Lemons have been cultivated in Russia for over 300 years. The first specimens of a fruit-bearing tree appeared under Peter I. Growing a lemon at home is a pleasant but troublesome business, because you need to know agricultural technology in order to enjoy the pleasant aroma of fragrant lemon trees, which can bloom for a whole year, and taste the taste of indoor lemon.
Content:
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plant description
Lemon is a perennial plant with strong, thorny branches. Young shoots are purple-violet. The foliage is oblong, oval in shape, with small teeth along the edges. The foliage contains essential oil, which is used in cosmetology to combat skin diseases.
Up to 50 fruits ripen on one plant at the same time
As the leaves age, they fall off and are replaced by new ones. The life of one leaf is 2-3 years. Bisexual flowers bloom on the plant, arranged in pairs or one at a time. Flowers reach 4 cm in diameter. Bud development lasts 5 weeks, flowering lasts up to 9 weeks. The fruit ripens 230 days after setting.
fragrant flower
In the first year after vaccination, the plant should not be allowed to bloom; if flowers appear, they should be removed. So the lemon will not waste its strength on fruit set and save them for further development. With secondary flowering, you should no longer cut off the flowers, the tree itself will drop all the extra ones.
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For indoor floriculture, there are more than 150 varieties of lemon. All of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, they differ in the period of fruit ripening, repairability, weight and taste of lemons, the presence of thorns.
Consider the most common:
Lisbon
Lisbon lemon fruits: oblong, with tender flesh and thin skin
- The variety belongs to American breeders.
- It is considered the most resistant to heat and drought, low temperatures.
- Flowering occurs at 3 years.
- It belongs to remontant varieties, flowering and fruiting lasts throughout the year.
- From one adult plant, you can collect up to 60 fruits per year, in the first year of fruiting - up to 35 pieces.
- Prefers a well-lit area.
- The fruits are pleasant in taste, have few seeds, the peel is thin, bright yellow, saturated.
Tashkent
Lemon Tashkent - a bright sun in the midst of a harsh winter
- The discovery of the variety belongs to Fakhrutdinov.
- The lemon tree is medium-sized with dark green, soft foliage.
- It blooms with single flowers, collected in brushes, 2 times a year.
- Begins bearing at 3 years of age.
- The fruits are not large, weighing up to 80 g. The peel is thin, orange flesh.
- Many fruits ripen on one tree at the same time.
- Demanding to bright, diffused lighting, humidity.
- The variety does not need crown formation. The plant reaches up to 2.5 m in height.
Meyer
The tender flesh of a Meyer lemon is similar to an orange.
- hybrid variety. The pulp tastes good, something between an orange and a lemon.
- The selection belongs to the American Meyer.
- A tree up to 2.5 m high, the shoots are devoid of thorns, or they are present, but in small quantities.
- The crown is well leafed. The weight of one fruit varies between 100-105 grams.
- Very juicy lemons. The peel is quite bright, even with an orange tint, smooth, not thick.
- The yield is high. Refers to remontant varieties.
- Blooms up to 4 times a year. There are short intervals between flowering.
- The fruits are delicious, you can not even wait for them to fully ripen.
New Year
Lemon New Year's - a surprise for the New Year holidays
- The very name of the variety suggests that the fruits ripen on New Year's Eve.
- The variety was obtained by the Irkutsk scientist Shcherbakov.
- It has a well leafy crown that does not require formation.
- Suitable for growing in indoor floriculture.
- The bush is decorative, with small, rounded fruits.
- Delicate pulp is juicy, fine-grained, yellow-green, with a pleasant sourness.
- The variety is easily propagated by cuttings.
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Growing a lemon from a seed
A lemon tree with fruits is what flower growers are striving for. To get fragrant fruits, you need to grow a lemon from a stone and carry out the correct vaccination.
Planting seeds
Seeds are taken only from a well-ripened lemon. Flat and ugly seeds are discarded, leaving only large ones. They need to be planted immediately so that they do not dry out, otherwise they may not germinate at all.
