Learn how to grow and care for lemons at home. Lemon tree care at home and features of Lemongrass varieties at home

Agrotechnics for growing citrus fruits in a room is complex. You should start with a lemon, growing and caring for it at home is easier than other sissies. You can buy a young bush, or you can grow it, starting from sowing a seed or rooting a cutting. Under all favorable conditions, a crop from a plant from a stone can be obtained in 20 years, from a cutting in 7-8. But a lemon from a stone at home will be more adapted, healthy, beautiful with its dark shiny foliage. You can graft a shoot from a fruiting lemon to it, which will speed up flowering. The choice is for the amateur.

What care does indoor lemon require at home

Lemon is a tree room conditions he also wants to grow. There are several varieties that breeders have accustomed to room content. But they rebel if the care is wrong. 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 fruiting and high productivity when caring for lemons at home. When buying a ready-made varietal seedling, flowering should be expected in two or three years.

Room lemon at good care lives up to 30 years. Lemon after tying is poured for 9 months, but even after that it continues to increase in size, but becomes tasteless and thick-skinned.

It is important to prevent the weakening of the flower and cut off the buds until there are 20 leaves on the bush. Scientists believe that each fruit feeds 9-10 leaves. middle age. Depending on the number of leaves, you need to leave the crop. 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 obligatory to trim the tops of the branches in order to form new shoots, which means to increase 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 being in a permanent place, the tree does not like to be moved. And for uniform development, it is rotated a few degrees after 10 days, so that a full turn is obtained in a year:

1. From the stand to the ceiling must be at least two meters.
2. Doesn't take out dry air. Optimally 70% humidity. This means keeping the plant away from the radiator, having a humidifier or an aquarium, equipping the humidity zone with any accessible way and often spray the leaves with a fine spray.
3. In summer, it is useful for a lemon to be 2 hours under sunbeams but not longer. Therefore, the morning sun on the eastern window is just right for him. In winter, when growing lemon and caring for at home, 5-6 hours should be organized.
4. The temperature of the content for a lemon should be from 14 to 27 degrees. During the flowering period, the lemon needs coolness.
5. The watering schedule in summer is very busy. The pot is watered twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, soaking the clod of earth completely. at the expense good drain water stagnation does not occur. A drip tray must be installed at the bottom to collect water. Soft settled water is used for irrigation.

The temperature should not change drastically. If the plant is introduced from cold veranda in warm room, it will drop foliage. The earth in the barrel is cold, but the leaves are warm! In winter, you need to find the most lemon cold corner in a dwelling. Without a full dormant period, flowering in the future will be poor.

Great importance in the care of a lemon is its formation, keeping it in growth with systematic pruning and pinching of a green cone. The deepest pruning is done in the spring. 5-6 living leaves are left on the branches, the rest are removed, and material for propagating lemon by cuttings is obtained from them.

Diseases and pests of lemon

When caring for a lemon at home, and growing it, you need to know the signs of disease in order to quickly correct the mistakes made. Often the plant needs moisture, which can be determined:

• the earth is gray from above, the lump crumbles in the hands;
• the pot makes a loud sound when patted;
• the leaves curled up, and the tops drooped.

As a result, after a while, the leaves, flowers and ovaries will begin to fall.

If the plant does not receive top dressing, the leaves become light, flowering stops, the ovaries begin to fall off. But the same signs and with excessive fertilizer. 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 transplanted for a long time and has not changed the ground, fertilizing watering may not save. The earth has compacted, irrigation water has made passages in the thickness and merges without completely wetting the volume.

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

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

• xylopsorosis and tristera - viral incurable;
• gommoz - infectious when a tree trunk is affected;
• malseco - infectious, begins with reddening of the leaves, the tree dies;
• root rot is a fungal disease, it is required to remove the damaged parts and transplant into a new soil.

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

How to grow a lemon at home

Of great importance is the selection of a container for the plant and substrate. The container must have good drainage holes. The root system of a lemon is compact, for an annual transplant young plant treats well, so you should not create conditions for acidification of the soil in a large pot. For older plants, the land is changed less frequently, but the upper fertile layer is renewed annually.

The composition of the earth:

• leafy humus - 2 parts;
• humus from cattle - 1 part;
• washed river sand - 1 part;
• - 0.25 parts.

