Citrus care with goat. Secrets of growing different citrus fruits at home

Fruit indoor citrus s (Citrus), unlike homemade pineapples, are quite suitable for consumption. Moreover, they have a milder taste than the fruits of wild trees, and therefore are more preferable for allergy sufferers. Citrus fruits are bred at home because of their unique aroma that fills the room with freshness. If you don't have citrus at home yet, we recommend paying attention to this plant. Home care for citrus fruits is not difficult, and the result will exceed all your expectations. Well, oh useful properties citrus fruits and needless to say - this is an excellent plant for the prevention of colds.

Family: Root, light-loving, moderate moisture.

Many representatives of the genus Citrus are grown in room culture.

They grow quickly, bloom beautifully, and the fruits in most cases are tasty and healthy. These are mainly low-growing evergreen trees with a spreading crown and large emerald leaves with a glossy surface. When looking at them, a large number of small glands rich in essential oil can be seen. Each leaf lives for about 3 years and the growth and development of the entire plant, and the ripening of fruits, directly depend on their condition.

Fortunella has very elegant leaves, or nagami kumquat(Fortunella margarita) variety "Variegata" - green-white or green-yellow. Citrus flowers are medium-sized, white or creamy, arranged singly, in pairs or in small clusters. They may not be visible behind the abundant foliage, but the characteristic delicate and intense enough aroma will draw your attention to the plant. The fruits of different types of citrus are different. Everyone is familiar with ordinary bright yellow lemons with bumpy skin.

The largest and most delicious lemons in the indoor citrus plant "Ponderoza"(Citrus Limon Ponderosa), and the most productive - lemons Meyer(Citrus Limon Mejer).

The citron "Buddha's Hand" has very original fruits.

The earliest and most prolific of indoor citrus is mandarin, or citrus reticulate (Citrus reticulate). The fruits of this indoor citrus tree are small, orange-red with easily peeling skin, juicy sweetish pulp and no seeds at all.

And the spherical yellow or red fruits of the indoor orange (Citrus sinensis) with a dense peel and sweet and sour pulp ripen the longest (up to 9 months).

Citrus care at home

In winter, citrus fruits are kept in a bright, well-ventilated room at a temperature of + 4. + 8 ° C. Oranges are the most thermophilic of citrus fruits; they need a higher temperature, within the range of + 13 ... + 18 ° С. In summer, it is better to take plants outside and place them in the sun, in a place protected from drafts. When caring for citrus fruits, watering should be moderate, but regular; drying the earthen coma is not allowed. At the same time, good drainage is necessary so that there is no stagnation of water at the roots. During the heating season and on hot days, all these plants should be sprayed regularly. The formation of a beautiful crown is not so much an aesthetic requirement as a necessity to accelerate fruiting. Formative pruning and pinching is carried out throughout the year - after the appearance of 3-4 leaves, pinch the growing point.

Caring for indoor citrus fruits during the period of active growth involves feeding once every two weeks, if possible alternating mineral fertilizers with organic ones. The transplant is carried out by the method of transshipment in the spring: young plants are transplanted annually, at the age of 4-5 years - after a year, over five years - once every three years. A potting mix of turf, compost and sand (1: 1: 1) is best for planting citrus fruits. The described plants reproduce well by seeds, which are sown immediately after they are removed from the fruit. The prevailing opinion that "wild animals" grow from seeds has not been confirmed. It's just that plants propagated by seed begin to bear fruit after about 8 years. Citrus fruits obtained from cuttings enter the fruiting stage somewhat earlier. Cuttings are cut in March-April or at the end of June-in the first half of July, rooted in a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1) for three weeks at a temperature of +25 ° C.

Useful properties of indoor citrus trees

Citrus essential oils have a beneficial effect on the nervous system: they relieve neuropsychic stress, eliminate feelings of anxiety, help fight fatigue and depressed mood, promote concentration and improve memory. They relieve spastic pains, restore impaired blood circulation. It is also known their bactericidal effect in various inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. Citrus fruits and juice are rich in vitamins. And the plants themselves, especially at the time of flowering and fruiting, look very elegant and raise the mood.

Fruit crops occupy a special place among indoor plants, and the most common among them are numerous representatives of the genus Citrus. They are better than many other fruit crops adapted to indoor conditions: they grow quickly, form well, bloom profusely and bear fruit.

A citrus plant looks especially impressive, on which flowers and fruits are simultaneously present in varying degrees of ripeness.

The homeland of citruses is China, Japan, East India, Australia, where they are represented by evergreen trees (from 3 to 12 m high) or shrubs with thorns and dense leaves rich in essential oil.

Citrus flowers

Citruses bloom twice a year, medium-sized, but fragrant white or pink flowers... Citrus flowers produce fruits of various shapes, colors and tastes, rich in vitamins and microelements.

Types of citrus indoor plants

Citron (Citrus medica Citron)- is, along with two other ancient species, tangerine and pomelo, the progenitor of modern citrus fruits.

Currently, in room culture, you can find very interesting variety"Hand of Buddha". Citron fruits have a lot of zest and very little pulp.

Mandarin, or citrus net, unshiu (Citrus reticulate var. Unshiu)- the earliest species with abundant fruiting. In tub culture, it grows up to 1.5 m.