For planting, seeds are discarded, only the best and thickest are left, empty ones are immediately thrown away.
Before planting, it is recommended to treat the seeds with a growth stimulator. To do this, you need to dilute the drug in accordance with the instructions, place the seeds in it, extract and plant in the prepared soil. You need to soak for 12 hours, the procedure is best done at night.
It is better to take the soil purchased, and the cups from yogurt or plastic bottles. Be sure to lay drainage at the bottom of the planting tank: pebbles, shards from clay pots or expanded clay. Perlite can serve as good drainage, a layer of 1.5 cm. Vermiculite can also be taken, but it cakes faster.
It is necessary to plant seeds as thickly as possible, then, from the seedlings obtained, it will be possible to choose healthy and strong plants
The soil should be loose and fertile. In the store you can buy a mixture for citrus fruits. The soil can be prepared independently by taking leafy soil and humus in equal proportions, and mixing with peat and sand. The soil needs to be moistened and plant 1 seed in each cup, deepening the bone 2 cm deep.
The success of germination depends on the air temperature in the room, it should not be lower than + 18 °C. For speedy germination, cups with seeds are placed in mini-greenhouses and sent to a warm, well-lit place.
Successful rooting - small plants started to grow
Seedling care
lemon tree seedlings
You should not wait for friendly shoots, sprouts appear at different times, although there are exceptions. The optimal period for germination is 2 weeks - 1 month. At first, young plants need to be kept in a mini-greenhouse, until the development of true leaves on the plant.
Then you need to gradually accustom the lemons to room temperature. It is necessary to open the greenhouse often and ventilate, but still close at night. Watering should be by spraying.
Young plants should be on a well-lit windowsill, without direct sunlight. If the landings are on the southern windowsill, it is required to shade them from the sun's rays at lunchtime or clean them deep into the room.
Rules for growing a house tree
Lemon grown from seed is grafted and already bearing fruit
It is almost impossible to create a citrus garden in a house without basic knowledge of agricultural technology for growing exotic plants. Therefore, it is required to familiarize yourself with the optimal growing conditions: temperature, lighting, watering, fertilization, soil selection.
Optimum content temperature
Homemade lemon feels great at temperatures from + 10 ° C to + 22 ° C. Under natural growing conditions, lemon is accustomed to a subtropical climate, so you should not try to arrange tropical conditions for your pet with unbearable heat.
It will be enough moderate heat. The temperature of winter and summer content should be different. In winter - within + 10-14 ° С. In summer, you can take out a pot with a plant on the street or a loggia.
Lighting
In the summer, the tree can be taken out into the fresh air so that it receives a sufficient amount of light.
Lemon belongs to a photophilous culture, therefore it prefers bright but diffused lighting. Direct rays can play a cruel joke and destroy a young plant, an adult, on the contrary, needs to bathe in direct sunlight.
If the plant grows on the windowsill, then it is better to put it on the window on the east side, if the window faces south, then the pot is placed near the window, but not on the windowsill.
moderate watering
Lemon does not like stagnant water
During the period of active growth (May-September), moderate watering is required. In excessively moist soil, the roots of the plant simply suffocate and begin to rot. Between watering, the earth ball should dry out completely. Rarely watered in winter.
Spraying the plant
In addition to watering, the lemon tree needs to be sprayed with foliage. LIt is better to humidify the air more often than to abuse watering. From time to time, you need to wipe the foliage with a damp cloth, cleaning the pores of the leaf blades from dust and dirt.
soil
In the store you can buy ready-made soil for planting indoor lemons
Lemons prefer neutral soil, the pH of which does not exceed a factor of 5.8-6.5. However, many flower growers prefer to grow lemons in their own soil.
- 1 part of sod land
- 1 part leaf ground
- 0.5 parts of humus
- 0.5 parts of peat
Pieces of charcoal can be added to the soil. Before planting, a layer of drainage is laid on the bottom of the pot and only then the plant is planted. Drainage can be pieces of brick or river sand.
Fertilization
Short description
For the entire growing season, the trees are fed 2 times by applying complex fertilizers for citrus plants. Starting from mid-autumn, all top dressing is stopped and the plant goes into a dormant period.
