Lemon tree - growing, home care, photo species

Lemon tree (Citrus limon) - an evergreen plant of the family of the root genus of citrus fruits with edible fruits - lemons. It is characterized by thick leathery leaves 10-12 cm in size, as well as white flowers, with a pale pink outer side of the petals, exuding a delicate lemon scent.

Lemon's homeland is the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, India, as well as the countries of South and Central Asia. In the wild-growing variant, it does not exist in nature, as it is a random hybrid, which for a long time developed as a separate type.

A long-lasting tree that, with proper care at room conditions, can live for about 40 years. In the early years, it grows intensively, reaches a height of about 800-1500 cm with home growing, up to 8 meters in natural conditions.

If you like to grow fruit plants at home, then see how to grow a coffee tree at home.

	In the early years it grows intensively, reaches a height of about 800-1500 cm.
	Lemon blooms starting in April. Flowering can be repeated 2 times a year. Fragrant flowers.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	Perennial.

Beneficial features

Lemon tree (Citrus limon). A photo

A storehouse of valuable substances used both in cooking and in medical practice. Lemon essential oil is an excellent bactericidal and wound healing agent. It stops bleeding, removes headaches, has a beneficial effect on the psyche, eliminates skin problems. In addition, this oil is used for the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, medicines.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

It is quite easy to grow a lemon tree at home, provided the following conditions are maintained:

Temperature mode	In the warm season - up to 18 degrees, in winter - no higher than 5-8 degrees of heat.
Air humidity	High humidity is required all year round.
Lighting	Bright diffused light on the south or southwest windows. Shading for young plants.
Watering	Sufficient to constantly maintain soil moisture, at least once a week, plus regular spraying of the crown. In winter - more rare watering and draining of water from the pan.
Priming	It is used universal for citrus fruits or a mixture of perlite, peat, coal and turf in equal parts.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	Top dressing with a high potassium content is used, alternating mineral fertilizers with organic ones.
Transfer	It is carried out every year and a half by the method of transshipment. A plant over 5 years old is replanted every three years.
Breeding	Lemon is propagated using apical cuttings or using fruit seeds.
Growing Features	He likes a cool wintering, a rest period is necessary. Do not change the location of the plant, rotate more than 10 degrees. In summer, fresh air or frequent airing is desirable.

Lemon tree care at home. In detail

Bloom

Lemon tree flower. A photo

As a rule, flowering of indoor lemon begins in early spring. The plant produces beautiful white flowers, of which at least 5-7 are each branch.

Flower buds are formed a couple of months before flowering and during this period it is very important to keep the tree in a cool room with a temperature of no higher than 15 degrees.

Despite the fact that citrus fruits are considered self-pollinated plants, it is recommended to help them in this, namely, using a soft brush to carefully transfer pollen from the stamens of some inflorescences to the pistils of others. You can also cross-pollinate if the house contains a different type of citrus.

The important point is in the first year of life, do not allow it to bloom profusely. This will weaken the health of the flower and can lead to an early death. Appearing buds break off until the tree is covered with leaves in an amount of at least 20 pieces.

Temperature mode

Homemade lemon tree does not like sudden fluctuations in temperature. For example, if all summer and autumn the plant lived on a balcony, a loggia or in the open air - with the advent of cold weather, a sharp move to a room with a temperature of + 20-22 would be a mistake. In this case, even a healthy fruit-bearing flower will soon shed its leaves and fruits.

The best option is to put the plant in a cool place with a temperature of 10-13 degrees away from heating systems and drafts before the first frost.

Spraying

In order to avoid problems with the development of lemon, it is necessary to control the humidity level in the room where the flower is located. The minimum value of 60-70% must be maintained both in winter and in summer using special air humidifiers, or by applying frequent spraying of wood. To do this, take soft defended, rain, or melt water. In dry, hot periods, spraying is carried out 2 times a day.

Lighting

The lemon tree plant at home needs soft sunlight.

In the summer, especially when growing a flower on the street, it should be protected from midday burning rays. In winter, with a lack of natural light, daily illumination with fluorescent lamps should be organized, at least for 5-6 hours.

Being too long in the shade for a tree threatens to slow growth, chopping leaves and shoots.

Watering

Regular competent watering - a guarantee of successful growth and fruiting.