This type of citrus indoor plants has a spherical crown with slightly drooping branches without thorns, dark green oval-elongated leaves; white, highly fragrant flowers are arranged in pairs or small groups in the axils of the leaves. Fruits are medium-sized, pear-shaped, orange or orange-red, with easily peeling skin and juicy, sweetish pulp without seeds.

All types of indoor citrus plants are grown in winter garden or as tub plants. Miniature citrofortunella will feel great on a sunny windowsill.

Fortunella, or kumquat, "golden orange"(Fortunella margarita)- looks like a miniature orange. Fruit elongated shape with a sweetish peel. Variegata has striped green-white or green-yellow leaves.

Calamondin, or citrofortunella (Calamondin)- a hybrid of mandarin and fortunella. This type of indoor citrus is an ornamental rather than an edible plant.

It has compact size (up to 1 m in height), glossy dark green oval-pointed leaves and numerous small (up to 4 cm in diameter), round, yellow-orange fruits, bitter in taste and with a large number of seeds.

Photo of homemade lemon flowers

Homemade lemon (Citrus limon)- the most common species in room culture. This is an evergreen, undersized (up to 1.5 m), sprawling tree with thin but strong gray or reddish-purple shoots, long thorns (there are varieties without thorns) and large emerald leaves with a pointed end. Each leaf lives for about 3 years.

The development of not only the plant itself, but also individual fruits directly depends on their number and condition, since at least 10 healthy, actively functioning leaves are needed to ripen one lemon.

Homemade lemon flowers, as seen in the photo, are medium-sized, white or cream, arranged singly, in pairs or in small brushes.

They may not be visible behind the abundant foliage, but the characteristic gentle and intense enough aroma will not allow you to miss this wonderful period. Indoor lemons can bloom 2-3 times a year, and the ripening of fruits lasts several months, therefore, on one plant you can often see both fragrant flowers and fruits in varying degrees of ripening - from bright green to sunny yellow.

There are quite a lot of varieties bred specifically for indoor culture, including domestic selection.

In our photo gallery you can see photos of homemade lemon flowers of the most common varieties:

Lemon "Ponderosa"- unpretentious, but large variety with tasty, very large fruits with bumpy yellow skin; there are few fruits, but the plant can bloom up to 4 times a year, bears fruit from 6-7 years;

Lemon "Pavlovsky"- one of the oldest Russian varieties, medium-sized with large tasty fruits, bears fruit in the third year;

Lemon variety "Meyer1"- compact and fruitful, the fruits are very juicy, slightly bitter, with a thin orange-yellow skin, begins to bear fruit in the third year.

Caring for indoor citrus fruits at home

The secret of successful citrus cultivation is to provide them with relative peace in winter (in a bright, well-ventilated room at a temperature of + 4. + 8 ° C with moderate watering) and maximum illumination in summer (it is better to take it out into the open air, in a sunny place protected from drafts).

Heat-loving oranges require a higher winter temperature (+ 13… + 18 ° C). Watering in summer is also moderate, without overdrying the earthy coma and without stagnant water. For the formation of a beautiful citrus crown when leaving at home, pruning and pinching is performed - after the appearance of 3-4 leaves, pinch the growing point. The same method will also contribute to the acceleration of fruiting throughout the year.

During the period of active growth, the plants are fed once every two weeks, alternating mineral fertilizers with organic fertilizers, if possible. The transplant is carried out by the method of transshipment in the spring: young plants - annually, at the age of 4-5 years - once every 2 years, over five years - once every 3 years. Citruses reproduce well both by semi-lignified cuttings and by seeds. At seed method reproduction, fruiting occurs later than with cuttings.

Organize your home tropics - plant indoor citrus plants. They will diversify the interior and will delight you with delicious juicy fruits These plants have a special charm, because for us they are a manifestation of something exotic. V...

Organize your home tropics - plant indoor citrus plants. They will diversify the interior and delight you with delicious juicy fruits.

These plants have a special charm, because for us they are a manifestation of something exotic. V middle lane Citrus fruits in Russia cannot be seen on the street or in the park, this beauty is available only in indoor conditions... And even here they show their rather capricious disposition, and above all this concerns wintering. This is the most difficult period for lemons and oranges, not everyone can survive it. What do citrus fruits need in general and in winter in particular?

Lighting

The number one task is to provide plants with sufficient lighting, because they are very photophilous (they should only be protected from the midday summer sun).

The most optimal is to place exotic plants on the south-east or south-west windows, and in the summer - in the garden, under the light shade of trees. V winter time it is desirable to provide "pets" with additional intense lighting so that the daylight hours are at least 12 hours. If there is not enough light, the plant, alas, will not be able to fully develop.

For the summer, it is advisable to take citrus plants into the garden and be sure to put them in a sunny place.

Cool wintering

The second condition for good growth of bright exotics is a decrease in temperature in winter to 12-16 C. In the absence of cool wintering, citrus fruits usually do not live longer than 3-4 years, gradually deplete and die. The rest of the southerners lasts from November to February. In early - mid-February, when the day begins to increase, most citrus crops wake up and grow.

Winter garden or greenhouse heated to 3–12 ° C - ideal places for wintering Calamondin:

And clementine:

Fruits hang on branches all winter and begin to ripen only in spring.

Watering

Harvest is impossible, and plant life in general without the correct irrigation regime. Do not allow too long breaks between watering, during which "pets" suffer from an excess of moisture, then from a lack. Citrus representatives of the flora should be "watered" so that the substrate in the pots never dries out and is moderately moist to the very bottom.

