Growing and caring for lemons at home. How to grow lemon at home - indoor citrus fruits from seedlings and seeds

Hello!

Today I want to tell you in detail how to grow lemon from a seed at home. Yes, not just a lemon, but a real tree with fragrant and healthy fruits. Last year I wrote about growing tangerines from seeds and in the comments there was a request to tell about lemon. There are some things to keep in mind so that you can drink tea with your lemons in a few years.

Lemon is an evergreen shrub with glossy, fleshy leaves. On them and on the branches of the bush there are many pores that secrete essential oils and phytoncides - this is the familiar wonderful lemon aroma.

Lemon grows at home as a small tree, but it can grow up to three meters. It has small thorns on its branches and dark green leaves. Lemon has beautiful small flowers - pink-red or purple on top and white on the inside.

lemon flower

It’s just that you won’t surprise anyone with a lemon tree now, but a tree with fruits is not so common. But this is a completely feasible task for everyone.

Landing

Let's start from the very beginning. You need to choose the right seeds for planting and prepare the soil. We choose a beautiful, smooth, ripe lemon fruit. We select the best from it - large seeds. And we plant them in a wet state - there is no need to dry them, otherwise they will take a long time to germinate or will not germinate at all.

Before planting, you can treat the seeds with any biostimulant for rapid germination and the formation of good roots in the future. To do this, prepare the solution according to the instructions for the drug - and soak the seeds overnight.

It is necessary to prepare containers for sowing and good soil. Pots for seedlings can be bought in the store, or you can use cups of yogurt or sour cream for this, or cut off plastic bottles. You need to make holes at the bottom and put drainage. These can be shards from pots, nut shells, pebbles, a layer of vermiculite up to 1.5 cm.

Plant a lot of lemon seeds at once - a couple of dozen at a time. Firstly, not everyone will sprout, secondly, you will have the opportunity to choose the best ones for further cultivation, and finally, not everyone can tolerate the grafting well.

It may seem to some that the information about holes in cups and the need for drainage is known to everyone and there is no need to write about it in such detail. But I remember being a novice gardener and I didn’t always know all the intricacies of planting and care. And the plants died.

Now you need to prepare the loose fertile soil. Without any problems, you can plant lemons in purchased citrus soil or prepare them yourself. Mix humus and leaf soil in equal quantities and add peat and sand for lightness. We moisten the soil and place the seeds in pots. Plant the seeds to a depth of about 2 cm.

Temperature for germination lemon seed must be at least 18°C. To create lemons Better conditions for germination and development, cover them with cut plastic bottles. Or simply cover the cups with seeds with film and place them in a warm place. This will create greenhouse conditions for lemons.

Lemons under plastic bottles - mini-greenhouse

There is no need to pour seeds after sowing - they can suffocate and become moldy. It is better not to water at all, but simply spray the soil with a spray bottle. Water only when the soil begins to crack. And after the lemon shoots appear, it is also better to follow a low watering regime so that the roots do not rot.

Growing lemon from seed at home

Sprouts appear in the apartment in different ways. It may take from two weeks to a month. Until 4 leaves appear, young seedlings are kept in mini-greenhouses. We gradually accustom the seedlings to room air - we spray them more often. Then we move the pot to a bright place, but without direct sunlight, otherwise the young sprout will die.

Don't forget about watering, in the sense that don't get carried away

Water the seedlings only after the soil has dried out.

First shoots and small lemon seedlings

Helpful Tips:

Use distilled water room temperature. Rain and melt water are good for irrigation - just not cold.
The little lemon is not fed in the first months. In spring and summer you need to water with biofertilizer. But always remember that it is better to underfeed than to overfeed.
Do not forget that lemon Tree capricious and demanding plant when grown in room conditions. It likes constant temperature or humidity. Sudden changes in climate and care will immediately be reflected in a deterioration in the health of the lemon.
Hot, dry climate, exposure to direct sunlight, drafts and cooling air, wind - these factors can lead to the loss of all leaves and the death of the plant.
By autumn, watering is completely reduced; only after the soil has dried, the soil ball is moistened. Be sure to ensure that the water does not stagnate and that excess flows out freely. Feed once a month in the fall.
Already in the first year of growth of the seedling, its crown begins to form. Remove all deformed, weak branches growing inward.

Growing lemon at home in a pot

When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, select the strongest ones and transplant them into pots. It is better for lemon to grow only in clay pots. The diameter and depth increase as the tree grows. A few hours before transplanting, the pot should be soaked in water. Be sure to put a drainage layer on the bottom. You can cover the hole with a shard, placing it with the convex side up. On top we pour small shards, pebbles, coarse sand, coal, expanded clay.

We pour the same soil as we prepared when planting lemon seeds. After transplanting, cover the seedlings again with a jar or half a bottle. We remove it only after the seedling has completely taken root. At the same time, new leaves will begin to grow.

How to choose the most the best seedlings for transplantation. Here are the main things to pay attention to:

We look at the density of the crown. Look at the distance between the buds on the seedling - take the smallest ones.
Presence of needles. Less is better.
Leaf quality. There are a lot of them, they hold tightly, and do not fall off when touched.
We immediately reject all weak, thin shoots with bad leaves.