At the bottom, lay out a layer of charcoal mixed with expanded clay, add vermiculite to the substrate for looseness. Transplantation of plants should be carried out after the grown roots of the lemon braid a clod of earth, using the transshipment method.

When pruning a lemon tree left a lot planting material, branches. Cuttings will be obtained from them, if you pinch off a couple of leaves from below and put a green twig in the water. Further, the cutting takes root in the substrate in a small volume. How to care for a lemon obtained from a cutting? After the stalk has given leaf growth, it is contained, as mature plant. At a height of 25 cm, pinch the top of the plant, limiting growth. The resulting central and lateral shoots in the amount of 4 pieces are left, the rest are cut off into a ring.

Lateral shoots grow by 25 cm and pinch again, repeating the operations, as for the first time. A bush is molded twice more, as a result, enough leaves are obtained on a round tree, and flower buds. The lemon is ready to bear fruit, it has gained enough strength to feed the pouring fruits.

Propagation of lemon seeds is a lengthy process. The resulting seedling must be grafted in order to obtain a fruit-bearing tree. The wild will develop for a long time, bloom little and the quality of the resulting lemons will be poor. Therefore, the grown plant must be grafted by budding or splitting to get 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, taking up a large space.

Video about planting and caring for lemon

In order to successfully master the agricultural technology of growing lemon and other citrus crops in greenhouse conditions, and even more so in office and residential premises, you need to understand that representatives of citrus fruit crops were formed in a humid and hot climate, therefore, for their successful growth, development and fruiting, they require the same or close with the specified conditions.

With the spread of citrus fruits to different subtropical regions, they gradually adapted to harsh conditions environment.

Citrus fruit crops equally demanding to heat, light and moisture. For example, it has been established that illumination affects the phases of development of a tall plant, the rate of fruit ripening, and the intensity of their color.

Citrus fruits are very sensitive to frost, especially lemon. For example, in the Caucasus, when grown in open ground conditions, a lemon withstands frosts in the range of almost minus 5 -6 ° C, an orange - minus 7 - 8 ° C. Some varieties of Kinkama mandarin are the most hardy under these conditions, sometimes they can withstand up to minus 9 ° C, but at the same time, young, insufficiently lignified shoots also shed their leaves.

For the normal passage of all life processes, citrus crops need the following amount of active temperatures: for mandarin - 4200 ° C, lemon -4200 ° C, orange - 4500 ° C.

For this reason, for various types of citrus fruits, it is necessary to create such agricultural technology that would meet the requirements of the cultivated crop. Particular attention should be paid to providing plants with a large supply of nutrients during the period of relative winter dormancy, and irrigation during the period of intensive growth.

To ensure high annual yields, leaf fall and weakening of plants should not be allowed, as well as damage to them in the most important for citrus fruits. winter period.

Agrotechnics for growing lemon in the room

We believe that for a beginner amateur who wants to master the agricultural technique of growing citrus fruits indoors, one should start with a lemon. This representative of citrus fruits develops better in a pot culture (in many zones), in addition, there are a number of varieties specially created for growing lemons indoors. Note that in no case should you try to grow fruits on plants grown from seeds, since such plants are young in stages and even with proper care, they can bloom and give first fruits no earlier than after 12 - 15 and even , 18 years. In order to successfully and efficiently grow lemons, plants of vegetative origin must be used for planting, that is, grown by rooting cuttings (cut from fruiting plants), layering or grafted.

So, if you have a lemon or orange seedling growing in a pot on your window, you first graft it with a bud (graft) or live, taken from a fruit-bearing lemon, grow a cultivated seedling from it and only then organize proper care for it and try to get fruits.

Lemon, like all other representatives of citrus fruits, belongs to the type of remontant plants that are able to bloom and bear fruit. all year round. On a plant that has entered fruiting, there may be simultaneously ripe fruits, different size ovary and flowers. Lemon blooms especially massively in spring (March-April), as well as in autumn (October-November). Lemon fruits ripen within 8-9 months. With proper care of indoor lemon trees (watering, fertilizing, lighting, etc.), plants can produce up to 50-60 fruits already in the 3-5th year. Although lemon and evergreen, yet the leaves on it periodically fall off.