During the period of active growth in spring and summer, especially in dry and hot weather, this means that the watering can should be handled daily! In winter, it is necessary to check every 2-3 days how wet the substrate is, and, if necessary, water the exotic.

Pest control

If you water your plants properly, they don't experience stress. And this is very important, since this negative factor reduces the resistance of your pets to attacks of pests such as spider mites and scale insects. Fight them with special means protection for residential use. Later, you can safely use the fruits for food, since the active ingredients usually disintegrate within a few weeks. But a healthy plant, which is properly watered and from March to October weekly (the rest of the time 2 times a month) is fed with fertilizers for citrus fruits, is able to withstand enemies itself.

Black plaque is a consequence of the vital activity of the scale insects. Pests secrete a sticky secret on which a sooty fungus settles. To get rid of the misfortune, spray the plant with this solution: dilute 20 ml of vodka in 1 liter of water and liquid soap... Wipe the leaves with a soft cloth.

And one more good news: caring for all citrus plants, regardless of the type and variety, is, by and large, not much different. Once you figure it out, you can literally reap even the most exotic fruits, such as citron.

Such different citrus fruits

Citron, or citrus (Citrus medica), has the largest citrus fruits. Get from the peel essential oil, which is used to flavor drinks, confectionery and culinary products.

Three-leaf poncirus (Poncirus trifoliata) is one of the most cold-resistant citrus fruits: it can withstand temperatures as low as –20 ° C. You can harvest its beautiful, but juicy fruits from September.

Common lemon (Citrus limon) ‘Variegata’ is a real delight for both the eyes and the stomach. The flesh of its striped fruit is very juicy and pleasantly sour in taste.

Lemons ripen all year round. Therefore, you can pick organic fruits whenever you want and use them in food with the zest.

The hand of Buddha is the so-called citron (Citrus medica) ‘Digitata’, the fruits of which are distinguished by a bizarre shape and a very fragrant rind.

Oranges (Citrus sinensis), such as the ‘Ovale Calabrese’, taste sweet, even if they are grown in our latitudes.

Oranges (Citrus sinensis) ‘Vainiglia’ have a particularly delicate taste.

Fortunella oval, or kumquat, or golden orange (Fortunella margarita), leaves no one indifferent: some simply adore it, while others feel real disgust.

After all, its small fruits are eaten whole, that is, the zest is not removed. Their peel is sweet, and the flesh is sour - together they form an incomparable combination.

Wealthy aristocrats have been growing southern citrus plants since the 17th century for their own needs, as well as wishing to surprise their guests with rare fruits. Greenhouses were built for bright thermophilic exotics: rooms with large windows, later - whole buildings made of glass, which were heated with wood, which was very expensive.

The orange ( Citrus aurantium), or bitter orange (citrus aficionados and gourmets still appreciate the 'Fasciata' orange with its bright yellow-orange striped fruit to this day). By the way, classic English orange jam is made from the pulp and strips of orange peel.

Tips and Secrets

When to prune citrus fruits?

Pruning shears can be taken from March to August, shortening shoots that are too long. Trimming the tops of the shoots makes the crown thicker and stimulates fruit formation.

Why do citrus fruits often shed many ovaries?

Young plants are not able to "feed" all the fruits until they are fully ripe. That is why they shed excess ovaries. This is a completely natural process, since then the remaining fruits grow to normal size and become the most fragrant.

By what signs can you determine that the fruits are ripe?

If the fruit is slightly rolled, it will easily separate from the branch when fully ripe. You need to make an effort to tear it off It's too early to shoot.

What if the citrus plant doesn't want to bloom?

For the formation of flowers, the tub with the "pet" for the summer must be taken out into the garden and placed in a sunny place. By the way, citrus fruits bloom and bear fruit from the age of 4.

Growing citrus crops in our climate is not easy, but enjoyable. Planting and transplanting citrus plants, about which there will be a speech in this article.

The best utensils for growing citrus fruits indoors are clay pots, wooden boxes, wooden barrels. The dishes must be well drained so that water does not stagnate in it. The best, of course, are pottery pots, which, in addition to the drainage hole at the bottom, have porous walls. Excess water flows through the drainage hole during excessive watering, and the soil is well ventilated through the pores.

Water pots and plastic pots are considered inferior because there are no pores in their walls. Wooden barrels (boxes) have the disadvantage that they can quickly rot, but when growing large plants you cannot do without them. Inexperienced citrus growers plant plants in buckets, glassware, on the days of which there are no holes and no air passes through the walls. In such dishes, very often, especially with excessive soil moisture, the plant suffocates and gets wet.

Growing citrus fruits indoors, they need to be transplanted into other dishes from time to time. bigger size... The dishes should be of such a size that the root system of the plant is freely placed in it. The opinion of inexperienced gardeners that a small plant is planted in a large pot will quickly enter fruiting - false, the plant will grow violently (fatten), and the entry into fruiting will be delayed.

In addition, in a large bowl, the underdeveloped root system does not master (does not penetrate) the entire soil, as a result of which the irrigation water is not completely used by the plant and stagnates, which leads to acidification of the soil. This is often seen when the ground is heavy and poorly ventilated. Young roots, having penetrated over time to a layer of such soil, get sick, so the plant stops growing, the leaves turn yellow and gradually crumble. Therefore, if the soil is not urgently replaced, the plant may die.

