How long does it take for a lemon to grow from a seed? How to grow a lemon tree from seed at home

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

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

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

Is it possible to grow a lemon at home

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

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

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

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

Necessary tools and materials

To plant a lemon, you will need:

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

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

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

Bones preparation

Preparing Lemon Seeds Using a Biostimulant Solution

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

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

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

How to plant a plant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video: a master class on planting a lemon seed

plant care

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

Transfer

Lemon transplant should be timely

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video: lemon transplant instructions

crown formation

Shaping will allow you to get a voluminous tree

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

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

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

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

Lighting and air humidity

Low humidity and good light are important for lemon.

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

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

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

Temperature

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

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

Watering

You can water the lemon with filtered water

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

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

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

top dressing

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

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

Stimulation of fruiting

This method will help stimulate the formation of fruit buds:

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

Possible diseases and pests

Lemon is susceptible to fungus and gummosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many gardeners dream of growing a fragrant lemon on the windowsill to please the household with delicious tea with the addition of citrus. At first glance, the task seems difficult, because a tree planted at home often takes root with difficulty and rarely bears fruit. To succeed, you need to know how to plant a lemon according to all the rules. Only then will the first ovary appear on it in a few years.

plant description

Homeland of this evergreen perennial plant counts South Asia. From there, in ancient times, it was brought to India, China and many islands. Pacific Ocean. To date, lemon has been successfully grown in different countries for the mass collection of fruits, and exotic lovers are happy to grow it from the stone at home.

planted at home lemon Tree reaches a height of about 2 meters. Multiple branches with dense leathery green leaves form a spreading crown. Young shoots are covered with dark green bark with a reddish tint.

If the citrus is germinated from the stone, the first fruits are observed no earlier than 8 years after planting. When citrus is planted by grafting or cuttings, the harvest appears 2 years earlier.

A beautiful tree exudes a gentle lemon flavor, looks great, so at home it is often grown not only to obtain fruits, but also to decorate the interior.

Where to begin

Growing a lemon from a stone is within the reach of every person. You need to make a minimum of effort and strictly follow the recommendations for landing. The first step is to prepare the bones. The main mistake, due to which the seeds do not germinate, is that they are placed in the ground when they have time to dry. This cannot be done.

1. You need to take a mature large fruit, cut and remove the bones.
2. Rinse under running water and select the most powerful seeds.
3. To facilitate the spitting of sprouts, it is advisable to soak the seeds for a day in a special growth stimulator, which can be bought at a flower shop.

While the bones are being prepared for planting, you should be engaged in the selection of nutrient soil and a suitable pot. Lemon seeds do well in small clay pots. At the bottom of the tank, it is required to pour a two-centimeter layer of drainage. It can be expanded clay or small fragments of brick - the main thing is that they pass excess moisture well, otherwise the roots of the young sprout will begin to rot and die.

Land for planting citrus fruits is easy to purchase at the store, but many people prefer to prepare the nutrient mixture at home. For this you need to take ordinary soil from the garden, sand, humus and mix them in the same proportion. It is useful to put a few tablespoons of charcoal in the prepared mixture. It prevents the development of pathogenic bacteria in the soil.

Planting seeds

When preparatory work finished, you can start landing. It is recommended to plant 3-4 seeds in one pot in order to subsequently select the strongest shoots. The earth in the container must be moistened with settled water. Deepen the lemon seeds 2 cm into the ground and sprinkle with earth.

In order for the citrus planting to be successful, it is advisable to carry out the procedure in the last days of February. In this case, the growth of young plants will be facilitated by the spring sun and increased daylight hours.

1. Lemons love heat, so it is impossible to grow them at home without observing temperature regime. Successful cultivation requires maintaining an air temperature of 20-25 degrees.
2. For creating greenhouse effect the pot is covered with a film and placed in a sunny place.
3. The first sprouts hatch in 18-21 days. During this time, the film must be periodically lifted for ventilation.
4. Watering is recommended only if the soil dries out with a small amount of warm water.

