And everyone already has their favorite varieties, we prefer them among the many others that are widely represented in our stores. Is it possible to grow a lemon from a seed at home?
Admirers of the wonderful plant have also appeared, they selflessly grow lemon trees in their apartments, even varieties of fruit-bearing indoor lemons have been bred and are successfully grown.
Preparatory activities
How to choose the right place?
How to grow at home?
Here we will try to figure out how (seeds) are at home, is it possible and what are the ways.
From the bone
Variety selection
Homemade lemon is much easier to grow from seed than cuttings. When propagated by seeds, the plant grows faster, gets sick less, it is unpretentious, adapts more easily to adverse conditions. In order to grow a full-fledged tree at home, it is important to choose suitable grade. The following varieties are best suited for home growing:
- Pavlovsky. It has huge fruits weighing up to 500 grams, the taste is sweet, the growth of the tree is over 2 meters, the leaves of the tree exude a wonderful aroma.
- Meyer. This is a hybrid weighing up to 150 grams, the taste is sweet and sour, it gives a rich harvest.
- Anniversary. This is the variety that gives bountiful harvest. It differs from other varieties in that the skin of the fruit is thick.
- Genoa. Most unpretentious variety, which has a fragrant taste, gives a harvest relatively early - at 4 - 5 years of life.
- Ponderosa. It is a hybrid of grapefruit and lemon with a rather bitter taste, this variety differs from others in that it constantly blooms.
Choose the most suitable fruit, in your opinion, the way you would like to see your harvest, and even better, just in case, a couple, for safety.
Seed preparation
The most important thing is that you can not use bones that have been extracted for a long time and have had time to dry. You need to take fresh, be sure to ripe lemons, carefully remove the seeds from them, wash them warm water and plant, and in order for the seed to germinate faster, you can carefully remove the hard surface of the stone with a sharp knife. If the shell is not removed, then you need to lower the bones for several hours in a growth stimulator solution. The seeds must not be allowed to dry out, they must be planted wet.
Instruction
To germinate a lemon from a stone (seed), it must be planted in a small container, to a depth of 3 centimeters, covered with a film and put in a warm place.
Sprouted young plants up to 15-20 centimeters can develop in containers for sowing, but as they grow, they need to be moved to individual pots. When the lemon reaches 30 centimeters in height, the top must be cut to 20 centimeters, this activates the growth of side shoots.
IMPORTANT! Watch for their uniform growth. It is necessary to form a lemon before the appearance of shoots of the 5th and 6th orders, pinching is best done in the spring.
Read about the rules for forming a lemon crown and the secrets of pruning a tree at home.
Plants from seeds are distinguished by enviable health, but, like all plants obtained from seeds, they come into fruition later than those that were grafted with a varietal bud onto a seedling.
Watch a video on how to properly plant a lemon seed:
From a cutting
Cutting a lemon at home is a propagation method in which the qualities of the mother plant are copied, and you will know exactly what kind of fruit will appear on your plant.
On the handle must have a few leaves. and 2 or 3 buds on both sides, the length of the handle is about 10 centimeters.
cuttings needed place in a solution of Heteroauxin or Kornevit, these are root growth stimulants, and then at the time specified in the instructions for the drug, plant in a pot with soil.
Do not forget to arrange drainage at the bottom of the pot, fragments of ceramic pots, broken, red brick are good for this.
Pour the stalk cover glass jar , and leave to root. The jar will exclude excessive evaporation, films, bags are not very stable, you may not notice the loss of moisture and the drying of the soil.
Rooting is determined by the appearance of growth. Cuttings are also a great way to propagate a lemon at home.
Care
Gardeners note that lemon is a capricious plant. The development of a plant is highly dependent on the composition of the soil. The following composition is approximately recommended: 1 part of sand, 1 part of manure, 3 parts of leafy soil and 2 parts of loam. It is desirable to choose a pot from burnt clay.
You can find more information about caring for indoor lemon at.
Watering
Too good is also not good, we can say about excessive moisture, a plant regularly exposed to overflow will die due to rotting of the root system. Watering the lemon is necessary as the soil dries., it is important not to forget about timely loosening, which is not in vain called dry irrigation - the evaporation of moisture after loosening is significantly reduced.
subtropical plants love spraying, air humidity during heating season Easy to adjust with water bottle. Evaporating, it maintains the microclimate of the room.
