How to properly care for a tangerine tree. How to grow homemade tangerine? Proper care, reproduction, diseases and pruning of homemade tangerine Decorative indoor tangerine

The evergreen tangerine tree will all year round give pleasant emotions and fruit harvest. Caring for it at home is not so difficult, but some conditions must be observed.

Tangerine tree: how to care for it at home

Choosing soil for a young tangerine tree

For good health and fruiting, you need to choose soil with the following composition: leaf soil (1 part), turf (2 parts), quartz sand(1 part), humus from cow manure (1 part). Using this composition, you can create the necessary conditions for the survival of the plant.

You can germinate a tangerine shoot yourself. This requires patience and time. You can germinate it from the seeds in sawdust, just like an orange, maintaining sufficient humidity.

What kind of soil do mature trees like?

For mature tangerine trees, a slightly different ratio of soil parts is required: 1 part leaf soil, 3 parts turf, 1 part humus from cow manure, 1 part sandy component and a little bit of high-fat clay. By transplanting a grown tree into such soil, you can achieve its rapid rooting and fruiting.

Tree from a seed

You can grow a tangerine tree from the seed of a ripe fruit. When it is removed from the pulp, it must be wrapped in gauze or cloth and constantly moistened with water. The seed will swell and a sprout will hatch. Then you need to plant it in the soil. Alternatively, you should place tangerine seed into the middle layer of hydrogel and wait for the sprout to appear.

Where to plant a tree

When choosing a place for a tangerine tree, you need to consider that it should be well lit. Mandarin loves a lot of light. On a very hot day, it is still better to shade the plant to avoid leaf burns.

It is best to plant an indoor tree in a wooden tub or flowerpot made of natural materials. It is best to place it on southern, southwestern and southeastern windows. In winter, it is best not to open the window for a long time. With the onset of spring, the plant can be taken out to the balcony or loggia. During the hot season, you can create a retractable awning for shading.

How to water a tangerine tree

Growing tangerines is a troublesome task. Regular water it should not be watered. Moisture for irrigation must be settled and warmed if it is cool.

In winter, it is enough to water 2 times a week. It is better to draw a watering schedule so as not to overdo it. In summer, it is best to do this several times a day. In hot weather, this must be done carefully so that water does not get on the leaves.

Leaves that are wet in the heat can get burned.

Grow and fertilize

The choice of fertilizer for a tangerine tree is best made in favor of organic and mineral complex products. This can be as expensive fertilizer for citrus fruits or as simple slurry from cow manure.

Before applying fertilizer to the soil, it is necessary to water it thoroughly. Feeding should be done in the summer, but in winter it is better to stop it.

A tree that is fertilized bears juicy and tasty fruits, without bitterness

A houseplant should not be kept in one flowerpot. The reservoir must be changed as the tangerine grows. If the plant is forced to stay in the same flowerpot for several years, it is better to increase feeding. Since homemade tangerines can also bear fruit, it is very important to monitor soil fertilization.

Pinching and cutting

Proper pinching leads to the fact that the tree begins to branch strongly and increases fruiting. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the branches. It is necessary to pinch the tops of young shoots. It is better to trim off excess and weakened branches.

Cuttings, layering

The tree is propagated by seeds, by cuttings, by air layering, and by grafting. Each method is suitable for different trees. Old trees with well-formed branches are suitable for propagation by air layering. Only certain varieties of tangerine trees are propagated from cuttings.

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate

Planting seeds is successful, but this way you have to wait a long time for fruits. Fruiting is accelerated in grafted plants.

Before grafting a tree, it is very important to speed up the flow of sap. This is done by watering abundantly. Immediately before grafting, it is necessary to check how the bark comes away from the trunk. You need to make an incision just above the site of future budding and try to very carefully bend the bark layer.

On the branch that needs to be grafted onto the rootstock, all leaves must be removed and only the petioles left. This is done to prevent moisture evaporation. It is better to choose the grafting site 5-10 cm from the ground. The bark in this area should be smooth, free of buds or thorns. Then, with a light, careful movement, it is necessary to make a transverse incision at this distance and another, perpendicular to it, going down 3 cm from the center of the incision.

The cuts made in the bark must be pryed with the bone part of the knife and lifted. Then you need to return everything except the top edge to former place. Then you need to quickly take the prepared bud from the scion and insert the eye into the T-shaped cut made on the rootstock. Insulating tape should be placed around the grafting area and removed once the bud has taken root.

Mandarin, just like lemon Tree, is quite common and popular. A houseplant is grown directly indoors. Botanists suggest that it was first grown in China or Japan.

Where did the plant get its name? In the past, it was grown in the gardens of mandarins, who were wealthy dignitaries at that time. At the beginning of the 19th century, tangerines began to appear in Europe. They were transported to Italy in 1840. After which the whole Mediterranean learned about this fruit.

The tangerine tree is distinguished by the fact that it ripens quickly and bears big harvest. It also has quite sweet fruits that do not have seeds. When did Ukraine see this? beautiful tree? At the beginning of the 20th century, where the Black Sea is located. It is in this place that tangerine is most common at home.

The fruit tree can be called weak-growing. Its height reaches 3 meters. It has beautiful, eye-catching leaves. Their color is dark green, and their structure is quite dense and has small wings in the petiole area. The flowers are different wonderful aroma and white - they are beautifully located in the brushes. The fruits of the tree are spherical, flattened and have a diameter of up to 6 cm. Their weight is about 100 g.

The fruit has a thin orange peel that is easy to separate from the pulp. There are “plump” tangerines, the peel of which practically does not come into contact with the pulp, but has air gap. The sweet yellow-orange pulp is easy to divide into slices.

The fruit of the tree is rich in sugar, organic acids, and vitamins. It is rare to find seeds in the fruit. If you decide to plant a tangerine at home, then it requires a limited amount of light and fresh air. Not every variety of tangerine can grow indoors, so it is necessary to distinguish between these types. So, you can get early ripening tangerine trees, which are of Japanese origin. They are undersized and unpretentious.

