How to care for a lemon tree. Replanting a homemade lemon

Tell me, do you like to treat yourself to aromatic tea with a slice of lemon? We think the answer will be positive. Now you can buy healthy fruit at any grocery store. What if you try to grow it yourself? This idea has so many advantages that it becomes clear why many have already made it a reality.

We all know that lemons are the first cold fighters. But growing a lemon tree in your home is not only worth it from a practical point of view. This tree will decorate the entire room and fill the air around with a joyful aroma. So let's find out how to properly care for indoor lemons, so that you can not only admire its beauty and smell, but also get a harvest of healthy fruits.

Location and temperature

With the onset of spring comes the most important time in caring for indoor lemons. During this period, the lemon trees enter a phase of activity, they begin to grow, and the plants begin to budding. In order to get more useful ovary, and then provide better development buds, keep the plant at a room temperature of about +14..18°C. Increasing the temperature has a depressing effect on the lemon tree; it may begin to shed its buds and ovaries.

Once the outside temperature is at least +12°C, you can take your fragrant pet outdoors. Let him enjoy his freedom on the terrace, garden or balcony. Since lemon does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, be prepared to cover it with a piece of burlap, gauze, or even a light blanket when it gets cold. To gradually accustom the tree to exposure to the sun, keep it in the shade at first.

When autumn comes, do not delay the reverse process of returning the lemon to home conditions. Otherwise, once in warm cozy walls from lower outside temperatures, it may bloom again. Therefore, as soon as the air outside has cooled to 10-12°C, begin to gradually accustom the lemon tree to return to the house. Bring it into the room at night, and take it outside again during the day. This procedure can be done for a week, and then the pet can be left indoors for good.

Most optimal temperature around the indoor lemon during wintering the temperature will be from 14 to 16°C, with moderate humidity in the room. This will allow your bush to retain all its leaves, and the fruits on it to ripen. Don’t forget to ventilate the room where your charming lemon spends the winter every day. Just remember that the plant should not be at the intersection of air flows: cold from the window and warm from the room. Therefore, do not open the window of the window where your signor lemon is located. He will not be happy with such a disdainful attitude towards his person.

You should also remember that good lighting plays a big role when growing and caring for lemon trees. They love bright rooms filled with sunlight. True, you shouldn’t go too far - the plant should be protected from direct exposure to sunlight so that the leaves do not get burned. Lemon growing experts and gurus recommend keeping your lemon trees on western or eastern windows.

For a comfortable existence, a lemon needs about twelve hours to be in a lighted place. When autumn and winter arrive, there is no longer enough natural light. Therefore, make sure to purchase fluorescent lamps, which will help you compensate for the lack of daylight for the little lemon. Also take care to decide on the location of your handsome man as quickly as possible. Lemons react sensitively to changes in lighting and stop growing while they adapt to new light conditions. Therefore, do not move the tree from place to place too often.

Watering and air humidity

Lemon loves water. In spring summer time provide him with regular and abundant watering, but do not overfill. The water accumulated in the pan must be drained. IN winter time You should water more moderately, but you must ensure that the soil in the pot does not dry out completely. Upper layer may dry out a little, this will not harm the tree, unlike completely drying out the soil. In this situation, the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow and crumble. But there is also a danger in over-moistening the soil, especially if the room temperature is cool. Stagnant water can cause rotting in the roots, which will lead to the death of your lemon tree.

The most ideal water for watering your plant is rain or melt water. Since it is not always possible to have such moisture on hand, you can use ordinary, well-settled water to irrigate lemons. Its temperature should be two to three degrees higher than the air temperature. The timing of watering is also important. In spring, it is better to moisturize lemons early in the morning, and in the summer-autumn period - in the evening.

Lemons do not tolerate excessive dry air very well, especially when accompanied by high temperatures. Therefore, in rooms with central heating, it is necessary to ensure that the humidity is comfortable for the plant. This can be done in several ways at once. You can place the pot with the plant on a metal tray containing expanded clay or pebbles, and pour water into it. During the day, spray the plant with warm water. Such measures are quite sufficient to create necessary conditions for the happy existence of your lemon tree.