Lemon tree - care rules and growing problems

Growing lemons at home requires special care. If you follow all the rules, you can get flowering and fruiting plants.

Lemon requires additional lighting - especially in early spring and in autumn.
You need to create a humid climate in the room. To do this, spray the plant more often. Give him a shower, wash the leaves - lemons are tropical inhabitants and love high humidity.
Frequent transplants are important for young lemons. We prepare the ground as for the first planting. Plants must be replanted with a clod of earth. A new pot is taken 5-7 cm larger. Young ones - once a year, mature plant can be replanted every 2-3 years. Best time in summer - in June, and in winter - replant in February.
In the period from February to September, lemon grows more actively - so you need to feed the bushes with biofertilizers at this time, alternating with mineral ones. We only feed liquid fertilizers. Don't forget the rule: less is better than more.
We form plants correctly. To make the tree more luxuriant and the side shoots grow actively, pinch the crown. It is better to do this in the first year of growth.
For correct formation crowns should be turned by a quarter every week. In the future, a well-formed trunk will affect the quality of the fruit.
If the lemon at home began to bloom in the first year, then you need to pick off all the flowers - do not regret it. The lemon will spend all its energy on flowers and then wither. Lemon can be allowed to bloom when the plant has at least 15 leaves per flower!

Will a lemon grown from a seed bear fruit?

The seeds grow into full-fledged fruit plants, but they begin to bear fruit late. Seedlings grown from seeds are more adaptable to home conditions. They are more hardy compared to cuttings.

In order for the lemon to begin bearing its first fruits earlier, you can graft it onto other citrus fruits. For example: grapefruit. Optimal time for this operation the beginning of summer or spring.

Another important factor is the formation of the crown. As I already wrote, in the first year they pinch the top of the head - more precisely, when the seedling grows to 20 cm. Then branches of the second order begin to grow, they are pinched when they are 18 cm tall. Then the process is repeated until branches of the 4th order appear - the first flowers and fruits appear on them .

Fruiting lemon at home

And yet, before flowering, the lemon needs to rest. To do this, place it in a cool place for several months in winter. And in the spring put it in a warm, bright place.

Types of indoor lemon

You can grow many varieties at home - these are Pavlovsky, Maikopsky, Eureka, Genoa, Meyer, Novogruzinsky. The most productive is Maikop. And the Genoa and Eureka varieties are not tall and can grow even on a warm windowsill.

Lemon variety Pavlovsky

Pavlova lemon

This old variety folk selection. Bred in the village of Pavlovo more than 100 years ago. The variety is very unpretentious, well adapted to home conditions - dry air and insufficient lighting.

Pavlova lemon

Grows up to 2 meters. The crown is rounded. It can produce from 20 to 40 fruits per year. It begins to bear fruit in the 4th year.

Meyer lemon variety

Appeared in Russia in 1929. It became widespread in Europe, as it produced rich harvests in open ground. It is considered a natural hybrid of lemon and orange.

Chinese lemon variety

This is a short tree - usually about a meter. Is different high yield. It begins to bear fruit early - for 2-3 years. The fruits are early ripening, bloom on old and young shoots, bloom early.

Does not tolerate shade well - should be grown on south and south-west windows. It tolerates heat well, but during the dormant period it needs coolness and moistening of the leaves.

Unpretentious, productive, decorative variety. Grows up to 1.5 meters. It blooms very profusely - it looks like a white ball from the abundance of flowers. Fruits weighing 500 g with thick, yellow skin. Begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year of life. Shade-tolerant, grows quickly and adapts well to different conditions. Fruits set in any conditions.

Genoa lemon variety

This variety can be from 1 to 3 meters, without thorns. It begins to bear fruit at 4-5 years. Usually about 50 fruits are harvested per year. On an adult tree there are up to 100 pieces. It blooms several times a year, Genoa lemons are medium-sized, up to 100-120 g. It is distinguished by high taste qualities of the fruit.

Maikop lemon variety

The variety is common for growing at home, as it is very unpretentious and productive. Tolerates cold well. The weight of lemons is 120-160 g. They collect 200-300 fruits per year. Trees aged 30 years produce 700 fruits per year. Branches without thorns.

Lemon variety Novogruzinsky

Lemon variety Novogruzisky

Tall tree up to 3 meters. Begins to bear fruit at 4-5 years. The fruits are very fragrant, with a thin crust, without seeds. With good care it produces up to 200 fruits per year.

How to plant lemon at home

Vaccination with rotor is best. I suggest watching a video on how to perform this operation.

Pests and diseases of indoor lemon

The most common pests of lemons at home are scale insects, aphids, spider mite, scale insects. All of them suck the juice from plants, leading to curvature of shoots and drying out of leaves.

With all the pests there are general rules fight to save the lemon:

Major diseases of all citrus fruits at home- This is sooty fungus and gommosis. The fungus causes the leaves to become covered with a gray coating, which disrupts their nutrition. And with homosis, gum appears in places where the bark is damaged - the branches and leaves gradually dry out.

Actions for illnesses:

We clean the bark or the site of the disease - treat it with copper sulfate (copper sulfate).
Cover with RanNet (or garden varnish).
We wipe the leaves with fungus with a wet cloth.
We feed with fertilizers to maintain the strength of the plant to fight the disease.

