Mandarin belongs to the evergreen citrus. In the right climate for it, the plant can reach about five meters in height.
Description of the mandarin
Like other citrus species, domestic mandarin has been grown for many years in specially designated areas. You can use both a greenhouse and a balcony with a window sill. To date, breeders do not stop in their work, and every year more and more new varieties of indoor mandarin appear. Its maximum size does not exceed 1 meter. Homemade mandarin can not be classified as a dwarf species, but in this case it must be cut off and form a crown.
Homemade mandarin is a very sought after plant, if only because of its incredible fruits, which last about 60 days on it. Often they bring satisfaction not only with their appearance, but also with the excellent aroma that the plants exude. Mandarin blossom continues all year round. And a home grown bonsai mandarin is a work of art. If you want the tangerine to not only bloom, but also bear fruit, then buy the plant in the store right away with them. However, you don’t need to eat them, because in order to obtain a high level of decorativeness, gardeners and flower growers add a large amount of fertilizers to the soil, which only harm a person.
The best varieties of homemade mandarin are: Unshiu, Kowano-Wase, Miha-Wase, Miyagawa-Wase. Shiva-Mikan, Clementine.
What should be the lighting for a tangerine?
Would you like to grow a beautiful indoor tangerine? Then the first thing you should do is to find him a comfortable location and install good lighting. Direct sunlight is useful to him, but their amount should be moderate. If the lighting is poor, then the homemade tangerine outgrows its growth, does not bloom, and it’s not worth talking about the fruits. You need to put a pallet with a plant on the southeast and south sides of the apartment. In summer, the mandarin is taken out to the loggia or balcony. In winter, the plant is placed in the most illuminated place with direct sunlight, but even in this situation, the plant needs additional lighting. You can opt for a phytolamp. The tangerine should be transferred to the option of additional lighting gradually, otherwise it may throw off the foliage from the “shock”.
What should be the temperature for growing indoor tangerine?
In summer, for the normal functioning of the plant, the temperature should vary from +21 to +26 degrees. When the tangerine is going through a period of budding, the temperature will have to be lowered by 2-3 degrees. In winter, during the dormant period, it is better not to touch the tangerine at all, and the temperature should fluctuate within +10 degrees. If you create all the necessary conditions for an indoor tangerine in the winter season, then in the spring it will delight you with beautiful buds and fruits.
How to water homemade tangerine?
Home tangerine is able to survive even the driest periods. If it is very hard for him, then he will drop the leaves, but will not die. This is its main advantage. The main reason for the death of mandarin is considered to be excessive watering, which leads to the development of fungal diseases.
The amount of fluid directly depends on certain reasons:
1. Plant height.
2. Pallet size.
3. Lighting and temperature.
Note! The more leaves a plant has, the more evaporation occurs, and the more water it needs.
Watering is carried out before lunch, while the plant begins to activate all life processes. As soon as the temperature drops, watering is stopped for a couple of days. Then it is gradually resumed.
Don't forget to spray the leaves. Excessively dried leaves negatively affect the condition of the mandarin and are considered the cause of spider mite damage. If your mini-tree has begun to bloom, then make sure that moisture does not get on the buds.
Fertilizers for home tangerine
High-quality plant care is not possible without special fertilizers. The earth in the pan evaporates rather quickly, and therefore in the future it is not suitable for growing tangerines. As top dressing, you can use soluble top dressing. In spring or summer, the amount of fertilizer increases significantly. Indeed, at this stage, the buds of the tangerine tree are actively developing. During fertilization, the temperature should not be more or less than +18 degrees.
Soluble mixtures are popular, it is they who water the plant and nourish its leaves. Indoor mandarin loves nitrogen, potash and phosphorus fertilizers. When breeding dressings, use soft and settled water, the main requirement is to strictly follow the instructions.
Note! The most active fertilization falls on the period of intensive growth of homemade tangerine, which is approximately March-April. Then top dressing is applied about 2 times a week. Dry top dressings are also popular, but their application needs to be handled more carefully. The main advantage of this fertilizer is that after their application, the soil does not need to be fertilized for a long time. Pay special attention to organic top dressing, the best option is infused cow dung, it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10.
The article outlines the most important activities that you should follow when caring for a plant. If you follow all these recommendations, you can grow a rich and beautiful homemade tangerine.
Mandarins with peas are fruit trees that bear fruit right in the conditions of the apartment. For planting, dwarf species and varieties are used that feel great in a limited area. A tangerine houseplant can be purchased at the store, but it is much more interesting to grow it yourself.