Fertilizers and fertilizing

Timely feeding and fertilizer are of great importance in caring for indoor lemons. This is important for the normal growth and subsequent development of the plant. The frequency of fertilizing and the actual amount of fertilizer depend on many factors: the condition of the plant, the season, even the volume of the container in which the lemon grows. In order to properly care for the plant, it is important to provide it with timely feeding and nutrition. This is especially true during the period of active growth, which begins in the plant from March and lasts until October.

Feed your lemongrass every ten to fourteen days with liquid fertilizer. You can use both mineral and organic types of fertilizer, alternating them. IN winter period It will be enough time to fertilize the lemon tree no more than once a month, also reducing the dosage of fertilizing. Observe the appearance of the lemon. Your lemon tree itself can tell you how to care for it and what nutrition it is deficient in. By the growth of shoots, leaf color, color and size of fruits, you can easily understand what nutrients the plant needs.

A lack of nitrogen manifests itself in the fact that the leaves begin to turn yellow. New leaves cannot form normally and grow fully. The yield of the plant decreases, and the fruits themselves become smaller. Phosphorus deficiency ruins lemon's metabolism. The leaves turn pale and begin to fall. The shape of the fruit is subject to deformation, acquiring ugly shapes. If indoor lemon lacks iron, the plant may develop chlorosis. This manifests itself in the fact that the leaves change color. They become pale, then yellow. The color of the fruit also becomes lighter, after which the tree begins to completely get rid of developing fruits lemon, discarding them. The tops of the branches begin to dry out.

Choosing dishes for the lemon tree

Indoor citrus plants, particularly lemon, love to live in baked clay containers. Young trees should be replanted annually. They do this in the spring. Older trees are replanted every three to four years, changing only the top layer of soil each year. Do not place indoor lemon in a container that is too large in volume. Since you already know that overwatering is bad for lemons, be sure to add a generous layer of drainage to the bottom of the container.

Formation of the crown and pruning of branches

The first three to four years the lemon tree needs to form a crown. Prevent the chaotic stretching of shoots from the tree and uncontrolled growth of branches. Whenever possible, try to give the crown bushiness and proportionality. The pot in which your pet grows should be rotated occasionally, but no more than thirty degrees per month. If individual branches growing vertically appear inside the crown, get rid of them.

While your tree is still young, lignification has not occurred, and you have the opportunity to even out the growth of branches that spoil the appearance of the plant. To do this, you can insert a stick and secure the unruly branch with twine in the desired direction. Long shoots should be pruned. After all, the more the lemon bushes, the faster the flowering process will begin. The appearance of the tree will also be more aesthetic and attractive. Remember that all buds must be cut off in the year of planting. Flowering requires young plant too much high flow rate energy, takes a lot of nutrients. A plant that is not yet sufficiently strong may not be able to withstand such a load, which increases the possibility of its death.

Caring for the crown of an adult lemon tree involves pinching it as needed, removing diseased or broken branches, as well as new shoots growing inside the crown. When the lemon begins to bear fruit, you will need to normalize the harvest. This consists of removing some of the flowers that appear. When normalizing the crop, weak buds or flowers are removed, and in some cases even flowering branches. By removing unnecessary buds, you give the tree the opportunity to focus on ripening useful ovaries. But even when all the buds look healthy, excessive flowering can deplete the plant. In addition, the amount of useful ovary decreases. This leads to the fact that even with a seemingly abundant harvest, not all fruits are obtained equally. good quality. And the tree, having used up all its strength, may not begin to bear fruit next year.

Pest Control

It should be remembered that when caring for lemons, it is necessary to protect your tree from pests such as scale insects, red spider mites and thrips. If a mite infests the plant, it is at risk of death if you do not promptly detect that it has become infected. It is quite easy to identify this by looking at the traces of cobwebs, which are usually located on the underside of the leaves.