Among the most common options is the Unshiu variety, which means seedless. He is short in stature - up to 1.5 meters. It has a spreading crown and the branches do not have thorns. The leaves are wide, leathery and dark green in color. The tree blooms profusely once a year. Tangerine from seeds at home has small white flowers with a pleasant aroma. When the tree is already 3 years old, it begins to bear fruit. If you take good care of an adult tree, you can get up to 50 fruits within a year.

This decorative look plants characterized by low growth. They are indoor varieties tangerines. Mature trees are usually no higher than 80 cm. This has made them popular among plants that are kept on the windowsill.

For an indoor tangerine tree there is no need to form a crown. However, from time to time it is necessary to remove branches that have dried out or grown incorrectly. The peculiarity of the dwarf mandarin is that it begins to bear fruit after two years of life. However, the size and taste of the fruits are the same as ordinary trees fruit.

Basics of planting and transplanting

In order to plant a plant, you need to take a suitable pot. Its material doesn't matter. But there is important condition, to top part the diameter did not exceed 15 cm, and the height should be the same. The bottom of the container should have one or more small holes so that during watering excess water could have flowed off it.

The pot can be in the form of a plastic bucket, wooden, ceramic or glass container. It is necessary to place drainage at its bottom, which can be expanded clay or sand. Practice shows that charcoal after a fire acts best as drainage. You should not make drainage more than 5 cm in height.

After selecting the drainage, you need to take a little soil to sprinkle it. Any soil will not work in this case. There are specially prepared types of soil, for example “Mandarin”. They can be purchased in specialized stores.

In some cases, you can do the soil preparation yourself. Where the old ones grow deciduous trees in the forest, take some soil. However, avoid areas where oak, poplar or chestnut trees grow. The soil is most fertile in the upper layers, the thickness of which is 10 cm. Additionally, you need to add sand, river sand, ash, humus, if available, will do. Dilute a glass of earth with a glass of sand, three tablespoons of humus and a tablespoon of ash, as well as a small amount of water. You should end up with a thick, sour cream-like mass. This will help avoid air voids near the root of the tree.

When six months have passed, you need to take a container that is 5 cm larger and transplant small tangerines there. When you have planted a tree, you need to spray it and water it with a weak potassium permanganate agent from time to time.

Prepare a place for the plant in advance. A window sill that is directed towards the light is suitable for this, so that enough sunlight falls on the leaves.

Propagation occurs when seedlings are grafted from other citrus fruits such as orange and lemon. Air layering is also used using this method. If you want to take cuttings from plants using amateur conditions, you will not succeed.

Important attention should be paid to lighting. The window on which you will keep the plant should be located on the south sunny side. When summer comes, take it outside to breathe. fresh air. This could be a veranda, garden or balcony. However, it is important that this place is protected from the wind.

It’s good if the plant grows on the south side, but it’s important not to forget summer time protect it from direct sunlight. This can damage the roots and crowns, and also cause burns on the tangerine itself from the seed at home. How to avoid this? Make a curtain of gauze and place it on the window where the tree stands. When you plan to leave the house, make it a rule to cover the glass with a curtain, especially on sunny days.

Temperature and watering the plant

Have you placed a tangerine on the windowsill? Then in winter you should take care of it by properly insulating the window. The pot with the tree itself is also insulated. In order for the tangerine to shoot buds and bloom, it is important to maintain the temperature to 18 degrees. There should also be suitable humidity - 60%. At the same time, you should not be afraid of high temperatures, because the plant has the ability to withstand up to 40 degrees of heat.

Now let's move on to the basics of watering. As it dries upper layer soil, it is necessary to water the plant. Under no circumstances should the lump of earth dry out in the pot. Determine how moist the soil is every day by testing with your fingers. surface layer land. If during the inspection you notice that the soil sticks together, then it does not need watering, but if it begins to crumble, then watering is required.

Especially in the summer, it is important to monitor the condition of the soil. After all, due to the fact that the tree is affected heat and the bright sun, the earth often dries out. It is also worth remembering that not all water is suitable for irrigation.

If you have city ​​apartment, then the water from it is not suitable for watering tangerines. This is explained by the fact that it contains alkaline earth metals, as well as chlorine. Such substances will only harm the plant. As a result, its leaves will suffer from chlorosis, and metabolic processes in the soil will be disrupted.

It's a good idea to boil the water every time, but you probably don't need that much trouble. Another good option is to use hot water from the tap, which contains less chlorine and, moreover, it is soft. Before watering the tree, leave the water in an open container for a day - then the chlorine will be completely removed from it. After all, this substance is destructive for any citrus fruit.

If you own a private home, then water from wells will do. However, the water found in a lake or stream is even better. Let it warm up a little at room temperature before watering. Rainwater is not suitable for irrigation, because it contains harmful impurities. What is the best way to care for tangerines in winter? Heat the water until it reaches 35 degrees. Then the tree will grow and bear fruit better. In summer, it is easier to deal with this issue by simply placing water on a window where there is more sun.

Watering alone is not enough for a tangerine tree. It needs to be sprayed once every day. clean water. You need to take care of this especially in the summer. Use a spray bottle or other means to create moisture. Thanks to this, there will be no dust on the leaves and they will be able to breathe. Also, once a month it is necessary to carry out the following procedure: place the plant in the bathtub, cover an area of ​​soil with plastic film, while treating the entire plant with cotton wool and soap suds. This will allow you to forget about the hard work of pest control. However, remember that you need to take gauze or a bandage to bandage the tree trunk. This will prevent soapy water from getting into the soil.

What can you say about fertilizer? IN winter time there is no need to fertilize the tangerine. But in the summer and spring time this is done every two weeks. There are features that show how to properly fertilize. Do not start doing this before you have watered the plant, otherwise you will burn the roots. Moist soil is suitable for feeding.