This is what we will talk about today - how to plant tangerines at home, which variety is most suitable for indoor cultivation, and also highlight all the nuances of caring for this ornamental plant, which, moreover, can provide juicy fresh fruits.
Homemade tangerines are incredibly popular - except that lemon trees are grown indoors more often. Initially, tangerine groves appeared in China, and it was there that the plant got its name, as it was grown exclusively in the gardens of the richest Chinese feudal lords - tangerines.
Trees were taken to Europe only in the 18th century, and rapidly spread throughout the world. Such popularity is understandable - tangerine fruits are incredibly sweet and juicy, and the trees themselves bear fruit very plentifully and early. But, tangerine plantings require a mild climate, and that is why they began to try to grow them at home.
Since mandarin is grown in a limited space in an apartment environment, it is important to choose the right variety for planting. It is best to choose compact varieties bred by Japanese breeders - they are unpretentious, do not grow large and ripen early.
Usually home varieties do not reach a height of more than one and a half meters, do not have thorns on the branches. With good care, a tangerine tree can produce up to fifty fruits a year. Consider the most common and successful varieties in more detail.
Varietal varieties of homemade tangerines
There are types of indoor tangerines from which it is quite possible to listen to the harvest, there are also those that bear fruit more for decoration - the fruits are small, or they do not have a pleasant taste. Below we will consider both those and other varieties.
Table 1. Types of tangerines for growing at home
| Title, photo | a brief description of |
|---|---|
| This is a low graceful plant with an elongated, oval crown. Suitable for pot growing, as it does not grow more than two meters up. This variety has oblong dark leaves similar to laurel. The flowering is lush, the flowers of the "Willow" mandarin are white, very fragrant. The fruits set without pollination. Fruits of this variety have a weight of up to 70 grams, they are practically pitted. Fruiting begins at the age of three trees. |
| Dwarf variety, one of the oldest. This is an evergreen, very miniature tree that does not grow higher than 50 centimeters in potted conditions. The crown is compact, very lush, the branches do not have thorns. The branches of "Forged Vasya" first grow pale green, and only after a while turn brown. The variety blooms beautifully with large white flowers. Fruits of the classical form - rounded and slightly flattened, sweet and sour, have few seeds and a thin peel. Well cleaned. |
| Quite a large tree - can grow up to 2.5 meters, if space allows. It has large pitted fruits with a thin smooth skin. Tangerines of this variety ripen early, have excellent taste qualities - they are very sweet and juicy. At the same time, fruits can be stored for a long time. |
| A variety of Russian selection of medium size. The crown has the shape of a pyramid, the leaves are quite large, sharp, dark in color. "Pioneer" bears fruit abundantly - fruits have a diameter of up to 6 centimeters and a weight of up to 80 grams. The peel is thin, well departs from the pulp. The fruits have a sweetish taste with a characteristic sourness. |
| A hybrid cultivar that is ornamental as the beautiful glossy fruits have a bitter-sour taste and are not suitable for eating. The tree itself is very beautiful, compact (about one and a half meters), with a spreading crown. The leaves of this hybrid are rich green, small. It blooms with fragrant white flowers. |
| Dwarf variety, the maximum height of which reaches two meters. Gives dark orange large fruits with plump skin, which is well separated from the pulp. This is one of the sweetest varieties of homemade tangerines. |
| Unpretentious variety, bred in Japan as a dwarf. In a pot, the tree grows up to 80 centimeters, in a greenhouse it can stretch one and a half meters in height. Able to bear fruit three to four times a year. The fruits are pear-shaped, sweet, pitted. |
| A compact variety suitable for growing on a loggia, as it tolerates low positive temperatures well. Gives beautiful fruits weighing up to 30 grams. The peel of such tangerines is glossy, bright, there may be greenish areas on an orange background. The taste is average - the fruits have a pronounced sourness. |
| The name of the variety is translated as "honey" and fully characterizes the taste of the fruit. Murcott tangerines are incredibly sweet, and are considered the most delicious of all indoor types. Varietal tree compact, has rounded foliage, very decorative. |
We grow mandarin at home
Despite the fact that tangerine trees are propagated by cuttings or layering, it is impossible to do this in amateur home conditions, so there is only one planting option - seed. Bones for planting can be independently obtained from purchased fruits, choosing the most delicious and medium-sized fruits. Such plants sprout well, grow quickly and give a sweet harvest.
Important point! Choose fruits that have few seeds, as these are varietal tangerines. There are always a lot of seeds in hybrid species, but it is extremely difficult to grow a fruit-bearing tree from them.
Step-by-step instructions for sprouting seeds
You can’t just take it and plant a bone from a store-bought mandarin in the ground. Initially, you need to prepare planting material, let the seeds hatch. How to do it?