If you follow these not the most complex rules on the care and maintenance of lemon trees room conditions, you will soon be able to admire a whole “lemon grove” on your windowsill. You can enjoy not only the magnificent aroma that comes from the plant, but also have tea parties with the addition of lemon grown by yourself. We wish you success in this enjoyable and exciting activity!

As the famous saying goes, if you get a lemon, make lemonade out of it. It would be nice if there were fewer such “lemons” in our lives... But growing a lemon tree in your window and making REAL homemade lemonade from it is a much more pleasant and, most importantly, useful activity. You can find out how to get a full-fledged citrus tree from a seed here, and today I will tell you about all the nuances of caring for lemons at home.

Caring for homemade lemon: heat + light + consistency

Indoor lemon has a capricious character, which is manifested in its demands on living conditions.

In particular, it cannot tolerate sudden changes in temperature and humidity and reacts painfully to drafts. A moderately humid and warm microclimate and abundant lighting are required for the well-being of your green pet.

Just don't place the pot in direct natural light, as lemon also doesn't like to fry in the sun. For example, you can place the plant on a south or southwest window sill and shade it with a tulle curtain or gauze.

Interesting fact- Lemon does not like being next to strong-smelling house flowers, so do not place lilies or rhododendrons next to it.

Autumn, winter and in early spring homemade lemon requires additional lighting (with a power of at least 40 watts). On average, it is enough to turn on the lamps for 3-4 hours a day (2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening). However, it must be borne in mind that a lemon plant needs at least 8 hours of sunlight or artificial light in winter and from 10 to 14 hours at other times of the year.

Lamps are installed at the rate of 2-3 pieces per square meter. Moreover, they should be located no lower than 40-50 centimeters above the level of the highest branch.

Regular and sufficient watering

Homemade lemon loves to swim!

Overwatering negatively affects the development of the citrus plant, so it is important to maintain moderation when watering. In hot weather, the soil in the pots is moistened 3 times a week; on normal days, the frequency of watering is reduced to one or two times.

How to determine when it’s time to water a lemon?

There is a simple test - take a pinch of soil from a pot with three fingers and squeeze. If it sticks together, then there is no need to water it; if it falls apart, it’s time to go get a watering can.

Irrigation water should be warm and settled (filtered). Perfect option- melt water, which is obtained from pure snow or after the ice melts. Rain or spring water is no less good. Three to four times a month you can add sleeping tea to the water for irrigation.

Avoid stagnation of water in the container - the containers used must have drainage holes.

A couple of times a month, loosen the top layer of soil in the pot (just be careful not to damage the roots!). It will be easier for oxygen to reach the roots and the lemon will grow better.

Coming from the tropics, Lemon loves to shower.- regularly spray the plant with a spray bottle and wipe its leaves with a soft, damp cloth. In general, I advise you to turn such water procedures into a weekly ritual.

If your lemon is next to the battery central heating, then to eliminate dry air, I recommend turning on an electric humidifier in the room (a regular bowl of water can also serve as a replacement).

Making a menu for homemade lemon

The active growth phase of indoor lemon occurs from February to September. At this time, it is useful to treat your tropical guest with organic and mineral supplements(it’s better to alternate them). Fertilizer irrigation is carried out every 10-14 days, not more often.

When caring for lemons at home, I advise you to pay special attention to special fertilizers for citrus plants, which, in addition to the basic nutrients, also include zinc, boron and manganese. To minimize the risk of burning the roots, fertilizer mixtures are supplied exclusively in liquid form and low concentrations are used (no more than 1-2 grams per liter of water).

In addition, do not forget the most important principle of feeding any home and garden plant - it is better to underfeed than to overfeed.

Please note that after transplantation (which will be discussed later), the lemon does not need to be fed for 2-3 months - during this time the plant has enough nutrients contained in the soil mixture.

When and how to replant homemade lemons

At good care the lemon tree is “rushing” literally before our eyes. Up to 10 years, the lemon is replanted once a year, then the plant is transferred to a larger pot every 2-3 years.

To do this, choose a container 5-7 centimeters wider and deeper than the previous one. Since the roots of citrus plants need large quantities oxygen, for transplantation it is better to choose containers made of breathable materials - for example, clay or wood.