Basic rules for watering a lemon:

• the water used is made warmer than the room temperature by about 3 degrees, a more significant difference will cause stress to the plant;
• lemon in a miniature pot can be “watered” with moisture by completely placing the flower in a container of water. As soon as air bubbles come out - the plant must be taken out, allowed to drain and put on a pallet;
• when watering directly into a pot - it is important to water at the edge of the pot to moisten the root system and at the walls of the container;
• one hour after moistening the soil, the water that drains into the pan must be drained.

Pot

A flower pot is selected depending on the size and age of the plant. It is more convenient to grow young trees in small containers, changing them for pots at each transplant, which are about 2 cm wider in diameter. Perennial plants are planted in large flowerpots, but keep in mind that containers that are too deep for the flower increase the risk of root decay and acidification of the soil.

Priming

Lemon at home needs a neutral, sterilized soil, saturated with nutrients. In addition to the universal soil for citrus fruits, you can use a self-prepared mixture by combining leaf or garden soil (2 parts), sifted turf with lime or wood ash (1 part), sand (1 part), peat soil (1 part). Sand is often replaced with artificial substrates - perlite or vermiculite. To create a drainage layer, it is better to use expanded clay.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

The soil for lemon is enriched once every two weeks, alternating mineral supplements with organic fertilizers. The latter are, as a rule, fertilizers based on manure, necessary in the amount of 1/10 of the total soil volume. In addition to organic matter, the earth is enriched with compounds with a high content of potassium. Top dressing is stopped only during the dormant period of the flower.

Lemon transplant

Regular transplantation of a lemon tree will not only help accelerate the pace of its development, but also solve problems such as withering and lack of flowering.

Transplanting will be useful for newly acquired plants, as well as trees with various diseases and injuries. Replacing the soil can already be from February - immediately after a period of rest and before the start of the growing season.

A summer transplant is also possible. It is carried out between periods of growth, while maintaining an earthen lump. In the presence of parasites or fungus - the roots are disinfected before planting, planted in a moist prepared substrate and watered the next day.

The critical period after transplantation can last up to six months.

How to crop?

Lemon tree needs periodic pruning. It is indispensable not only for the formation of a beautiful thick crown, but also contributes to abundant fruiting.

Lemon pruning is carried out in the following cases:

• tree rejuvenation;
• stimulation of growth of the lower branches is required;
• the need has ripened for thinning the crown;
• removal of excess inflorescences and fruits to avoid overloading the plant.

The basic rules for trimming indoor lemon tree are similar to the principles for caring for fruit crops. In a young plant, all vertical shoots are removed, the trunk is cut at a height of 20 cm so that there are several developed buds from which lateral branches will subsequently develop. The next year, the overgrown branches are pruned, and if necessary, a breakout procedure is carried out - this is the removal of a singly developing shoot in the absence of growth of others. Weakened plants, instead of pruning, apical shoots can be pinched.

Rest period

Caring for a lemon tree at home also implies a mandatory rest period for citrus fruits. Wintering at low temperatures allows the plant to fully bloom and bear fruit during periods of active growth. To prepare the tree, only formed flowers and shoots should be removed from it.

If a plant with rich and well-formed foliage, then for all three months it can be safely placed in cool dark rooms with a temperature of no higher than 10-12 degrees. Watering is minimal, but drying out the soil should not be allowed.

If the air is too dry in the wintering room, the lemon must be sprayed several times a week. At the end of the dormant period, the lemon tree is gradually returned to a warmer and brighter setting, where bright sunlight is excluded, and the air is only a couple of degrees warmer. Otherwise, sharp changes in the conditions of detention will cause stress on the flower, which will negatively affect its growth.

Can I leave without leaving on vacation?

Lemon refers to plants that require frequent hydration. Therefore, leaving on vacation, the tree must be prepared for the lack of constant care as follows:

• prune flowers and buds;
• thin out thick foliage;
• rearrange the flowerpot from the window to the floor for easy shading;
• place the pot with the plant in a large pan or basin with expanded clay with a 5 cm layer filled with water. The voids between the pot and the tray are also filled with expanded clay or wet moss.

Such measures will help the flower to maintain strength and after the return of the host to continue active growth.

Why doesn't lemon bear fruit?