Table 2. Instructions for seed germination
| Illustration | Description |
|---|---|
 | Step one: the required number of even bones is selected - ten is enough. It is important that they are dense, without damage, even in color. |
 | Step two: the bones are wrapped with several layers of gauze, placed in a bowl and moistened. It is important that the gauze is damp, but not wet. |
 | Step Three: Moisten the gauze regularly so it never gets dry. In this state, the bones will remain for several days, until they swell and sprouts hatch from them. |
 | Step four: prepare the container and land for planting. You can pick up any pot that you like, as long as its diameter is at least twenty centimeters. It is better to purchase the soil mixture at a gardening store - take special soils "For citrus" or "Mandarin". |
 | Step Five: Plant the Bones. No need to press them deep into the ground - just pour 90% of the entire soil into the pot, then lay the seeds and cover them with the remaining soil mixture. After planting, the ground is moistened with a spray bottle. |
However, some citrus growers believe that the seeds just taken out of the fruit should be placed in the soil as soon as possible without sprouting. Note that this rule only applies if no more than 5-7 minutes pass from cutting the fruit to planting. In other cases, if the bones are already a little dried up, they need to be germinated.
Mandarin care at home
Planted seeds turn into young shoots very individually in time - it depends on the variety. But planting care will be the same in any case - you need to place the pot in a warm place (not lower than 20 degrees and not higher than 25 degrees). It is not necessary to build any kind of greenhouse above the pot - tangerines already have good germination, in addition, growing without a greenhouse will harden the plant.
All you need to do with young sprouts is to moisten them regularly. In order not to wash off the bones, at first it is better to irrigate the earth with a rubber pear or a spray bottle. Later, watering becomes normal.
We transplant seedlings
In most cases, several seeds are planted in one pot, and when several sprouts appear, they need to be planted. Separation occurs when young plants have at least four leaves. The strongest seedlings are transplanted - even, strong, with green leaves without flaws.
You can plant tangerines in small plastic cups, because the fact that the sprout has grown cannot guarantee that all these sprouts can survive to become an adult tree. And in order not to force the window sill with a mass of pots, it is better to dive seedlings into a more budgetary and compact container.
Important point! If two sprouts have hatched from one bone, you can do it in two ways: either pinch off a thinner stem, or carefully divide the bush in half and plant it.
The next time you need to transplant tangerines at the moment when the root system fills the entire container (this gives another plus to planting in transparent plastic cups - you can observe the growth of roots in them). Grown up tangerines are transferred to slightly more spacious pots, but you should not give them too much land, as the abundance of soil leads to inhibition of sprouts.
It is necessary to replant tangerines that have never fruited once every year. Fruit-bearing trees change pots every three years, while the diameter of the planting container should be five to six centimeters larger than the previous one. It is important not to deepen the root neck when planting, otherwise the process is no different from transplanting any plant:
- drainage is poured at the bottom of the new pot;
- on top of the drainage - some new soil for citrus fruits;
- the tangerine is taken out of the pot along with a clod of earth, the earth is shaken (no need to be zealous) and transferred to a new pot;
- the void in the pot is filled with earth.
Older tangerines that have reached their maximum size do not need to be transplanted, but they also need soil renewal. To do this, once every two or three years, carefully remove the top layer of the substrate in a pot and replace it with a new, fertile one.
Basic rules for keeping mandarin
The first rule that ensures uniform growth of a tangerine planting is light. Citrus fruits have such a feature - to stretch and turn the leaves towards the light, so the pot must be periodically turned. It is important that at one time you need to rotate the tangerine no more than ten degrees (and do this no more than once every two weeks), since tangerines do not tolerate rearrangements.
A bush that has already bloomed at least once needs wintering - more rare watering and a decrease in temperature to 12 degrees. Mandarin is sent to “hibernation” in the second half of winter, and with the onset of spring, watering is increased and the temperature is gradually raised to 18 degrees so that buds begin to form.
In summer, the pot must be kept at a temperature no higher than 25 degrees - otherwise the flowers will crumble and it will not reach the ovary. Fruits ripen for about 5-6 months, and at the same time they still need to be “wintered”. Even at a temperature of 12 degrees, the fruits can ripen calmly, without additional lighting with a phytolamp.
Feeding tangerines also has nuances. So, young plants (up to two or three years old) are not fertilized, but simply transplanted into more nutritious soil. Plants that are already in bloom are fed from spring to autumn. Used for top dressing is a special factory-made fertilizer for citrus fruits, which is bred and added according to the instructions.