Bulk dropping lemon leaves

Leaves on indoor plants live for three years. To replace the fallen ones, new, young ones grow. If the leaves on the plant fall off en masse at the same time, this should alert the owner (what is wrong with the plant). The complete loss of lemon leaves will cause next year the plant will not yield.

Here, along the way, it is necessary to warn amateurs from the trouble that inexperienced central growers can get into when buying plants in the markets, from random people. Often in the market you can meet a Georgian who sells a small lemon tree, even with small fruits. Such plants should not be bought. The fact is that lemon is a low-wintering plant. When grown in open ground, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in Central Asia, seedlings are grown on seedlings of trifoliates (three-leaf lemon) to increase the resistance of a lemon tree to low temperatures that are there in the winter. Trees grown on trifolate rootstocks for cultivation in closed ground unsuitable, because with the onset of autumn they shed their leaves. Therefore, it is not worth buying such plants and trying to grow them as an indoor crop.

soil for lemon

In order for lemons to grow and bear fruit successfully, it is necessary to take care of the composition of the soil in advance, which needs to be filled in a flowerpot or pot. When preparing the soil mixture, two parts of soddy soil are taken, one part of hardwood, humus and pure river sand. All these components mix well and fill the vessel when the plants are planted.

A small lemon tree should not be planted in a large container, this negatively affects its growth, since it is small in volume. root system cannot master the whole land and it can turn sour. It is better to transfer the tree from a small vessel to a larger one as it grows. Fruit-bearing plants are transplanted once every 2 - 3 years with the replacement of part of the earth mixture.

Top dressing lemon

Indoor lemons during their cultivation are periodically fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. From organic it is better to use fresh mullein, one part of which (in fermented form) is diluted in 7-8 parts of water. You can also use bird droppings, which is diluted in a ratio of 1:15. For fertilizing with mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, potassium and trace elements), they use special packages that are sold in flower shops.

Shaping and pruning a lemon tree

When growing lemons indoors, it is important to form a beautiful, strong, well-branched crown.

When a lemon seedling (obtained by rooting a cutting) takes root well and forms a plant 25 - 28 cm high from the ground, it is formed by pruning and pinching.

At a seedling of a given height, pinch the top (remove the top two leaves). So pinching will stop growth in height. After some time, several lateral buds will sprout on the trunk, which form one vertical and 3-4 lateral shoots (when there are more of them, the extra ones are removed to the ring). This will be the skeletal branches of the crown and the neutral conductor. When these branches reach a length of 25 - 30 cm, it is worth removing the top on them in order to stop growth and over time, on these 3 - 4 lower (skeletal) branches, on which lateral buds awaken to growth, shoots form, that is, they are laid branches of the second order. To form branches of the third and higher orders of branching, new shoots should be treated similarly. When branches of the third, fourth orders of branching form in the crown of a grown lemon tree, such a plant will be able to bloom and set fruits. With the entry of a tree into fruiting, its vegetative growth slows down, and fruiting increases. During this period, caring for the lemon crown consists in cutting out the extra branches (not needed) to form the crown into a ring, and those that grow in the middle of the crown and thicken it, remove from the crown or pinch.

Watering

In order for a grown plant to grow normally and bear fruit, it should be looked after. It is especially important to water moderately, preferably with river or rain water. water from water supply network it is necessary to defend in an open container for 1-2 days. It should be remembered that excessive soil moisture in the vessel where the lemon grows is not desirable. The soil should be moderately moist. When the leaves on the plant begin to resemble a shuttle, this indicates that the air in the room is dry. Such a plant should be sprayed with water room temperature at least once a day.

Illumination in winter

As noted above, citrus plants were created in a warm and humid climate and in conditions where night is always equal to day. Therefore, plants grown indoors are quite demanding on light. This is especially noticeable in autumn and winter, when the night is even longer than the day. In order to create favorable conditions for lemon for normal life, plants grown indoors must be illuminated (with 75 W electric lamps) with a reflector in October 5 hours, in November 7, December - 8, January - 7, February - 8, March - 5 Without additional lighting, plants can shed their leaves, which will negatively affect their fruiting. Here are the main (far from complete) requirements that should be addressed Special attention when growing lemons in living quarters or offices.

There is a category of flower growers who like exotic plants. They try to either acquire such a pet, or grow their own. Most often found on window sills in houses. It is valued for its evergreen disposition, the ability to bloom all year round and, as a result, bear fruit. But in order to achieve fruit ripening, you need to know how to care for a foreign guest.

