Citrus trees are quite expensive, for example, a lemon tree about 45 cm high will cost 2.5 thousand rubles. Therefore, many people prefer to grow lemons themselves, especially since the seeds are easily accessible and can be bought at any supermarket. You can also purchase fairly inexpensive seeds of varietal lemons (and other citrus fruits, such as tangerines and oranges).

For those who decided to try their luck with a seed from a purchased lemon - this article.

Young lemon shoots, 1 month old.

Step 1. The right lemon

You don’t even need to be a professional to understand that the fruit must be mature, high-quality, environmentally friendly and, highly desirable, freshly harvested. If it is still possible to find lemons in supermarkets that meet the first three parameters, then what about freshness? It is clear that on the shelves there are imported lemons that have been sitting for some time. It's OK. You just shouldn’t take rotten, dried fruits or delay planting after purchase. If you bought a beautiful lemon, immediately remove the seeds from it and start planting.

Step 2. Germination and planting

You can do without germination by immediately sowing the seeds in the ground, for example, according to the scheme described below.

The easiest way to grow homemade lemon from a seed:

Buy soil for citrus fruits and prepare small containers (you can plastic cups), at the rate of 1 bone – 1 container.
Fill the containers with soil, plant the seeds in the soil to a depth of 3 cm. Water.
Cover with film. Place in a warm place. You don’t have to be overzealous here; standard room temperature 18-22° C. is ideal for lemon.
Ventilate regularly and moisten if necessary. You shouldn't pour it, it's better to spray it.
After three weeks, sprouts will appear.

Such sowing in the ground has its disadvantages: it is not visible which seed has sprouted, some of the pots will remain “out of use”.

Another variant

Fill the seedling boxes with soil, plant the seeds 1 cm deep, maintaining a distance of 5 cm between them. In this case, seedlings can be expected after 2 weeks. Waiting for a pair of real leaves the best seedlings are planted in separate pots 10 cm in diameter. Now the plants can be placed on permanent place– such a pot will be enough for plants up to 15-20 cm in height.

Which window should I place young plants on?

A south window would be a mistake; lemons do not like direct scorching sun, they need bright but diffused light. The best option– east or west window. Or still a south window - but with shading.

What do young seedlings look like?

Recommendation: it is advisable to grow several seedlings at once, because if you are inexperienced in growing citrus fruits, a lot of troubles can happen to the tree while it takes time from seed to fruit. Diseases, errors in care, and finally, an error in grafting and the plant will die. It would be nice to have a “spare”.

Two sprouts may appear from one seed; in this case, the weaker shoot should be removed.

Step 3. Shoots and further care

Care is not difficult, lemons can really be considered unpretentious indoor plants; it is enough to learn a number of simple rules.

Lemons love:

Moderate watering. On average, we can say that in summer you should water 3 times a week, in winter - 2 times. But you should focus on your conditions - you may have to water more often or less often. It is better to spray young shoots, watering only when the soil becomes dry. Overfilling is worse than underfilling, so don't overdo it.
Breathable, water- and air-permeable soil.
Regular spraying, possibly a shower. It is important that dust does not accumulate on the leaves. Air humidity is especially important if the plant is located near a battery. Do not neglect this aspect of care - it is not only about humidity, but also about preventing attacks by pests or diseases.
Turn the lemon towards the light gradually, by 20-30 degrees, not the full 180.
Pot size. A large pot of lemon is not recommended, the maximum for adult plants is 10 liters; it should be replanted as often as possible, but according to need and depending on the growth rate of the tree itself - as a rule, this is done once a year in the spring.
Feeding for citrus plants with a high content of manganese, boron, zinc. Feeding is advisable quite often - once every 2 weeks for the entire period active growth(from February to September).

But! Overfeeding a plant is more harmful than underfeeding; remember that nutrition is important for the formation of fruits. Young plants (up to 3-4 months) and plants immediately after transplanting into fresh soil (within 1-1.5 months) are not fed.

Why do lemons die or grow poorly?

This often happens to inexperienced gardeners; you can even hear that lemons are capricious plants. But this is not so, the reasons for the death are quite simple:

The air is too dry! Apartment air is really too dry for these plants - don’t be lazy to spray.
Temperature changes, drafts, changes in humidity - lemons are quite sensitive to changes in conditions.
Overflow. Once again, lemons do not like soil that is too wet! Be sure to wait until it dries between waterings.
Poor drainage. Drainage is necessary for almost all indoor plants, so we did not dwell on this issue in detail, but we receive letters that clearly indicate that this point is often neglected. Pay attention to drainage - the soil should be loose, well permeable, and excess water from the pot should drain well - this applies even to very young plants planted, for example, in plastic cups.
Wrong choice of seedlings. You should not take weak seedlings with long internodes - such plants will be of no use. If you want to receive more plants- better to sow more seed, approximately twice.

Lemon tree at the age of 1 year.

Learn more about fertilizing

If you don’t have time to bother with fertilizing, then complex fertilizers like “Zdraven”, “Ideal” are suitable - almost every company produces a special fertilizer for citrus fruits. But it’s better to alternate feedings using:

Organic (you can alternate it with complex mineral fertilizer, using, for example, the following scheme: the first ten days of the month - minerals, the second ten days - organics, etc.).
Fertilizer with wood ash, iron sulfate, and manganese can be used as sources of microelements (zinc, iron, boron, etc.). All these products are used according to standard schemes (for example, you can read about fertilizing), applying fertilizers both at the root and by spraying the leaves.