Important point! Tangerines stop feeding and watering three to four days before transplanting. After the tree was placed in a new pot, feeding is resumed only after two weeks.
How to make a plant bloom?
In the best case, the tangerine blooms on its own, but if this does not happen, the tree can be stimulated. To do this, take a thin wire, and tightly wrap the base of the trunk so that the wire is pressed into the bark. Such a process slows down the movement of juice in the trunk and makes the plant “think” that it is time to leave daughter plants, that is, to bloom. The wire is left for 5-6 months. After removal, the barrel will quickly recover.
It should be understood that this method only works with tangerines that have already formed a full-fledged trunk and bark, and also went into hibernation. Before you stimulate the tree to produce flowers, you need to help it grow green mass (fertilize), and also introduce it into wintering.
Video - How to make citrus fruits bloom?
Fruiting for the first time
Tangerines grown from the stone begin to bear fruit no earlier than the fifth year. But, these first fruits can differ significantly from the mother variety from which the seeds were taken. Interestingly, homemade tangerines can be both smaller and sour, and vice versa, much larger and sweeter - as you're lucky.
It should be borne in mind that it is the first harvest that cannot be fully appreciated - the first fruits do not have all those characteristics (color, size, aroma and taste). Accordingly, when collecting the first fruits, you need to surround the tangerine with ideal conditions, and expect a better result next time.
How to care for a flowering or fruiting plant?
In the period when flowers or first fruits appeared on the plant, phosphorus and potassium should be added to the soil, and nitrogen should be limited. Do not forget about watering - the soil mixture should always be slightly damp, but do not fill the tangerine. Flowering plants are additionally sprayed from a spray bottle, but so that moisture does not get on the buds (you can cover the inflorescences with your hands).
Do not be afraid if some flowers and even the ovary fall off - in this way the tree regulates the load itself. If the mandarin does not shed the "excess", it is worth helping him by cutting off the extra flowers and fruits. For every twenty leaves, there should be one fruit or flower.
Summarizing
Having a tangerine in a pot at home is the dream of many flower lovers. There are many benefits to growing this way. Firstly, you can get a charming miniature tree with bright, tight foliage, which, even without the fruits themselves, will enliven and decorate the apartment. Secondly, it is incredibly interesting to observe the growth and development of a fruit tree, especially when grown from seed. This process is especially loved by children if they participate in it from the very beginning - from the selection and planting of seeds to the moment of harvest.
And thirdly, getting ripe, albeit small, tangerines from your own windowsill is a great pleasure. And if you grow several tangerine trees at home, planted at intervals, then you can pick fruit right from the branch almost all year round!
Video - Mandarin from the bone from A to Z
The tangerine tree belongs to the citrus family. It is evergreen and does not shed its foliage even in winter. Today, many species of this plant are known that can successfully grow and bear fruit at home.
The most popular of them are:
- Konkhinkhin- the most popular variety grown commercially. In nature, it can reach up to 3-4 m in height. But at home, this species is too whimsical and, with proper care, can only grow up to 1 meter.
- Yingshiu- a popular and unpretentious look. Easily tolerates a drop in temperature to -5 degrees. The fruits are very sweet and fragrant with almost no pits. Ideal for growing at home.
- Tangerine characterized by elongated fruits and plump skin. Tangerines are very sweet and tasty, but have a specific pungent smell that not everyone likes.
In addition, breeders have bred many hybrid species that are more hardy and unpretentious, and therefore caring for them will not be difficult.
Popular tangerine tree hybrids include:
- Clementine. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, and the fruits are bright and juicy. This variety is especially valued for its taste and aroma.
- Minneola- This is a hybrid obtained by crossing grapefruit and tangerine, so the fruits have a bitter taste. The size of the fruit can be different, the color is bright, red-orange. The skin is thick and hard to remove.
- Tangor differs in large fruits, which can reach a diameter of up to 15 cm. They taste very sweet and juicy. In addition, there are several varieties, with variegated coloring not only of leaves, but also of fruits.
- Ellendale unpretentious plant, giving a large harvest in the form of very sweet fruits. Yes, but finding a seedling of this hybrid is quite difficult.
Mandarin tree care
In order for the tangerine tree not only to please with its foliage and flowers, but also to bear fruit, it is necessary to properly care for it and create comfortable conditions.
To do this, it is necessary to take into account such important factors as lighting, air humidity, top dressing, etc.
1. Location
It is not difficult to guess that bright lighting is especially important for a tangerine tree. This is especially true in the cold season, so place the pot in the southern part of the apartment.
The southwest or southeast sides are also perfect. But do not forget to shade the plant during the heat so that it does not get burned.