NOTE! Watering and fertilizing winter time should not be excessive, the plant is resting.
Water the plant abundantly with settled water. In winter it is desirable to heat the water. AT summer time water 2-4 times a week, in the afternoon. In winter, water once in the morning.
You will find more tips on caring for homemade lemons in the winter at, and we talked about the features of caring for a tree in the fall.
Lighting
The pot with the plant should be placed so that Sun rays fell on it less than 3 hours a day.
top dressing
The ideal option for feeding a lemon is the alternation of organic and mineral species fertilizers. In winter, it is necessary to reduce the amount of fertilizer, low temperatures have negative impact for absorption.
Important: you can not water dry soil with top dressing, the lemon will get a burn of the root system.
Read about how and what to feed a room lemon at home.
growing up
As you grow every spring in a pot of centimeters 5 more than before, it is not necessary to plant in a pot for growth.
There is no need to replant a grown lemon either, every spring upper layer the soil in the container where your tree lives is replaced with humus or fertile garden soil with the addition of humus, and this is enough for him.
Also developed and widely used complex fertilizer Zdraven for citrus fruits, it contains the whole complex of macro and microelements necessary for the growth and fruiting of plants.
grown lemon can be placed in the garden for the summer, the place should be protected from winds and other possible adversities, a sharp change in lighting can have a bad effect, be careful.
Now you know how to grow a lemon at home, and most importantly, how to do it right. Now let's look at the main lemon diseases and pests to protect our crop.
A useful video on how to properly transplant seedlings into separate pots:
Pests and diseases
Your lemon may be interested in aphids, scale insects, mealybugs or spider mite if there are few pests, shake them off into a special container so that they do not run away, from the trunk with a soft toothbrush, and with a cotton swab from the leaves, and treat the plant with a soapy solution of anabasine sulfate.
ATTENTION! If there are a lot of pests, spray the plant preparations Actellik, Ditox or any other insecticide for indoor plants.
Sores that appear on the bark must be cleaned and processed blue vitriol, mold, wherever they settled, you just need to clean it with a damp cloth.
It also happens that the leaves indoor lemon fall off, curl, or change color. We talked about the causes of this phenomenon, as well as ways to deal with it in.
Will there be fruits?
If you plant a room lemon with seeds, then it will begin to bear fruit in 7-9 years, if by cuttings - in 3-4 years, by layering - in 1-2 years.
To speed up fruiting, there are the following methods:
- splitting. Make an incision on the seedling and attach a cutting from a fruit-bearing tree, wrap it with electrical tape, cover it on top plastic wrap, like take root - remove the film.
- Budding.We cut the seedling to 10 cm and plant a fruit-bearing stalk to it. Both methods greatly accelerate fruiting. The plant may not bloom if the cutting was taken from a tree that had not previously fruited.
Lemon fruits have both useful and healing, and harmful properties. You can read about them at.
If the temperature regime is not observed, insufficient lighting, irregular pruning and disease damage, the plant will not bear fruit.
You can make a lemon bloom using cross-pollination during the flowering period within the same variety.
Conclusion
Paying great attention to the question of how to grow a lemon tree at home from a stone, we forget that this beautiful plant with glossy, dark green leaves fills the room in which it grows with a light lemon scent. Essential oils lemons are volatile, they purify the air of bacteria, and aromatherapists consider it a source of vigor and good mood.
Therefore, growing a lemon in a pot can be not only for the sake of fruits, but also as a wonderful decoration for your interior, the main thing is to observe.
Grow a lemon open ground in our climatic conditions - an impossible task. But you can grow a lemon tree in your room, because citrus fruits have long been used as houseplants. So why not decorate the corner of your apartment with this wonderful tree? After all, everything you need for this you can buy in the supermarket.
Is it possible to grow a lemon from a seed at home
Lemon is a plant unique and useful in every way. The fruits contain a large number of vitamin C, indispensable for colds and to improve immunity. Lemon smell improves mood, invigorates and gives vitality. BUT evergreen tree both during flowering and during fruiting gives incredible aesthetic pleasure.
AT flower shop lemon is very expensive, and not everyone can afford to buy a treasured tree. How would you like to have such beauty at home? There is an exit. And it lies, no, not on the surface, but inside. Inside a lemon. It is, of course, a bone.
Growing a lemon from a seed is an exciting experience. Surely many will say that this is quite difficult to do, because the plant is exotic. In fact, there is nothing complicated about this. And now you will see for yourself.