Tender shoots grow quickly. When they form 2 pairs of leaves, the film must be removed and a separate pot should be prepared for each plant.

Transfer

Transplantation must be done in the same nutrient soil which was prepared earlier. Try to select the healthiest sprouts.

When choosing, pay attention to:

• on the leaves - they must be strong and not fall off at the slightest touch;
• on the crown - it is desirable that there is a slight distance between the kidneys;
• on shoots - it is required that they have few thorns, as this is a sign of a "wild" plant.

Subsequent transplants of a young lemon tree should be carried out as the crown and roots grow. Young seedlings are transplanted once a year, in June, and it is enough for grown plants to carry out the procedure every few years. Carefully remove the tree from the pot along with the earthy clod so as not to damage the delicate roots, and place in a larger container.

Care

Growing lemon requires bright light, especially during the off-season. During this period, for highlighting, it is advisable to purchase an LED phytolamp and turn it on in the evenings and on cloudy days.

The room where citrus grows should be warm and humid. Rinse the leaves of the plant with water more often, spray it from a watering can. But root system overfilling is not recommended. The tree painfully perceives the decay of the roots and instantly withers from it. AT winter time watering should be halved and carried out when upper layer the soil will dry out well.

It is important to properly form the crown of the plant. For the splendor of the green mass in the first year of life, you must carefully pinch the top of the lemon tree. In order for the trunk to be even, and the crown to be round and neat, you need to turn the pot with the plant 30 degrees clockwise every 7 days.

Sometimes a lemon blooms in the first or second year. Despite the beauty of the buds, they must be ruthlessly cut off. Flowering is too debilitating for the tree. He doesn't have the strength to further development and it may die. Flowers can be left only when there are 15 green leaves for each bud.

top dressing

At first, growing a lemon does not involve top dressing. The soil prepared for planting has all the necessary substances for growth and development. 3-4 months after transplantation, the grown shoots begin to be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. It is advisable to buy in a flower shop already ready mixes and use as directed.

If for some reason this is not possible, it is allowed to use tea leaves for feeding. They should be sprinkled on the top layer of earth in a pot before watering. Egg shells are well suited for fertilizing. It needs to be crushed, combined with starch one to one and sprinkled with the mixture on the ground before each watering.

Diseases

With insufficient care, a lemon growing at home begins to wither. When this happens, his leaves turn yellow, wither and fall off. To prevent this, adjust the watering and provide the citrus with good lighting.

• Yellow spots on the leaves indicate a lack of iron.
• Dry tips indicate a lack of phosphorus.
• Wrinkling and falling leaves indicate a deficiency of manganese and potassium.

You can help the plant with timely cleaning of damaged shoots and a properly selected mineral complex.

For the prevention of pests and diseases of lemon at home, it is recommended to use Fitosporin. The drug is diluted with water, following the instructions, and the root system of the plant is irrigated.

Now you know how to plant a lemon and grow a miniature tree from a seed. The main thing - proper fit, caring care, and then you can quickly enjoy the fruits of the first harvest, harvested at home.

There are two ways to plant a lemon in order to subsequently get a healthy, beautiful and fruitful tree. You can sow seeds (bones, or you can plant cuttings. What is easier and what results you can get - answers in the article.

If you are concerned about the question of how to properly plant a lemon at home and at the same time achieve fruiting, then pay due attention to the preliminary preparation.

Soil preparation. To plant a lemon, you need to take river sand and ignite it in the oven to destroy pathogenic bacteria. Then mix it in equal proportions with the citrus substrate. Moisten the resulting mixture. If river sand was not available, any loose soil can be used, for example, a mixture of humus and leafy turf.

Video about growing lemon at home

Capacity selection. Pots made of any material are suitable for planting lemons, but ceramic ones are preferable. They have better air exchange, so the risk of stagnation is less. The pot for planting must be chosen spacious. Before laying the soil, it must be doused with boiling water or soaked in water for several hours.