Practical experience of specialists shows that young vigorous plants should be transplanted into larger dishes annually, and plants that have already entered fruiting once every 2-3 years, perennial fruiting plants - once every 5-6 years.

In order to make it easier and more convenient to transplant plants, pots, boxes and even barrels are made cone-shaped (narrower from below than at the top). Annual plants it is best to grow in pots with a diameter of 20-25 cm in the upper part, 2-3-year-olds -25-30 cm, 4-year-olds - 30-35 cm, and 6-10-year-old plants are grown in pots with a diameter of 35-40 cm or in barrels with a diameter of 40-45 cm.

A guideline that indicates that the plant needs to be transplanted from a smaller dish to a larger one is the appearance of the tips of the roots in the hole in the bottom of the pot.

The best potting soil mixtures for citrus fruits

When growing citrus crops indoors, it is very great importance has soil. It must contain a sufficient amount nutrients, be of light texture, water and air permeable, have a neutral or slightly acidic reaction (pH 6.5).

Heavy in texture clay soil it compresses strongly, dries up, cracks and tears the roots of the plant, and due to excessive moisture of such soil, the roots suffocate and get wet. Too heavy soil in pots is the main cause of homoz disease.

Soils that contain a lot of lime are also unsuitable: root poisoning occurs. Plants do not develop well when the soil is very acidic (peaty, podzolic). The roots of citrus plants absolutely cannot withstand peat and saline soils. Unsuitable and too light texture of the soil. They let water through very quickly and do not retain nutrients, so the plants in them starve.

V natural conditions it is impossible to find such a soil that would fully meet the requirements of citrus crops when grown in limited conditions. Therefore, for growing citrus fruits in room conditions, a soil mixture is prepared from sod land, deciduous soil, rotted manure and river sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1. In such a soil mixture, plants grow and bear fruit well for regular watering and feeding. In order to properly prepare the soil mixture, it is necessary to know the characteristics of its constituent components.

• Sod land Is the most important component nutritious soil mixture ( garden land). It is prepared by laying cut layers of sod for decomposition into compost. It is best harvested where perennial legumes or meadow grasses grew, especially where there was grass.

When cutting the sod, the thickness of its layer should be no more than 10-15 cm. During the compilation of the pile, the layer is laid with the grass down. After decomposition, such soil will be rich in organic matter and have a neutral reaction. After 6-8 months after repeated shoveling, the earth is sown through a sieve and used for its intended purpose.

• Deciduous land- it is obtained from rotting collected in heaps of leaves woody plants... In order for the leaves to rot well and completely mineralize, they are kept in piles, shoveled several times, avoiding overdrying. The nutritional properties of deciduous soil depend on what species the leaves are harvested from and how long such land is preserved. The best leafy soil is obtained from the decay of beech, linden, maple leaves, the worst is obtained from horse chestnut leaves.

Often in the forest in the early spring period, under the crowns of well-developed trees, a layer of soil 6-8 cm deep is removed along with fallen leaves and all this mass is piled under open air... Over the summer, shovel several times, if necessary, moisturize. In the fall, such land will be ready for use. It is passed through a sieve and then used. Deciduous soil is usually neutral. All types of deciduous soil are considered poor in nutrients.

• Humus- this is manure that rotted well. The best is horse humus. Used in small quantities as organic fertilizer.
• Sand- an integral part of a large number of soil mixtures. As a rule, it is used to create tighter soil mixtures. It is recommended to use river sand, because it consists of fractions of various sizes - grains of sand. When compiling soil mixtures, it is better to take the medium and coarse fraction of river sand.

Types of citrus indoor plants

Citron (Citrus medica Citron) - along with two other ancient species, mandarin and pomelo, is the progenitor of modern citrus fruits.

Currently in room culture you can find a very interesting variety "Buddha's Hand". Citron fruits have a lot of zest and very little pulp.

Mandarin, or citrus net, unshiu (Citrus reticulate var. Unshiu) is the earliest species with abundant fruiting. In tub culture, it grows up to 1.5 m.

This type of citrus indoor plants has a spherical crown with slightly drooping branches without thorns, dark green oval-elongated leaves; white, highly fragrant flowers are arranged in pairs or small groups in the axils of the leaves. Fruits are medium-sized, pear-shaped, orange or orange-red, with easily peeling skin and juicy, sweetish pulp without seeds.

All types of indoor citrus plants are grown in a winter garden or as tub plants. Miniature citrofortunella will feel great on a sunny windowsill.

Fortunella, or kumquat, "golden orange" (Fortunella margarita) - looks like a miniature orange. Fruits are elongated with a sweetish peel. Variegata has striped green-white or green-yellow leaves

Calamondin, or citrofortunella (Calamondin) - a hybrid of mandarin and fortunella. This type of indoor citrus is an ornamental rather than an edible plant.

It has compact size (up to 1 m in height), glossy dark green oval-pointed leaves and numerous small (up to 4 cm in diameter), round, yellow-orange fruits, bitter in taste and with a large number of seeds.

How to transplant correctly?