How and in what quantities to use drugs to treat plants or control pests can always be read on the packaging of each drug. You will find them in large quantities in any specialty store.

Growing lemon in a greenhouse

As mentioned earlier, the lemon tree loves:

Strong but diffused light
Good root breath
Constant above-zero temperatures all year round

All these conditions are the most in the best possible way can be observed in a greenhouse, loggia or balcony with glazing, in a greenhouse or winter garden.

Growing lemons and other citrus fruits in a greenhouse has its own characteristics. You can plant lemons directly in the ground or in pots. To grow in the ground, the greenhouse must be heated.

Let's take a closer look at the requirements for the greenhouse in which the lemon will grow:

A prerequisite – even in very coldy the temperature should not fall below +6°C, but preferably + 10°C.
You need a lot of diffused light. In the autumn-winter period, you need to use additional lighting, and in spring and summer, on the contrary, shade it from direct sunlight.
Remember that lemons do not tolerate stagnant air; if there is high humidity, you need to ventilate the greenhouse. But do not create drafts!

In an apartment, the most appropriate place for planting and growing lemons - this is a glazed and insulated balcony or loggia.

Otherwise, growing and caring for plants is completely the same as described in the article.

I will repeat the main points important for obtaining full-fledged seedlings:

Choosing beautiful fruits
We sow freshly harvested wet seeds - do not dry them!
Water carefully as the soil dries out.
We cover the pots with film or bottles - we create a mini-greenhouse.
When applying fertilizers, remember the rule: it is better to underfeed than to overfeed.
We form and transplant young lemons in time

Plant and grow lemons with pleasure!

This is where I end. How to grow a lemon from a seed is no longer a secret to you. If you have any questions or comments, write in the comments.

Sincerely, Sofya Guseva.

What care does indoor lemon require at home?

Lemon is a tree; it also tends to grow in indoor conditions. There are several varieties that breeders have trained to be kept indoors. But they rebel if the care is not correct. Before planting a seed, you need to know that only indoor varieties can share a home with a person. These include:

Pavlovsky;
Anniversary;
Mayer.

These varieties are distinguished by their rapid entry into fruiting and high productivity when caring for lemons at home. When purchasing a ready-made varietal seedling, flowering should be expected after two or three years.

Indoor lemon With good care, it lives up to 30 years. After setting, the lemon takes 9 months to pour, but even after that it continues to increase in size, but becomes tasteless and thick-skinned.

It is important not to allow the flower to weaken and to pick off the buds until the bush has 20 leaves. Scientists believe that each fruit feeds 9-10 mature leaves. Depending on the number of leaves, the crop should be left. For the same reason, you need to protect the leaves from shedding, which the plant protests when it is uncomfortable. At the same time, it is necessary to trim the tops of branches in order to form new shoots, which means increasing the number of leaves. Therefore, plant care is carried out on the verge of knowledge and intuition.

Optimal conditions for lemon care

Only if you have a spacious, bright room can you count on creating a citrus garden. Even while on permanent place, the tree does not like to be moved. And for uniform development, it is turned a few degrees every 10 days, so that a full rotation is achieved in a year:

There must be at least two meters from the stand to the ceiling.
Can't stand dry air. Optimally 70% humidity. This means keeping the plant away from the radiator, having a humidifier or aquarium, equipping the humidity zone with any in an accessible way and frequently spray the leaves with a fine spray.
In summer, it is useful for lemon to be in the sun for 2 hours, but not longer. Therefore, the morning sun on the eastern window is just right for him. In winter, when growing lemon and caring for it at home, 5-6 hours should be organized.
The temperature for lemon should be from 14 to 27 degrees. During the flowering period, lemon needs coolness.
The watering schedule in the summer is very busy. The pot is watered twice a day, morning and evening, soaking the lump of earth completely. Due to good drain There is no stagnation of water. A tray should be installed below to collect water. Soft, settled water is used for irrigation.

The temperature should not change suddenly. If the plant is brought in from cold veranda V warm room, it will shed its leaves. The soil in the barrel is cold, but the leaves are warm! In winter, you need to find the coldest corner in your home for the lemon. Without a full dormant period, flowering in the future will be sparse.

Of great importance in caring for a lemon is its formation, maintaining its growth with systematic pruning and pinching of the green cone. The most deep pruning is held in the spring. 5-6 live leaves are left on the branches, the rest are removed, and material for propagating lemons by cuttings is obtained from them.

Diseases and pests of lemon

When caring for lemons at home and growing them, you need to know the signs of diseases in order to quickly correct mistakes. Often the plant needs moisture, which can be determined by:

the earth is gray from above, the lump crumbles in your hands;
the pot makes a ringing sound when tapped;
the leaves curled up and the tips drooped.

As a result, after some time the leaves, flowers and ovaries will begin to fall off.

If the plant does not receive feeding, the leaves become light, flowering stops, and the ovaries begin to fall off. But the same signs also apply to excessive fertilization. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the recommended doses and instructions on how to care for lemon at home.

If the plant has not been replanted for a long time and the soil has not been changed, fertilizing watering may not save it. The earth has become compacted, irrigation water has made passages in the thickness and is drained without completely wetting the volume.