Drainage. Lemon drainage is necessary to prevent acidification of the earth from excessive moisture. Therefore, it is worth laying a layer of pebbles or pebbles at the bottom of the pot, they will not allow the water to stagnate. But remember that large and sharp stones can cause irreparable harm to thin citrus roots. The diameter of the drainage stones should not exceed three centimeters.

In the photo pots for planting lemon

It is better to give preference to the bones from the largest and juiciest fruits. Lemons grown and ripened in artificial conditions may not sprout. Or after the lapse of time it will not bear fruit. You can not store them, because they quickly lose their germination.

So, let's get to the landing:

1. We sow fresh lemon seeds in a pot with moist soil.
2. We periodically moisten the soil, while avoiding the accumulation of water, otherwise the bone will rot.
3. Soon the seeds will hatch, and small plants will appear.
4. It would be wiser to plant several seeds so that after 2-3 months you can select the strongest ones from the resulting sprouts or plant them in different containers and get a lemon garden at home.
5. When transplanting, try not to touch the earthen ball on the roots.
6. To provide seedlings normal conditions, set the pots closer to the south or west side, but make sure that sunlight was scattered, direct rays can destroy the plant.

Photo of a lemon from a stone

There is an opinion, and its validity has been proven by many experienced flower growers, that a lemon from a stone does not bear fruit. For this, the resulting tree, when it grows up and its trunk reaches a thickness of 1 cm, must be grafted from a plant that has already given fruit. At home, grafting is successfully carried out using the budding method, that is, with a bud eye with a small piece of bark, to increase the chance of a double budding.

Planting a lemon cutting

Planting with a cutting is one of the most common and effective methods. By taking cuttings from obviously healthy and fruitful trees, you will know exactly what you will get in the end.

Last year's shoots are used no longer than 8-10 cm with well-developed leaves.

Plant the cutting in a pot, cover it glass jar. Put on the windowsill and periodically spray with warm water, moistening the ground. All! It remains only to wait a little, and your cutting will take root.

Video about planting a lemon

When the upper buds appear, gradually begin to accustom the seedling to the microclimate of the room, removing the jar for a short time. During the week, increase the exposure of the seedling to the air without a jar, so that by the end of the week it is completely removed. If heating appliances or central heating are located close to the tree, you can isolate it from them with a piece of plywood or cardboard.

A very capricious lemon plant, planting and caring for it requires not only knowledge and experience, but also selfless work. He needs special conditions, temperature drops, drafts and overheating are contraindicated for him. But all the labors of a diligent gardener will be rewarded when a well-groomed lemon will give its first fruit.

» Lemon

Lemon - a tree of the genus Citrus everyone knows its fruit. The homeland of this plant is China, India and the Pacific tropical islands.

The lemon was first brought by the Arabs to the Middle East, North Africa, Spain and Italy.

People know about the benefits of lemon firsthand. Lemon - excellent remedy from many ailments. It strengthens the immune system, normalizes hormonal levels, improves vision, and stimulates the digestive tract.

It is used for colds, as it has a huge amount of vitamin C and many simply like the sour, aromatic taste.

It is possible to grow a lemon at home. If you cut a lemon, you can see a lot of seeds. From these seeds it is quite possible to grow a full-fledged lemon tree.

To a person who decides to plant a lemon at home, it is important to consider the following rules:

• the fruit should be yellow, the most ripe, because if the lemon is green, then due to the fact that it is not ripe, the sprout germs in the seeds of such a lemon may not sprout;
• for planting, it is important to choose several large seeds - from 10 to 15 pieces, so that later you can choose a beautiful and actively growing seedling;
• important to choose suitable variety, which will grow well at home.

