Growing citrus indoor plants at home is an interesting activity, but far from easy. Therefore, those who believe that it will be enough to plant a bone in the ground, and that’s all, you can no longer buy lemons for tea, are greatly mistaken. Without special knowledge, the first harvest of citrus indoor plants, if they give, is not earlier than in twenty years.
But if you know some of the nuances and grow it correctly, following all the rules, then you can enjoy the fruits much faster. But even here it is important not to make a mistake in choosing a variety. For growing on the windowsill, only those citrus houseplants that have been grafted on seedlings of orange, lemon, grapefruit or kumquat are suitable. Those crops that were grown from cuttings cut from fruit-bearing trees have proven themselves well.
Difficulties in growing domestic citrus plants
It would seem that it is easier: you need to go toflower shop and buy a pot in which some kind of citrus is growing or already bearing fruit - “golden orange”, Meyer lemon, which is not very difficult to care for at home, or tangerine. The tree just needs to be brought home, placed on the windowsill in the right place, and watered. But this is not at all the case, since growing a lemon or tangerine at home is really difficult, moreover, this process is somewhat different from caring for ordinary specimens.
Those plants that are sold in flower shops today most often come to the shelves from abroad, mainly from Holland. There, from the first day, they are kept in ideal conditions: the optimum temperature for growth is maintained, high humidity, additional lighting is supplied, and fertilizers for citrus houseplants are constantly applied to the soil. When buying from dwarf trees, there may be a dozen or more fruits by the time they are sold.
But after getting on the windowsills, beautiful citrus houseplants immediately begin to face stressful conditions. In our houses, the illumination is much lower - several times, and the air (especially in winter) is incredibly dry compared to the greenhouse, and growth stimulants stop helping after a while.
Therefore, in the face of a shortage of their internal resources, citrus houseplants begin to throw all their strength into preserving the fruits with which they were so abundantly strewn in the store. And as a result, the vast majority of purchased "pets" die.
Species suitable for growing at home
Citrus crops have long been known to man. Their people have been actively cultivating for so long that it has become difficult to find their wild ancestors in nature. Most often, citrus fruits are cultivated in open ground in countries where a tropical or subtropical climate reigns. And it is from there that their fruits are delivered to store shelves in all corners of the planet.
A novice grower who cannot devote too much attention and time to a pet growing on his windowsill needs to choose varieties of citrus indoor plants that are easier to care for. If we talk about subspecies for a small apartment, then it is preferable for beginners to grow lemon, tangerine and trifoliate, since their growth is easier to restrain. In turn, oranges, grapefruits or pomelo, characterized by large sizes, after a couple of decades turn into a rather bulky tree.
As for exotic varieties, today a close relative of mandarin is quite common - citrus kumquat nagami, as well as calamondin. Speaking of amazing varieties, we must definitely mention the Hand of the Buddha.
Cutting
The most convenient option for those who decide to grow citrus crops on their own will, of course, be a young plant purchased in a specialized store. But not always a purchased tree takes root in the house for many reasons. However, if, nevertheless, the culture migrated from the store to the apartment, you need to contact the seller and get from himrecommendation for the adaptation of citrus in new conditions.
First, the plant needs to be inspected. If there are fruits on it, then they will have to be cut off. Seven to ten days, citrus should be left in a store pot, and only then transplanted into a new one.
Tips
Citrus trees grown from cuttings are best at home. Of course, for beginners who have little idea how to grow a tangerine, lemon, etc., it will be difficult to properly propagate the plant, but for those who have been growing citrus at home for more than one year, this is quite easy.
The cutting shoot should be taken from a well-developed and he althy citrus tree. The length of the planting material should be from ten to twelve centimeters. It must have at least three kidneys. It is not recommended to use both too young and rather old shoots with dense wood.
The best time for harvesting cuttings is April. Rooting of planting material can be carried out in a glass of water or in soil consisting of earth and sand. In the latter case, the cutting should be covered, for example, with a plastic bottle. Roots will appear in about twenty days. After that, the rooted cutting can already be planted in a permanent pot.
Planting material - seeds
You can often hear that a stone planted in the ground eventually turns into a luxurious citrus tree. But, even though the cultivation of mandarin or lemon fromseed is the most affordable way for fans to propagate this type of plant, the result is often unpredictable.
As a result, you can get a culture, the fruits of which will be much smaller than the parent form, or you can grow a new excellent pet. Judging by the reviews, the use of seeds pulled from fruits as planting material often leads to a lack of flowering in such seedlings.