How much should a tree be fertilized? Make sure there is enough of it and that it flows straight out of the drainage hole. In specialized stores you will see big choice fertilizers You can also use regular fish soup, which is suitable for a plant that is taller than one meter. Thanks to this feeding, it will begin to bear fruit better. But at the same time, do not neglect special fertilizers, such as Mandarin.

Mandarins can be damaged by sucking and gnawing pests, as well as fungi and viruses. You can often encounter spider mite and scale insects. Chemical and biological agents are used to combat them. However, this is the case if you plant the plant on open ground. It is better not to use pesticides within the apartment.

How can you determine that a plant needs care? For example, it may become covered with white dots. You may also see a reddish tick on it that moves quickly if you touch it. In addition, white cobwebs may appear on white leaves.

To combat such pests, use tobacco dust, garlic and laundry soap. One tablespoon of tobacco dust is poured with boiling water (one glass). All this must be insisted for 6 days. Then add laundry soap to this. Spray the plant every 6 days. However, take a break for 6 days.

How to use garlic against pests? Mash the plant head and pour it hot water. Wait 2 days and strain the broth. You can spray the tangerine according to the same previous scheme.

What if you notice that your plant is covered in brownish-gray shiny growths? This means it is a scale insect infection. This can be dealt with using water-oil emulsions. Mix machine oil (1 teaspoon) with warm water (1 cup). To this add laundry soap (40 g) and washing powder (2 large spoons). When you treat a plant with this, be sure to use plastic film to cover the soil. Also use a bandage to bandage the trunk. Thanks to this, the emulsion will not get on the ground and damage it. For processing, you can use a cotton or gauze swab. Treat the entire surface and leaves of the plant. Then wait 4 hours and wash everything off. This procedure also needs to be done 3 times.

Thanks to such simple tips you will grow a beautiful plant.

Homemade tangerine tree room conditions cultivated as often as orange or lemon. True, for these purposes it is best to choose dwarf forms or plants from the unshiu varietal group. All fruits of this group do not contain seeds, and their skin is very thin and practically devoid of bitterness. Therefore, such a crop can be consumed without preliminary cleaning. Find out how to care for indoor tangerine and try to grow citrus tree on your windowsill.

Mandarin belongs to the Rutaceae family. Homeland - Southeast Asia.

The tangerine got its name because its delicious fruits were the privilege of the Chinese emperors - tangerines. Mandarin also occupies an important place in the ancient oriental art of Feng Shui. The tangerine tree symbolizes good luck in receiving money, and also has the ability to activate existing savings.

A beautiful small tree that blooms and bears fruit every year will certainly delight the eyes of the owners and surprise guests with its exotic appearance.

There is very little information about the origin of mandarin. It is believed that its homeland is China or Japan. It was brought to Europe from Southeast Asia only in the last century, but it quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean. Now tangerine plantations are especially large in Japan, China, and countries Southern Europe And South America. More than 6 million tons of tangerine fruits are harvested annually. By production volume among citrus tangerine takes second place after orange.

Tangerines grow on low trees with a spreading crown. Their leaves are very smooth, shiny, green at any time of the year. The fruits ripen quite quickly and can be harvested already in November. Tangerines produce the largest harvest among citrus fruits. IN favorable years 5–6 thousand fruits are collected from one tree per season.

In the subtropical regions of the Russian Black Sea region, tangerines can be grown, but there is no free space for planting large plantations here. Tangerines are found only in the individual gardens of local residents. This citrus comes to Russian cities mainly from neighboring countries: Abkhazia and Adjara.

Below we describe what a tangerine tree looks like and how to grow a houseplant at home.

What does a tangerine tree look like (with photo)

Mandarin is a perennial evergreen tree with a compact, well-leafed crown. In room conditions it grows up to 1 m. The leaves are leathery, dark green, lanceolate. The flowers are white, with a wonderful aroma, 2.5-4 cm in diameter. Blooms in spring, fruits ripen in autumn

As shown in the photo, the fruits of the tangerine tree are spherical, slightly flattened, with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm, with a thin orange skin that is easily separated from the pulp:

The peel is rich in glands that abundantly produce essential oil, streams of which are easy to see when the peel is crushed. The pulp is sweet, yellow-orange. The weight of one fruit is from 30 to 100 g. Fruits without seeds or with few seeds.

Externally, the tangerine tree looks like a lemon, only their leaves are slightly blunted at the top. The main difference is the structure of the fruit. They are flattened or slightly pear-shaped, yellow, orange or orange-red (tangerines). The peel of the fruit is easily separated from the pulp, which, in turn, is easily divided into slices. The pulp is rich in sugars (up to 7.4%), vitamins C and P. This is the fastest ripening of all citrus fruits grown indoors.

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) also called noble citrus (C. nobilis) for its delicious taste.

But still, the main difference between mandarin and other relatives is the ability of the peel to easily lag behind the fruit. In some varieties of fruit (plump tangerines), the peel does not touch the pulp at all, since there is a layer of air between the peel and the pulp of the fruit. The selection of tangerines already in ancient times turned into a “conveyor line” in agriculture. So many varieties of tangerines have been developed that some have once been described as different types citrus fruits. The diversity of cultivated plant varieties is called polymorphism in science. The polymorphism of mandarin is explained by the importance of this citrus in the agriculture of various eastern countries, especially China, where mandarin is the main citrus crop (tangerine variety). In Japan, varieties of the Satsuma group that have conquered the world were bred, of which in Russia we love the unishiu variety - seedless tangerine.

Although tangerine is traditionally considered a New Year's fruit, it is also irreplaceable in the spring, during the period of vitamin deficiency. After all, tangerines retain more vitamin C than, for example, apples and potatoes.

Tangerine peels make good tea - not only tasty, but also healthy, since even dry tangerine peels contain essential oils. These essential oils act like inhalation, causing coughing, and have an antimicrobial effect. Tangerine peels are dried, crushed, mixed with tea (1 tbsp per 200 g of black tea) and the resulting mixture is used as regular tea.