Suitable variety for a house or apartment: Pavlovsky, Meyer and others

There are a large number of varieties. Below are some of them that are suitable for growing in a house or apartment:

1. Pavlovsky- differs from other varieties in its large fruits, which can reach 500 grams, has a sweetish taste, and the tree of this variety is quite large - more than 2 meters. This variety has fragrant leaves. The aroma is so sharp and strong that the whole house will be filled with it.
2. - a hybrid of lemon and grapefruit, has a sweet and sour taste, a small tree with a rich harvest, the size of one lemon can reach 150 grams, blooms in clusters, there is a seasonal dormant period.
3. Ponderosa- a hybrid of lemon and grapefruit, has a bitter taste, as well as the presence of a large number of seeds. Pleased with the fact that it constantly blooms. According to the people who grow this species lemon, a very grateful plant and very unpretentious.
4. Genoa– medium tree, gives big harvest as early as 4-5 years of age. Fruits with tender pulp, have a sour, aromatic taste. You can also eat the peel. This variety is considered unpretentious. For 2-3 years, the seedling is already blooming.
5. Anniversary- a medium-sized tree, considered a variety that gives a rich harvest, the fruit is distinguished by its thick skin. Very suitable for growing in a house or apartment.

After the stage of choosing a variety has been passed, it is necessary to proceed to the very planting of the seeds in the pot.

How to plant the seeds of a plant: the main points

Some active citrus growers with rich experience, it is advised to free the bone from the upper husk, which, in their opinion, allows you to get seedlings in the shortest possible time.

This must be done very carefully, since any damage to the bone can lead to the fact that seed germination will not occur.

But you can plant seeds without the above procedure.

Lemon seeds must be moist before planting.. It is advisable to soak them for a day in water or in a solution of sodium humate. You can buy this growth stimulator at any botanical store.

But even if the seeds were planted without soaking, and as soon as they were taken out of the lemon, they are likely to germinate.

Next, you need to find a suitable small, shallow pot or glass, pour earth into it. There should be holes in the bottom of the pots. They are important so that excess moisture, due to which the roots of the sprouts can die, flows down.

Put 1.5-2 cm of expanded clay, small pebbles or very coarse sand on the bottom of the pot. Soil for planting can be bought at the store, but you can prepare yourself. To do this, mix garden soil, sand, humus and some charcoal.

It is better to plant bones to a depth of no more than 1.5-2 cm. It is important to moisten the soil before planting. It should not be dry, but excessive moisture is also undesirable.

The pot can be covered with a film on top. The air temperature in the room where the stone pot is located should be above +18℃.

Once every 2-3 days it is necessary to spray the soil. If the ground has become completely dry, then you can water it a little. After the first shoots appear, the film must be removed.

It is better to rearrange the pot with sprouts in a bright place and water it with settled or rain water, at room temperature.

The first sprouts will sprout no earlier than 3-4 weeks after planting.

According to experienced citrus growers, best time for planting a lemon - the end of winter, the beginning of spring. Since the increasing daylight hours will only benefit the emerging young sprouts.

Will an indoor lemon tree bear fruit?

Many people think that growing a lemon from a stone is a thankless job. Since it will take 5, 7, or even all 15 years to wait for fruits from such a lemon, and its fruits will be small in size.

For, in order not to wait decades for the lemon tree to bear fruit, it must be. This can be done in two ways in the warm season (summer or warm spring):

1. In split- the preferred type of grafting. It is necessary to take a cutting of a cultivated fruit-bearing lemon. A branch is cut on the seedling, and the remaining stem of the seedling is split. A “wedge” is sharpened on the handle of a fruiting lemon, which is then inserted into a split in the stem. Next, you need to tie the vaccine with electrical tape. On the handle of a fruiting lemon, 2-4 buds are left, everything else is cut off. The vaccine is covered with a plastic bag. When the vaccine grows together, the package can be removed.

1. budding- shoots are cut off from the seedling, a “stump” 10 cm high remains from the tree. Next, they take a sprig of cultivated fruit-bearing lemon. Under each leaf of the branch is the so-called "sleeping bud". It is necessary to make a cut in front of this kidney. Next, cut off the leaf plate, but leave its petiole. On the "stump" of the seedling, make a cut of the bark and insert the petiole there with the cut down. Tie the vaccination site with electrical tape. The petiole of the cut leaf plate will serve as an indicator. If the petiole falls off after 2-3 days, then we can assume that the vaccination has succeeded, but if it dries up, then the vaccination has failed and must be repeated.