It often happens that a lemon tree blooms profusely, but soon the ovaries fall, and there are no fruits. The reason may be several factors:

1. Pollination did not occur. To eliminate this problem during flowering, you can carefully transfer the pollen by yourself using a brush or cotton pad.
2. The plant is affected by pests. Even a small percentage of infection impairs the growth and fruiting of the flower.
3. There is no dormant period. The tree does not have time to regain strength.
4. Abundant flowering. The optimal number of flowers is 1 bud per 10 leaves.
5. Lack of nutrients. Timely regular feeding is needed.

Breeding

Growing a lemon tree from a stone

To cultivate lemon using a seed, it is worth taking at least 10 seeds that are soaked for 24 hours in a solution to accelerate the growth of seedlings (sodium gummat, epin, etc.). Then the seeds are placed in a rather loose mixture of humus, leafy ground and turf, one part of each. Bones are laid to a depth of about 1.5-2 cm. Germination of shoots does not occur soon - about the third to fifth month after planting. The strongest sprouts are transplanted into a permanent pot. With this method of breeding, you should be prepared for the fact that such a tree will bear fruit no earlier than in 5-8 years.

Propagation of a lemon tree by cuttings

Lemon grown from cuttings brings the crop much earlier. With this method, for cultivation, shoots are cut 8-10 cm long from the already bearing tree at the end of the growth cycle. Also, the cutaway shoot should be quite flexible, semi-hardened, with 3-4 leaves. To speed up the process, the prepared cuttings are soaked in a solution of a growth stimulator for at least 10 hours. Then the shoots are planted in the soil mixture, consisting of equal parts of sphagnum, sand, turf and leaf soil, or in a special soil for citrus fruits.

The most comfortable conditions for the successful rooting of cuttings:

• room temperature 23-25 ​​degrees;
• greenhouse conditions - cover the sprouts with a plastic bag or a transparent cap;
• regular airing;
• soft sunlight, east windows;
• timely hydration.

After rooting, it is not necessary to sharply change the growth conditions, the cap of the greenhouse is ajar gradually - first for an hour, then for half a day. You can completely remove it after 8-10 days.

Diseases and Pests

We list the main problems that can be encountered when growing a lemon:

• Leaves turn yellow lemon tree with a lack of trace elements such as iron and magnesium.
• Leaves and buds fall off as a result of deficiency or excess moisture.
• New shoots are thin due to lack of lighting and nutrients.
• Brown leaf tips in conditions with dry air and with occasional watering.

Why does a lemon tree dry? How to revive?

The most common cause of tree drying out is root system diseases caused by the appearance of a fungus, insufficiently nutritious soil, or too hard watering. In the first case, the roots must be treated with fungicides, cut the damaged areas and cover with coal. You will also need a transplant of lemon into a more nutritious soil.

If the reason for drying was not a fungus or rotting of the roots, then the plant just does not have enough quality nutrition. The watering regime should be such as to prevent complete drying out of the topsoil. At the same time, it must be ensured that excess moisture does not accumulate in the pan.

In addition to the above, pests can cause a flower to wither - a tick, a citrus nematode, an aphid, a mealybug, a scab.

Popular varieties of homemade lemon tree with photos and names

Panderosis

A hybrid lemon tree, resulting from the selection of pomelo, citron and lemon. This is a dwarf variety without thorns, the most resistant to changing conditions.

Kiev

The type of lemon that is most adapted to the harsh climate, which can bear fruit up to 4 times per year.

Pavlovsky

A variety popular in the middle lane that produces large seedless fruits and easily tolerates a lack of sunlight.

Meyer

A hybrid and the most “non-acidic” type of lemon, which under favorable conditions bears fruit all year. For one harvest cycle alone, you can get up to 3 kg of fruits.

Villa Franca

One of the most drought tolerant varieties, which is characterized by early fruiting, is already 2-3 years after planting.

Genoa

Weak, but cold-resistant tree with a volume crown and high productivity.

Kursk

This cultivar is able to withstand frosts up to 20 degrees. Brings a crop in the third year after planting, needs regular correction of the crown.

Lisbon

Heat-resistant type of lemon with elongated fruits, whose weight can reach about 500 grams. It grows no longer than a meter.

Watch the video: 5 Tips How to Grow a Ton of Lemons on One Tree (April 2024).