When describing a tangerine, it is definitely worth noting that its peel contains a lot essential oils, which are used in the food industry, medicine and cosmetics.

Unshiu variety of indoor tangerines

A large group of varieties are united under the name “unshiu”, which means “seedless”. Scientists suggest that these frost-resistant citrus fruits were selected more than 500 years ago in Japan from plants imported from China.

This is a small tree with spherical crown and drooping branches without thorns. The leaves are hard, dark green, slightly corrugated, elongated, with a sharp tip. The petiole is long, grooved. The flowers are white, small, appear in May. The fruits are mostly flat-round, weighing 50-80 g, without seeds, as they are formed without pollination. Ripe fruits, if not removed from the tree in time, become coarse and fall off. The peel is dark orange, rich in oil glands, and easily separates from the pulp. The pulp is juicy, soft and tasty. From one unshiu tangerine tree you can get 30-50 fruits, which are formed on last year’s and new branches.

IN Lately The interest of indoor gardening enthusiasts was attracted by another variety of unshiu - a family of dwarf tangerines from the so-called Vasya group.

The Kowano-wase mandarin, imported from Japan back in 1930, is considered to be its original ancestor.

Now there is already a whole list of extremely interesting for home citrus growing dwarfs. Among these tangerines grown indoors, there are several imported “foreigners”:

Nagahashi unshiu

Sugiama unshiu

Tyahara unshiu

Miho-wase

Okitsu-wase

As well as the forms and varieties bred by our breeders:

Kartuli saadreo

Miagawa-wase

Abkhazian early ripening

Agudzera

The very sweet, bright orange fruits of these varieties of tangerine houseplants, almost the size of an orange, ripen several weeks earlier than unshiu. The trees' harvests are surprisingly generous, but the main thing is that when growing at home, these tangerines fit freely even in the smallest window. In nature, the height of these low-growing trees is about one and a half to two meters, and on the windowsill it is even less - practically does not exceed 40–50 centimeters. Fruiting indoor flower tangerine begins in the first - second year of life. A real find for lovers!

Also suitable for growing indoors are varieties of indoor tangerines - ‘Cawanowa.se’ and ‘Miagawawase’.

Growing an indoor tangerine tree: caring for a flower at home (with video)

Growing tangerines indoors is difficult, since the plants do not experience enough light and heat during the period of fruit ripening, cannot accumulate enough sugars, and their taste decreases. Mandarin is the most cold-resistant citrus plant. In terms of heat requirements, tangerine occupies an intermediate position between lemon and orange. It is demanding of moisture from spring growth until fruiting.

Lighting. When caring at home, indoor mandarins need a bright, sunny room. In spring, with the onset of warm days, it is best to take the plant out into the air. Citrus is sensitive to changes in lighting, so it should not be moved from place to place, otherwise it will stop growing until it adapts to the new lighting conditions.

Temperature. In winter it should be kept at a temperature of 4-6 ° C in a bright room. When growing and caring for tangerines at home, drafts should be avoided.

Substrate. Turf and leaf soil, humus, peat and sand in equal proportions. You can take twice as much turf soil as leaf soil.

The substrate is prepared from turf and leaf soil, humus and sand (2:1:1:1).

Watering. Recommended in summer abundant watering, in winter - extremely moderate. It should be watered as the coma dries with settled water at room temperature. Both over-drying of the soil and excess moisture in winter with a lack of light causes leaves to fall.

Humidity. A tangerine plant grown at home requires regular spraying.

Feeding: From April to September, weekly fertilizing is carried out with complex mineral fertilizer.

Starting from April and ending in August, citrus trees are given weak fertilizers 2 times a week, alternating feedings mineral fertilizers with organic fertilizers.

Transfer. When caring for a tangerine tree at home, young plants are replanted after 1 - 2 years, and then after 3 - 4 years, old tub plants - once every 5 or even 8 - 10 years.

Reproduction. It is difficult for cuttings to take root in special heated greenhouses, so we recommend buying plants in specialized stores.

Watch the video “Growing indoor tangerine” to better understand how to care for this plant:

Mandarin tree rejuvenation

The life of a mandarin fits within the life span of a human. By the age of 25–30, the tangerine reaches its peak. At 50 he begins to age. He dies at the age of 70–75. But it also happens that a tree dies in the prime of its life. The lush crown suddenly begins to dry out, the growth of new branches stops, the fruits become smaller and there are fewer and fewer of them - in the end the tree has to be cut down. Is it possible to save a tree whose very root system is affected by an incurable disease? It turns out that it is possible!

Scientific employee of the All-Union Institute of Humid Subtropics N.V. Ryndin, together with gardener-practitioner Henrikhson, did in the spring of 1934, interesting experience. Having selected thirty trees from the tangerine forest of the Sukhumi Botanical Garden, the root system of which was dilapidated, N.V. Ryndin performed a kind of rejuvenation operation on each of them.

You need to know that tangerine, like any other fruit tree, grafted onto a wild child. Dichok serves here as a pump, supplying cultivated plant life-giving juices of the earth. The destruction of the “pump” inevitably leads to the death of the entire plant. The operation performed by N.V. Ryndin consisted in the fact that he tried to change the “pumps”.

A new young wild bird was planted in the ground under a diseased tree. The crown of the wild bird was cut off, an incision was made in the diseased tree, just above the affected part of the trunk, the cut crown was inserted into this incision, after which the junction was covered and bandaged, as with a regular grafting.

The whole calculation boiled down to the fact that the diseased tree, having received such an original prosthesis, would begin to use it first as an additional “pump”, and later as a standard (main trunk).

Thirty operations with sick tangerines were a great success. Almost all the new wild birds have grafted onto the old trees and began to “work” on them. In the most severe cases, two wild animals were grafted at once: later it will be possible to see which “leg” of the tangerine to leave and which one to “remove”.