Substrate for planting

In a sense, it’s easier for city residents - they have ready-made substrates at hand. However, you can prepare the mixture yourself, remembering the following rules:

The mixture should allow air to pass through perfectly.
The mixture should allow moisture to pass through perfectly.
It should be nutritious, lemons are “gluttonous” plants.
They prefer neutral acidity, although they are tolerant of slight deviations (acceptable pH level is from 5 to 8).

There are a lot of recipes for mixtures, for example:

Purchased land plus peat in equal proportions.
Turf soil, humus, sawdust, sand - in equal proportions.

Pests and diseases

Lemons are attacked, and quite often, by the following pests:

Shield.
Spider mite.
Chervets.

Despite the fact that they look different, the symptoms of the lesion are approximately the same. The leaves of the plant dry out, the shoots become bent, growth slows down, and the plant gradually dies.

The following remedies can be used at home:

Washing with a soap solution, just make sure that the soap solution does not get on the soil, this alkalizes the soil, plants do not like it.
In the evening, you can carefully soap the places where “bandits” accumulate and wrap the plant in cellophane - in the morning, be sure to remove and wash these places, soap makes cellular respiration difficult, if you leave the plant in a soapy state, the leaves will simply fall off. Of course, the guillotine the best remedy from dandruff,” but it is still advisable to rid the plant of pests without losing foliage.
Fitoverm is a good chemical to use at home. It is odorless and easy to use, although it cannot be said that it will help in one go. It is likely that the treatment will have to be carried out several times at weekly intervals.

Citrus diseases:

Sooty fungus.
Gommoz.

Shaping and pinching

They are getting started already in the first year of life, this is very important for future fruiting. Weak branches growing inward with deformations are removed. Pinch the branches, leaving 3-4 leaves on them.

The picture below shows a diagram of lemon pruning.

Harvest and fruiting

Lemon trees are very popular as indoor plants, in particular because they are remontant, that is, they bear fruit. all year round.

But be prepared that plants grown at home from seeds will bloom and produce a harvest, at the earliest - in 8 years! In addition, plants from seed do not retain 100% of the characteristics of the variety, which means that they can lose fruit size, yield, and taste. A plant grown from a cutting will produce a harvest in 4-5 years on average.

Propagation of lemons by cuttings - this method allows you to achieve fruiting faster. Plants from cuttings bear fruit in 4-5 years. The only “but” is that for this you need to have a high-quality lemon tree on hand that has already produced fruit, or go to a special nursery and purchase a cutting.

Grafting is the fastest, although it requires practice, method - in this case, active fruiting is only 2-3 years old. Seedlings aged from six months to three years are vaccinated - this best time for scion survival. Thus, it is possible to obtain fruits from seedlings grown from seeds in record time - in 2.5 - 3 years.

It happens that lemons bloom very early - such flowers should be removed, no matter how much you want to get golden fruits. But why risk the death of the plant? Fruiting requires strength, a well-formed crown and a sufficient amount of green mass; if there are less than 15 leaves per flower, the flowers can be safely picked off. As a rule, flowers are removed before the plant is 3, or preferably 4, years old.

Lemon varieties

There are a lot of them, and many varieties can be grown indoors. Differences between varieties are usually in the yield and quality of the fruit. The most famous varieties (descriptions and harvest dates apply to trees grown from seedlings):

Pavlovsky– a classic, a very old variety, perfectly adapted to rooms, tolerates dry air and low light relatively well, which is inevitable in an apartment. The plant is large, up to 2 m tall, produces fruits in the 4th year, yields up to 40 fruits per year.
Eureka– a relatively short lemon. Productivity is average, blooms early, in the third year, fruits average weight, delicious, very common in open ground in Europe.
Meyer- a hybrid of lemon and orange. Very popular as a potted plant. The fruits are larger and sweeter than lemons. Very productive, bears fruit for 4 years (we are talking about a tree grown from seeds).
Novogruzinsky– a large tree, fruits for 4-5 years, tasty and aromatic, without seeds. Productivity is high (up to 200 per year).
Maykop- is different increased productivity, up to 300 fruits per year, quite large fruits, the variety is unpretentious.
Genoa- another low variety, up to 3 meters (in rooms up to 1 meter), fruits - in the fifth year, up to 50 fruits per year, the fruits are small but tasty, blooms profusely.

Meyer lemon blossoms.

Video consultation - how to get results?

Lemons are not difficult to grow from seeds, but it is not always possible to get fruit from such plants. What is the reason? Response to video.

Lemon grown in a pot on the windowsill will saturate the air in the house with phytoncides and essential oils, protecting against infectious diseases and bacteria. And so that a miniature tree regularly pleases not only appearance, but also with fruits, it needs to be grafted. You can buy seedlings in specialized stores, but it is more interesting and cheaper to plant a seed in the ground and wait until it turns into a young sprout.

Choosing planting material

Where can I get lemon seeds? Go to the supermarket or market, choose the largest fruit of a rich yellow hue and take out a seed from it. The main thing is that there are no stains or other damage on the citrus peel. Planting material taken from a dented or rotten sample may harbor an infection or disease that will destroy the fragile shoots emerging from the ground.

The purchased lemon is carefully cut, trying not to touch the shell of the seeds with the blade, and the seeds are removed. The planting material is immediately sorted: large specimens are kept, small ones are thrown away, because they rarely sprout.

It is advisable to plant the seeds in pots immediately while they are still wet. But if there are a few dry lemon seeds left in the cupboard, which are a little more than a month or two old, the workpiece is soaked in warm water for several hours, and then buried in the ground.