Interestingly, what grown lemon from the stone adapts to home conditions faster and better, it is less picky than cuttings and grafted seedlings.

Why a lemon grown from a seed does not bear fruit:

Optimal conditions for growing, care after planting

It is advisable to be very attentive to a lemon that has risen in a pot. When on lemon seedlings 3-4 leaves will appear, they are transplanted into separate pots.

As a rule, a lemon can react both to excessive heat and sunlight, and to cold and strong wind. Therefore, when changing the location of the pot of lemon, it is advisable to keep this in mind.

BUT best solution will not change the place of "residence" of the lemon. The best place for a lemon there will be a south or southwest side in the apartment. As for temperature, lemon can tolerate temperatures from +14℃ to +27℃.

Lemon creates conditions without sharp temperature jumps because they can kill him. It is desirable to maintain moderate humidity - 60-70%.

water the plant rainwater at room temperature is best. In hot summer it is better to do it 2 times a day. And on cloudy and cold days, it is important to add lighting to the lemon with LED or fluorescent lamps.

feed in summer a seedling can be a solution of humus and liquid mineral fertilizers.

Lemons like everything houseplants susceptible to disease and pest attack. Therefore, they require careful care, and it is also recommended to carefully examine the plant every day in order to detect the appearance of a particular pest as early as possible and take the necessary measures in time.

Care and protect: the main enemies of citrus

Lemon gets sick if you do not follow the rules of care. If the tree is not watered enough, it will dry out. If the earth in a pot is oversaturated with moisture, then yellow leaves will appear on the lemon, and this will be a sign that the roots of the tree are starting to rot.

Also appearance yellow spots on the foliage, after which the leaves dry and fall off, indicate that the tree lacks iron.

Dry ends of leaves they say that the tree needs phosphorus. A lack of potassium and manganese leads to wrinkling of the leaves and falling off of the ovary.

Fitosporin is considered a good remedy for many diseases and pests. It is non-toxic and odorless. It is also good to use as a preventive measure.

A lemon tree is not a geranium, it needs competent care and for a beginner it is very difficult to figure out what, how and when to do it.

With effort and study of the rules for caring for a lemon, you can get a pleasant result. home grown lemon will delight not only with its aroma, but also with delicious fruits.

Growing a lemon from a seed:

Everyone knows the lemon - this evergreen perennial is a guest from the subtropics, which has taken root quite comfortably in our homes and apartments. Homeland lemon - Southeast Asia, more than a thousand years ago, these fruits were brought from India, and eventually found popularity in Africa and America. This deservedly popular citrus can live in your home. How to grow a lemon from a stone at home, you will learn from this article.

it citrus tree gives color several times a year. Home-grown lemons have a thinner rind, more intense flavor than those grown in open field. To grow a lemon from a seed, you will need to create comfortable conditions: high-quality ventilation, lighting, periodic top dressing with fertilizers, individual approach according to the season.

One of the main stages is the selection of high-quality seeds - this is the key to the future harvest. For planting material bones from bought ripe lemons are quite suitable. Sow many seeds at once, so that later you can choose the strongest sprouts.

What is a lemon plant?

Lemon is considered an evergreen shrub, belongs to the "rue" family. Lemon leaves and sprigs huge number have glandular cells with pores that secrete phytoncides and essential oils- from this the house is filled with a wonderful aroma and health is strengthened.

Lemon looks interesting - this is a small tree, although it all depends on the variety - there are trees and three meters. The lemon has fleshy glossy dark green leaves, and there are small spines on the trunk. Lemon blooms beautifully - these are red-pink outside and white inside flowers. Previously, lemons were exotic, but today they are not so rare even in our apartments with a far from tropical climate.

Lemon tree - care rules and growing problems

At home, growing lemons requires special care. Subject to all the rules, you can get flowering and fruiting plants.