Grow indoor tangerine You can do it not only on the windowsill, but also in the greenhouse, on the balcony, in the winter garden. With proper care, it can even bear fruit. For home grown breeders bred dwarf and low-growing varieties up to 1-1.5 m high. The tangerine tree, unlike the orange and lemon trees, is best adapted to the home microclimate.

"Domesticated" species

Not all varieties are suitable for indoor gardening. They mainly use low-growing ones, since tall plants require constant pruning. Let's look at the most popular types and their distinctive features.

Table - Indoor views tangerine tree and their features

Plants belonging to the Vasya group are suitable for home gardening. These are varieties such as Mikha-Vase, Miyagawa-Vase.

Caring for a tangerine tree: what to consider

All plants love care and attention, and the tangerine tree is no exception. To ensure that it is not only beautiful and healthy, but also bears fruit, you should adhere to several simple rules content.

Location and lighting

The culture needs good lighting. A south, south-west, south-east window is best suited. In hot weather during lunch hours better plant shade. Otherwise, it will get sunburned.

In spring, the pot can be taken out onto the balcony, veranda and even outside. We gradually accustom the plant to ultraviolet radiation, increasing the time it spends in the air. You should start with partial shade and then move to sunny places.

In winter, to extend daylight hours, we use phytolamps.

Temperature

In order for the plant to bloom profusely and set fruit, in spring and summer, indoors we set the temperature to 15-20 °C. IN winter period The ideal temperature is no more than 12-14 °C. In such conditions, indoor culture will be able to rest and prepare for a period of active growth.

High temperatures can lead to leaf loss, and low temperatures can lead to slow growth.

Humidity

In spring and summer, we regularly wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or sponge. We spray with a spray bottle throughout the year. We use water at room temperature. In winter, when the heating is on, we carry out the procedures more often - several times a day. We irrigate in the early morning or late evening hours. The main thing is that the moistened leaves should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

You can increase the humidity level in the room by placing a container of water next to the pot.

Watering

We heat the water for irrigation to room temperature and let it stand. It is not recommended to use tap liquid, as it contains chlorine, salts and other substances that negatively affect the crop. To calculate the volume of water required by a tree, we take into account the following factors:

• bush size;
• pot volume;
• room temperature;
• daylight hours and lighting quality.

It is especially important to properly care for tangerine tree during flowering. From spring to autumn, “water” the plant abundantly and often. The tangerine tree should be watered when the soil is completely dry. This is very easy to check. We take a handful of earth and squeeze it. If it crumbles, it’s time to go get the watering can. In winter, one approach every five to seven days is enough. Watering, like spraying, is carried out in the morning or evening.

Top dressing

It is better to add the first food after winter rest in April. In the future, before the onset of cold weather, fertilizer is applied once every two weeks. This regime will allow the tree to bud, bloom and bear fruit. Regular summer feeding will help avoid bitterness in the fruits. With the onset of cold weather, fertilizing is reduced or stopped altogether.

An indoor decorative tangerine tree in a pot is strengthened with special mixtures from the store intended for citrus fruits - organics or minerals. The older the bush, the more fertilizer it needs. Before feeding, we moisten the soil well. Among folk remedies, liquid is used cow dung. But it is often available to gardeners living in rural areas.

Before using fertilizers, carefully study the manufacturer's instructions. An incorrectly calculated dose can lead to damage to the root system.

Based on reviews from gardeners, you can increase fruiting with the folk remedy “fish soup.” For 2 liters of water you need to take 200 g of small fish and cook for half an hour. Strain the broth and cool. Add to the store-bought complex mixture.

Priming

The soil for young and adult plants should be different. In both cases, be sure to make a drainage layer.

• For young plants. Mix one part of leaf soil and sand and two parts of turf soil. Add humus from cow manure to the composition, if available.
• For adult bushes. For the soil we take one part of leaf soil, three parts of turf, one part each of sand and humus. We also add a small amount of clay with high percentage fat content

To save time, you can purchase ready-made compositions for citrus fruits, but only from trusted manufacturers.

Pinching and trimming

It is necessary to trim and pinch the tangerine tree. Thanks to the procedure, a neat and beautiful crown will be formed, and the fruits will appear faster. Branches that are weakened and unnecessary in terms of aesthetics are removed. You can get a dense crown if you carefully pinch the shoots from the top of the bush.

Young plants during the first flowering period require a special approach. It is better to remove some of the buds to preserve the vitality of the bush. If you do not do this, then further plant will produce little fruit. In addition, the fewer flowers, the larger the fruits will be.

Transfer

For young bushes it is better to change the pot every year. The root system is constantly developing, so it needs more free space. If the roots do not entwine the soil ball, then leave the plant alone. But in this case, we replace the top soil layer and drainage.

Features of caring for a tangerine tree with fruits include replanting it to a new place every two to three years. Bushes over five to six years old do not need to change the container.

To safely transplant a tangerine tree means to try not to destroy the soil ball entwined with roots.

Reproduction: 2 ways

The plant can be propagated using seeds, cuttings and supplemented with grafting. The method in most cases is selected taking into account the age of the bush.

Seeds

Peculiarities . Growing a tangerine tree from a seed is not difficult, but you will have to wait 10-15 years for flowering and fruits, or you may not even wait at all. Fruiting can be accelerated by grafting a twig from an adult fruit-bearing bush onto a young tangerine. The seedling to which a twig is grafted is called a rootstock. And the cutting itself from the fruiting plant is a scion.