It is very important to correctly plant (transplant) a citrus plant. Cook the dishes before planting. The drainage hole in the bottom of the dishes is closed with a convex shard, side up, so that drainage material does not spill through the hole, and excess water flows freely. Then, drainage material is poured onto the bottom of the dishes with a layer of 2-4 cm. Most often, coarse-grained river sand is used for this, you can also gravel, pebbles. A layer of soil mixture is poured over the drainage.

Before planting, the roots of seedlings are carefully examined, if there are damaged or broken roots, they are removed with a sharp pruner or shortened to an intact place. It is advisable to trim the tips of the roots a little, this prevents them from rotting, helps to accelerate the formation of callus and restore growth.

On a thin layer of soil mixture, which is poured onto the bottom of the dishes, place root system plants, evenly spreading the roots in different sides, and gradually fall asleep with soil mixture, while shaking the plant to fill the air gaps between the roots. The soil is carefully compacted with the fingers of both hands to the roots and walls of the dishes so that the plant is well fixed and there are no air gaps between the roots.

The root collar of the plant should be at the level of the soil surface. The dishes are not completely filled with soil, but 2-3 cm are left to its upper edge so that watering can be carried out.

The planted plants are watered with plenty of water and placed in a warm shaded place from direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks, watered regularly, and the crown is sprayed with water. Such care for the transplanted plants will contribute to their better engraftment and restoration of the growth of the aboveground part.

Distinguish between transplanting and transshipment of plants. When transplanting, the plant is transferred from one place of cultivation to another (from one dish to another) without soil. This work should be done in early spring before the start of sap flow. In the case when, during transplantation, the plant loses a significant part of the roots and the remaining roots cannot fully provide the aerial part with moisture and nutrients, to restore the balance between the aerial part and the root system, it is necessary to prune the plant crown. At the same time, branches are removed that thicken the crown, grow in the middle of the crown, and the remaining branches are shortened by a third of their length.

When transferring a plant from a container of smaller volume to larger plants They are taken out of the cramped dishes and, trying not to disturb the main root layer of the soil (lumps), they are placed in a bowl of larger volume, the soil mixture is poured and gradually compacted, leaving room for irrigation water. At the same time, there is no need to prune the aerial part, since the root is not damaged and is almost not lost. Plant handling can be done at any time of the year.

Watering and spraying citrus plants

Timely and correct watering citrus plants, which are cultivated indoors, are essential to ensure their normal growth, development and regular fruiting.

Citrus moisture is needed to dissolve soil nutrients and transform them into a form accessible to plants, transport these substances from the soil through the root system to the aboveground part.

Citrus fruits especially require a lot of moisture for transpiration (evaporation), which occurs when the organic mass of plants is created. It is known that due to moisture evaporation, plants not only regulate their nutritional and water regime, but also normalize their temperature.

Lack of moisture in the soil leads to the death of delicate active roots, which in turn causes yellowing and shedding of the leaves, and if this continues for several days, then the entire plant dries out.

It should also be remembered that excess moisture in the soil negatively affects the general condition of the grown plants. Often inexperienced amateur citrus growers ask why the leaves on the plant wither and young shoots droop when the soil in the dishes in which, for example, lemon grows, is sufficiently moist and even waterlogged. They do not take into account the fact that for the normal functioning of the root system, any plant (not only citrus) must be provided with both nutrients and moisture, and air for breathing the roots.

When the soil is waterlogged, an excessive amount of water displaces air from it and disrupts both the normal respiration of the roots and the course of microbiological processes in the soil, and this, in turn, inhibits the mineralization of nutrients and their transformation into an easily accessible form for plants.

Excessive waterlogging of the soil, especially in winter, can lead to acidification. In this case, the plant should be rearranged in a warm place, so that excess moisture will sooner evaporate from the waterlogged soil. When it happened that the soil in the dishes was already nitrous and the leaves began to turn yellow, the plant urgently needs to be transplanted and freed from the sour soil. If, during transplantation, it turns out that there are already dead roots, then their dead part is cut out with a sharp pruner to healthy non-dead tissues, and the plants are placed in a bowl of slightly smaller volume and covered with fresh soil mixture.

The aerial part of such a plant is accordingly reduced by pruning in order to restore the correlations between it and the root system, which were disturbed by the loss of some of the roots. The more the roots are cut, the more the branches of the crown should be shortened. Plants transplanted in this way are watered moderately and placed in a place shaded from the sun for engraftment.

The need for watering can be determined by the condition of the soil in the dishes: for sufficient moisture, it has dark color and not compacted, but when the soil dries up, it acquires a gray tint and becomes dense.

There is another way to determine your watering needs. It is necessary to take a lump of soil and when it crumbles from light pressing, then you need to water, and if the lump does not crumble when you press on it, watering is not needed.

The frequency of watering the plants depends on the size of the dishes, the age and size of the plants, the quality of the soil mixture (density), the temperature and humidity in the room, the season, and the state of the plant. In summer, those plants that grow in small containers are watered daily or twice a day, in large boxes - once every 2-3 days, and in tubs - once every 4-5 days. So, the smaller the crockery, the faster the soil dries out in it and you need to water it more often. During the period of growth and flowering, plants require a lot of moisture and this should also be taken into account when watering.

In winter, lemons are watered less often, and those that grow in small containers or are placed on a windowsill, where the air is warm and dry, are watered daily. As spring approaches, when the ambient temperature rises significantly, so that the plants do not suffer from a lack of water, they are watered more often.