• For a lemon, additional lighting is needed - especially in early spring and autumn.
• The room needs to create a humid climate. To do this, spray the plant more often. Give him a shower, wash the leaves - lemons are tropical inhabitants and love high humidity.
• For a young lemon, frequent transplants are important. We prepare the earth, as for the first landing. Plants are transplanted necessarily with a clod of earth. new pot take 5-7 cm more. Young - once a year, mature plant can be transplanted every 2-3 years. The best time in summer is in June, and in winter we transplant in February.
• In the period from February to September, the lemon grows more actively - so you need to feed the bushes with bio-fertilizers at this time, alternating with mineral ones. We feed only with liquid fertilizers. Do not forget about the rule: less is better than more.
• We form plants correctly. In order for the tree to be more magnificent and the lateral shoots to grow actively, they pinch the top of the head. It is better to do this in the first year of growth.
• For correct formation crowns should turn the pot a quarter every week. In the future, a well-formed trunk will affect the quality of the fruit.
• If the lemon at home began to bloom in the first year, then you need to cut off all the flowers - do not regret it. Lemon spend all his strength on flowers and then wither away. Lemon can be allowed to bloom when the plant has at least 15 leaves per flower!

Growing lemon indoors. What should be the soil?

Ordinary land from the garden or purchased is not very suitable for the lemon to grow and develop, so it is advisable to create the necessary mixture yourself.

For perfect height and development for 4 cups of land (100 g each), it is recommended to use the following ingredients in appropriate proportions:

• 2 tablespoons of ash;
• 6 tablespoons of humus leaves and manure;
• mix with 200 grams of sand.

The resulting mixture is diluted with water and placed in a pot prepared for lemon. It is important to tamp the ground so that air voids do not form in the root area.

After about six months, when the lemon has grown a little, it is transplanted into a larger container. It is desirable to prepare the composition of the soil in the same proportion as the previous one. You can, of course, buy earth in a store, but it is sold with a high alkali content. And growing a lemon from a seed at home is preferable in neutral soil.

If there is no other way out, you can neutralize the alkalinity of the earth by adding to the soil citric acid, but the main thing is not to overdo it (use a solution of water with 2-3 drops of acid for watering).

Lemon from the stone: where to start?

Seeds are used only freshly harvested. They are selected from mature fruits that do not have signs of disease. Purely theoretically, this is true, but lemons come to us from supermarkets and bazaars.

Such fruits can not exactly be called freshly picked. How to be? Dried seeds that have lain for a month at room temperature significantly lose their germination capacity, but still germinate.

To completely grow a lemon at home, you need to stock up not with one or two seeds, but with a much larger amount. Out of a dozen seeds, there will definitely be several sprouts.

Do not be afraid to grow many seedlings at once. It is not a fact that all your lemons from the stone at home will live to bear fruit. Some will die due to diseases, others will suffer when you vaccinate them.

We begin to grow homemade lemon from the stone as follows:

• We buy special soil or prepare the soil ourselves from river sand, sod land, humus.
• Prepared soil mixture Arrange in separate small pots or cups.
• The seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth of 3 cm.
• We cover the top with a film to create a better microclimate.
• We are waiting for the appearance of sprouts, which appear after about 3 weeks.
• If 2 shoots grow from one lemon seed, one (which is weaker) should be removed.

Citrus plants derived from seeds adapt to room conditions better, are more hardy and viable compared to cuttings or grafted. Fully fruit-bearing cultivated seedlings grow from the seeds. Their only drawback is that they begin to bear fruit late.

Growing a lemon

The time of emergence of sprouts depends on the temperature in the apartment. It usually takes 2 weeks to 1 month. As soon as 4 or more leaves appear on the sprout, you can remove the film if you made a greenhouse, and place the pot with sprouts in a well-lit place. It is important that young leaves are not exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise the young sprout will die. Follow the watering schedule. Water the soil as it dries. Water must be pre-settled and be at room temperature. For irrigation, it is recommended to use rainwater, but make sure that such water is not cold.