Algorithm of actions

1. Most simple option is to plant seeds immediately in moist soil without preliminary preparation. Or we place the seeds in gauze, moisten it with water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Instead of gauze, you can use hydrogel, which retains moisture well. Place it on a plate and mix with the seeds.
2. Place gauze or hydrogel with seeds into the soil.
3. After the first leaf appears, we replant it by transshipment (without destroying the earthen ball with roots) into a flowerpot.
4. We grow from one to three years. The bush will be ready for grafting when the trunk diameter reaches at least 6 mm. Then we move on to the vaccination procedure. The optimal period is from April to May.
5. As a scion, we cut a twig one or two years old from a healthy, fruit-bearing bush. We remove leaf plates and thorns from the cuttings.
6. We make a cut in the shape of the letter “T” on the rootstock. This is where we insert the cutting.
7. We wrap the grafting site with electrical tape. We create Greenhouse effect using a plastic bag or plastic container.
8. After about 21 days, shoots should appear from the buds. We gradually accustom them to the microclimate of the room - remove the polyethylene or plastic container. Remove the fixing bandage.
9. We cut off at an angle that part of the rootstock stem that remains above the grafted cutting. We treat the area with coal.
10. We tie the young plant to a stick so that it grows vertically. If the grafting is successful, the new plant will bloom within a year.

If the scion turns yellow on the rootstock and falls off, then the grafting failed. You will need to repeat the procedure.

Cuttings

Peculiarities . The method is more popular, since a plant grown from a cutting of an adult bush will bloom and bear fruit within a year, maximum two.

Algorithm of actions

1. Cut the stalk and place it in a container with water.
2. Create a greenhouse effect - cover the cuttings plastic bag or a plastic bottle. Rooting may take two to three months.
3. Replant into a pot when roots appear.

For better rooting and growth stimulation, you can treat the cuttings with Gibberellin.

Pests

Citrus tree like others indoor crops, susceptible to insect attack. In the fight against them we use both folk remedies, and store products.

Red spider mite

Red dots appear on the stems. With severe damage, pests are visible, forming an almost invisible web. They appear in dry, hot microclimates. We fight with the help of two folk remedies.

1. Tobacco dust. Dissolve one tablespoon of dust in boiled water and leave for six hours. Add 10 g of soap to the mixture. Treatment: spray the bush three times every six to seven days.
2. Garlic . Infuse a clove of garlic in a glass of boiled water for two days. We carry out the procedure as with tobacco dust.

If we use store-bought insecticides, then before spraying we carefully study the instructions or first consult with the seller.

Mealybug

Sticky spots appear on the leaves white. It is much more difficult to notice on the roots. The main symptom is that the foliage dries out and falls off. Most effective remedy– soap solution. We spray once every six to seven days. The procedure should consist of three approaches.

Shchitovka

A sign of scale insects is a dried out bush with yellowed leaves. Growths form Brown. The main reason is dry, unventilated air. We use two treatment methods.

1. Mechanical cleaning. We remove insects ourselves using a toothbrush or gauze. We wash the place where the pot is located with a solution of soap.
2. Spraying with solution. Mix one teaspoon machine oil, two tablespoons of laundry detergent, a little crushed laundry soap with a glass of water. Spray the leaves and branches with the solution. After four hours, rinse with water. We repeat the procedure at least three times a month.

Before spraying, protect the soil from the solution by covering it with polyethylene.

Problems

In addition to pests, the plant is susceptible to diseases associated with improper care. Here are the four most common symptoms:

1. Rust spots. The reason is improper watering. We regulate the moisture supply.
2. Shriveled leaves. A large amount of ultraviolet radiation is to blame. We shade the bush.
3. Small and drying bushes. The reason is a lack of fertilizers. We add minerals and vitamins.
4. Leaves fall on the tangerine tree. If this mature plant, then you shouldn’t worry, as this is a sign of “old age”. In young bushes, the leaves turn yellow and fall off due to an excess of light and a lack of nitrogen.

If symptoms appear, we are reviewing the conditions for raising a pet, otherwise it may die.

Knowing how to care for a tangerine tree, you can grow it on a windowsill solar plant, the fruits of which have mass useful properties. It is known that the fruit has phytoncidal properties that suppress the activity of microbes and can alleviate the condition of dysentery or diarrhea. Fresh juice is even able to destroy some types of fungi in skin diseases.

Many people probably associate the word “tangerine” with anticipation and a feeling of celebration. However, this is not only one of the most festive fruits. Of all the tropical fruits, tangerine is second only to lemon in popularity, and its limited natural growing area (Transcaucasia, the Black Sea coast, Abkhazia and the Sochi region are considered the northernmost areas of distribution of this crop) makes it one of the most desirable citrus fruits in any home. With all this, tangerine is used in cooking, in the food industry, and in medicine.

It is not surprising that with such demand, many people seek to grow it at home. And I must say that they have all the possibilities for this: there are special varieties of tangerines that can be grown in winter gardens, greenhouses, greenhouses or in an ordinary room. Depending on growing conditions, they can reach a height of one and a half or two to three meters. This tangerine is called “decorative” or home, indoor.

Varieties of decorative tangerine

Due to the appearance of its fruits, dense dark green leaves and the aroma of flowering, the indoor tangerine is recognized as a very spectacular plant, and if it is also grown as a bonsai, then without exaggeration it can be called a work of art. The most popular are the following varieties and groups:

1. Unshiu. It is considered the most unpretentious, early-fruiting, fast-growing and productive variety of all available. It branches well, has a spreading crown, thornless branches and wide leathery leaves. In indoor conditions it grows to a maximum of one and a half meters, and bears fruit already in the third or fourth year. Flowering time is spring, the beginning of fruiting is the end of October/November. The fruits are small, yellowish-orange in color, thin-barked, pear-shaped, without seeds.
2. Wase is a group of low-growing, low-growing varieties, in which three varieties are distinguished: Kowano, Mikha, Miyagawa. Next to these names, the general name of the entire group is usually indicated with a hyphen, so they look like this: Kowano-Wase, Mikha-Wase, Miyagawa-Wase. They reach a height of 40-80 cm, so they are very convenient to grow on a regular windowsill. Flowering is abundant, fruiting begins in the second year of cultivation, the fruits have a rich orange-yellow color.
3. Shiva-Mikan. An early compact fast-growing small-fruited variety weighing no more than 30 grams. and with large, fleshy, dark green foliage.
4. Murcott. A rare compact variety whose fruits are distinguished by their extraordinary sweetness. Ripening time is summer.