Lemon transplant
Transplant process
When transplanting seedlings into a larger pot, it is necessary to take into account the size of the root system. You can not give her a lot of space at once, since the empty land can quickly turn sour and destroy the plant. As they grow, they are transshipped into a larger pot, without violating the integrity of the earthen coma. When transplanting, you can not deepen the root collar.
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There is an opinion that only experienced flower growers can reproduce. However, there are many methods that are convenient and do not require special knowledge. For example, cuttings or grafting a lemon by budding can be done even by an inexperienced grower. Copulation and copulation with a tongue require accuracy and certain knowledge.
Cuttings of citrus
When preparing planting material, all cuttings must be cut from mature branches, the thickness of which is at least 4 mm. Very thin and too thick cuttings are not suitable: underdeveloped ones take root poorly, and overgrown ones do not take root at all.
The lower cut of the cutting must be dipped in the root solution. This will contribute to a better formation of the root system.
The length of the handle is 8-12 cm. Up to 5 buds should be present on each of them. Under the lower kidney, the lower cut is made at an angle of 45 degrees, the upper one is perpendicular to the trunk, just above the kidney.
All lower leaves are removed, and the upper ones are shortened by 1/3. This procedure does not stop the flow of sap and promotes the speedy rooting of the cuttings. Leafless cuttings do not give roots.
Rules for cutting green lemon cuttings for rooting: the lower cut at an oblique angle under the lower bud, the upper cut is directly perpendicular, the cut is straight
For successful rooting, it is necessary to create the appropriate conditions:
- provide cuttings with intense lighting
- maintain optimum temperature
- spray cuttings to maintain moisture
Rooting is best done in the summer, as the temperature is more suitable for the formation of the root system. If breeding is carried out in winter, you will need to create a mini-greenhouse and artificially maintain a high temperature. You may even need to make the bottom heating.
Intense lighting is a necessary condition for successful rooting. In winter, the cuttings will not have enough natural light, so you will need to install additional lighting. spring it is necessary to protect the cuttings from direct sunlight, otherwise they will burn, that is, they will get burned.
Humidity in the room should be maintained at 90%. A decrease in humidity will cause the cuttings to dry out and the rooting process will fail.
You need to look after your greenhouse: if there is condensation on the walls, then the humidity is normal, if there are no water droplets, you will have to moisten the plantings. Water only with warm water.
Mini greenhouse device
We make a greenhouse for lemon from improvised materials
If only a couple of cuttings take root, plastic bottles are quite suitable as a greenhouse. They need to be cut across into 2 parts so that it is then easy to take off and put on again. To the bottom bottles put drainage: river sand or perlite, then fertile soil is poured.
Before planting the cuttings for rooting, you will need to powder their sections with crushed coal. This procedure is necessary to avoid rotting of the lower cut. Cuttings can be planted in boxes or containers and then covered with glass jars.
Planting cuttings
The cuttings took root and began to grow. Every plant has new leaves.
Cuttings are buried in the soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. Then the plants are watered, the remaining water that appeared in the pan is drained. Everything, on this watering is completed. For the entire time of rooting, the cuttings no longer require watering, if the process of root formation has not dragged on for a couple of months.
The callus is formed on the lower part of the cut after 3 weeks, then the roots appear. Seedlings should be transplanted no earlier than a month after rooting.
Before transplanting into a new pot, the cuttings are accustomed to room temperature. To do this, remove the top of the bottle daily for several hours. The duration is constantly increasing.
The first pot for a rooted cutting should not be more than 0.5 liters. If a young plant is given a large pot to grow, the soil will turn sour, the seedling will die.
Budding
This method is recommended to be used in spring or summer. It is very simple and can be done even by beginners. As a scion, you can not look for a cutting, it is enough to take only a kidney of a fruit-bearing lemon tree.
For grafting, the buds are cut off in different places of the crown.. For the mother plant, this procedure is painless, the wounds heal quickly and are tightened with callus.