During a period when the weather outside is warm enough, it is better to place a tree on a balcony or veranda. If you live in a private house, then you can dig the plant right with the pot.
Before you transfer the tangerine tree to the sun, you need to give it time to get used to the direct rays. For this purpose, the pot is placed in partial shade and only after a while is transferred to the site.
2. Temperature regime
It is very important to provide the tangerine tree with optimal temperature conditions.
In summer, it is worth maintaining the temperature within 15-18 degrees, and in winter - 12 degrees. If you do not observe the temperature regime, then you can not wait for the appearance of fruits.
3. Humidity
The humidity level must be high enough. To achieve this, the plant is regularly sprayed several times a day. This must be done both in summer and in winter. It is also recommended to place a small bowl of water near the pot.
If the air humidity is too low, various pests, such as scale insects, spider mites, etc., will spread very quickly.
4. Lighting
Throughout the year, the lighting should be bright, but at the same time, direct sunlight should not fall on the tree. On too hot days, it must be shaded so that burn spots do not appear on the leaves.
5. Spraying
Mandarin tree must be sprayed all year round 2-3 times a day. This is especially true if the plant is located in a room with central heating. For spraying use settled water at room temperature.
6. Watering
For watering a tangerine tree, you can use only warm settled water. In summer, watering should be plentiful, and in winter it is better to reduce it to 2 times a week.
7. Top dressing and fertilizer
From April to September, the tangerine tree must be actively fed. For this, complex fertilizers, both mineral and organic, are used.
It is better to give preference to special fertilizers for citrus plants. Fertilize every week, after watering the tree.
In winter, feeding can be completely stopped or reduced to a minimum.
Fertilizer for citrus plants is so important, as it is this factor that affects the taste of the fruit. If you fertilize in a timely manner in the summer, then the tangerines will not be bitter.
8. Pruning and pinching
In order for the tree to have a neat appearance, and the fruits to appear as soon as possible, it must sometimes be cut off. Mercilessly get rid of weak and diseased branches. In addition, you can trim excess branches to give the crown the desired shape.
In time, pinch the apical shoots. Thanks to this, the tangerine tree will begin to branch more actively.
9. Transplant
Like other indoor plants, the tangerine tree must be replanted periodically:
- Young specimens - 1 time per year.
- Fruiting trees - 1 time in 2-3 years.
Transplantation is carried out in March, while the plant has not yet begun to actively grow. If this procedure is carried out later, it can adversely affect the condition of the tree.
In the case when young specimens have not yet completely filled the pot with their root system, then only the drainage and upper layers of the substrate can be changed.
When transplanting, do not destroy the earthen ball too much and handle the roots carefully so as not to damage them. Also make sure that the root neck is above the ground at the same level as in the old pot.
The soil for a tangerine tree may vary depending on its age. For young plants use the following mixture:
- Leaf snake.
- Sand.
- Humus.
- Sod land.
All components must be used in a ratio of 1:1:1:2.
The substrate for an adult tree is different in that it is necessary to take turf land not 2 parts, but 3. In addition, it is advisable to add a small amount of oily clay.
10. Diseases and pests
The tangerine tree is very vulnerable to pests such as spider mites and scale insects.
The soil after the procedure should be abundantly sprinkled with ash. If necessary, after a week, all actions are repeated.
There is also a more radical method of pest control. The tree can be treated with special preparations that are sold in ordinary flower shops.
In order to enhance the effect, you can cover the plant with polyethylene and leave it under such a cap for a couple of hours. Remember that the fruits after such processing should not be eaten for at least a week.
reproduction
A tangerine tree can even be grown from a seed, but this method is not very common. The fact is that fruits from such a plant can be expected for more than one year, since it begins to bear fruit after 10 or even 15 years.
Even if you are lucky, it may turn out that the resulting tangerines taste bitter. You can, of course, bud or graft from another citrus plant, but in this case, the result may not be as expected.
The easiest way to propagate a tangerine tree is by cuttings. Root cuttings in a pot covered with a jar. A young plant will begin to bloom and bear fruit in a year.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Why do leaves fall from a tangerine tree?
When the leaves fall occasionally and in small quantities - this is a natural process. If the foliage began to intensively turn yellow and fall off, then this may indicate that the plant does not have enough lighting, it is watered incorrectly (dry, flooded), or there was a significant temperature difference when the tree was transferred to winter mode.
The leaves have turned brown. What is the reason?
As a rule, the leaves of the tangerine tree turn brown due to excess fertilizer.