To plant a green pet in your house, you need to decide on the type:

• Pavlovsky is not afraid of the shadow, for which gardeners have appreciated him for many years. After planting, he begins to produce flowers only in the 3rd year. It begins to bloom in March-April and in October. Within 12 months, a tree can produce up to 15 fruits. They are distinguished by thin skin, pleasant taste and weight (on average - 400 g). The plant can grow up to 2 m in height.
• Ponderosa is a low-growing shrub that does not exceed 1 m, does not require special care, but produces a small amount of berries - up to 5 pieces in total. Is not different large size- up to 300 g. It begins to bloom only in the 4th year, but all flowers are removed. Only on subsequent flowering can you leave up to 6 inflorescences. It has a thick skin (1 cm) and a sweet and sour taste, but contains many seeds inside the fruit.
• Meyer - a dwarf variety, reaches 0.5-1 m. Throws out inflorescences already 1-2 years after planting. Like the bush itself, the fruits are not cumbersome - up to 200 g. The taste of the fruit is inconspicuous. During the period it brings up to 12-15 berries of sun drops, which ripen quickly (in 9 months). Of the minuses - in winter time necessary additional lighting, often sick and rather capricious in care. The fruits boast a round shape and thin skin structure.
• Lucario is very common in Europe. The most unpretentious of all varieties. It bears fruit well with small lemons (150-180 g) - up to 16 pieces. Taste qualities do not differ in features.
• Lisbon - characterized by thorns on the branches. It tolerates sunlight well and is tolerant of heat. Gives berries for the 3rd year in the amount of 16 fruits. Valued for its excellent taste.

There are also varieties such as Genoa and Kursk with excellent taste, Maidan (endowed high yield), Novogruzinsky, Eureka and Villafronca. All types have proven themselves only with positive aspects but they are very rarely available for sale.

The most important thing for a plant is light. A good location is the southeast window sills. At noon, it is recommended to shade the bush, it is possible to acquire burns on the leaves. In winter, it is required to highlight with fitolamps to increase the length of the day to 12 hours.

Lemon loves Fresh air but sensitive to drafts. Therefore, they should be avoided. In order for the development of the branches to occur evenly, the bush should be turned to the light 1-2 times in 4 weeks. If you do not saturate the lemon with light, then its leaves will stop growing rapidly. Also, the lack of lighting will affect the taste of the fruit - they will become sour. In the spring, it is required to withstand a certain temperature regime. At this time, the tree is actively growing, developing and releasing buds.

The following points should be followed to normalize the temperature:

1. When flowering, the optimal degrees of air is +18 C. If you exceed the threshold, then all the inflorescences will dry up and fall off.
2. In the spring, you should reduce the heat to +12 C by moving the flowerpot to the loggia, glazed balcony or open garden plot. Such conditions will have a good effect on the growth of the crown.
3. In winter, the temperature is good from +15 to +18 C and additional lighting.
4. In summer, for fruit ripening, it is necessary to slightly increase the heat in the room to + 21 + 22 C.

It is imperative to monitor the temperature rise to +25 C and the decrease in humidity. In this case, the plant may die. Lemon loves moisture. On dry days, it must be sprayed 2-3 times a day with soft, settled water. Humidity should be kept at 60-70% and +18 C - maximum ideal conditions for growth.

Watering is very important for a lemon - in no case should the earth be overdried. Irrigation requires melt water, river or rain water is also suitable. In the absence of such a nutrient fluid, tap water is usually used. It must be boiled, cooled and slightly acidified. Such a process will soften it.

It is necessary to water the flowerpot evenly around the entire perimeter, distributing moisture. It is not recommended to pour water directly under the root!

It is necessary to carry out the process of watering either early in the morning, or when the sun sets over the horizon. This is necessary so that less moisture loss occurs. Abundant watering should begin in March. In the summer months, it is more advisable to water up to 3 times a week, make sure that the soil does not dry out. If you dry the earth, the plant will respond yellow leaves and their death. In autumn, the water supply is gradually reduced. In winter, irrigation is not needed too often - only 1 time per week. Especially if the battery is far from the flowerpot with a bush, then watering is minimal, if a heat source is close, then as needed.