Having grown a lemon from a stone, you can not only admire it appearance but also benefit the body
Choosing seeds for planting
Buying a lemon is not a problem now. But if you decide not only to drink tea, but also to collect seeds, choose the most beautiful and ripe fruit. In a green lemon, the seeds are unripe, spoiled fruits are also not an option.
Cut the lemon in half and remove the seeds from it. This is easy to do with a teaspoon. Do not forget to substitute a plate, because there will be a lot of juice. From harvested seeds choose the largest, whole, regular shape.
And now - the main nuance. The collected seeds should be immediately sown in the soil. If they lie for a while and dry out, the chance of getting seedlings decreases. Therefore, if you have not prepared the container and soil, do not rush to extract the seeds.
When extracting seeds from a lemon, try not to violate their integrity.
Planting material preparation
The period of preparation of lemon seeds for planting passes very quickly.
- try to collect 10 or more seeds so that you can leave the most strong plant for further cultivation;
- rinse the seeds under running water;
- soak to speed up germination planting material in a growth stimulator - Zircon or Epine-Extra. Hold the seeds for 12 hours in a solution prepared from 250 ml of water and one drop of any drug.
To speed up germination, lemon seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator.
The process of planting seeds
Planting lemon seeds is very easy. But in order for the planted bones to germinate quickly, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for them.
It is best to plant seeds in separate small containers. These can be pots for seedlings or disposable cups. Needs light soil for germination. You can use coarse sand, pre-washed and calcined. Often they get a special substrate for citrus fruits, but sand or vermiculite must be added to it for greater friability.
With the advent of the first shoots, do not rush to remove the shelter. Do this gradually so that the seedlings get used to the room temperature. When the lemon has 3-4 true leaves, transplant the plant into a new container.
Planting lemon seeds - video
- You can plant several lemon seeds in one container. But try to have no more than 3 - 4 of them. With a strong thickening, the picking process may fail.
- It is best to sow seeds at the end of winter. By the time the seedlings appear, daylight hours will increase significantly and the seeds will not have to be additionally highlighted.
- The optimum temperature for germination is 22-25°C.
Few people know, but there is another way to grow a lemon from a seed. But it takes a sharp eye and a steady hand to do it.
- With help sharp knife with a thin blade, remove the hard protective shell. This must be done so carefully so as not to damage the inside of the seed.
- After that, the extracted inner part is placed between 2 layers of damp cloth, and a plastic bag is put on top. Leave in a bright and warm place.
- After 5-7 days, the rudiments of roots and cotyledons appear. In this form, the grain is planted in the soil mixture.
If you remove the shell from the bone, the sprout will appear faster
Soil and container for lemon
In nature, lemon is tolerant of soils, so lemon groves can be found even in areas with poor sandy soil. But at home, it is desirable to plant seeds in special soil mixtures. They can be purchased at a flower shop, but it is best to make your own.
Soil requirements for planting
Lemon root does not have absorbent hairs, making it difficult to absorb useful substances from the ground. The soil mixture should be well loose, consisting of small particles, perfectly pass moisture and oxygen.
In a flower shop you can buy ready-made soil mixture for lemon
Lemon grows best in neutral soil. Therefore, the acidity of the composition should be in the range of 5.5 - 7 pH. Acidic soil can be neutralized with chalk. If the composition is alkaline, then it should be slightly acidified with a solution of 1 tablet of ascorbic acid per 1 liter of water.
The main components for the soil mixture
- 2 parts of leaf land. Soils taken from areas where linden, aspen or hazel grow are preferred. It is not recommended to take from under a walnut or an oak - in such soil there is too much content of tannins that prevent the normal development of the plant. Coniferous soil is very acidic;
- instead of leafy soil, you can use turf, by the way, it is considered more nutritious. A 10 cm layer of soil from an area where clover or nettle grows is best. The soil must be well sifted so that large particles do not get into the composition;
- 1 part rotted horse or cow manure;
- 1 part coarse sand;
- 0.5 parts charcoal, preferably birch or alder. This component, due to its high porosity, will help protect the soil from waterlogging and acidification.
All components of the mixture must be mixed well and disinfected.