The following varieties of decorative tangerine are also known: Tangier, Robinson, Tardivo di Chiakulli.

There are also hybrids of tangerine and some other citrus fruits. For example, Clementine is a very popular hybrid of tangerine and orange. At home, it begins to bear fruit depending on the height it has reached. Fruiting abundantly: one mature tree can produce up to fifty medium-sized orange-red, slightly flattened fruits with good aroma and shiny skin. In addition to this hybrid, Ellendale, Tangor, Minneola, Tangelo, Santin and Agli are also known.

In many varieties, fruiting directly depends on the height of the plant. The dependency is:

1. With a height of 20 cm, tangerine begins to bear fruit after 60 months.
2. At 21 - 30 cm - in four years.
3. At 31 - 40 cm - in three years.
4. At 41 - 50 cm - in two years.
5. At 51 - 75 cm - in a year and a half.
6. From 76 cm to 1 meter - in the second year after the start of cultivation.

General principles of growing ornamental tangerines

Purchasing any variety of decorative tangerine is not difficult: this can be done both on the Internet and in specialized stores. However, you should not buy a plant with already existing fruits: no matter how appetizing they look, you should not eat them because they are too large quantity fertilizers that such a plant receives. The best way get tasty and edible decorative tangerine- is to grow it yourself.

The key to successful cultivation of this plant is right choice place - well lit, with a small amount of direct sunlight. Insufficient lighting leads to a slowdown in plant growth, the formation of a small number of flowers, or a complete cessation of flowering; a severe lack of light causes fading of the leaves, thinning and stretching of new shoots and their painful appearance. That's why best place For decorative mandarin, southern, south-eastern and eastern windows are recognized, shaded from the sun by an ordinary gauze curtain attached to the frame. If the windows are not shaded, the leaves may get burned, the crown and roots may overheat, and as a result the plant may develop chlorosis.

In summer, the decorative tangerine can be placed on the balcony, veranda or garden, but it should be protected from the wind. In winter, it should be placed in the most illuminated place (if it is a window, then it should be well insulated beforehand) with direct rays of sun and artificial lighting, for which they use a regular phytolamp or special fluorescent lamps. The tangerine should be switched to additional lighting gradually, otherwise if there is a sudden change in duration daylight hours it may shed its leaves.

The next factor influencing the growth of decorative tangerines is temperature. In summer it should reach +20-25, but during budding and flowering (for some varieties it can last almost all year round), it is better to keep it at +16-18 so that the color does not fall off. In winter, like other indoor plants, it needs a dormant temperature - that is, approximately +5-10. Under such conditions, it will rest over the winter and will bloom and bear fruit better.

The problem of watering should be solved very carefully and carefully. In its unpretentiousness and ability to tolerate drought, the decorative tangerine is no different from its relatives growing in nature, so it should be watered moderately, depending on the drying of the top layer of soil, so as not to cause the development of fungal diseases and at the same time to prevent the soil from drying out completely. coma. The frequency of watering depends on:

1. The size of the plant, especially its leaves (the larger their surface, the more moisture evaporates and the more the plant needs watering).
2. The size of the container in which it grows.
3. Room temperatures.
4. Length of daylight and lighting intensity.

Determining the frequency of watering is easy: you just need to take a pinch of soil in a container and squeeze it. If it sticks together, then there is no need to water, but if it crumbles, then watering is necessary. It is advisable to check the soil in this way every day, especially in the summer, so that the earth ball does not dry out. Water for irrigation should be chosen carefully - for example, it is not recommended to use rainwater, since it contains too many impurities harmful to citrus fruits. Before using water, it should be allowed to stand, left in an open container at room temperature for at least one day, and only then water the tree with it.

The plant is usually watered before noon, when it “woke up” and its life processes became more active. As the temperature drops, the frequency of watering should be reduced until it stops for several days if the temperature drops to +12-15. In this case, it should be watered only in such a volume as to maintain vital activity. Some experts advise at this time to heat the water intended for irrigation to a temperature of +30-35. In summer there is no need to heat the water; just leave it on a sunny windowsill for a while.

In addition to watering, you should also spray the leaves with a spray bottle. This procedure is especially important in the summer. It kills several birds with one stone: it prevents the tangerine from becoming infected with spider mites, creates the humidity it needs, and washes away household dust from branches and leaves. In general, the level of humidity should be controlled in the same way as watering, and to better provide it, you can place a bowl of water next to the plant. The frequency of spraying is at least once a day, but if it is carried out during flowering, you need to make sure that water does not get on the flowers. About once a month, it is advisable to treat the tangerine crown with cotton wool and soap suds to prevent the appearance of pests. It is best to do this in the bathroom, covering the substrate plastic film and tying the trunk of the plant at the bottom to prevent soapy water from getting into the substrate and being absorbed into the fabric.

Another element of successfully growing a plant is feeding it. This is all the more important at home because the soil in the container is quickly depleted and washed away, and almost no recreational processes occur in it. Fertilizer application is best done according to this principle:

1. Use only soluble or dry fertilizers.
2. Apply fertilizing only before noon at a temperature of at least +18-19.
3. The frequency of application is no more than once every two weeks, and then only during growth (i.e., from March to September). The rest of the time, medications can be administered even less frequently.

If soluble fertilizers are used, then they must be dissolved in soft or settled water at room temperature strictly according to the instructions, in no case increasing the dosage. Top dressing is oil, which, as you know, cannot spoil the porridge: even with a slight overdose, a burn or poisoning of the tree is possible. Dry fertilizers should be applied even more carefully, keeping in mind one of their features. The fact is that the spring application of dry fertilizer will allow you to forget about fertilizing for a long time, but it is quite difficult to guess that the fertilizer was used by the tangerine. An additional contribution will lead to its poisoning.