As a result of errors in care, a weakened plant is colonized by insect pests or fungal and bactericidal diseases appear.

Various diseases of citrus fruits are specific, they are called:

xylopsorosis and trystera are incurable viruses;
gommosis - infectious when the tree trunk is affected;
malseco – infectious, begins with reddening of the leaves, the tree dies;
root rot - fungal disease, it is necessary to remove the damaged parts and replant them in new soil.

The cause of any disease is improper care behind the plant. And even if the tree does not bear fruit, its diseases are the same.

How to grow lemon at home

The selection of container for the plant and substrate is of great importance. The container must have good drainage holes. Root system lemon is compact, suitable for annual replanting young plant treats well, so create conditions for soil acidification in big pot not worth it. For older plants, the soil is changed less frequently, but the top fertile layer is renewed annually.

Composition of the earth:

deciduous humus – 2 parts;
humus from cattle – 1 part;
washed river sand – 1 part;
– 0.25 parts.

At the bottom, place a layer of charcoal mixed with expanded clay, add vermiculite to the substrate for looseness. Plants are transplanted after the grown lemon roots have entwined a lump of earth, using the transshipment method.

When pruning a lemon tree, a lot of planting material and twigs remained. They will make cuttings if you pinch off a couple of leaves from below and place the green twig in water. Next, the cutting takes root in the substrate in a small volume. How to care for a lemon obtained from a cutting? After the cutting has produced leaf shoots, it is maintained as an adult plant. At a height of 25 cm, the top of the plant is pinched, limiting growth. The resulting central and lateral shoots in the amount of 4 pieces are left, the rest are cut off into a ring.

The side shoots are grown 25 cm and pinched again, repeating the operations as the first time. The bush is shaped twice more, as a result, enough leaves are obtained on the round tree, and flower buds are laid on the branches. The lemon is ready to bear fruit; it has gained enough strength to feed the growing fruits.

Lemon propagation by seeds is a long process. The resulting seedling must be grafted in order to obtain a fruit-bearing tree. The wildflower will take a long time to develop, bloom little and the quality of the resulting lemons will be poor. Therefore, the grown plant must be grafted by budding or splitting to obtain a cultivated tree.

A seedling without grafting will become an excellent ornamental tree with good disease resistance. It is necessary to form a crown so that the bush is neat and does not stretch with branches, occupying a large space.

Video about planting and caring for lemons

When growing citrus, you need to put in the work and knowledge, carefully monitor its condition, and then the plant will please you graceful flowers with a delicate aroma, healthy fruits and spectacular appearance.

The location in the room determines how the tree will develop at home. Therefore, before purchasing a lemon (Citrus limon), you need to think about where to place it. North windows are not suitable, since there is no sun there, and the plant needs sunlight. In the south, it needs to be shaded, especially in summer. West, southwest, east and southeast windows are perfect. And insulated balconies and loggias play the role of mini-greenhouses - ideal for both winter and summer maintenance.

Note! Not all Citrus like bright sunlight. Some varieties (for example, Avlovsky, Lunario) can be placed at a distance of several meters from the window.

Video about growing lemon at home

It must be remembered that lemons react poorly to any movement; they especially cannot tolerate turning pots: they can slow down their growth or shed their leaves. The pot must be returned to its original position after any procedures. And only once every 2 years can you turn the plant around, carefully turning it at a small angle every day. This rotation makes it possible to form the crown more harmoniously without causing damage to the lemon.

Variety matters

If you try to grow a tree taken from an industrial greenhouse at home, then most likely the experience will be unsuccessful. These varieties are not suitable for indoor growing, because the conditions of detention are very different. When growing lemon indoors, varieties should be adapted to the dry microclimate of a city apartment, have a compact size and not be too demanding of sunlight. Only then when proper care there is a possibility of getting a harvest from homemade citrus.

Photo homemade lemon

General signs:

small sizes within 1-1.4 m (in the ground they are much higher);
the beginning of flowering from the second or third year of life;
fruit weight from 100 to 250 g;
number of fruits different varieties ranges from 6 to 25 per year.

Popular indoor varieties and some of their features:

Pavlovsky. Medium size, adapted to conditions with moderate light and dry air. The yield is small;
Genoa. A dwarf tree with a decorative crown, without thorns. The fruits taste excellent and the peel is sweet. Productivity is good;
Lunario. Medium-sized, one of the most unpretentious, produces few fruits and their taste is of low quality;
Meyer. A dwarf tree in the form of a bush that needs to be illuminated in winter time. The “sweetest” of all varieties, delicious;
Villa Franca. It is demanding of light, has many medium-sized leaves and small single flowers;
Anniversary. The crown is practically not formed. Does not require air humidification. Has large fruits, high yield;
Maikopsky. Medium height, has no thorns. Unpretentious, good harvest.

In the photo there is a homemade Maikop lemon

How to grow a lemon at home so that it blooms, bears fruit and looks healthy? Carry out all the procedures necessary for plants with amendments specifically for lemon - select the soil, fertilize, water, humidify the air.

Soil acidity can range from slightly acidic to neutral. The mixture should be nutritious, but loose. For example, turf (2 parts) and leaf soil (2), humus (1), coarse sand or perlite (1). It is permissible to use purchased land.