As a rootstock, you can take a sprig from a fruiting lemon
During the cut of the kidney, it is necessary to observe in order not to damage the conductive bundle, it is necessary to cut it with a minimum amount of the lignified part of the crown. You can use a razor blade to cut. Thanks to its flexibility.
The procedure is carried out carefully and there is no possibility of damage to the main shoot. The leaf blade should be removed. Leaving only the leaf petiole. It is he who is needed for manipulating the kidney.
Take a rootstock and make a T-shaped incision at a level of 10 cm from the soil surface, insert a bud and press it with bark. Next, you need to strap with a long polyethylene tape at least 1 cm wide.
In order for the plant to take root faster, it needs greenhouse conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to place a pot with a stock in a mini-greenhouse.
The diagram shows the process of budding. As you can see, it is quite simple, even a novice grower can do it.
The whole process takes 2 weeks. To understand whether budding was successful or not, you need to touch the kidney. If the leaf petiole has fallen off, you can rejoice. If it dries up, it fails. In this case, you will have to repeat everything again.
Copulation
The scheme of grafting with a cutting is shown
It is necessary to make an oblique cut with a sharp knife at the base of the scion, the length of which should not exceed the diameter of the trunk itself. If the cuts are smaller, then this has a bad effect on the survival rate of the new plant.
Exactly the same cut must be made on the rootstock. The surfaces of both cuts should have a smooth surface, without notches and ribbing. Now it is required to combine the sections so that the bark of the scion and the rootstock coincide.
Copulation with tongue
The method is considered an improved copulation
It can be used even if the thickness of the rootstock and scion have significant differences. Sections were prepared in the usual way. To increase the survival rate, so-called "tongues" are left at both ends.
When combined, these tongues should go one on one. After connection, it is required to tightly wrap this place with tape. Remove the winding only after the formation of callus. If shoots appear on the rootstock, they should be cut out.
After considering 3 ways to propagate a lemon, everyone can choose the most suitable one for themselves.
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Citrus in questions and answers
Growing a lemon tree at home, many face various problems:
- lack of flowering
- yellowing and falling leaves
- root rot
- falling off the ovary
What are the causes of such problems and how can they be avoided in order to enjoy the incredible aroma of flowering lemon and the pleasant pulp of the fruit. Consider the main problems and try to figure out what factors contributed to this.
Lemon leaves suddenly turned yellow and began to fall off. What is the reason for such leaf fall?
Why does a lemon pick up buds, flowers appear, and then the ovary gradually dries up?
Lemon during flowering appears as a white fluffy cloud. Allowing abundant flowering is the biggest mistake in indoor floriculture. The appearance of numerous buds depletes the plant, it wastes all the accumulated nutrients in vain.
Such an overload adversely affects fruit set. This can lead to shedding of the entire ovary.
You need to remove the buds in time. Extra buds can be broken out with your fingers or tweezers.
To keep the buds, you need to feed them correctly. The reason for shedding lies in the lack of nutrients. You need to follow the fertilizer until the fruit reaches the size of a walnut.
Abundant flowering can deplete the lemon and the ovaries will begin to fall off. A lot of flowers are especially bad in the first year of fruiting. Then the tree itself will figure out how many flowers to leave for the development of fruits.
Is it possible to cut the tips of the roots when transplanting? How will this affect growth?
It is undesirable to carry out such a procedure, since lemons react very poorly to pruning the root system. You can prune only healthy specimens with powerful roots.
Is it possible to use retardants when growing?
Retardants are used only if the ripened fruits are not planned to be eaten.
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There are 3 viral diseases:
- sheet mosaic
- citrus cancer
- tristeza
Leaf mosaic
The appearance of a viral disease is indicated by the presence of dark or light strokes and stains on the leaf plates, similar to a mosaic. The leaves are losing their shape. The disease reduces the growth of the tree.