Lemon responds well to top dressing. But only adult plants need a mineral supplement (upon reaching 3-4 years). For young shrubs, such stimulation of development is not needed.
It is recommended to feed from March to mid-autumn - 1 time in 21 days. Be sure to alternate with organic. AT summer period feed along with watering, and in winter you need to let the moisture soak in - after 2-3 hours.

There are some tricks that can be applied when fertilizing:

1. For a large harvest - water is replaced with a tincture of egg shells.
2. When normal growth and development should not resort to any top dressing.
3. During the growing season, it is recommended to fertilize with superphosphate 2 times.
4. Ammonium nitrate is used to increase growth.
5. For full development, top dressing "Citrus mixture" is introduced. It successfully combines all the microelements necessary for the growth of a green pet.

It is necessary for the plant to form a beautiful crown, as well as improve the yield. When a young plant reaches 25 cm in height, its top must be pinched (removed). This contributes to the formation of side branches, which bear fruit.

Transplantation is performed annually up to 3 years. It is produced so as not to damage the roots of the plant. But for better growth transshipment is used, while removing part of the land layer. After the shrub is transplanted no more than 1 time in 2-3 years in early spring, but until flowering and fruit formation.

Transplant features:

• Choose a container for planting should be no more than 15 cm in diameter, about 30-50% larger than the previous flowerpot. A cone pot is perfect.
• During the transplanting process, the soil around the trunk is well moistened so that it can be carefully pulled out of the flowerpot. After the clod of earth is taken out, you need to carefully examine the outer roots. In case of damage, it is required to cut them with sharp scissors or a blade.
• At the very bottom of the flowerpot, on the drain hole, it is recommended to install a broken handle from a ceramic pot, so that the soil does not clog the hole. After that, a drainage is placed, on which a layer of earth is laid on top to the middle of the pot.
• The substrate should be taken nutritious, airy, loose, neutral acidity. It is more expedient to mix the optimal composition from leaves and soddy soil (4 parts each), 1 part sand and manure, and also add 1 tbsp. wood ash.
• Having filled the pot with soil, the root system of the lemon is installed in the middle and densely covered with the remnants of the soil, so that there are no empty cavities.

Thus, transplantation is carried out by the transshipment method, while not shaking off the roots of the earth and without injuring the plants.

In order to exclude uninvited guests on the stems of a lemon, it should be regularly washed with settled room water. Also, the bush can be affected by diseases:

• Fungal diseases (late blight, root rot, mold, soot fungus) - in most cases, the affected area or roots are cut, disinfected and sprayed with chemical insecticides, for example, blue vitriol, Bordeaux liquid.
• Infectious diseases are not always curable. For example, Malchenko - the shoots dry up, affecting all the stems. With Gammosis, cracks are observed in the bark, from which the juice of the bush flows.
• Viral diseases (xylopsorosis, citrus cancer, leaf mosaic, trithesis) - are not subject to treatment. It is more expedient to remove a flowerpot with an affected pet from healthy specimens and burn it.

The main pests for lemon are: aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, spider mites and thrips. At the first detection of insects, they must be removed immediately. After you need to wash the stems and leaves with soapy water. It is recommended to carry out cold ablutions of the shrub 2 times a week.

If the actions do not lead to the elimination of the problem, then you need to process the crown and branches chemicals for pest control.

Thus, in order for the plant to grow healthy and bear fruit abundantly, it is recommended to monitor its condition, do not pour and shade at noon. The main thing is to feed in time and notice the problems that have appeared. Then the bush will delight not only with excellent development, but also with delicious fruits.

More information can be found in the video:

Florists are increasingly undertaking to grow lemon at home. Reason for the beauty decorative form plants, as well as the opportunity to get a crop. In favorable conditions, fruit regularly. The plant exudes a pleasant smell essential oils that are present in the leaves.

Lemon home - description of the plant

Lemon is a perennial subtropical tree with large glossy oblong leaves. Many lemons have thorns. It's fruitful citrus it can be tree-like (up to 5-8 m high) and bushy (up to 3-4 m).

Lemon blossoms several times throughout the year. The flowers are small, with white or cream petals. During flowering exude a delicate, delicate aroma.

Choosing a homemade lemon variety

For growing at home, varieties with a small crown are chosen.

Popular varieties:

How to grow more crops?

Any gardener and summer resident is pleased to receive big harvest with large fruits. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to get the desired result.