Soil mixture for lemon can be prepared independently by mixing the necessary components
A container for planting a lemon can be made of any material - plastic, ceramics, and wood will work equally well. Despite the fact that there is an opinion about growing lemons in large containers, do not rush to purchase spacious pots. In order for a lemon tree to grow strong, it needs to be replanted every 2 to 3 years. Mature trees slightly stop growing, so they are transplanted every 3 to 4 years. At the same time, the size of the new pot should exceed the previous one by 4 cm. If the plant is in a tub, then the size of the new one can already be increased by 8 cm. The main requirement for a container for planting and transplanting a lemon is the presence drainage holes. Do not forget about the drainage itself.
Since transplanting is stressful for any plant, do the process by transshipment. This will save fragile roots from injury, and the plant from stress.
Lemon transplant step by step
- At the bottom of the selected container, pour a layer of drainage with a layer of at least 3 - 4 cm. Then a little soil to cover the drainage.
- In order not to damage the roots, water the plant a few hours before transplanting. When removing, hold the lemon by the stem and tap the pot on the edge of the table.
- Carefully remove the lemon from the pot and transfer to a new container.
- While holding the plant by the trunk, add soil to the sides of the pot to fill in any voids. Lightly compact the soil with your hands.
- Please note that the root neck (the place where the roots begin to grow) after transplantation should remain at the same level, that is, it is impossible to deepen or plant the plant too high.
- After transplanting, pour the lemon into the pan so as not to accidentally flood the plant. A week after transplanting, water as usual.
Lemon transplant - video
Will a lemon grown from a seed bear fruit?
In addition to admiring decorative greenery and delicate fragrant flowers, I also want to collect fruits from lemon tree. If you follow the rules of agricultural technology, then after 5 - 7 years (in best case) wait for fruiting. But there is a way that will almost halve the waiting time for the harvest - this is grafting. It can be done in three ways, which are carried out only in the warm season - in summer or at the end of spring.
If a lemon grown from a stone serves as an excellent basis for grafting, that is, a stock, then the graft should be taken from an already fruiting lemon.
The purpose of the procedure is to graft a kidney ready for growth. Budding is carried out at the end of April - May.
As an experiment, up to 3 buds can be grafted onto one stock, placing them on different parts of the trunk. The petiole will tell you about a successful operation. If everything is in order, he will turn yellow. If the petiole turns black, then the operation failed.
At successful operation petiole will turn yellow
Budding indoor lemon - video
Simple copulation
This method requires the scion and rootstock to be the same thickness.
Under natural conditions, lemon trees grow in the tropical zone and reach a height of two to six meters. This is a perennial evergreen plant. When growing lemon trees in the conditions of standard city houses and apartments, these plants reach a smaller height, but if the plant is not formed, then it can stretch very much. from house seeds does not cancel his love for consistently warm temperatures, high humidity and it also requires care.
How can you grow your own at home and how will it differ from a citrus varietal plant from a cutting?
You can plant a lemon tree at home using cuttings or seeds. It should be borne in mind that varietal plants retain their properties only during vegetative propagation, that is, propagation by cuttings. From seeds you will receive citrus, which will not bear fruit at home.
Lemon tree from cuttings
When planting a lemon tree, a cutting about 8-10 cm long is taken from the cutting, on which a couple of leaves and several living buds are left. Before placing the cutting in the ground, it is desirable to treat its base with a root formation stimulator, for example, Kornevin, after which it is planted in the soil to a depth of 3-4 centimeters and covered with a jar or bag. Until the cutting has roots, it will need to be sprayed daily with water and the soil in which it takes root should be well moistened. Rooting occurs about a month and a half after planting. It should be borne in mind that only some cuttings take root - this is to some extent a matter of luck. Then the plant can be transplanted into a permanent pot.
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 considered South Asia. From there, in ancient times, it was brought to India, China and many islands of the 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.
A lemon tree planted at home 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.
- You need to take a mature large fruit, cut and remove the bones.
- Rinse under running water and select the most powerful seeds.
- 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 planting of citrus to be successful, it is advisable to carry out the procedure in last days February. In this case, the growth of young plants will be facilitated by the spring sun and increased daylight hours.
- 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.
- For creating greenhouse effect the pot is covered with a film and placed in a sunny place.
- The first sprouts hatch in 18-21 days. During this time, the film must be periodically lifted for ventilation.
- 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 that 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. In winter, watering should be halved and carried out when the top layer of the earth dries 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 does not have enough strength for 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.