Citrus limon is very fond of feeding with organic matter - diluted and infused manure. When using complex mineral fertilizers, the content of phosphorus and potassium should be higher than nitrogen. Ideally, these two types of feeding alternate. The feeding scheme looks like this: water - mineral fertilizers– water – organic matter – water. But many people refuse to use slurry at home because unpleasant odor and quite successfully manage with mineral, organo-mineral fertilizers, and liquid extract of vermicompost.

Water for irrigation must be allowed to settle for several days to remove chlorine and precipitate calcium. If it is very hard, it is better to boil it. The best for irrigation is rain or purchased distilled water, melted snow (ice). The liquid temperature should be no lower than room temperature or 1-3 degrees higher than the room temperature, especially in winter. A slight drying of the top layer is a sign for new watering. In summer this is about once every two or three days, in winter - much less often.

Photo of poured lemon

Different varieties are not equally sensitive to humidity. Some (Pavlovsky, Yubileiny) can easily withstand dry indoor air. But everyone loves wet procedures. You only need to spray with soft water (distilled, rain). Otherwise, over time, a white calcium coating will appear on the leaves. To increase humidity, use pallets with wet expanded clay (pebbles, coconut fiber, etc.) or an air humidifier.

Comfortable temperature for development is 18 - 25 ˚С.

Citrus limon needs light for 12 hours. When kept in winter at temperatures above 14 °C, plants need additional lighting. Otherwise, the imbalance will lead to leaf shedding in some varieties (for example, Meyer). When the winter temperature is less than 12 °C, additional lighting is not needed.

How to grow a lemon so that it does not lose its leaves and has a decorative and well-groomed appearance all year round? Regular pruning in the spring is simply necessary for most Citrus limon: on every new branch 3 buds with leaves are left, weak branches are removed. A beautiful crown is gradually formed.

Pictured are lemon trees

The first flowers are cut off and the fruits are not allowed to set, so the young plant does not become depleted. At 3-4 years of life, after self-pollination or artificial pollination of flowers, fruits are set, which can remain on the tree for as long as 2 years. During this time, the fruits can change color - green, yellow, then green again, which turn yellow again. But they must be removed on time. 1 fruit should be per 15 leaves. The plant will not be depleted, but decorative look be preserved.

Healthy citrus fruits have a large number of leaves. A temperature change of 7-9 °C in one direction or another can lead to a sudden drop of leaves. The reason may be moving from a cold to a warm place or vice versa, a sudden change in weather if the plant is taken out into the open air.

If the leaves fall off gradually, the reason must be sought in improper watering or soil quality, which lead to the death of roots, short daylight hours, and the presence of pests.

The photo shows a lemon tree

Tree change appearance gives an SOS signal in time. To prevent your citrus from dying, you need to find and eliminate all errors in its cultivation as quickly as possible.

Is it possible to propagate lemons at home?

What to do if all the adult Citrus limon you bring disappear, but you really want to have this plant at home? You can try to solve this problem in 2 ways.

Plant fresh seeds in prepared soil and grow a tree. You have to wait for flowering for more than 10 years, or even 25! There is information about fruiting after 7 years, but this is still too long. But don’t be upset, if you are seriously interested in citrus fruits, then a lemon grown from a seed can be used as a rootstock for some cutting of the varietal Citrus limon.

Video about how to grow lemons at home

In spring, the survival rate of cuttings is much higher, but cuttings can also be carried out at other times of the year. The branches are taken with several leaves (buds), treated with a rooting agent and placed in sand or directly in the ground, covered with some transparent covering material, and the temperature is constantly maintained at at least 20˚C. After rooting, they are transplanted into good soil and after a year they begin to form a tree. In the first year, transplantation occurs 2-3 times, and then it is transplanted less frequently (every few years).

It is much easier for young plants grown from cuttings and seeds to adapt to life in your home than for adult lemons grown in other conditions. In addition, watching your pet's full development is interesting and rewarding.

Citrus lovers have long figured out how to grow lemons at home. There are several ways to implement your plans, the main thing is to comply existing rules on planting and caring for seedlings, otherwise you won’t be able to get a citrus tree on your windowsill.

What kind of lemon is best to grow in an apartment?

There are many known types of this exotic plant, which are suitable for home growing, but you should choose low-growing varieties that produce a lot of yield. Among the best and most popular options are the following:

How to plant a lemon correctly?

There are two methods you can use to grow at home exotic tree: using seeds and cuttings. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. You can get planting material yourself or buy it in a store. When figuring out how to plant a lemon at home, it is worth noting that planting with seeds is considered the best, since everyone can get them. In addition, an adult plant grown using this method will be much more viable in comparison with a tree obtained from a cutting.

How to plant a lemon from a seed?