Often plants lack nutrition and useful minerals

It has the following properties:

• Allows increase yield by 50% in just a few weeks of use.
• You can get good harvest even on low-fertility soils and in adverse climatic conditions
• Absolutely safe

How to grow a lemon from a seed?

Growing technology:

A lemon grown from a stone is quite strong, with active growth. Resistant to diseases, quickly adapts to new conditions.

But the plant from the seed has other biological characteristics. The first fruits will appear in 10-15 years and the properties of the variety may be lost.

To get a harvest earlier, a lemon grown from a stone must be grafted. Then for the 3rd year it will begin to bear fruit.

How to care for a lemon in a pot?

When buying, make sure that a lemon growing in a pot dwarf variety. It is advisable to immediately find appropriate place and not move.

Let's analyze step by step the agricultural technique of care:

Lighting

Lighting requirements:

Temperature

Temperature requirements:

1. The optimum temperature for the growth of leaves and shoots is 17 degrees, and for the development of fruits 21-22. Too high temperatures are harmful, especially at low humidity.
2. This drop occurs in late spring or early summer. The temperature rises sharply, which can cause flowers and ovaries to fall off. And in autumn period for the same reason, leaves may fall.
3. In summer, a flowerpot with lemon is put on a loggia or terrace. Soil temperature should not differ sharply from air temperature.
4. The temperature must be increased gradually, without stress to the plant. If the flowerpot long time was on the street, and when it gets colder they bring it immediately into warm room, the soil does not have time to warm up.
5. If the temperature is too low, the growth process slows down or stops altogether. and flowering.

Lemon needs to provide an average stable temperature, without sudden jumps.

Watering

Citrus watering tips:

Fertilizer

Regular feeding - important factor in proper care for lemon:

1. Initially, the earth must be enriched with nutrients, minerals and organic substances.
2. Fertilize in hot weather twice a month with complex fertilizers.
3. Stop feeding in autumn. As a rule, plants of 3-4 years of age and above need it.

Pruning and crown shaping

Lemon branches grow powerful and long. They are cut and guided, otherwise a very voluminous crown will form.

Features of care in the winter

How to care for a lemon in the cold season:

1. In winter, during the heating period, it is better not to place the plant near heating appliances.
2. You can spray the leaves and further humidify the air in the room. Or place a container with water nearby for evaporation.
3. It is very important to make sure that the leaves of the plant do not fall off. Most often this happens in the winter. Their presence and healthy condition is a sign that the plant grows and develops normally.
4. Lemon does not like drafts, especially in winter.

Stories from our readers!
“I am a summer resident with many years of experience, and I started using this fertilizer only last year. I tested it on the most capricious vegetable in my garden - on tomatoes. The bushes grew and bloomed together, the harvest was more than usual. And they didn’t get sick with late blight, this is the main thing.

Fertilizer really gives more intensive growth garden plants, and they bear fruit much better. Now you can’t grow a normal crop without fertilizer, and this top dressing increases the number of vegetables, so I am very pleased with the result."

Pests and diseases of indoor lemon

When growing a homemade lemon, take into account the characteristics of a particular variety in order to know how to protect it from pests or diseases. The reason may be infections, weakening of the immune system plants or some folk ways fertilizers.

Possible diseases and pests of lemon:

Problems of growing lemon

Change in appearance	Reason and what to do?
	The reasons: be dry air; lack of nutrition; or the acidity of the earth is not suitable. What to do: Requires high humidity, top dressing and cool wintering. If it doesn't help, then transplant the lemon.
Leaves are falling	Cause: On average, a leaf lives 2-3 years and is replaced as it ages. Most often, the leaves fall in winter. This is most likely the result of an overflow. What to do: I need to repot the lemon. Empty the pot from the plant and soil. Let the root system dry out a little and transplant into a barely damp soil. Avoid overflow.
	Cause: Leaves turn yellowish brown. The reason is insufficient lighting. Or the humidity is too low. What to do: It is necessary to spray more often, water moderately. You can add water to the area under the root. And spray the crown. Also feed regularly.

If the lemon does not bear fruit, the reasons may be as follows:

1. Lemons do not bear fruit without leaves. If for a reason improper care, the plant has lost a lot of leaves, then next year it will not form fruits.
2. A lemon does not bear fruit if it does not bloom. Most likely, the pot is too small for him. The plant should be transplanted and fertilized.