It is very important to set the watering rate. It should be remembered that the water should soak all the soil in the dishes, and not just it. upper layer... It should be noted: if during planting or transplanting the plant, the soil mixture is prepared correctly (it is fertile, structural and loose), then watering is not difficult. Irrigation water is poured over the entire surface of the soil and it is absorbed by it without delay. With a sufficient watering rate, drops of irrigation water appear in the drainage hole in the bottom of the dishes. This means that the soil is sufficiently moist.

When the soil is not structural, but heavy and dense, then the irrigation water is absorbed by the soil very slowly and first flows down the inner walls of the dishes. Water can appear in the drainage hole even when the entire root layer of the soil remains dry. In this case, watering should be carried out in small portions of water and longer, until the water penetrates into the root layer of the soil.

If water is absorbed by the soil very slowly during watering, then watering should be done in a different way. The pot with the plant is placed in a wide vessel, into which a certain volume of water is poured. Irrigation water by this method of irrigation penetrates into the roots through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot, by suction. When the irrigation water is completely absorbed by the soil, which is in the pot, but its top layer remains dry, then irrigation water should be added to the dishes.

In the case when the top layer of soil in the pot is wet, but water remains in the vessel, this indicates, however, that the root layer of soil is sufficiently moistened. Then the pot with the plant is removed from the dishes, and the excess water is drained. During repeated watering of the same plant, you can already roughly know the watering rate. It should be remembered that excessive watering leads to the leaching of dissolved mineral salts and depletion of the soil.

What kind of water is needed to irrigate citrus plants?

It is best to use a clean fresh water: rain, snow or river. When using water from the water supply network, it is necessary to defend it or boil it for a day, or simply stand it in a place illuminated by the sun in a wide container in order to reduce the content of chlorine and other disinfectants harmful to plants in it.

Tap and well water often contains various mineral salts. With the systematic use of such water for irrigation, after a few months, the soil in the dishes is saturated with harmful salts (like scale that appears on the walls of a kettle when water is systematically boiled in it). This gives the soil an alkaline reaction.

On the surface of the soil and along the edges of the pot, salt crystals or white-yellow bloom... In such cases, plants lose the ability to normally absorb the necessary nutrients and lag behind in growth, begin to hurt, so they should be transplanted and the soil mixture in the dishes should be replaced. Therefore, tap water and well (hard) water must be boiled before using for watering plants.

The temperature of the irrigation water should be 2-3 ° C higher than the air temperature in the room where the plants are located. For watering citrus fruits, it is not advisable to use either cold water, nor very warm, because in both cases delicate roots die off, the condition of the plants deteriorates.

For economical use moisture, the soil in the dishes must be loosened at least once a decade. This reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil and improves its air regime.

Citrus plants are native to the subtropical zone, so they are demanding on both soil moisture and air humidity. When growing such plants in indoor conditions, the air should not be very dry (humidity not lower than 70-75%), but in most cases it is not only dry, but also hot, so the plants need to be periodically sprayed with clean water. This can be done with a hand spray that housewives use when ironing their clothes.

Spraying citrus plants with water is best done in the evening or in the morning. In clear sunny weather, especially when the plants are in a sunlit place, they should not be sprayed during the day. This can cause burns, especially on young leaves and shoots. When spraying plants, water on the leaves and bark of the shoots settles in the form of drops, especially when the plants are covered with dust, and Sun rays, passing through a drop, which is a lens, refracts, resulting in burns, sometimes quite severe, appear on the bark and leaves.

Winter content

Species originating from the subtropics require a mandatory decrease in temperature in winter, this is their physiological need. Illumination and temperature of the content affect the degree of plant metabolism: the higher they are, the more actively the vital processes proceed. The hardest time for citrus crops at home comes from the end of autumn, when the amount of light drops sharply. It is through light that the plant receives energy in the process of photosynthesis. If little energy is produced (in conditions of a lack of light), but a lot is spent (in a warm room), the plant gradually depletes, sometimes "eats" itself and dies. In our winter conditions, even the lightest window sill does not provide the insolation that the plant receives in its homeland, therefore, citrus fruits in winter, with any backlighting, will always suffer from a lack of light. To help them survive the winter successfully, it is necessary to lower the temperature of the content and increase the illumination.

An insulated loggia or greenhouse with a temperature of about + 14 ° C and additional lighting is suitable for wintering (in cloudy weather - during the whole day, in clear weather only - in the evenings, so that the total daylight hours are 12 hours). Citrus fruits winter well in cool apartments or private houses. In a warm apartment, you can fence off the window sill from the room with a third frame or film so that a lower temperature is established inside.

In the absence of cool wintering, citrus plants usually do not live longer than 3-4 years, they gradually deplete and die. Rest lasts from November to February. In early to mid-February, when the day is noticeably increasing, most citrus crops "wake up".

Content temperature

Temperatures that are too low or too high inhibit the normal development of citrus plants. In summer, it is desirable that the temperature be kept within + 18 + 26оС, in winter, coolness is needed, + 12 + 16оС. Never expose the plant to freezing temperatures.

Different parts of the plant (roots and crown) must be in the same temperature conditions. If the temperature in the zone of the root system is lower than in the zone of the crown, the roots do not have time to absorb the right amount water. Otherwise, the roots absorb too much of it. Such differences lead to stress and can cause leaf fall in the plant. At the floor, the temperature is always several degrees lower than at the crown level, so it is better to put the plant on a small stand. If the room has warm floors, there is a risk of overheating for the root system.