To what has been said, it only remains to add that the best option for the plant is a complex nitrogen-, phosphorus- and potassium-containing preparation. In low concentrations, you can even spray the leaves with it. It is also acceptable to use organic matter such as infused cow manure diluted in a ratio of 1 to 10 or organic matter in combination with mineral remedy. You only need to feed the plant the next day after watering, so as not to burn it. root system. It is also practiced to feed decorative tangerines with fish soup prepared according to this recipe: 200 gr. fish waste or small unsalted fish should be boiled in two liters of water for half an hour, then dilute the solution cold water and strain through cheesecloth. Apply this ear once a month along with complex fertilizer for feeding adult plants at least one meter high. According to experts, this enhances their fruiting. Regular drunken tea is also used as fertilizer.

Finally, another element of growing decorative tangerines is:

1. Pinching the tops of its branches.
2. Removing dried leaves and elongated, improperly growing branches.
3. Removing some of the flowers young plant so as not to deplete it and allow several fruits to ripen. The fewer fruits grow on it, the larger they will be, so the most optimal ratio of ovary to leaves is 1 ovary per 15-20 leaves.
4. Tying the fruiting branches of a plant to some kind of support so that they do not break under their weight.

What is wrong with the decorative tangerine?

Like many other plants, especially those growing in a climate that is not very favorable for them, the decorative tangerine is susceptible to some diseases. It is most often affected by:

1. Shield.
2. Red spider mite.
3. Mealybug.
4. Leaf spotting followed by leaf drop.

If the pest infestation of a tangerine is protracted and persistent, then to cure it they resort to potent chemicals, but their use within an apartment can lead to unpleasant consequences, so it is better not to bring the situation to such a level. If it is fixed initial stage illness, you can get by with improvised means. For example, scale insects can be removed by spraying with a soap solution diluted in 3 liters. water 2 tbsp. l. liquid soap or “Fary”, having first cleaned off the insects. The solution should remain on the plant for about half an hour, after which it is washed off warm water. Water-oil emulsion is also very effective: 1 tsp. machine oil is stirred in a glass of warm water, 40 g is added to it. household soap and 2 tbsp. l. washing powder. All this should be applied with a cotton-gauze swab, left for three to four hours, and then rinsed off in the shower so that the drug does not get into the ground. Before processing, the soil should be covered with a film, and the trunk should be tied at the bottom with a bandage - this will help prevent the product used from getting into it. Treatment frequency is three times with an interval of six days.

How to fight spider mites:

1. It is collected by hand.
2. Wipe leaves and branches with a cotton swab dipped in cold water or in alcohol.
3. Spray three times with a two-day strained infusion of crushed garlic or onion (no more than 200 grams), poured with warm boiled water, with an interval of six days. You can also use a mixture of soap and tobacco dust according to this recipe: pour 1 tbsp. l. dust with boiling water, leave for six days, add 10 g. household soap and spray the “patient” three times with a six-day interval between treatments.

You can also remove the scale insects manually, and then spray the plant with garlic infusion three times (once a week), or wipe its parts with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol or calendula infusion.

Well, to avoid leaf spotting and falling off, you just need to follow the watering rules, because it is their violation that causes spots to appear.

Transplantation and propagation of decorative tangerine

If the plant is properly cared for, then over time it becomes cramped in the “cradle” container, and the need arises to replant it. Young plants are replanted annually, but if the roots have not yet entwined the earthen ball, it is better to refrain from replanting - just change the drainage and top layer of soil. If the plant is three years old, it is replanted once every three to four years, while a seven-year-old plant requires replanting once every two years. No replanting should be carried out during flowering, otherwise the tree will simply die. When replanting, use a ready-made soil mixture for citrus fruits or form it yourself at the rate of: 50% (3 parts) turf soil, the remaining 50% - equal parts of leaf soil, humus, river sand and a small amount of fatty clay. Sometimes it is recommended to add a little ash to this mixture. For young tangerines, the same soil composition is recommended, only without clay, and instead of three parts of turf soil, two parts are usually taken. The resulting substrate should be light and slightly acidic.

To prevent stagnation of water and the appearance of root rot, before laying the soil at the bottom of the container, be sure to place drainage three to five centimeters thick in the form of expanded clay, small stones, pieces of foam plastic or even fragments of ceramic dishes and charcoal. The pot into which the tangerine will be transplanted should be 5-8 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. It is not recommended to plant the plant immediately large capacity: This is impractical, unsightly and can lead to root rot. Therefore, if you want your tangerine to please you for as long as possible, you cannot do without regular replanting.

The best time to replant a tangerine is the beginning of spring, when it comes out of dormancy. It is recommended to refrain from applying fertilizers, stopping feeding two to three days before transplanting and resuming them only two weeks after the plant finds a new home.

The process itself is no different from replanting any other indoor plant, except that immediately after replanting it should be lightly watered, after 30-40 minutes, if necessary, add the substrate and water again. Some experts advise using a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate when watering a transplanted plant for the first time, after which the plant can be placed on the windowsill so that the surface of the leaves is directed towards the light.

Decorative tangerines can be propagated by rooting branches or growing from seeds. In the first case, the use of a rooting agent will increase the survival rate several times. It is used like this: a cutting with two or three leaves is dipped in a rooting agent and, having been planted in moist soil, covered with film or cut plastic bottle with holes for ventilation. And although in some sources you can find the statement that decorative tangerines are practically impossible to take cuttings at home, many amateur gardeners, from their own experience, claim that with the use of a rooting agent, cuttings take root within a few months.

The second case is not suitable for every variety of decorative tangerine. For example, they will not be able to propagate unshiu because it is a seedless variety. In addition, the plant grown in this way will need to be grafted indoor lemon, an orange or a grapefruit grown from a seed, otherwise it will not bloom.

Some amateurs claim that there is a third way to propagate this plant - by air layering.

Conclusion

The main advantage of the decorative tangerine is not only a piece of exoticism in a city apartment or in the countryside, but also the almost year-round availability of tasty and edible fruits in your diet, the purchase of which will no longer be necessary. And the appearance of it beautiful plant will surely decorate not only your home, but also your life.