The foliage of a lemon tree is affected by a leaf mosaic
Effective remedies have not yet been invented, but it is possible to reduce the manifestation by applying regular fertilizers and carefully caring for the plant.
lemon tree cancer
The appearance of the virus is evidenced by underdeveloped fruits interspersed with brown. Such stains are also present on the foliage. If the disease is started and not treated, the leaves fall off, the lemons become ugly and the tree eventually dies.
plant with cancer
Tristeza
A viral disease leads to shedding of foliage, the tree becomes “naked”, the lignified part dies off. Ultimately, this leads to the death of the plant.
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It is easier to deal with fungal and infectious diseases than with viral ones. There is a chance to save the plant. Consider the most common citrus diseases.
Gommoz
The disease spreads to branches and lignified parts of the plant. They are covered with red, brown spots. Damaged parts gradually die off: first they are covered with cracks, from which a golden substance is released, then quickly hardens.
Gommoz - gum treatment. Cracks appeared on the trunk, from which a yellow, sticky substance stands out
The development of the disease is promoted by high humidity in the room, improper care, in which the wood parts are injured. Gommosis is a consequence of an excess of nitrogen fertilizers against the background of a shortage of potash and phosphorus elements. When planting, do not bury the plant deep into the ground.
Gommosis can be cured. To do this, you will need to clean all stains, treat with a disinfectant solution and cover with garden putty. Repeat all manipulations until new foci of the disease cease to appear. If the surface is completely damaged, all infected branches should be removed.
Scab
Spots of yellow color turn into growths, the plant loses strength, discards fruits and ovaries
On young leaves appear transparent specks of a yellow tint. In their place, gray-pink growths form over time. As the disease spreads, the growths destroy the entire plant, capturing new healthy parts.
The growths acquire a red-brown hue. The lemon is no longer able to hold the fruits - it discards them. For treatment, you need to spray 1% Bordeaux liquid.
Anthracnose
Expressed in the fall of leaves. First, all the foliage turns yellow, then falls off along with the buds. The branches also fall off, and red spots become noticeable on the fruits.
The photo shows the anthracnose disease in its advanced form.
For the fight use "Fitosporin", Bordeaux liquid. You need to spray 3 times with an interval of 7 days.
Root rot
Abundant dropping of foliage indicates rotting of the roots. To verify this, you will need to remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. If rotten parts are found, they need to be cut off, sprinkled with charcoal and transplanted into a new, clean soil.
What pests bother lemons?
Insects cause a lot of trouble to the grower, as you have to constantly destroy them in order to save the crop.
Shchitovka
Well, a very annoying insect, which is very difficult to fight! The fact is that their body is covered with a protective layer through which pesticides do not break through. Shield can be found on leaf plates, on the trunk of a lemon.
Sucking out the juice, scale insects weaken the plant, it becomes more susceptible to viral and infectious diseases.
Insects that settled on a room lemon
To control insects, before using insecticides, it is necessary to wash the tree with a sponge dipped in laundry soap. When most of the scale insects have been removed, the plant needs to be treated.
common aphid
Young shoots are very fond of aphids. On them, insects settle in colonies and suck out the juice. At first, they can be seen from the underside of the sheet, then they capture the entire territory. The leaves curl up and dry up.
A small insect can lead to the death of an entire citrus plantation if timely insecticide treatment is not carried out or folk remedies are not fought.
You can fight aphids with ordinary sticky tape for catching flies or with ordinary diclophos. For processing, you can use an infusion of garlic. After the struggle, the plant needs to be fed so that it regains strength.
spider mite
You can detect an insect by a cobweb, which can be wrapped around the lower leaves. The insect develops in a room with dry air.You can get rid of it by spraying with insecticides by preparing the solution in accordance with the instructions.
Obvious signs of damage to a lemon by a spider mite
root aphid
The insect feeds on the roots of the plant, damaging them and leading to death. The soil can be shed with a disinfectant, the plant can be removed and transplanted into new soil. Effective infusion treatment garlic.
The aphid has laid eggs, colonies of new insects will appear soon
Diseases, if left untreated, lead to the death of a citrus orchard. To prevent their occurrence, it is required to follow the rules of planting and caring for plants, observing agrotechnical methods of cultivation.