The optimal time to transplant a lemon is June; in the cold season, this operation is carried out in February.

When preparing a mixture for transplanting lemons, you should take into account the age of the plant. For young lemon trees, a light soil mixture is better, and for older plants, a denser one with a higher clay content.

Here are several options for soil mixtures for indoor lemons different ages:

1. Plants up to 4 years old: leaf soil, mature manure, high peat, fine river sand (1: 2: 1: 0.5).
2. Plants from 4 to 10 years: turf soil, leaf soil, high peat, lake silt, river sand (2:1:1:1:0,5).
3. Plants over 10 years old: turf soil, leaf soil, high-moor peat, lake silt, coarse river sand (3:1:1:2:0.5), ash from burning straw at the rate of 200 grams per 10-liter bucket of soil.

It is good to enrich any of the mixtures with 100-200 grams of granulated superphosphate per 10 liters.

With each transplant, up to 50% of the plant’s length is removed tap root. The remaining roots are also shortened by 1.5-2 centimeters and immersed in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for 5 minutes. For disinfection, you can also dust the cut areas with wood ash.

Rules for seasonal lemon care at home

Spring

For lemon, spring begins at the beginning of February. From now on, begin to slowly feed your green friend. In addition, at the end of winter it is good to start grafting work.

In February and March, lemon plants begin to actively bloom. The room temperature must be maintained from +16 to +20 degrees.

Shade the plants from the May sun by moving the pots 50-60 centimeters from the window.

Summer

During the warm season, ensure regular watering and timely application of fertilizers. If desired, the lemongrass can be exposed to fresh air (just not in direct sun!).

Caring for lemons in the summer also involves intensive feeding (but, again, not more than once every two weeks).

Autumn

Gradually prepare the plant for moving indoors: first, bring it into the house for one to two hours, then for half a day, and so on.

From mid-autumn, start illuminating the plants with fluorescent lamps.

Winter

In the winter months, make sure that the lemon is not exposed to a draft wind, and also that the earthen lump in the pot does not become overcooled. Reduce watering to once a week.

If the lemon blooms in the cold season, do not allow all the buds to open (leave no more than 1 flower for every 15 leaves). Let me remind you that in the first year all the buds from the plant are torn off, without even allowing them to open.

I also present to your attention an overview video about all the rules for caring for lemons at home.

This article is part of a series on growing lemons at home. With the first part containing detailed instructions How to obtain a lemon seedling from a seed can be found here. And in order not to miss the release of new articles, I advise you to subscribe to blog updates!

If desired, anyone can grow a lemon tree at home. Care at home is not particularly difficult, but there are, of course, certain points. If you do everything correctly, then in the 5th or 7th year you can expect fruits from the plant you grew yourself. The leaves of the evergreen lemon tree release phytoncides, refresh the air in the room, and emit a delicate, unobtrusive aroma.

Fragrant, tasty, healthy citrus is familiar to everyone; we see its bright yellow fruits on store shelves all year round. Lemon is good as a fruit, useful as a preventative drug, tasty as candied fruit, and simply beautiful, like an exotic indoor tree. However, even dark green leathery lemon leaves look beautiful and at the same time have a beneficial effect on the human body.

Lemon tree, photo:

Depending on the variety, the lemon tree can be different sizes. If the goal is precisely the fruits, and not just decorative function, then you can get the result in two ways. Citrus grown from cuttings will begin to bear fruit earlier (with proper care), but the plant from the seed will be healthier and actively developing.

If you do not want to bother yourself with the germination/growing process, you can purchase ready-made lemon bushes and seedlings in specialized departments and stores. You can buy a lemon tree in an online store that belongs to a botanical garden, for example, or from amateur breeders. If you are not looking for easy ways, you are interested in the process of plant birth itself, then you will find information about how in another article. The planting method itself is not very different from the technology for growing other citrus crops.

Lemon tree care?