It is not necessary to feed the lemon sprout in the first months. In spring and summer, a little fertilizer can be applied every 14 days. But only a little, proceed from the fact that it is better to feed less than to overfeed. Remember, the lemon tree is very demanding and capricious. The slightest violations in care and changes in environment affect the tree very unfavorably. Too much sun, strong winds, and drafts can cause your plant to lose its foliage. Non-compliance with the temperature regime is also undesirable for the germ.

With the advent of autumn, watering is carried out as rarely as possible. Landmark - the state of the upper layer of the earth. Top dressing is necessary only once every 30 days.

It is worth starting to form a crown in time, this must be done already in the first year of a young seedling's life. All weak, inward growing and deformed branches should be removed.

As soon as the seedlings germinate, you should choose the strongest and transplant into a larger pot.

In order to choose the right seedlings for transplantation, you should pay attention to the following criteria:

• crown. You have to look at its density. To determine this, pay attention to the distances that pass between the buds on a lemon seedling - they should be minimal.
• needles. Their number on the trunk should be minimal.
• leaves. The more of them, the better. It is good if they are strong and do not fall off from the minimum breeze.

All seedlings that are weakened, have thin shoots and insufficient leaves must be immediately discarded.

Care during the fruiting period of a lemon

Fruiting lemon requires special care at home:

• High-quality and additional lighting. This plant needs bright but diffused light. In the winter season, the lemon is illuminated with LED or fluorescent lamps.
• High air humidity, which can be provided with electric humidifiers.
• Regular lemon transplant - at least once a year. The end of February - the beginning of March is the best time to carry out this procedure at home. For transplantation, it is necessary to take a container 2-3 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. Lemon is planted in a nutrient mixture of leafy, humus soil with the addition of rotted leaves in equal proportions. You can also use the usual garden soil if you add horse manure to it in a ratio of 1: 3.
• Regular fertilization even for transplanted specimens. Plant nutrition at home is carried out from February to September. Fertilizers, which are rich in soil, lemon is enough for only a few months. The optimal nutrition of this plant at home consists of all the necessary trace elements that are part of complex fertilizers.

This top dressing is applied in liquid form, previously diluted with water. 1 gram of the substance is consumed per liter of water. When using a weakly concentrated top dressing, the risk of burning the roots of a lemon plant is reduced.

Many flower growers alternate mineral lemon dressings with preparations containing organic components.

Lemons can bloom at home in the first year of life. All flower buds are recommended to be removed. Flowering takes away all the strength and energy from the plant, as a result of which it can simply wither. Only a few flowers per lemon plant are allowed.

Only after a few years you can see the result of the effort and time spent. The lemon tree will fully bloom and begin to bear fruit. A home-grown lemon tree differs from a purchased specimen in its endurance to indoor growing conditions. In the future, such a plant will require the same care as, for example, geranium or ficus.

DATES OF BEGINNING OF LEMON PLANTS GROWN BY VARIOUS METHODS

We are often convinced that it is extremely easy to make plants grown from seed bear fruit. That regardless of whether you are the owner of a grafted plant grown from a cutting or a tree seed, you will still receive the first harvest no later than four years later. You are being deceived.

• Firstly, the period of entry into fruiting of citrus fruits grown different ways, are different.
• Secondly, the mere presence of a tree at home does not imply that it will bloom at all. Proper care, attention, the creation of optimal conditions for fruiting, top dressing, lighting, temperature conditions, microclimate and much, much more are required.

The timing of the onset of fruiting for various lemons is as follows:

• trees from seeds bloom in 8-10 years;
• citruses obtained by cuttings from earlier flowering tree will give the first fruits in 3-4 years;
• plants grafted by cuttings from a fruit-bearing tree may bloom the very next year after grafting;
• all these terms become irrelevant if the cutting for rooting or grafting is taken from a previously never fruiting adult plant.

The result of growing a lemon

Growing lemon for the purpose of obtaining good harvest, the process is long, but not difficult, if you follow all the rules described in our instructions. Take care and fertilize your tree, and it will thank you with excellent fruits.