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During the period of rampant respiratory diseases, many turn to lemon for help, because it contains a lot of vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium are present. Lemon peel contains an essential oil that promotes hair growth.
Lemon strengthens the immune system, removes free radicals, rejuvenates the body, breaks down cholesterol. Lemon is necessary during the treatment of respiratory diseases.
The potassium content strengthens the heart muscle, calcium - bone tissue. Lemon improves the functioning of the digestive system.
Delicious and healthy lemon juice
- improves skin, relieves acne
- strengthens the immune system
- has diuretic properties
- increases the body's resistance to disease
- gives a boost of energy
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In dentistry, the pros and cons of lemon are noted. Juice has a positive effect on the gums, strengthening them and relieving bleeding, but at the same time, it contributes to the destruction of tooth enamel, so after taking citrus fruits, you need to brush your teeth to remove excess acidity.
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It is clear that not everyone can drink pure lemon juice, and you should not do this. If you make delicious lemon drinks, they will taste better and you can drink them without wincing.
Lemon juice with honey
Lemon drink with honey - a charge of vivacity and well-being!
- The washed lemon needs to be cut into slices.
- Boil water in a separate saucepan and pour over the chopped lemon.
- We add honey to the drink only after the juice itself has cooled to room temperature.
- You can add as much honey as you like. Focus on your taste.
- After mixing, the drink should be infused.
Bon Appetit!
homemade lemonade
The soft drink is enjoyed by both children and adults. Especially good in the heat - perfectly quenches thirst! And during the period of beriberi, it improves mood and strengthens the immune system.
Classical
Classic taste
To make the above miracle drink, you will need a very modest set of components:
- two lemons
- melissa sprig
- Four tablespoons of sugar
- One and a half liters of water with gas
You will need the following tools: fine grater, gauze, container
So, let's proceed directly to the preparation of the lemonade itself:
- In order for our lemonade to be healthy and environmentally friendly, you need to thoroughly rinse the raw materials. Next, using a grater, carefully peel the lemon from the top skin.
- The resulting zest is placed in a jar and poured into the same chopped lemon balm, do not forget to add 500 - 550 ml of boiling water and granulated sugar.
- Shake the contents of the jar well. We wait a quarter of an hour, after which we pour in lemon juice and mineral water with gas.
- Carefully filter through several layers of gauze and send to the refrigerator so that the drink becomes cold.
- That's actually all. Our Lemon Lemonade is ready.
Raspberry plus lemon
Lemon and raspberry lemonade
If you decide to make a drink from raspberry-flavored lemons, then you will need the following components:
- handful of berries raspberries (200 g)
- Highly carbonated mineral water 1.5 l.
- A couple of melissa leaves
- two lemons
Manufacturing process:
- Citrus fruits must be thoroughly washed and dried. Cut them in half, squeeze out all the juice
- The next step is to mix the freshly squeezed raspberry juice with the juice of two lemons.
- Add highly carbonated mineral water to the juice mixture
- We decorate with raspberries, putting them on the bottom of the glasses
- Pour a cold drink and decorate with lemon balm leaves
Non-Alcoholic Lemon Mojito
A classic drink is a cocktail in which the base ingredient is lime juice. Practice shows that lime can be replaced with its citrus counterpart - lemon. From such a replacement, the taste will not suffer in any way.
In addition to lemon, stock up:
- A few sprigs of peppermint
- sprig of basil
- Highly carbonated mineral water
- ice cubes
- Natural honey (1 tablespoon)
Lemon Mojito
- Mint and basil should be thoroughly ground to a green gruel in a mortar, add three tablespoons of water and strain the mixture.
- Pour the juice squeezed from one lemon into a container for making lemonade.
- Add the extract of mint and basil ground in a mortar, honey
- Pour highly carbonated mineral water, mix, wait until the honey dissolves
- Falling asleep ice cubes
VIDEO: About the benefits of lemon juice for the human body
VIDEO: About the benefits of lemon juice for the human body.
Lemon: description, care, growing from the stone at home, recipes for vitamin juice and lemonade (Photo & Video) + Reviews