To prevent the appearance of pests, it is necessary to adhere to all the rules for caring for the plant. It is also necessary to periodically treat the leaves with soapy foam. But be careful not to get soapy water into the substrate. To prevent this, it is enough to cover the pot with polyethylene.
Mandarin- an evergreen plant that belongs to the Rutov family. The specific Latin name of the mandarin is Citrus reticulate. Like orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, it belongs to the genus Citrus. The life form of this plant is interesting - it can be a shrub and a tree, reaching a height of 5 meters.
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room tangerine
Like other representatives of the genus Citrus, mandarin has long been grown in greenhouses, conservatories, and winter gardens. Despite its size, mandarin at home can be grown on a balcony or on a windowsill. Currently, breeders have bred many varieties of dwarf and undersized tangerines for home cultivation, the maximum height of which is 0.6-1.1 m. Indoor tangerine may not be a dwarf variety, then the plant needs to be severely cut and shaped.
Indoor tangerine is a very effective pot plant. And not only because of the bright, fragrant and appetizing orange fruits that can be stored on it for several months. Sometimes the plant gives pleasure only by its flowering, because the delicate white flowers of the mandarin exude an amazing aroma. In some varieties, flowering begins in spring and can continue throughout the year. room tangerine, grown as a bonsai, is a true work of art.
1:882Indoor mandarin fruits tied without artificial pollination, usually ripen at the end of the year. Often, indoor tangerine in a pot is bought in a store with fruits already hanging on it. Despite the fact that they are very appetizing, they should not be eaten. Indeed, to achieve such a high decorative effect, plants receive high doses of fertilizers. Leathery and corrugated leaves are beautiful in mandarin.
1:1619Popular mandarin varieties for growing at home
Unshiu - a Japanese variety, the most unpretentious, begins to bear fruit for 3-4 years, grows up to 0.8-1.5 m in room conditions. It branches well. It blooms profusely in spring, forms fruits in late October-November. Pear-shaped fruits do not have seeds.
Kowano-Wase, Miha-Wase, Miyagawa-Wase - dwarf tangerines Vasya groups - suitable for growing on a windowsill, height 40-80 cm. Orange-yellow fruits ripen for the first time in the second year of cultivation, flowering is plentiful. Like all dwarf varieties, they do not need crown formation.
Shiva Mikan is an early compact fast growing variety. Fruits are small, not more than 30 g
Murcott- the fruits of this compact mandarin variety are very sweet, ripen in summer, taste very sweet, which is why the name of the variety is translated as "honey".
Clementine- a hybrid of mandarin and orange, bears fruit at home in the second year. One adult domestic tree per year produces up to 50 medium flattened orange-red fruits, very fragrant, with a shiny skin. Plants of this variety with numerous seeds are called monrealis.
Mandarin care at home
Tangerine lighting at home
The first step in successfully growing an indoor tangerine is choosing a location for the plant and lighting it properly.
Indoor mandarin, as well as grown in open ground, needs good lighting with some direct sunlight. In low light, the plant slows down growth, throws out a small number of flowers or does not bloom at all. With a strong lack of light, the leaves of indoor tangerine become faded, new shoots are elongated, thin and painful in appearance. Therefore, it is better to grow a plant on the eastern, southeastern and southern windows, shading from midday direct rays. In summer, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, gradually accustoming it to the street.
In winter, with a short daylight hours, indoor mandarin should be placed in the most lit place with direct sunlight. But sometimes this is not enough: you need artificial lighting. For this purpose, an ordinary fitolamp is suitable, which can be screwed into a chandelier or table lamp. It is necessary to transfer the plant to supplementary lighting gradually. With a sharp change in the length of daylight hours, it can shed its leaves.
Content temperature
The optimum temperature for indoor tangerine in the summer is + 20-25 ° C. During the period of budding and flowering, so that the flowers do not fall off, it is better to keep the plant at a temperature slightly below + 20 ° C. In winter, to ensure a relative dormant period, tangerines are kept at + 5 -10 ° C. A plant that has rested over the winter will flower and bear fruit better.
How to water and spray tangerine at home
Indoor mandarin, like its wild ancestors, is adapted to endure dry periods. In a pinch, the plant will shed its leaves to reduce the amount of liquid that evaporates. A common problem when growing tangerines at home is excessive watering, which leads to the development of fungal diseases.
The amount of water for watering indoor mandarin depends on several factors:
- the size of the plant;
- the size of the container in which the tangerine grows;
- ambient temperature;
- duration of daylight hours and light intensity.