Lemons are also grown from cuttings, which you can get from friends or neighbors. Cut a young twig from a fruiting tree, place it in water, add heteroauxin and wait a day. The cuttings must have at least 3 buds, and the mother lemon must produce at least 6–10 citrus fruits per year.

Soil and pots

Some domestic trees grow up to 8–10 m in height, others stop at 3–4 m. Beginners who are working with lemons for the first time try to plant a seed or cutting immediately in a huge pot or wooden box. The plant needs space, but when there is too much of it, the root system does not develop properly. Therefore, at the first stage, a small clay pot or disposable plastic cup will be enough.

You can create a container for growing lemon from a bottle:

Cut off half or a third. Discard the top and cap, leaving the bottom of the bottle.
Make many small holes in the bottom to ensure air circulation.
Place the homemade pot on a plastic plate or tray so that excess water drains onto the stand and not onto the windowsill.
Fill the bottle with soil and plant a lemon seed in it.

You can grow citrus seedlings in a flower pot, several of them at once, but there should be a distance between them. It is recommended to mentally draw an equilateral triangle on the surface of the earth and at each vertex geometric figure stick in 1-2 grains.

Wooden rectangular boxes are also used for growing lemons. 15–20 cm are spaced between seeds so that the root system has space to develop. Regardless of the container chosen, a drainage layer 1–1.5 cm high is placed at the bottom of the pot or box. If it is missing, moisture begins to accumulate, air circulates poorly and fungus appears in the soil. Root system lemon rots and the plant disappears.

The following is used as drainage:

small stones or pebbles;
small pieces of pottery;
grated foam;
coarse sand;
expanded clay or crushed wine cork.

Tip: To provide the plant with a nutrient medium, it is recommended to put a layer of peat, dried cow or horse manure, or a little moss on top of the drainage. The feeding height is 1.5–2 cm, followed by soil.

Ideal soil
Lemon count unpretentious plant, which can take root in any soil. The main thing is to be warm and have enough moisture. Often the seeds are planted in a mixture of turf soil, river sand and humus. More experienced gardeners added to soil wood ash, which will feed weak shoots.

Land intended for indoor plants is also suitable for growing citrus trees. You can buy soil at flower shops; it is advisable to add a little peat to the soil. If lemon cuttings are planted in pots, then a layer of sand is poured on top of the ground. This helps the citrus plant take root faster and take root in a new place.

Disembarkation process

Make a small depression in the soil, about 1.5–2 cm, slightly moisten the soil and stick a few seeds into it. It is recommended to take 2-3 grains per hole, because some planting material may turn out to be empty and unviable. If several sprouts emerge from the hole at once, the strongest and healthiest specimen is left, the rest are carefully pulled out or cut off at the very root.

How it all happens:

Place the seeds in the moistened soil, sprinkle them with soil and lightly compact the soil.
Sprinkle the soil with warm distilled or melt water using a spray bottle.
Cover the pot with a plastic bag, which will create a greenhouse effect.
Place the lemons in a room where the temperature does not drop below +18. The seeds do not need light until the first shoots appear, so citrus fruits can be kept in any room.
Periodically open the film and ventilate the soil in the pots, regularly moisten the soil with a spray bottle, but make sure that the soil is not too wet and damp.

With cuttings they do things a little differently:

The twig, which has stood for several days in a special solution, is planted in the ground after thin roots appear.
The plant is buried so deeply that only two buds remain on the surface, the rest should hide underground.
At first, the cutting needs abundant watering, because lemon does not have strong roots capable of drawing moisture from the soil.
The plant feels comfortable at a temperature of +18–20 degrees.
It will take about 1.5–2 months for the citrus cutting to finally take root in the pot and begin to grow actively.

Advice: If you have overdone the watering and the soil cannot dry out, you should not wait for mold to appear. The pot is freed from wet soil and filled with new dry soil, into which the lemon is transplanted.

Little trick
You can cover the hatched lemon shoots not only with a bag, but also with a regular glass jar. Place the container with the neck down to create a greenhouse effect. Lemons grow faster in humid, tropical-like conditions. If the citrus fruits were planted in a pot in winter or in early spring, the plant is placed next to a radiator or heater, and watered 3 times a week.

Water is used from rain or melt water, heated to room temperature. The irrigation liquid must sit for several days so that harmful impurities precipitate.

Fertilizer and replanting
Seedlings are fertilized once every two weeks. For citrus fruits, fertilizers such as “Ideal” or “Zdraven” are suitable. You can buy special fertilizers created for lemons and other exotic plants, but they must include:

manganese;
zinc.

Citrus leaves are regularly wiped with a damp cloth to remove dust. The pot with seedlings should be placed in a well-lit window so that the plant receives a lot of ultraviolet light. But in order for the sprouts to stretch evenly and not shed their leaves, the lemon should be rotated around its axis by 1.5–2 cm every month. The seedlings should not be sharply twisted, otherwise such unexpected changes may result in the “baldness” of the young tree.

In early spring, the grown citrus is transferred to another, more spacious pot. In the first year, the lemon should “move” 4 times. An adult tree can live in its pot for several years, the main thing is to update the top layer of soil from time to time.

How to understand what a lemon needs new house? If its roots reach the drainage layer and try to crawl out of the pot, the tree has become cramped. Move the lemon from one container to another carefully so as not to damage the base. A little soil is left on the root system so that the plant quickly adapts to new conditions.