Reproduction of lemon at home

Homemade lemon is propagated by cuttings. With this type of reproduction, a 100% copy of the parent's genetic data occurs. Branches that have reached 4-5 mm in thickness and about 10 cm in length are called cuttings.

How to propagate a lemon:

And also the stalk is grafted on a tree that has grown from a seed. A rootstock is a tree grown from a seed. A graft is a branch cut from an adult fruit-bearing tree.

It is desirable to cut off the stalk before the procedure itself. Best time for scion - from April to August. During this period, there is an active movement of juice in the trunk, which favorably affects the procedure. High humidity also helps to ensure that the scion is successful.

Video: Mistakes when growing a lemon

Conclusion

In addition to care, homemade lemon Disease prevention is also important. Replant in time, monitor the level of humidity and air temperature.

Sudden signs of disease sometimes indicate the exhaustion of the plant. In such a situation, limit flowering and let the lemon recover. Follow the guide to keeping this citrus at home for not only a beautiful houseplant, but also healthy fruits.

In the wild, citrus fruits grow well, multiply, bloom, bear fruit. For the home, this type of plant is quite capricious. If you want to have beautiful tree with good fruits, learn more about the features of lemon care at home.

Optimal growing conditions

The lemon tree is propagated by cutting, stone or grafting. However, it is not necessary to plant it yourself. Moreover, it also requires certain knowledge. There are plenty of places to buy now. finished plant in a pot. This is a botanical garden, a specialized nursery, or flower shop. So you've brought a new guest into your apartment. Where to begin?

Place

Determine a place for your pet in advance. Consider several factors:

• provide the tree with a permanent "residence". It does not tolerate frequent movements;
• rather large height - about two meters. Measure with the size of your ceilings. If you want something lower, you can choose citrus hybrids. For example, Meyer lemon, or citrofortunella. The tree is only up to one and a half meters tall. Require less care than other varieties (admire the photo);
• keep him away from heating batteries. The heat will be detrimental.

Lighting

Homemade lemon loves a bright room very much. Ideal - diffused sunlight, south or southeast side of the house. You can hold it in direct sunlight, up to two hours a day. No more, otherwise the foliage will be burned. In winter, additional lighting is required.

Homemade citrus fruits turn their leaves to follow the light. Therefore, so that you do not have one-sided, to form a beautiful crown, slightly unfold the flowerpot. Do as needed, but carefully.

Too strong, prolonged (more than 12 hours / day) lighting leads to rapid growth, but slows down fruiting. Insufficient - slows down growth, causes disease.

Temperature

The most important step in caring for lemon tree falls in the spring. Begins active growth, flowering. Therefore, such a factor as temperature regime plays an important role here.

Citrus bears various temperatures: from +14 to +27 degrees. The peculiarity is that it must be constantly the same. The tree does not tolerate temperature fluctuations. When the flowering period begins, the apartment should not be higher than +18 degrees. More heat leads to the drying of the buds, and then to their dropping.

In the spring (starting from +12 degrees) the flowerpot can be moved to the balcony. A garden plot is also suitable. This stimulates growth.

In winter, lemons need cooler conditions than in summer. A warmed balcony is perfect for him. If the apartment is hot, illness can occur, even death. At night, wrap the crown with a light natural cloth.

Humidity

Of particular importance in the care indoor lemon humidity plays. It is moderate, 60-70% with average temperature(+18 degrees). If the heat - spray the plant, also the air around it twice daily.

The soil

A lemon tree needs soil with a neutral reaction. Avoid acidic. Make sure the soil is loose. An example composition is:

1. deciduous land, 2 parts;
2. sand, 1 part;
3. humus, 0.5 parts;
4. wood ash, 0.25 parts.

A little clay is added to adult trees. Be sure to use drainage. For example, small gravel or charcoal. The top layer of the soil must be periodically loosened shallowly.

Fertilizer and watering

Lemon care requires careful watering. Ideal moisture is natural: river, rain, snow. Using room water, it is boiled, defended, acidified. This makes her less rigid. 1 gram of citric acid per 6 liters of water. Or: 1 liter - 4 drops of acetic acid; 4 liters - 0.1 grams of ascorbic acid.

