the old pot, holding the stem.

The removed lemon is placed in a new pot and the space between the lump and the walls of the pot is filled with pre-prepared soil.

After transplanting, the plant should be watered.

Fertilization

As already mentioned, lemon is not fed in winter. Do this only in spring and summer. Moreover, only adult plants are fertilized. Planted by cuttings or from the stone, lemons do not need to be fed at first. Trees that have reached the age of three or four? fertilize twice a season (50 g per liter of water).

Diseases and pests

Subject to the cultivation technology, in this way, you can get a very beautiful lemon tree at home. Caring for this plant, however, can be not only in the form of watering and top dressing. Like all indoor flowers, lemons sometimes get sick. Most often, trees are affected:

Late blight. They fight this disease either with a weak solution of copper sulfate, or with special antifungal drugs.

Sooty fungus. The methods of struggle in this case should be the same as in the case of late blight disease.

Homosis. In this case, a crack appears on the stem of a diseased plant. In order to help the lemon, the wound should be cleaned and lubricated with a solution of vitriol.

Malsecco. This is perhaps the most dangerous disease, which a lover of indoor flowers may encounter when caring for a plant such as a lemon tree at home. The leaves fell off, the twigs began to dry out - it means that the bush most likely "caught" the malsecco virus. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease.

Lemon and insect pests can affect. Most often these are white flies, mites or scale insects. The former are usually fought with karbofos, the latter are destroyed with an infusion of garlic (1 head per half liter of water). Scale insects can be expelled by rubbing the leaves, twigs and trunk with a mixture of soap and kerosene in a ratio of 1: 0.5.

This is how home care is carried out for such a tropical guest as a lemon tree. The photos presented on this page clearly demonstrate how effective it can be in the case of compliance with irrigation technologies, periodic transplants, etc. Pay more attention to your tree, and it will delight you with lush foliage, healthy appearance, and eventually even fruiting.