Tree formation
To prevent the seedling from turning into a shaggy bush of incomprehensible shape, it needs to be looked after. When the central shoot becomes strong and begins to stretch upward, acquiring branches and additional leaves, it is cut off. There should be a stump 20 cm high. Next, branches of the second order are formed on the central trunk, which are pinched when they reach 18–19 cm. Repeat the procedure again until shoots of the fourth “generation” appear. It is on them that buds, flowers and fruits are formed.

If you do not trim off excess shoots and branches, the crown of the lemon will become dense, and the tree will spend too much energy feeding leaves and unnecessary shoots.

When the trunk of the seedling becomes as thick as a pencil, the lemon should be grafted. You need to ask your friends or order from a specialized store a two-year-old cutting cut from a fruiting citrus tree. You will also need:

well sharpened knife;
a roll of electrical tape;
plastic bag;
garden var.

First, cut off the lemon branch extending from the central trunk, leaving a stump 5–10 cm high. It must be carefully split into two equal parts. Sharpen the bottom of the handle into the shape of a blade and insert it into a stump. Coat the open “wounds” with garden varnish and tie tightly with electrical tape so that it covers the stump.

The top of the scion is also cut off, leaving 2 to 4 buds. Treat the cut with garden varnish, cover the pinched lemon with a bag to create a warm, humid microclimate. In such conditions, wounds heal faster and the cutting takes root better. Remove the cellophane after the first shoots appear. A grafted lemon will begin to bear fruit in 2–3 years.

For the first time, 2 flowers are left, which need to be pollinated using a cotton swab. Collect pollen from one cup and transfer to another. In the future, the lemon can ripen as many fruits as the ovary appears.

In late autumn, the temperature in the room where the citrus pot is located should be gradually reduced to 15 degrees so that the plant adapts to harsh conditions. At the same time, increase daylight hours, otherwise the tree will begin to shed leaves.
In winter, it is recommended to wrap a tub of lemon with insulation or thick blankets to protect the roots from hypothermia.
The soil is loosened every 5-6 waterings to improve the flow of air into the soil and prevent acidification of the soil.
In late spring and summer, it is useful to move a mature citrus tree outside, but hide it from direct sunlight.

Lemon, like other plants, needs regular care and attention. The plant loves warmth, moisture and sun in moderation, and sometimes needs feeding and protection from pests. If you don’t forget to water the tree, apply fertilizer and keep it away from drafts, it will live a long time and regularly produce fruits.

Video: how to grow citrus fruits at home

Do you want to grow from a lemon seed? beautiful tree with fruits? Planting a lemon in the ground and watering it regularly is not enough. To ensure that the result does not disappoint you, it is important to know in advance about some nuances. In addition, the condition of the lemon seed at the time of planting is also important. This article will give you the information you need to succeed!

What should the bone be like?

First of all, pay attention to the appearance of the lemon itself: it should be fresh, large and without dark spots. After cutting the lemon, select the largest seeds. The sooner you plant them, the greater the chance of success. The dried seed will have to soak in water for some time and it is not a fact that it will sprout.

It is advisable to plant several lemon seeds at once - at least 10 pieces, because not all will germinate. From the sprouts you can choose the tallest and strongest one, and only then grow a lemon tree from it.

Which land to choose

First of all, the soil should be light. Heavy soil, for example, black soil, is undesirable for the young lemon sprout that you are going to grow.

The height of a lemon tree can reach 3 meters, but if you grow it at home, naturally, it will turn out to be more modest in size. For seedlings, you can use small pots and even the lower parts of plastic bottles, but this is only a temporary option. The bottom of the pot must have holes to allow excess moisture to escape.

Drainage

Drainage is what is used to cover the bottom of the pot before filling it with soil. You can use nut shells, broken pottery, or small pebbles. The drainage layer is usually 1-1.5 cm, depending on the size of the container in which you plan to grow the lemon.

Planting homemade lemon

Now that you have everything at hand to grow a fruit-bearing lemon at home, all you have to do is follow step by step instructions. She is in front of you:

Soak lemon seeds overnight;
In a flower pot that already has drainage and the required amount of soil, plant a lemon seed to a depth of about 2 cm;
Monitor the room temperature! The mark on the thermometer should not fall below 18 degrees. If the pot is on a window or windowsill, place the thermometer right next to it.

Lemon care

Caring for a lemon is no more difficult than caring for any other indoor plant. Here are the basic rules:

Fertilizers. There is no need to fertilize the soil in which the lemon grows for the first 6 months. Too much fertilizer is sometimes worse than too little;
Watering. In the homeland of lemons, the climate is arid, so the plant does not need abundant watering. Spray the soil with a spray bottle as it dries. A more precise watering schedule depends on the humidity level in the room;
Humidity. Avoid sudden changes in humidity - this can have a detrimental effect on the growth of homemade lemons! During the heating season, you need to be especially careful and, if necessary, artificially increase the humidity level;
Sun protection. Sunlight is definitely necessary lemon tree, but there is nothing good in an excess of ultraviolet radiation either. If the pot is on the window, summer time Do not allow the plant to come into direct sunlight. The same applies to drafts - the plant will suffer greatly from a sharp wind;
Appearance. After 8-12 months, depending on the intensity of the seedling’s growth, start forming its crown. Crooked, weak branches, with a disturbed direction of growth, are carefully cut off.

How to grow lemon at home

This video describes in detail how to properly grow fruit-bearing lemons at home.

Video source: PaniGanya

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

The 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, with proper care, is there a chance of getting a harvest from homemade citrus.