The seedling begins to sprout in about a month and a half, and it should be transplanted at the stage of the appearance of five leaves.
How to grow a tangerine
After the juicy fruits of this citrus bought in the store are eaten, the remaining seeds can be used as planting material. For the highest probability of success of the event, it is better that there are more seeds, since not all will definitely germinate. Therefore, to obtain seedlings, you need to take a dozen seeds.
Planting material is placed in gauze for several days and slightly wetted. This is necessary so that the bones, having swollen, “hatch”.
Mandarin at home can be grown in special land for citrus fruits purchased at a flower shop. Although, in principle, almost any light soil is suitable for this culture. For example, in equal proportions of soddy and leafy soil mixed in equal proportions, to which compost and rotted manure humus will be added, the tangerine will be very comfortable. Do not make soil based on peat. We must not forget about the need for drainage. Before the appearance of the first shoots should take quite a long time. Sprouts become noticeable only after two or three weeks, and sometimes even after a month.
Mandarin is a tree that grows quite slowly at home, and sometimes it stops growing. Therefore, do not lose hope and enthusiasm, because if this citrus is provided with all the necessary conditions, it grows into a very beautiful tree.
Mandarin care
According to agronomists, mandarin is a very unpretentious tree in maintenance, and not only among citrus fruits, but also among many other plants, but it still requires compliance with certain rules when leaving. The most important condition for him is an abundance of sunlight. Mandarin requires intense lighting up to twelve hours a day year-round.
Water and transplant
Mandarin is no less reverent about humidity. In the summer months, it should be watered abundantly without flooding, while in winter the water supply should be reduced, periodically making sure that the soil does not dry out. In addition, it is necessary to spray the leaves daily, using filtered or boiled clean water for this purpose. You can compensate for the dryness of the air by placing a small decorative indoor fountain next to the tangerine. As the tree grows, it is periodically necessary to transplant into larger pots. It is best to move in early spring. In this case, the new pot should have a diameter of three to five centimeters larger than the previous one.
Transplantationtangerine tree is made by transshipment, while it is necessary to preserve the old earthen ball as much as possible so as not to accidentally harm the root system of the plant. For the first time flowering plants need to adjust the number of ovaries. In the first year, two or three fruits are left, in the second, seven or eight, and then about ten.
How to grow an orange tree
Home care for this type of citrus crop is not very different from the conditions for growing mandarin. Both a newly acquired tree and one that has been growing in the house for many years must be replanted every year. The best time for this is spring, when the plant is just getting ready to expend energy on growth. For young crops, regular watering and spraying are a prerequisite for a normal existence.
Flowering
An orange tree, which is not difficult to care for at home, will give ovaries if the crown is properly formed. This plant blooms and bears fruit on twigs not lower than the fifth orders, so you should not expect fruits to appear earlier than in five years. The crown is formed quite simply. When the branches reach a length of ten to fifteen centimeters, they are pinched. Soon, new shoots begin to awaken from the lateral buds, which should also be shortened. As a result, only five years later, you can get an orange tree with many short shoots.
At the same time, the room should be cool: 17-20 degrees. At higher temperatures, the fruits do not set, and the verythe plant is sick or affected by pests.
Indoor lemons
Of all varieties, Pavlovsky is considered the most unpretentious. This type of lemon does well even on northeast or northwest window sills, it is comfortable in relatively dry air and with occasional top dressing.
Panderose is almost as unpretentious, but it needs more light. True, this type of lemon has a special “syndrome” that is found only in him: he gives out too many flowers to the detriment of building green mass. Therefore, extra buds must be constantly cut off.
A little less common is the Meyer lemon, home care for which involves following certain rules: if they are not followed, it grows very slowly. However, flower growers, even with little experience, can simply place the pot on a bright windowsill, feed the plant from time to time, and spray it if necessary.
For exotic lovers
Citrus fruits in our understanding are lemon, orange, tangerine. But there are representatives of this type of plant, which many of us have not even heard of. Of the tangerines, the Unshiu variety is interesting, which, compared to other representatives of the species, is relatively tolerant of poor lighting and unpretentious, just like the Pavlovsky lemon.
Kumquat and Calamondin are other close relatives of citrus fruits. Fans of original indoor plants should definitely get these species.
Speaking of exotics, it is necessary to mention the varietyBuddha hand. This citrus is distinguished by the unusual appearance of its fruit: it resembles a lemon in color, and outwardly - a fleshy brush on the hand. However, there is no edible pulp inside. However, the fruit is so exotic that you should definitely grow it at home.
