Grow lemon can be done both from the handle and from bone... From an ordinary fruit bought in a store, you need to remove the bones, select the largest ones, treat them with a root formation stimulant and plant. Small cups with a volume of 100 ml are well suited for this, you just need to make a hole in them to drain the soil and under the soil layer, be sure to put expanded clay, vermoculite or other drainage. After a few months, we will choose the strongest of the seedlings and transplant it into a small pot. Now you have your own lemon! But here's a riddle - how to make the plant bear fruit? Citrus fruits require quite anxious care, and the conditions in city apartments are far from ideal for them. If you let the process go by itself, you will drink tea with homemade lemons in 10-15 years. However, with careful care, the waiting period for the first harvest can be reduced to 5 years.
First, the plant must have a properly formed crown. To do this, young branches are pinched several times to turn the only fast-growing shoot into a neat dense bush. The first pinching is done immediately after planting in the pot. Only with a sufficient number of leaves can the lemon be able to energetically ensure flowering and growth of fruits.
Secondly, citrus fruits are native to Southeast Asia. They require imitation of the temperature regime, humidity and illumination of their historical homeland.
Temperature conditions. Lemon is a subtropical plant, so you should not strive to bring the conditions of its maintenance closer to a steam bath. In summer, he feels quite comfortable at a temperature of + 20 ° C, especially on the street. But in winter, a period of rest in cooler conditions is desirable. It will not be possible to create the necessary + 10-14 ° С in city apartments. If possible, take the plant out to a glazed balcony or veranda if it's not too cold. You can leave the plant on the windowsill of an uninsulated window. A lemon that is not rested during the winter period will bloom and bear fruit poorly, as it will break its annual rhythm.
Lighting. All citrus fruits are light-requiring. Bright diffused light is ideal for a young plant. For permanent residence, a window sill on the south or east side is suitable. However, even in the brightest place in winter, the plant needs to be additionally illuminated, bringing the daylight hours to 12 hours. It is better if it is a special phytolamp, at worst - a fluorescent lamp with a reflector. Remember how the dumplings display cases in grocery stores are lit? This is the effect that needs to be achieved. To ensure that all parts of the plant receive enough solar energy, slowly rotate the pot on its axis, about a quarter of a turn per week.
Humidity. Lemon does not like abundant watering and swampy soil, but sufficient air humidity is vital for it. If you have a humidifier at home, use it. If not, pay enough attention to spraying the plant. This must be done at least 2 times a day. You can also place a wide container of water for evaporation next to the flower pot. Cover batteries with a damp cloth.
Watering. In summer, the plant needs daily, but moderate watering. Avoid drying out or waterlogging the soil.The pot should have a hole and a good drainage layer - expanded clay and river sand. In winter, it is enough to water twice a week (as we remember - a rest period).
Transfer. Lemon does not like changes in scenery (moving the pot, frequent transplants). But if your goal is to get a harvest, then this point should be adjusted. In order for the plant to begin bearing fruit as early as 4-5 years from planting the seed, it must be transplanted twice a year - in February and June. Each new pot should be 3-4 cm larger in diameter than the previous one, since both the crown and the root system grow very quickly. The entire clod of earth is not removed from the root system so as not to damage it. Just add fresh soil to the pot.
Preparing the soil for transplanting. A young plant is very much in need of nutrients. Here is a soil recipe that meets our goals: 1 part rotted linden or maple leaves, 1 part turf soil, and 1 part dung.
Top dressing. Even such a nutritious soil and frequent transplants will not provide the plant with everything it needs for more than six months. Therefore, lemon must be fertilized with both mineral and organic compounds, alternating between them. In the summer, fertilizers are applied to the soil every 7-10 days and only in liquid form. This achieves maximum digestibility and reduces the risk of harming delicate roots. From organic fertilizers, give preference to weak infusions of mullein or bird droppings. It is useful to add a two-week infusion of nettle to the irrigation water. In the fourth year after planting the seed, add the infusion of eggshell to this list.
Ringing. When the lemon is already four years old, there is a well-formed crown, you need to drag the trunk with copper wire at the very base of the plant, slightly cutting through the bark. Remove the ring after 6-12 months, treat the trace on the trunk with garden varnish and cover with electrical tape. Thanks to this manipulation, an influx is formed at the site of the ringing with a supply of nutrients necessary for flowering and the formation of ovaries.
If you follow these conditions closely, your lemon will reward you with the first fruits within 5 years after planting the seed. It is noted that a plant “nurtured” in a city apartment is much less capricious than its greenhouse and hothouse counterparts.
When your tree begins to bloom and bear fruit, control the number of ovaries. One fruit must have at least 25 leaves, otherwise the plant will be depleted. In the first year of fruiting, it is advisable to keep 3-4 fruits, and in the following - up to 6, then up to 10, respectively.
Unfortunately, citrus fruits are susceptible to attack by parasites, and most of all - scabbards... It is a very small insect that is difficult to detect in the early stages of the disease. And later, it skillfully hides on the underside of the leaf and quickly moves through the plant. Examine lemon regularly for this parasite. If you notice the insect itself, light brown small spots on the leaves or branches, sticky gum on them, immediately start treatment. Use the drug "Aktara" or "Blank sheet". After processing by hand, harvest all insects from the plant. Repeat the treatment after 10 days, as during this time new individuals may hatch from the larvae.
We wish the hardworking gardeners every success. Let your lemon delight with a lush dense crown and delicious juicy fruits! You can read the first part in this article - Pitted lemon.