Photo of homemade lemon

General signs:

small sizes in the range of 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.

On the picture homemade lemon Maykop

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 slurry at home because unpleasant odor and quite successfully manage with mineral, organo- mineral fertilizers, 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 temperature of the liquid 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, 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, has whole year decorative and well-groomed appearance? Regular pruning in the spring is simply necessary for most Citrus limon: 3 buds with leaves are left on each new branch, weak branches are removed. A beautiful crown is gradually formed.

Pictured are lemon trees

The first flowers are cut off and fruits are not allowed to set, so young plant don't get exhausted. 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

The tree, by changing its 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.

Bloom: at home - at different times.
Lighting: short plant daylight hours. The best place The apartment has southern and eastern window sills with shading from the sun in the afternoon. In order for the lemon to develop symmetrically, it must be rotated around its axis by 10˚ every 10 days. In winter, you will need additional artificial lighting for 5-6 hours daily.
Temperature: during the growth period - 17 ˚C, during budding - no more than 14-18 ˚C, during fruit growth - 22 ˚C or more. In winter – 12-14 ˚C.
Watering: from May to September - daily, then no more than 2 times a week.
Air humidity: periodic spraying of leaves with warm water is recommended boiled water, especially in the summer heat and winter, when they work heating devices.
Feeding: complex mineral fertilizers. During the period of active growth, young plants are fed once every one and a half months, adults - once every 3-4 weeks. From mid-autumn, feeding is gradually reduced: if a lemon grows in a heated room in winter, it is fed once every month and a half; if the tree has entered a dormant period, it does not need feeding. The fertilizer solution is applied to the pre-moistened substrate.
Rest period: in winter, but not pronounced.
Transfer: in spring, at the beginning of active growth. Young lemons are replanted once every year or two, mature ones - once every 2-3 years, when the roots appear from the drain holes.
Reproduction: seeds, cuttings and grafting.
Pests: spider mites, whiteflies, root and common aphids, mealybugs, scale insects.
Diseases: chlorosis, tristeza, citrus canker, homoz, scab, anthracnose, leaf viral mosaic, root rot, melseco.

Homemade lemon - description

Indoor lemon is a perennial, evergreen, low-growing plant with strong, thorny branches. The tops of its young shoots are purple-violet. Lemon leaves are leathery, green, oblong-oval, toothed, with a large number of glands containing essential oil. Each leaf lives 2-3 years. The plant's buds take about five weeks to develop. An open lemon flower lives from 7 to 9 weeks, and all this time the lemon blossom is accompanied by a wonderful fragrance.

Fruit ripening from the formation of the ovary to full maturity can last more than nine months. The fruits of indoor lemons are ovoid in shape with a nipple at the top, they are covered with a yellow, pitted or tuberous peel with a strong characteristic odor. The greenish-yellow, juicy and sour pulp of the fruit is divided into 9-14 segments. White, irregularly ovoid-shaped lemon seeds are covered with a dense parchment shell.

We will tell you how to create conditions for growing lemon in ordinary apartment, how to grow a lemon from a seed at home, how to water a lemon, why lemon leaves turn yellow, what pests and diseases of homemade lemons are most dangerous, how to plant a lemon at home, what valuable properties have lemon fruits, and you will definitely want to decorate your home with this beautiful and useful plant.

Indoor lemon from seed

The easiest way to grow homemade lemon is from a seed. Seeds for germination can be taken from fruits purchased in the store. The fruits must be ripe and uniform yellow color, and the seeds in them are mature and formed. A lemon from a seed needs a substrate of a certain composition: mix peat and flower soil from the store in equal parts to make the composition light and permeable. The soil pH should be within pH 6.6-7.0.

How to plant a lemon.

Place a layer of drainage material and substrate in a suitable container and plant lemon seeds in it to a depth of 1-2 cm immediately after removing them from the fruit. Keep the crops in a bright place at a temperature of 18-22 ºC, keeping the soil slightly moist, and the seeds will germinate in about two weeks.

How to care for lemon seedlings.

At home, lemon from the seed is watered with water at room temperature, the soil in the pots is carefully loosened, and when the sprouts develop a pair of true leaves, the strongest seedlings are transplanted into individual pots 10 cm in diameter and covered with a glass jar to create the desired microclimate. Once a day, the jar is removed briefly to ventilate the seedlings. The lemons can be kept in this container until they reach a height of 15-20 cm, after which they are transplanted into larger pots. Lemon planting is carried out by transshipment. Before replanting a lemon, remember that each subsequent pot for an adult lemon should be 5-6 cm larger in diameter than the previous one, since in a container that is too spacious, the soil not occupied by roots begins to sour from moisture. Be sure to lay a thick layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot - expanded clay, broken polystyrene foam, charcoal or pebbles. A flower mixture from a store or garden soil fertilized with humus is quite suitable as soil. When replanting, do not bury the root collar into the ground - this may cause it to rot.

Caring for a lemon in a pot

Conditions for growing indoor lemon.

How to grow homemade lemon? Growing homemade lemons is not easy, but rewarding. First of all, you need to create for it optimal conditions. Since lemon is a short-day plant, it tolerates a lack of lighting. Long daylight hours stimulate fast growth lemon, however, delays the onset of fruiting. The best place for plants in an apartment is southern and eastern window sills, but in the afternoon the windows need to be shaded. To prevent the tree from growing one-sided, turn it every 10 days around its axis by 10º. In winter, if the lemon does not rest, it is advisable to organize for it artificial lighting daily for 5-6 hours.