Abundant watering is necessary for him in the summer, up to two times daily. The bottom of the pot should be perforated and the soil should have good drainage. Thus, stagnation of moisture at the roots is avoided.

Reduce watering in autumn. In winter, bring up to one or two times a week. Remember about spraying: leaves, trunk, air around.

Signs that you need to moisturize:

• grayish tint of the earth;
• the pot makes a ringing sound when you click on it;
• drooping young sprouts;
• the leaves are rolled up in a "tube";
• a clod of soil from dishes crumbles easily.

Watering a lemon depends on:

• his age (the older, the more often);
• air temperature (the higher, the more often);
• humidity (at high - less often);
• season.

The most important component of lemon care at home is top dressing. Nutrients necessary for normal growth and fruiting. March - October fertilizer is applied every three weeks. organic fertilizers alternate with minerals. In the summer they feed when watering. The rest of the time - 2 hours after moistening. Overfeeding has a negative effect. Therefore, it is better to underfeed. In winter, it is not necessary to feed the lemon.

Video “Growing a lemon at home”

More about growing citrus fruits at home in the video below

Pests and diseases

All indoor plants, lemon, are also susceptible to disease and pest attack. To provide healthy life Your pet needs careful care. In the meantime, let's figure out who is the most dangerous pest what problems they can cause.

Shchitovka

Damages leaves. They are covered with brown round scales. They are almost impossible to separate. The shield is covered with a wax shell. That's why chemicals are useless here. Soon sticky secretions appear from the leaves. In the absence of measures, they turn yellow, then fall off.

It is best to deal with such a disease at an early stage. Examine the sheets daily, especially the bottom. If you notice an insect, then one leaf can be donated. In case of a widespread lesion, wipe them with a cloth moistened with soapy water. Then - alcohol solution. After all the green parts, treat with an insecticide, as larvae may remain.

spider mite

The most dangerous pest of homemade lemon. At first, the leaves are covered with small yellowish spots. Later they turn brown. And then a web appears where the tick lives. It looks like moving reddish dots. favorable conditions distribution - high temperature, dry air. The tick lays larvae in just a week. The leaves are curled into a "tube".

get infected spider mite lemon can from other plants, or by air. It is very difficult to take out. Therefore, it is easier to do prevention:

1. daily inspect conduct a thorough inspection;
2. wash the crown weekly in the shower, especially both sides of the leaves;
3. wipe the greens monthly with soapy water;
4. citrus should be kept separate from other plants.

When a tick or aphid appears, spray with this solution: pour a tablespoon of tobacco dust with a glass of boiling water. Insist 6 days. Add shavings laundry soap. Spray for a month, once a week.

Still use the following solution. Pour the chopped head of garlic with a glass of boiling water. Leave for two days. The dishes are dark, closed. Strain. Apply in the same way.

From a tick, aphids, there is the drug "Omite" (4 ml / 1 liter of water). Spray weekly 3 times in a row. Other chemicals may be used. However, it should be remembered that they are toxic to humans. Carry out processing and care only by wearing gloves, with good air access. They destroy aphids in the same way as a spider mite.

The lemon tree is prone to bacterial, infectious, viral diseases. The latter are incurable. These are such as: xylopsorosis. The virus can live 10 years before the first signs appear. Therefore, only a specialist can determine this disease. Tristeza - affects the bark of a plant, up to its death. Leaf mosaic, citrus cancer.

Infectious diseases

Gommoz. It hits the trunk of a tree. Its lower part becomes brown, covered with cracks. A viscous dark liquid flows out of them. The cracks are growing. The decay begins. Damaged parts are cleaned, covered with copper sulphate. The plant is transplanted. Take a new, fertilized soil. Before that, inspect, wash the roots. Sometimes it is impossible to cure gommosis.

Malseco. Affects shoots, up to death. At first, their tips are affected, moving to foliage, then wood. The diseased parts have a brick color. Leaves fall. Unfortunately, there is no specific prescription for treatment.

Root rot. It is noticeable when mass leaf fall begins. Treatment. Take the lemon out of the soil. Rinse the roots. Completely remove rotten parts. Transplant to new pot. Get good quality soil.

The main cause of these problems is poor maintenance houseplant. It should be remembered that not only fruitful, but also ornamental lemons require careful care.

So do everything right, then everything will be fine with your lemon tree.