The larger the surface of the leaves of indoor mandarin, the stronger the evaporation, and the more it needs to be watered. The temperature also affects the rate of evaporation: the higher it is, the more the plant loses moisture. The length of daylight directly affects the amount of moisture that evaporates. Stomata - formations on the underside of terrestrial plants that serve for gas exchange open during daylight hours.
Watering indoor tangerine should be carried out in the morning, when the plant has activated its vital processes. When the temperature drops, watering is reduced, up to stopping for several days during the period when the temperature in the room is only + 12-15 ° C. In this case, the tangerine is watered with a small amount of water, only to maintain life.
Mandarin at home needs regular spraying of leaves. Strongly dry air has a bad effect on the plant and is often a prerequisite for its infestation with spider mites. If indoor tangerine blooms, then you need to make sure that water does not fall on its flowers.
How to feed mandarin at home
A complete care for a mandarin at home is not possible without additional mineral and organic top dressing. The soil in a pot is quickly depleted and washed out during watering, and recreational processes practically do not occur in it, unlike the soil in nature.
For top dressing, you can use soluble or dry fertilizers. In the spring, with an increase in daylight hours, top dressing for indoor mandarin is increased. It is in the early spring period that vegetative and generative buds begin to develop intensively, at which time the plant requires additional nutrients.
At home, mandarin is fertilized, like all other indoor plants, that is, in the morning. The ambient temperature should be at least + 18-19 degrees.
Soluble fertilizers are often used for top dressing. They can water the plant, and in a weaker concentration spray its leaves. Any complex mineral fertilizer containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, the main elements needed by plants, is suitable for feeding indoor tangerine.
Dissolve fertilizers in soft or settled water at room temperature. The main thing is not to increase the dose. If the instructions say: 1 cap of the product per 1 liter of water, do not think that 2 caps will make the solution more useful. This will lead to the opposite effect - a chemical burn or toxic poisoning of the plant.
You need to feed mandarin at home during the period of intensive growth (from March to September) 2 times a week. Maybe less often, but not more often.
Dry fertilizers, which are applied to the soil and gradually dissolve, giving the soil trace elements, must be applied even more carefully. Their advantage is that by making them in the spring you can forget about feeding for a long time. However, they can be quickly used by the plant, and it will be difficult to guess about it. The introduction of an additional dose of fertilizer will lead to the above overdose.
Mandarin cultivation also requires organic fertilizers. To do this, you can dilute infused cow dung in a ratio of 1/10. The best option would be to use organic fertilizer in combination with mineral fertilizers for ground dressing.
Additional care for mandarin at home
To form a lush tangerine tree, pinch the tops of its branches.
Caring for a tangerine at home also consists in removing dried leaves or stretched twigs.
On young flowering plants, flowers are partially removed so as not to deplete them and allow several fruits to ripen. For 15-20 leaves of an adult plant, one ovary can be left. The fewer fruits left on the tangerine, the larger they will be.
The fruit-bearing branches of indoor mandarin are tied, tied to a support, otherwise they may break due to the severity of the fruit, and the plant will not have an attractive appearance.
Diseases and pests
Mandarin at home can be affected by scale insects, red spider mites and mealybugs. Spraying the plant with a soapy solution will help from the scale insect (2 tbsp. L of liquid soap, you can "Fary", for 3 liters of water). It is better to pre-clean pests by hand. After keeping the solution on the leaves for half an hour, it is washed off with warm water. In case of damage by a spider mite, the pest is collected by hand, after the leaves and twigs are wiped with a cotton swab moistened with cold water or alcohol, then sprayed with a two-day infusion of garlic or onions (crush 200 g and pour warm boiled water). Against the mealybug, removing the pest with a cotton swab and 3 times spraying with infusion of garlic (1 time in 7 days), or rubbing with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol (can be replaced with calendula tincture) will also help. With persistent damage by any pest, potent chemicals are used, which are used according to the instructions.
With improper watering, mandarin leaves become stained and fall off. To prevent or eliminate the problem, follow the rules for watering citrus plants.
Mandarin transplant at home
Proper care of a mandarin at home involves a plant transplant. Usually, a transplant is carried out if the plant, in our case, indoor tangerine, is cramped in a pot. As a rule, young indoor tangerine plants are transplanted annually, plants older than 7 years - once every 2 years. For transplanting, use a special soil mixture for citrus fruits or make it yourself from soddy soil (50%) and leaf, humus and sand, taken in equal parts.
For transplanting indoor tangerine, choose a pot with diameters 5–8 cm larger than the previous one. You can not plant a small plant immediately in a large pot: this often leads to rotting of the roots. In addition, it is neither aesthetic nor practical.