Temperature for lemon.

For lemon leaves to grow, 17 ºC is enough. The most comfortable temperature for a lemon during the period of bud formation is 14-18 ºC; in hotter conditions, the lemon sheds ovaries and buds. And during fruit growth, it is advisable to increase the temperature to 22 or more ºC. When warm days arrive, the lemon can be taken out into the garden, onto the balcony or onto the terrace, but make sure that the plant is not damaged by sudden temperature changes - wrap it up or cover it at night. In winter, lemon is comfortable in a room with a temperature of 12-14 ºC, away from heating devices, where the plant will remain dormant in order to gain strength for the next fruiting.

Watering the lemon.

Lemon in indoor conditions needs daily watering from May to September, the rest of the time the frequency of moistening is approximately twice a week. Saturate the substrate with moisture, but until next watering let it dry. It is advisable to use filtered water or at least let it sit for 24 hours. The temperature of the water for irrigation should be the same as the room temperature. If for any reason the lemon is long time be subjected to waterlogging, you will have to completely replace the substrate in which it grows.

Growing lemon at home requires spraying the leaves plants with warm boiled water, especially in winter, when the heating appliances in the room are working at full strength. However, moderation must be observed in this matter, otherwise problems caused by fungal diseases may arise. If the lemon rests in a cool place in winter, the leaves do not need to be sprayed.

Lemon fertilizer.

Lemon at home needs regular feeding. Complex fertilizers can be used mineral compounds. Young plants are fertilized once every one and a half months, adults more often: the frequency of fertilizing in the spring-summer period is once every two to three weeks. From mid-autumn, fertilizing is reduced: if your tree grows without rest all year round, in winter, fertilize an adult lemon once every month and a half, and if it rests in winter, it does not need fertilizing at all. Two hours before adding fertilizer, be sure to water the substrate in the pot with clean water.

From organic fertilizers lemon prefers an ash extract, an infusion of quinoa or birch leaves (half a jar with crushed leaves is filled with water and left for 2-3 days), an infusion of fresh manure diluted 5-6 times. The frequency of applying organic matter is the same as for mineral fertilizers.

If you notice what's happening intensive growth green mass, but fruiting does not occur, remove the nitrogen component from the fertilizing and increase the phosphorus component.

Lemon trimming.

Lemon care includes regular pruning. The crown of a lemon is shaped depending on what it is grown for. If you need him as ornamental plant, then the crown is formed compact and small size, but if you need lemon fruits, then the formation of the crown is carried out differently. A fruiting lemon must have a certain number of main branches and the required mass of growing shoots, and most of these shoots must consist of fruit wood. The crown is formed by pinching: as soon as the first zero shoot stretches to 20-25 cm, it is pinched, the next pinching of the shoot is done at a height of 15-20 cm from the previous pinching, leaving 4 developed buds in the segment between two pinches, which subsequently form 3-4 main escapes directed in different directions. Shoots of the first order are pinched after 20-30 cm, and when they ripen, they are cut about 5 cm below the pinching point. Each subsequent shoot should be approximately 5 cm shorter than the previous one. The formation of the crown on fourth-order shoots is completed. If you do not prune a lemon, its branches grow too long, and the formation of shoots of the third and fourth order, on which the fruits form, is delayed.

Pruning, in addition to its formative function, also has a sanitary function: as necessary, weak shoots and those branches that grow inside the crown should be removed.

Pests and diseases of lemon

The lemon is turning yellow.

Amateur flower growers often ask us why lemons turn yellow. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. Lemon turns yellow:

– if the air in the room is dry;
– if the plant lacks nutrition;
– if in winter it is in a too warm room;
– when affected by spider mites.

All reasons, except the last one, are easily removable, and as for spider mites, drugs such as Actellik, Akarin, Kleschevit and Fitoverm will help to cope with them. Do not violate the rules for caring for your homemade lemon, keep it cool in winter, do not forget to humidify the air in the room where the lemon grows, apply it on time necessary fertilizing, and your tree will be healthy and green.

The lemon falls off.

To the question of why lemons fall, which our readers often ask, the answer is also ambiguous. We are, of course, not talking about lemon fruits, which can hang on the tree after ripening for up to two years. The phrase “lemons are falling” in letters from readers refers to the loss of leaves by a plant. Lemon leaves fall off, eaten by spider mites, which feed on the cell sap of plants. We described how to combat these pests using insecticides in the previous section. But you can, without resorting to pesticides, treat lemon with a two-day infusion of a teaspoon of grated onion in a glass of water.

Leaves and sometimes lemon buds fall off due to lack of moisture in the soil and in the air around the plant. Don't forget to water and spray the tree regularly, especially during the hot season.

The lemon is drying.

It happens that the tips of lemon leaves dry out and become Brown color. The reason for this is lack of moisture or dry air. And if the leaves dry out and curl, this is evidence that you are not caring for it correctly. Review the rules for caring for the plant again: lemon needs bright lighting with shading during the midday hours, humid air, frequent but moderate watering, regular feeding and proper winter rest.

Lemon pests.

Except spider mite, lemon can be harmed by whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs and scale insects. As folk remedy To get rid of pests, many use an infusion of 150-170 g of chopped garlic in a liter of water. Infuse the garlic in a tightly closed container for five days, after which 6 g of the strained infusion is diluted in 1 liter of water and the lemon is processed. The product is effective only if there are few insects. If the lemon is infested with a large number of pests, you will have to resort to insecticide treatment.