Fish or chicken flavored sour juice, numerous desserts and compotes - all these are dishes for the preparation of which the fruits of the lemon tree will come in handy. We are used to buying overseas fruits in the market, the smell of citrus gives a feeling of celebration, home comfort, uplifting. But not everyone knows that you can grow a yellow miracle on your windowsill. The popularity of “useful” houseplants has grown a lot today: instead of violets, onions are grown on windowsills and spices, many citruses and even bananas. But the fruits of the lemon tree are especially fond of. Today we will talk about how to grow this guest from the subtropics at home.
Primary requirements
Let's start with the fact that the fruits of the lemon tree are not difficult to obtain, these plants are not too capricious and do not require much attention. Especially good if you live in an apartment with windows facing west. This means that the plant will have enough heat and light, it remains only to ensure the optimal level of humidity. In a private house with furnace heating Growth can be slow as temperatures fluctuate day and night. The decorativeness of an evergreen citrus tree directly depends on the right conditions. This is a very interesting culture, because at the same time you can observe the change of seasons on its branches. While one branch blooms, buds are tied on the second, a green crop develops on the third, and the fourth already gives you the yellow fruits of the lemon tree. This feature allows the plant not only to provide you with vitamins all year round, but also adds zest to the interior.
Homemade lemon, like all representatives of conifers, is able to disinfect the air in the room. This is due to the special substances contained in the leaves - phytoncides. Therefore, you need to try so that the leaves do not fall due to improper care. Next, we will consider in detail how to grow a lemon tree from a stone at home.
Description of the tropical tree
In nature, lemon trees are real giants that reach 3 meters in height and grow for 100 or more years. Houseplants are dwarf perennial hybrids. Their leaves are rich green with a glossy surface, and the fruits are ordinary yellow lemons. A plant grown from the seed of such a fruit will have to be artificially shaped in order to get a neat bush that adorns the interior. The fruits, however, will be different from those that we are used to buying in stores, but beneficial features will remain unchanged.
There are special varieties that are adapted to growing at home. A homemade lemon tree can hold at least 20 fruits at the same time. You can collect them as soon as they begin to turn yellow. At the same time, do not pluck them with your hands - take secateurs or scissors. As a rule, the finished fruits reach a diameter of 5-7 cm. It is not worth keeping ripe lemons on the tree - this worsens their beneficial properties, and also negatively affects the formation of growth.
Various growing methods
Surely readers are already interested in how to grow a lemon tree from a seed at home. Please note that this is a long process. It can take 5-8 years for a tree with leaves and lemons to grow from a small bone. All this time the plant needs to provide good conditions: Adequate lighting without direct sunlight, heat and humidity. Seeds can be purchased at the store, best results give indoor varieties Genoa, Maikopsky and Eureka. They can be grown on the windowsill. If the size of the room allows you to have a large outdoor plant, then it is better to take a Pavlovsky, Meyer, Novogruzinsky lemon. You can get the seeds directly from the fruit. More quick option propagation of this plant is cuttings or the acquisition of seedlings. If you have a nursery of ornamental plants in your city, then there are certainly such options for sale.
lemon tree at home
We will consider the simplest option, you do not need to search in the store or send seeds by mail. All you need is to buy a beautiful ripe lemon for tea. As the lemon is eaten, collect all the seeds. It is better to plant more seeds in order to choose the most beautiful and strong plant. You will need a pot (any one will do, because our task now is to prepare the seedlings). Fill it with substrate in advance and leave it in a warm place. Store-bought potting soil works well as a potting soil, but you can also make it at home. To do this, you need to take 2 cups of garden soil and add one cup of sand, humus and wood ash.
Before laying out the soil, make sure that there is a good drainage layer. It can be expanded clay, brick or pebbles. Now you can fill the pot with earth and start planting. The optimal depth to which the seed should be immersed is from 1.5 to 2 cm. In order for the sprouts to appear faster, after planting, you need to close the pot with glass or a bag to achieve the greenhouse effect.
Landing care is minimal. The main thing is to water and ventilate the pot in time. In addition, it is very important to maintain optimal temperature conditions. A lemon tree at home will grow for a very long time, so a seedling can be grafted to speed up the result. Water the pot with germinating seeds very carefully, preferably with a spray bottle, which will evenly moisten the soil. The air temperature should not be too high best option- from +18 to +20 degrees. Ventilation can be provided along with the product of irrigation. Such care will guarantee the appearance of friendly shoots about two weeks after sowing.