For this option, prepare the seeds, which should be well formed and without defects. It is best to use several seeds from different citrus fruits. Immediately after extracting the seeds, soak them in water for several hours and you can proceed to planting:

Containers are used to grow lemon from seeds at home. small size, filled with suitable soil, mixing part flower earth and part of the peat. Don't forget about .
Deepen the seeds by 1 cm so that the distance between them is 5 cm, and 3 cm from the walls of the container.
It is important to monitor the moisture of the soil, but it should not be flooded. Please note that the temperature suitable for germination is 18-22°C. To create conditions similar to those in a greenhouse, the container can be covered with film, glass or a jar.
The pot should be in the light, but not in direct sunlight. Be sure to ventilate every day by removing the cover.
If all the recommendations regarding how to properly grow lemon from seeds are taken into account, then seedlings will appear in two weeks. Select the most viable ones, and the rest can be torn out. After the appearance of real leaves, it is carried out in separate small containers. The plant needs to be replanted when the height of the seedling reaches 20 cm.

How to plant a lemon seedling?

Grow will grow, so transplanting into a more convenient and spacious pot cannot be avoided. The instructions on how to plant a lemon at home indicate that you need to remove the seedling along with a lump of earth, which will speed up its adaptation to the new place. If you received a seedling without it, then insert it into new pot and carefully distribute the roots so that they do not break or get tangled. Be sure to water the soil, compacting it slightly.

How to plant a lemon from a twig?

To carry out the procedure, prepare river sand, which is washed and baked in the oven to remove bacteria. In addition, purchase soil for citrus fruits. There is a certain scheme for planting indoor lemon cuttings:

Cut shoots that should not be older than a year from a healthy and fruit-bearing tree. The branches should be about 10 cm long and have 3-4 developed buds. The cut at the bottom should be made closer to the bud at a right angle, and at the top - at an angle of 45° at a distance of 5 mm from the upper bud. Remove the leaf located below completely, and cut the rest in half.
Soak the cuttings in a root former solution for 10-12 hours. After this, lower the cut into charcoal to save planting material from decay.
Deepen the branches into wet sand to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Then spray lightly warm water. To make a makeshift greenhouse, cover the cutting with a jar. Place the container in a well-lit place, but avoid direct sunlight. Those who are interested in how to grow a lemon from a cutting should know that it is important to keep the sand always moist and spray it every day.
After 2-3 weeks, the first roots should appear. New leaves will indicate successful rooting. Every day, remove the jar for several hours to “harden” it. After two weeks it can be completely removed. After this, the transplant can be carried out.

How to grow lemon at home?

In order to see fruits on a tree, it is important to properly care for it. Experienced gardeners give a few practical advice how to grow lemon at home:

At the end of autumn, to help the plant adapt to the approaching cold, gradually reduce the temperature to 15°C. It is important to increase daylight hours, otherwise the citrus will shed its leaves.
Growing lemon at home means wrapping the pot in a blanket in winter to protect the roots from hypothermia.
After every 5-6 waterings, it is recommended to loosen the soil so that oxygen reaches the roots.
One simple way to force a lemon to bear fruit is to tie a side shoot near the trunk with wire. When the branch blooms, the dressing should be removed.

Growing lemon at home - soil

Citrus refers to unpretentious plants and it can take root in any soil. You can use a mixture that includes turf soil, river sand and humus. In addition, gardeners recommend including soil mixture wood ash, which will feed the sprouts. Growing lemons at home in a pot can be done using soils intended for indoor plants, but you need to add a little peat to them. When planting a cutting, add a layer of sand on top of the ground, which will help it take root faster.

To grow a healthy bush, be sure to add a layer of drainage to the bottom of the pot, as it will prevent moisture from stagnating, which is detrimental to the plant. For it you can use small stones or pebbles, grated foam, coarse sand or expanded clay. Experts give advice - in order to provide the plant with a nutrient medium, place a layer of peat or dry manure on top of the drainage. Its height should be no more than 2 cm.

Caring for indoor lemon in a pot - watering

To thoroughly saturate the soil, it is recommended to add water in 3-4 doses with short breaks. When from drainage hole If we start dripping, it means we need to stop watering. When caring for indoor lemons at home, it is important to consider that irrigation is carried out only with warm water and in the first half of the day. In winter, water 2-3 times a week. If the room temperature is +10°C, then add water 1-2 times a month.

Caring for indoor lemon - feeding

For citrus crop great importance have fertilizers. With a lack of minerals, foliage wilts and poor flowering occurs. To understand how to grow lemon properly, follow these tips:

During flowering and fruiting, fertilizers must be applied every 14 days. It is best to use organic matter, for example, “Gumi-Omi Kuznetsova Lemon”. For 1 liter of water take 1 tbsp. spoon. For small bushes, apply 0.5 tbsp., and for larger volumes, increase the dose.
Caring for lemons at home in winter means reducing fertilizing to once a month.
To grow healthy plant, it is useful to spray reverse side leaves with a fertilizer solution.
After transplantation, fertilize every month. Immediately before placing the bush in a new pot, it is recommended to water it with Kornesil to restore the root system.

Lemon care at home - pruning

It is recommended to carry out the procedure in the spring before the growth period begins. It is better to form the crown on a low trunk (15-18 cm). In the first year of life, cut the trunk at a height of about 20 cm. When growing lemon from a seed or cutting, keep in mind that the shoots are cut so that 4-5 leaves remain. It is worth considering that in most varieties the fruits are set on branches of 4-5 orders, so the plant must be branched.

How to propagate homemade lemon?

Several methods can be used to increase the number of citrus bushes. How to grow a lemon from cuttings and seeds was discussed above, but there is another option - using layering.