Indoor lemon - reproduction

Lemon from cuttings.

In addition to the seed method of propagating lemon, indoor floriculture Cuttings and grafting are also used. For cuttings, take shoots at least 4 mm thick and 10 cm long. The lower cut should pass directly under the bud, and the upper cut should pass above the bud. Each cutting should have 2-3 leaves and 3-4 formed buds. Treat the cuttings with a root formation stimulator and lower them with the lower cut half their length into water. After 3 days, the cuttings are planted to a depth of 3 cm in pots with a soil mixture consisting of equal parts of coarse sand, humus and flower soil. Since the lack of roots in cuttings does not allow them to receive moisture from the soil, it is necessary to spray their leaves with warm, settled water several times a day. The soil in the pot should be slightly moist. Optimal temperature for rooting cuttings 20-25 ºC. At proper care The roots of the cuttings will develop in a month and a half, and then it will be possible to plant them in separate containers.

How to graft a lemon.

To graft a lemon, it is important to have a good rootstock. This is a two- to three-year-old seedling grown from a seed with a trunk diameter of no more than 1.5 cm. Lemon is also grafted onto the rootstocks of other citrus fruits. Scion cuttings are taken from mature but not lignified annual shoots of healthy trees. The leaves are cut from the prepared cuttings, leaving only their petioles with buds in the axils. Before grafting, cuttings can be stored wrapped in a damp cloth for 2-3 days in a cool place or for 2-3 weeks in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, but it is better to cut them immediately before the procedure.

Grafting is carried out during the active growth of lemon, and the most suitable time for this is spring. The best tool is a budding knife, but if you don’t have one, you can get by with an ordinary sharpened and sterilized knife. How to plant homemade lemon? Make a T-shaped cut in the bark on the rootstock stem and carefully bend its corners. Cut a bud from the scion cutting along with the petiole and scutellum - part of the bark with a thin layer of wood - so long that it fits into the T-shaped cut. Taking the scion by the petiole and without touching the cut with your hands, place the shield under the folded bark in the T-shaped cut, then press the bark tightly and wrap the rootstock trunk above and below the bud with budding tape or plaster. To be on the safe side, it is better to vaccinate two or three kidneys at the same time. Engraftment lasts for three weeks. If the petiole of the grafted bud turns yellow and falls off, then the grafting was successful. In this case, cut the scion trunk 10 cm above the grafting site, remove the budding tape and remove the shoots that appear on the stem below the grafting.

In addition to bud grafting, budding methods such as cutting grafting and lateral grafting are used.

Types and varieties of homemade lemon

At home, low-growing and medium-growing varieties plants. Lemon varieties differ, in addition to the size and shape of the crown, the degree of adaptability to growing conditions, as well as the quality, appearance and size of the fruit. We invite you to get acquainted with the most popular varieties homemade lemon:

Pavlova lemon

is a variety of folk selection that was bred more than a century ago in the village of Pavlovo near Nizhny Novgorod. Pavlovsk lemon is the most common variety in indoor cultivation. Trees of this variety reach a height of 1.5-2 m and have a compact rounded crown up to 1 m in diameter. The fruits, the number of which reaches from 20 to 40 pieces per year, are distinguished by high taste qualities, superior to the characteristics of lemons grown in open ground. Often the fruits of Pavlovsk lemon do not have seeds or contain a small number of them, although there are fruits that contain from 10 to 20 seeds. The thickness of the shiny, smooth and only slightly bumpy or rough skin of the fruit is about 5 mm. It can be eaten along with the pulp. The length of the fruit is about 10 cm, the diameter is from 5 to 7 cm, the weight is 120-150 g, but in some cases the weight of the fruit can reach 500 g;

Meyer lemon,

or Chinese dwarf was brought from China first to the USA, and after it gained recognition in America due to its productivity, it became popular in Europe. It is believed to come from the red-orange Cantonese lemon, although another version says it is a natural hybrid between lemon and orange. This is a small plant 1-1.5 m high with a densely leafy spherical crown and a small number of spines. Fruits weighing up to 150 g are covered with thin orange or bright yellow peel. The pulp is slightly acidic, slightly bitter, juicy. The variety is distinguished by its productivity and early ripening;

Novogruzinsky

– young, productive tall variety– the height of the tree can reach 2 m or more. The crown is spreading, with numerous thorns. The yellow fruits are round or elliptical in shape, weighing up to 150 g, with a thin shiny skin and have a pleasant taste. Every year at good care a tree can produce from 100 to 200 fruits, while the New Georgian lemon is one of the most undemanding varieties of the crop;

Lisbon

– this lemon comes from Portugal, and it gained popularity only when it came to Australia. This is a fast-growing tree, reaching a height of 2 m, with a dense crown, strong branches with a large number of thorns. In a year, the tree can produce up to 60 fruits weighing an average of 150 g, although fruits weighing up to half a kilogram can occur. The fruits of this variety have a classic oval shape with a slightly beveled top; their peel is thick, slightly ribbed, and yellow in color. The pulp has a pleasant sour taste. The variety is characterized by good adaptability to growing conditions, which helps the plant to tolerate low humidity air;

Genoa

- a productive variety of Italian selection brought to us from America. The height of the tree of this variety reaches only 130 cm. The crown is dense, and there are practically no thorns in it. Small, elongated fruits weighing up to 120 g with a rough, greenish-yellow skin with aromatic, juicy, pleasant-tasting pulp appear on the tree several times a year. In total, the variety produces up to 180 fruits per year;