In spring and summer, it is useful to put citrus fruits on the balcony or take them out into the garden, where they grow and bloom beautifully. However, the pots need to be shaded from the sun. Through the heated walls of the pots, the roots get burned, the temperature balance of the roots and foliage is disturbed.

When the plant returns to the room in autumn, abundant leaf fall is often observed due to a sharp change in conditions. To avoid it, you should not wait for a strong cold snap and turn on the heating systems, but bring the plant in early. Then there will not be a large difference in temperature and humidity. You should also take care that the illumination does not drop too much.

Citrus crops originated from South-East Asia: in the tropical zone it is warm almost all year round, only in winter there is a slight decrease in temperature, in addition, the plants are constantly in good light conditions and high humidity... Create houses ideal conditions for indoor citrus plants it is quite difficult, but possible: if done correctly, they will become a real decoration of the windowsill and will even bear fruit several times a year. What are the features of the citrus content, and what are the most common crops?

Many indoor citrus crops are capable of blooming several times a year.

However, in winter, it is advisable to lower the temperature in the room a little: since the length of the sunny day decreases, the plant suffers from a lack of sunlight... Due to the large energy loss, it will look depleted, leaf fall is often observed. In order to avoid unnecessary energy consumption, it is necessary either to provide additional artificial illumination of the required spectrum, or to lower the temperature in the room.

Citrus indoor crops have several more cultivation features:

• All of them are very fond of sunlight - it is recommended to place them on the south and east windows. If you want to plant citrus fruits, they must be well lit, you can plant them in the partial shade of other plants. Lack of light quickly depletes the plant, and it can die.
• The optimum temperature of the content is +18 degrees with an air humidity of up to 70%. It is difficult to provide such conditions in the room, therefore, the plant is desirable with regular warm water. Without a seasonal drop in temperature and a dormant period, citrus fruits live no more than 3-4 years, so they need to be harvested from November to February for the winter.
• Citrus fruits love water: they should be regular and abundant. However, in order to prevent root rotting, it is necessary to let the soil dry out between waterings, and during the dormant period, the plant is watered no more than once a week.

These are just the basic rules for growing citrus fruits, each crop has its own special requirements for the content. Let's take a closer look at the most common citrus indoor plants.

Indoor tangerines can be dwarf or common varieties: this plant has long been used for growing in a greenhouse and on a windowsill. Mandarin can be grown in the form of a bonsai - this is a special technology of formation dwarf bush allowing you to get miniature tree that will bloom and bear fruit.

Mandarin is popular for its beautiful green leaves, white flowers with a pleasant smell, and fragrant fruits that can hang from the branches for several months.

The fruits of indoor tangerine have only decorative value: they are not worth eating because of their too sour taste. Improve the taste of mono fruit with breeding work with several plants, however, it will take a very long time to develop a new variety. Taking care of indoor tangerine is not too difficult, you need to comply with several basic requirements:

• Regular, but not over-watering. The more leaves a plant has, the more actively they evaporate moisture, the required amount of water depends on this. In an apartment, a mandarin is desirable regularly, since the plant suffers from constantly dry air.
• Regular feeding with mineral soluble. Mandarin especially needs a lot of nutrients in spring, before starting - at this time it is carried out with a solution of fertilizers 1-2 times a week. Do not exceed the dosage: a large dose of fertilizers cannot be absorbed by the plant, and they can ruin.
• ... If you purchased not a room, but a regular variety. The growth of several large branches should not be allowed: their tips are regularly pinched in order to achieve the appearance of lateral processes.
• On young plants, flowers and ovaries need to be controlled: the fewer fruits the plant has, the larger they will be, so excess ovaries must be removed in time. First, only one ovary is left, the next year the number of fruits can be increased.

Constant care will make the tangerine strong and beautiful: it will decorate your home with dense foliage and gorgeous orange fruits with a pleasant smell. Growing a tangerine on a windowsill does not require much hassle: adherence to the basic principles of care will already allow you to quickly achieve good growth.

Growing oranges

At home, an orange can be grown from a seed obtained from the most common commercial fruit. In nature, this plant is a medium-sized tree up to 7 meters high, indoor orange can reach 3 meters in height. You can grow it not only with seeds, but also if one of your friends already has an adult plant at home.

When planted with seeds, an orange begins to bloom and bear fruit no earlier than after 7-10 years, growing a plant from a cuttings is much faster.

The conditions for growing a homemade orange are approximately the same as for other citrus crops: the plant needs a lot of light, regular watering and, however, it is undesirable to loosen it often - this can seriously damage the roots.

In growing an orange from a seed, you must observe correct sequence actions:

• This will require a mixture of peat with fertile soil, it is placed in small pots. For planting, it is advisable to take seeds from several fully ripe fruits, the seeds must have the correct shape.
• They are planted in the soil at a distance of 5 cm from each other, the depth of planting seeds is about 1 cm. After about two weeks, sprouts will appear.
• Of all the sprouts, only the strongest should be left. An mi-greenhouse is equipped for them: the plants are covered glass jar to ensure sufficient temperature and humidity underneath. To ensure ventilation, the can must be removed for half an hour every day.
• As soon as the sprouts have a few true leaves, they are transplanted into separate pots and placed on a well-lit windowsill. A second one will be required when the height of the plant reaches 20 cm, from about this time it will already be necessary to form a crown.