The rootstock must be grown for 1.5-2 years. The lemon stalk should be 6-7 cm long.
Make a split on the rootstock and place the cutting in it, and then carefully wrap the grafting site with film to create a greenhouse effect.
The graft will take root in about 45-60 days, and then remove the film.

Growing lemon - diseases and pests

If you do not follow the tips presented above, the bush can be affected by diseases:

Fungal diseases, for example, root rot, late blight, and so on. Remove the affected areas, and then carry out disinfection - spraying with chemicals.
If care is not carried out correctly, the lemon will be affected by diseases and pests, and infectious diseases are so serious. They fight them with special means.
It is possible that viral diseases, and then the plant must be disposed of.
When figuring out how to grow lemons, it is worth noting that the main pests are aphids, scale insects, and whiteflies. Remove insects and wash the stems and leaves with soapy water. Experts recommend cold ablutions of the bush twice a week.

In Russia, indoor citrus growing goes back almost three hundred years, because lemons were brought into the country under Peter I. And now we have many amateurs growing this evergreen fruit-bearing plant in a room or on an insulated loggia in pots or tubs.

Perennial lemon Tree It blooms quite profusely, but its flowers, as a rule, are not striking, since during this period they are usually completely covered with leaves. But you instantly feel that the air in the room is filled with a fabulous aroma. And even if you enter a room with a large selection of indoor plants, even in this case, the hard, leathery, shiny leaves of the lemon tree immediately attract attention, even if it has not yet begun to bloom. And even if this plant is “wild”, i.e. not grafted, it is still extremely decorative, because it has beautiful emerald shiny leaves.

And it is no coincidence, apparently, that in countries where citrus crops are grown, the bride is decorated with a large wreath of flowering branches lemon or orange. By the way, if blooming apple orchards we see from afar - three or four hundred meters away, the fragrance of a blooming lemon grove, presumably, spreads for many kilometers.

It must be admitted that growing lemons at home is not easy. Firstly, for this it is desirable to have a sufficiently spacious room with good lighting. Secondly, homemade lemon requires more attention than ordinary ones. indoor flowers. But at the same time, it has many advantages over them: it is more hardy and durable; the whole plant smells pleasant, releasing volatile essential oils that ozone the surrounding air.

In indoor conditions, the oldest trees reach a height of 1.5 m, although in large rooms with huge bright windows, lemons grow up to 3 m or more.

Growing lemon fruits is a rather long and painstaking process, so you need to be patient in advance to wait until the lemon tree finally gains strength and blooms, and the flowers form good size fruit.

When growing homemade lemon it is necessary to take into account its biological and varietal characteristics, know agrotechnical cultivation techniques, methods of its propagation and measures to protect against numerous pests and diseases.

We hope that after reading this article the number of people growing this magnificent plant at home will increase significantly. Having started a lemon garden at home, in a few years you will be able to treat your family and friends with your own grown lemon fruit. After all, a normally formed five to seven year old lemon tree can give an amateur citrus grower from 15 to 50 fruits per year (depending on the variety).

Lemon is a small tree or shrub with strong, usually thorny, branches. The tops of its young shoots are purple-violet in color. The leaves are oval, oblong, toothed; have many glands containing essential oil. Their replacement on the plant occurs gradually (as they age): the leaf lives for about 2-3 years. Lemon flowers are bisexual, arranged singly, in pairs or in small racemes, they are large (4-5 cm in diameter). The bud grows and develops for about five weeks, the flower blooms for at least 7-9 weeks. The period of growth and development of the fruit from setting (falling of flower petals) to the beginning of ripening in room conditions under spring bloom plants can last up to 230 days. IN summer period(optimal temperature and better lighting) this period is reduced to 180-200 days. If in the first year a young, recently grafted tree produces flowers, you should cut them off (preferably when they are still in buds) so that the plant does not waste its energy and preserves them for further normal development. During secondary flowering, the buds are no longer removed; Most often, the tree itself decides how much fruit it can “feed” and how many “extra” flowers it needs to shed.

It is recommended to allow lemon to flower and bear fruit if it has at least 20 full leaves.

Fruits on lemons are formed both with pollination of flowers and without pollination - parthenocarpicly (in this case, seeds are not formed in the fruits). Lemon fruits are oval or ovoid in shape. When ripe, their skin acquires a light yellow color and a strong lemon smell. Their pulp is usually greenish, divided into 9-14 segments, very juicy and sour. The seeds are irregularly ovoid, white, covered with a parchment-like shell.

There is a close relationship between the number of fruits and the number of leaves on the tree. It has been established that for normal growth and development of each lemon fruit, there must be at least 9-10 mature (physiologically active) leaves in the crown of the tree.

When growing lemons, care for the plant should be such that the leaves do not fall off. Most often this happens in winter. The condition of lemon trees can be judged by the degree of their foliage: the more healthy leaves a tree has, the better it grows and bears fruit. Without leaves, the plant will not be able to bear fruit: if unfavorable conditions If a lemon loses a lot of leaves, then next year it will not form fruit. That's why the main task in winter - preserve the leaf apparatus of the tree.