And here is the future lemon tree. But it is still too early to open the film or glass. Continue to ventilate your crops, and only when the second pair of leaves has formed, the pot can be fully opened and moved to a well-lit place, but not in direct sunlight.
Varietal seeds and grafts
It should be noted that a lemon tree grown from a stone turns out to be wild, with huge thorns, and bears fruit very reluctantly. It can be an excellent stock for grafting a cultivated cutting. If in a nursery or in a store where they sell ornamental plants, you managed to find such a branch, then you can proceed to a complex procedure. To do this, you need to cut off the central branch of the rootstock (your wild tree) and split it in the middle with a knife. Now make a cut of the bark on the cultivated cutting and insert it into the split. Their diameter may not match, but then leave the cutting not in the middle, but on the side, along the growth line of the bark. It remains to wrap the cut with electrical tape and cover it with garden pitch. Now leave 3-4 buds on the handle, and cut off the rest, also treat the cut with var. To make the vaccine grow together better, put it on a branch plastic bag. When the first leaves appear on the handle, it can be removed.
Growing cuttings
There is nothing difficult in this. The whole problem is to acquire a varietal, rooted and preferably grafted cutting. Then the homemade lemon tree will grow much faster. But, as is the case with the germination of an ordinary stone, often you get a wild plant, which in 5-8 years will make you happy with a couple of thick-skinned lemons. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase cuttings from trusted nurseries. If you started indoor cultivation citrus fruits from planting pits from ripe fruit and you already have an adult tree, then it’s worth looking for a branch cultivated plant. Grafting will help make your tree actively bear fruit.
Choosing a place for your future plant
Even before you grow a lemon tree, you need to determine the place where it will stand. In principle, this guest from the subtropics is not picky about lighting; it will grow on any windowsill. The main rule is to avoid placement near the heating system, because the lemon does not like dry air, it needs a certain level of humidity. The second point: room lemon should be kept away from windows that you often open. Most of all, the plant is afraid of drafts.
The best option would be to place a pot of lemon near a window facing west. Direct sunlight is undesirable for him. In general, the plant feels good even in partial shade, but fruiting can be seriously affected. And one more thing: if your tree is located on the windowsill, then you need to make sure that it does not freeze in winter. Hypothermia of the root system leads to disruption of the normal functioning of metabolic processes, as a result of which the plant may simply die.
Watering
We have already looked at how to grow a lemon tree from a stone, now let's move on to the very important point- watering. This tropical inhabitant is very picky about soil and air moisture, so you will need to not only water, but also cover the ground with wet moss. Only in this way will the lemon tree always please you. Home care comes down to daily soil testing. It should be slightly sticky and not crumble. This is how the optimal level of humidity is determined. Water only along the rim of the pot and only with warm water. It is necessary to pour until the liquid comes out in the pan. This requires a good drainage system, since stagnant water greatly affects plants: their growth stops, leaves fall.
top dressing
This item is important for those who already have a lemon tree growing at home. Home care for him includes regular spraying and top dressing, as the poverty of the soil does not contribute to flowering and fruiting. winter period- this is a time of relative rest, so you need to start such procedures in the spring. It is important to use preparations containing nitrogen, copper, zinc. This is especially true for young trees that are in the phase active growth. However, the dosage indicated on the package with the drug must be strictly observed, since an excess of fertilizer can lead to loss of leaves.
Transfer
Are you going to grow a lemon tree from a seed? Then set yourself up for frequent pot changes. About once a year, the plant must be transplanted into a new container, a little larger. soil mix must be new every time. It is best to perform this procedure at the end of winter, when the plant is preparing for the active growth phase. Often, beginners who first started growing indoor lemon face such a problem that the leaves turn yellow and begin to fall off. This may indicate poor drainage and stagnation of water in the pot, and temperature fluctuations in the room are also often the cause of such troubles.
Summing up
Cultivation of homemade citruses is an exciting activity that will interest any grower. Growing a lemon from a seed will be very popular with children, as such a wonderful transformation will take place before their eyes. The lemon tree is very decorative and can decorate any interior. But most importantly - you can pick fragrant fruits all year round. And this is a real storehouse of vitamins that will allow you to survive the autumn-spring period without traditional acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections. The plant itself also acts as a kind of disinfectant, disinfecting the air with the help of phytoncides. Now you know all the benefits of growing a homemade lemon tree. For the sake of such pleasure, it is worth trying.