As with the homemade tangerine, the fruit of the indoor orange is predominantly decorative. When propagated by seeds, due to cross-pollination, the fruit will not be the same as that of the parent plant. When growing oranges in greenhouses, breeders choose seeds from among the sweetest and delicious fruits to pass on such qualities to the next plant in inheritance, but this is a long, long-term work.

It is better not to transfer a home-made orange from place to place; it can react to changing conditions by dropping its leaves. For him, a spacious, well-lit window sill is immediately chosen and conditions for stable good growth are provided.

Calamondin is a dwarf citrus tree, most of all reminiscent of a small tangerine with bright small fruits. Its advantage is its small size: it is easy to find a place for such a plant on the windowsill, and at the same time you do not have to worry about regular pruning of the crown. Calamondin requires approximately the same conditions as other citrus fruits, but still there are several important nuances in its cultivation.

Calamondin - light-loving indoor plant, however, it does not like direct, but diffused sunlight.

In summer, it feels comfortable on the south and east sides; in winter, it can be transferred to the windowsill on the north side of the house. If there is not enough light for calamondin, it will grow very slowly without flowering or fruiting. During the summer months, it can be taken out to Fresh air, it can be put in partial shade for a while.

The plant requires a regular abundant in the summer months, and in the winter it is sufficient to water it once a week. For wintering, it is advisable to move it to a cool room - the dormant period helps the plant to restore strength and prepare for new flowering and fruiting.

Calamondin reproduces in two main ways - and. Seed reproduction- too long way, fruiting will have to wait for several years. You can propagate a plant much faster using cuttings, this work is carried out as follows:

• Cuttings are young shoots, on which at least 2-3 buds must be present. They are cut from an adult plant and placed in a nutrient solution for a while.
• When the cutting has its own young roots, it is transplanted into the ground. The optimal soil mixture consists of peat and flower land, they need to be mixed well in a 1: 1 ratio.
• The stalk is covered with a glass jar to create heat and humidity. To change the air in a mini-greenhouse, the jar needs to be cleaned once a day for half an hour.
• As soon as the cuttings have their first leaves of their own, the jar can be removed, after which the calamondin is grown as a regular indoor citrus plant.

At proper care the plant will bear fruit every year, the bright fruits look beautiful among the thick dark green leaves. You should not eat pods, they will turn out to be too sour or even bitter.

Growing grapefruit at home is not as difficult as it might seem. With the correct formation of the crown, the height of the plant in indoor conditions does not exceed 1.5-2 meters, it will look very beautiful thanks to the dark leaves on especially curved petioles. Indoor grapefruit varieties are capable of producing juicy and quite tasty fruits, and their weight can reach 400 grams.

Grapefruit - light-loving plant, he needs enough sunlight and free space.

It is suitable for growing not only in an apartment, but also in an office, in a greenhouse or on an insulated loggia. Grapefruit does not like cold weather, even short-term frosts can cause serious harm to it, so you can keep it outdoors only in the summer months.

Watering the plant:

• Grapefruit requires regular watering in the warm season, while the water should not stagnate in the pot - equip the bottom with a drainage layer of expanded clay.
• To provide normal humidity air, the plant must be constantly sprayed from a spray bottle.
• In winter, the plant is removed to a room with a lower temperature and less illumination; during the dormant period, it is enough to water it only 2 times a month.

Young plants are transplanted annually; for adult grapefruits, the replacement of the soil substrate should be carried out at least once every 5-6 years. During the period of active and fruiting, the plant is fed with a complex, for example, "Rainbow".

Grapefruit - the best way for home growing from a seed. Regular seeds from ripe fruits they quickly germinate and take root well, the plant can begin to bear fruit as early as the fourth year when creating for it comfortable conditions... It is important to provide him with a sufficient amount of sunlight: if there is not enough illumination, growth slows down and a curvature of the trunk is observed. If it is not possible to put the plant on the southern or eastern windowsill, you need to purchase a special fluorescent lamp for indoor flowers. Care and maintenance will result in regular fruiting and beautiful, abundant flowering.

Growing citron

Citron is a rarer citrus plant; it is grown indoors only for its decorative qualities. Citron has large yellow fruits that look beautiful against the background of dark green leaves. In indoor conditions, the plant reaches a height of 1.5 meters.

The most interesting decorative variety the finger citron is considered - it is also called the "Hand of Buddha".

He is interesting unusual shape fruits - outwardly they most resemble a bunch of bananas. Such a citron begins to bear fruit already in the third year after planting. This plant is among the light-loving, even during the dormant period, it should be in a well-lit room. In summer, citron needs abundant regular; with dry indoor air, it is placed in a pan with water or regularly sprayed with a spray bottle.

Citron can also be planted with seedlings: the first option is longer, the fruits will have to wait for more than 5 years. During reproduction, it is possible to obtain a plant that completely copies the parental traits; you can plant a citron at home with the largest and most fragrant fruits. It is not difficult to grow citrus fruits at home, and they will quickly turn into one of the main decorations of the windowsill. While providing good conditions any citrus plant will quickly bloom and bear fruit.

More information can be found in the video.