The complete ripening of lemons is fully indicated by their characteristic intensely golden peel, the color of which is given by carotenoids - sources of vitamin A. After full ripening, the fruits, as a rule, do not fall off and continue to grow in next year. But, increasing in size, they at the same time deteriorate their qualities (the peel becomes very thick, the pulp dries out and becomes flabby, the juice becomes less sour).

At normal conditions lemon grows, blooms and bears fruit within all year round, therefore, on the same plant there can be mature fruits, young ovaries, flowers and buds at the same time. The period required for fruit ripening, which begins from the moment of fruit set, largely depends on the period of flowering and setting. Fruit ripening when lemon blossoms in the summer months occurs 1-2 months faster than in the spring. The time from fruit set to fruit ripening can vary widely (7-14 months). Experienced amateur flower growers know how to regulate the timing of lemon flowering by skillfully using various techniques, for example, temporary drying of wood. Thus, a tree that is dried (to the initial stage of wilting of the leaves) stops growth and flowering and enters into forced dormancy, in which craftsmen can keep it for some time. If after this you give abundant watering, then the lemon begins to grow vigorously and bloom profusely.

When growing lemon in a tub, it is very important to achieve dwarfism, especially since lemon tends to form very powerful, long (not branching only at the top) branches, so it will need to be trimmed regularly: without this, the shoots make the crown very voluminous. According to experts, it is advisable to prune all strong growths of a tree after 5-6 leaves, which makes the crown more compact, mechanically strong and productive. Systematic care is also required for the roots (this is usually carried out during transplantation), since they ensure the vital activity of the plant. If the root system develops abnormally, the growth of the lemon is inhibited, the color of the leaves changes, etc.

Lifespan indoor lemon under favorable conditions it can be quite large. For example, in the city of Pushkin I saw a wonderful almost three-meter 30-year-old tree, it grows in a greenhouse and is, one might say, in its heyday. Several hundred fruits hang on it at the same time.

Diseases and pests usually play a significant role in reducing the longevity of plants. If the owners treat their pet lemon with care, like a member of the family, then under favorable conditions the life expectancy of the tree can easily be 35-45 years.

Being a southern plant, the lemon tree will certainly produce a good harvest of fruits in indoor conditions if it is provided good care and all the conditions necessary for normal life. But I’ll note right away: it makes quite high demands on heat, moisture and light. Optimal temperature for the growth of leaves and shoots of lemon is about 17°C, and for the development of fruits 21...22°C. Very high air temperatures are harmful to lemon; the plant reacts especially negatively if the temperature rises sharply at the same time as low relative humidity air. This happens in the spring months and early summer - this is caused by sudden warming outside. This phenomenon can lead to the fall of flowers and ovaries, and a strong temperature drop in autumn and winter months- and foliage.

The soil temperature should also be close to the air temperature; A sharp lag in soil temperature and air temperature is especially harmful. This happens when a tub of lemon standing long time in summer and even in autumn outdoors, when it gets cold, they immediately bring it into a warm place living room. Sometimes he reacts to this by dropping leaves.

Lemon is sensitive to fluctuations in indoor air humidity. He reacts negatively to its deficiency, which is most dangerous (especially when high temperature) during flowering and fruit set. This causes flowers and ovaries to fall off. Some experts believe: the higher the air humidity, the longer the lemon leaves live.

Lemon is a short-day plant; he is quite reconciled with the disadvantage solar lighting. With long daylight hours, its growth increases and fruiting is delayed. Windows on the south and east sides are considered the most favorable for indoor growing. On the south side in summer it receives a lot of light, but it should be shaded with a gauze curtain from direct sunlight (this is especially important during the midday hours). Some experts consider it universal east side: her morning Sun rays, although bright, are not so scorching, and plants have enough of this lighting.

To prevent a one-sided tree from growing, it is recommended to turn the box with the plant at a slight angle every half month. Although this procedure slows down the growth of shoots and leaves somewhat (lemon is very sensitive to changes in lighting and moving from place to place), the plant is formed in the correct shape. Other experts advise making turns of approximately 10° every 10 days: then it will take a year for the plant to complete a full rotation. It should also be borne in mind that lemon is sensitive to sudden changes in lighting: as its intensity decreases, the size of new leaves increases.

During winter period lemon will benefit from daytime illumination (5-6 hours) with a lamp daylight(or an incandescent light bulb 100-150 W), which is placed at a height of 60-80 cm above the plant.

The period from October to March is the most difficult for plants; due to non-compliance with maintenance conditions during this period, they often die. In winter, with radiator heating, the air in the room is dry, so it is better to move the plants away from heating devices (sometimes the radiators are covered with damp cloth); You can spray the leaf surface with a spray bottle. However, we must remember that excessive spraying of the leaf surface, especially of the Meyer variety, can contribute to the development of fungal diseases. It also doesn’t hurt to keep water on the surface of the soil in a pot (or nearby) in a wide bowl for evaporation. In summer, it is advisable to wash the leaves at least once every 1-2 weeks in the shower or gently wipe with a damp cloth so that they are clean and breathe “deeply”.

A lemon tree is grown in the same soil for several years, so a properly selected substrate for it, as well as fertilizing with fertilizer mixtures, are of great importance for its normal life. We'll talk about this later.

Alexander Lazarev,
Candidate of Biological Sciences,
senior Researcher All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Pushkin