Lemon Maykop

reaches a height of 130 cm, is unpretentious and has high productivity, and has several forms. The weight of the fruit is 150-170 g, the shape is oval-oblong, with a slight thickening in the lower part. The skin of the fruit is thin, ribbed, shiny;

Anniversary

– this variety was obtained by Uzbek breeders as a result of crossing the Novogruzinsky and Tashkent varieties. This hybrid is unpretentious, shade-tolerant and early-bearing. The fruits of the Yubileiny variety are large, round in shape, with thick yellow skin. The weight of the fruit reaches 500-600 g;

Ponderosa

– a natural hybrid of citron and lemon. This is one of the most unpretentious citrus fruits, resistant to drought and heat. Plants of this variety reach 1.5-1.8 cm in height and have a spreading crown. Ponderosa fruits are oval or round, weighing up to 500 g, with a thick, bright yellow, rough peel. Their pulp is juicy, has a pleasant sour taste, and is light green in color. The variety is distinguished by early fruiting and demanding soil composition;

Lunario

- a decorative and high-yielding hybrid of papeda and lemon, bred in the century before last in Sicily. The name of the variety is due to the fact that it blooms on the new moon. Lunario are trees no more than half a meter high with a large number of small thorns. The fruits are ovoid or oblong-elliptical in shape with a smooth and shiny skin of a rich yellow color and contain weakly juicy but aromatic flesh of a greenish-yellow hue with 10-11 seeds;

Villa Franka

- a variety of American selection, which is an almost thornless tree up to 130 cm high with a large number of emerald green leaves. Smooth, oblong-oval with a blunt nipple, wedge-shaped fruits with juicy, aromatic, pleasant-tasting light yellow pulp reach a weight of only 100 g. The peel of the fruit is dense, almost smooth to the touch;

Irkutsk large-fruited

– recently bred light-loving Russian variety, which is a medium-height tree with a crown that does not require shaping. The fruits with medium-thick, lumpy skin are very large - weighing up to 700 g, but some can reach one and a half kilograms;

Kursk

- also a Russian variety, obtained through experiments with the Novogruzinsky variety. The Kursky variety is distinguished by early fruiting, drought resistance, shade tolerance, relative cold resistance and high yield. Plants of this variety reach a height of 150-180 cm. The weight of thin-skinned fruits reaches 130 g;

Commune

– a very popular Italian variety in its homeland, characterized by increased productivity. This is a medium-sized plant with a dense crown and a small number of small thorns. The fruits are large, oval, almost free of seeds, with juicy, aromatic, tender pulp with a very sour taste. The peel is medium thick, slightly lumpy.

The indoor lemon varieties New Zealand, Tashkent, Moscow, Mezen, Ural indoor and others are also successfully grown in cultivation.

Properties of lemon - harm and benefit

Useful properties of lemon.

In popular literature beneficial features lemon are described repeatedly. But since it is always pleasant to write about good things, we are ready to once again cover in detail the topic “The harm and benefits of lemon.” So, what are the benefits of lemon? Its fruits contain:

– citric and malic acid;
– microelements iron, potassium, copper, manganese and iodine;
– sugar;
– pectins;
– flavonoids and phytoncides;
– fiber;
– vitamins A, B, P, D, C and group B – B2, B1, B9.

Due to the presence of these components in lemon fruits, it has:

– tonic;
– refreshing;
– antipyretic;
– bactericidal;
- strengthening effect.

In addition, lemon juice is a source of citrine, which, in combination with vitamin C, has a beneficial effect on redox processes, metabolism and strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

Having a strong bactericidal effect, lemon helps the body cope with the flu, but for this it must be consumed with tea made from mint, plantain, horsetail and sage.

By restoring digestive processes, lemon helps remove toxins and waste from the intestines, helps cope with infections of the respiratory tract and oral cavity, relieves or alleviates migraine pain, eliminates rashes and boils on the skin. In addition to the listed advantages, it must be said that lemon is a good diuretic.

Despite its sour taste, lemon can reduce the acidity of gastric juice. Lemon juice and its peel are excellent antiseptics, and the leaves of the plant are successfully used to lower the temperature. Due to its high vitamin C content, lemon has a strengthening effect on the immune system.

Lemon is included in many medicinal preparations that relieve inflammation, kill germs and helminths, heal wounds, strengthen the body and reduce the manifestation of sclerosis. Eating lemons is indicated for atherosclerosis, lung diseases, poisoning, vitamin deficiency and hypovitaminosis. It is useful even for pregnant women.

Baths with lemon juice relieve sweating and tired feet; rinsing your mouth with lemon juice strengthens your gums and tooth enamel. If you regularly eat lemons, diseases such as colds, tonsillitis, sore throat, vitamin deficiency, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, gout, atherosclerosis and diabetes. And this is far from full list health problems that the yellow sour fruit will save you from. Isn't this a good enough reason to grow indoor lemons at home?

Lemon - contraindications.

What can be the harm of lemon, and for whom can it be harmful? Lemon is contraindicated for hepatitis, hyperacidity of the stomach, gastritis, inflammatory diseases of the kidneys, gall bladder and intestines. Moderation in the consumption of lemon fruits should be observed by hypertensive patients and patients with pancreatitis. In rare cases, eating lemons can cause an allergic reaction because the companies that supply them process the fruits. chemicals, extending shelf life. For some, lemon can cause heartburn, and for people with a sore throat or nasal mucosa lemon juice will almost certainly cause irritation.