Mandarin at home, as in nature, prefers a light substrate with low acidity. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the transplant tank - this is the prevention of stagnant water and root rot. As a drainage, you can use: expanded clay, small stones, fragments of ceramic dishes, pieces of foam.
Transplantation of indoor mandarin can not be carried out during the flowering of the plant. It is better to do this in the spring at the beginning of the awakening of the plant from a relative dormant period.
You can not feed the plant 2-3 days before transplanting, and also use fertilizers within 12-14 days after transplanting.
After transplanting, indoor tangerine is lightly watered so that the soil settles down. After 30-40 minutes, if necessary, a substrate is added to the pot and watered again.
Reproduction of indoor tangerine
Mandarin at home can be propagated in two ways:
- vegetative (rooting of twigs);
- generative (growing from the stone).
For rooting cuttings, it is better to use a rooter - the percentage of survival will be 3-4 times higher. To do this, cuttings with 2-3 leaves are dipped in a rooter and planted in moist soil, covered with a film or a cut plastic bottle on top, be sure to leave ventilation holes in them. Cuttings take root within a few months.
Growing mandarin at home from the stone is the longest method of reproduction, especially since some varieties almost do not form seeds. In addition, indoor tangerine grown in this way will need to be grafted, otherwise it will not bloom. For a rootstock, indoor lemon or grapefruit grown at home from a grain is better.
Since both methods of propagating indoor mandarin take too much time, more often amateur flower growers buy already grafted indoor tangerine in the shops.
Many people grow tangerines at home not only for fruit, but also because of the beautiful flowering of the tree and the pleasant aroma of flowers.
For some representatives of citrus, very difficult care is necessary, and special conditions for its successful growth. Mandarin is not one of them. It is quite unpretentious and hardy plant.
There are two ways to grow citrus:
1. Buy a seedling of a fruit-bearing tree in a flower shop.
2. Self-grow from a stone obtained from purchased fruits.
Decorative tangerines
tangerine tree belongs to the rue family, the foliage is evergreen, the leaf cover changes every few years, the flowers are white in color with a pleasant aroma.
People who have indoor tangerines prefer to grow them themselves from seeds. But in this case, only a decorative look will grow, which will look beautiful in the general interior. Trees may either not bear fruit at all, or produce small tasteless fruits.
Gardeners always graft citrus fruits for a tasty harvest. At home, you can do the same if you really want to get your own tangerines.
The place for the plant is best taken in the south room, where there is most of the sunlight. If there are poisonous plants, they will need to be moved to another room, because tangerines do not like such a neighborhood.
Basics of growing ornamental mandarin
First of all, you need to take a few tangerine seeds and soak them in a damp cloth for several days. A large amount of moisture should be avoided, the fabric should be slightly damp, and as it dries, it is enough to add water.
Even if you want to grow one tree, then you need to take 8-12 seeds for insurance. Some may not germinate, some will die from possible diseases, some will not survive the grafting process if one is carried out.
How to plant in the ground
Peat is not suitable for tangerines, such soil often turns sour, almost does not hold moisture, and there are no nutrients in it. To create ideal conditions for citrus, it is best to prepare an earthen mixture with your own hands:
1. three parts - soddy soil.
2. one part - sheet soil.
3. One part is organic fertilizer.
4. one part - river sand.
5. a small piece of clay.
If it is not possible to make the earth on your own, then it is recommended to purchase soil with a neutral composition in the store or add ash and organic fertilizers to ordinary soil.
The bottom of the container that will be used for planting should be placed with pebbles to improve drainage or expanded clay.
Caring for decorative mandarin
After the first sprouts appear, it is necessary to apply organic and mineral top dressing to the ground, this should be done once every 14 days. Fertilizers should be applied after watering the plants.
Transplant citrus it is recommended once a year in the spring, while trying to keep the layer of earth that has stuck to the root system. Upon reaching the age of eight, the tree will need to be transplanted once every couple of years.
Tangerines need sunlight, so the best place for the plant is to place it on a windowsill in a south facing room. In the winter months, you need to monitor the temperature regime, it should not fall +15. Citrus needs weekly spraying, it is a moisture-loving species. You can put a bowl of water next to it.
On hot summer days, tangerines need to be watered: morning, afternoon and evening, during the winter months, as the soil in the pot dries out.
Pest control
Red spider mite, citrus whitefly, scale insects - pests of which are very difficult to see, but their presence can lead to the death of young citrus fruits.
It is necessary to carefully examine the plants for the possible presence of a tiny web in order to begin treatment at the first sign.
The stores sell special preparations for pest control. Solutions need to rinse all the leaves on both sides. The procedure must be repeated several times, every 7 days.