An important stage of care - correct lighting at home. The permanent location of the lemon should be well lit, but direct sunlight should still be avoided. How to care for lemon tree? Try to decide in advance on the plant’s permanent place of residence, as it does not like to be moved. To ensure that the crown develops evenly, you can gently turn the lemon towards the light. This process must be done slowly and gradually.

For harmonious growth and development, the plant at home must be replanted annually. Each time the container should be larger; during replanting, the roots and soil are carefully moved into new pot, the missing amount of earth is added to the required volume. The soil for indoor lemon should be similar in composition to the previous soil.

When the plant reaches a certain size and the pot holds 10 liters, replanting can be stopped. Now you only have to periodically update the top layer of soil (twice a year), feed the plant with fertilizers (Vermisol, Humisol, Biohumus - for citrus crops).

Caring for a young tree at home at first does not include fertilizing, but with the onset of summer, you can add a little fertilizer to the water for irrigation. The plant is very capricious; it requires a delicate approach regarding ambient temperature and hydration. There should be no sudden changes - if something goes wrong, the plant will react by losing leaves.

How to prune a lemon tree? Pruning forms the crown and prevents it from growing to large sizes, which is very important if you have small apartment. Crown care should begin at a young age, when the plant reaches 20-30 cm in height. Thus, the top of the tree is cut off, side shoots are pruned at the level of the 5th leaf, the lower branches (those located close to the soil) are also removed - this allows the trunk to fully develop.

If you see too much crown splendor on one side, then carefully trim off the excess and give the tree the desired shape. Branch pruning is always done just above the leaf. The lower branches should be longer than the upper ones. Pruning should be carried out only when it is really required (stimulating the growth of new branches, rejuvenating an old tree). Frequent cutting of branches can weaken the plant.

Should I prune my lemon tree according to the time of year? There are several approaches to this process: best time Spring is the time for pruning. March is best. Often pruning is done during lemon flowering and bud formation. Winter pruning is also used: if the plant is already bearing fruit, then it should be done after harvesting.

Lemon blooms very profusely and spreads truly magical aroma. The lemon tree indoor plant has bisexual flowers, so fruit set occurs spontaneously. If you want to increase productivity, you can use artificial pollination techniques. To do this, the flowers must be ripe; use a soft brush to collect pollen from the stamens and carefully transfer it to the pistil (sticky top). This is a rather monotonous process, but very effective. Additionally, you can insure yourself with fruit formation stimulants and plant growth regulators - Ovary and Bud fertilizers (spraying).

The ideal temperature for the growth of foliage and branches is +16..18ºC, for the harmonious development of fruits – 22..23ºC. Sudden changes in temperature, very high, as well as too low, have an extremely negative impact on general condition lemon tree.

The soil temperature at home should be approximately the same as the air temperature. Sometimes the lemon is taken out to “ventilate”, for example, on the balcony, and then brought into the room - this is not advisable. Such changes are stressful for the lemon. It reacts by dropping leaves. Because the earth is cold and warm room air form an unfavorable temperature difference.

How to water a lemon tree at home?

The most vigilant care for lemon extends from autumn to spring (October-March). In winter, batteries and heating devices work actively at home, drying the air. For this reason, the plant should be placed away from sources of active heat, and the radiators should sometimes be covered damp cloth and irrigate the crown with water daily. Such care also requires compliance with measures, because excessive moisture of the lemon threatens the development of fungus. You can also place containers of water next to the pots - the evaporation of moisture has a beneficial effect on the plant. With the onset of summer heat, it is recommended to wipe lemon leaves with a damp cloth.

How often to water lemon at home? Here you need to adhere to the golden mean - do not allow the soil to dry out and do not overfill it. Boiled water is suitable for irrigation room temperature, twice a week will be enough. If it happens that you overdo it with watering (the soil begins to rot), then you need to change the soil in the pot as quickly as possible. Clay pots are ideal containers for growing lemons at home; they evaporate excess moisture well and allow the soil to “breathe.”

If the lemon dries out

Sometimes on gardening forums you can see requests for help: “the lemon tree is drying up, what should I do?!” - often this situation arises again from a lack of moisture and dry air in the room. Improper care: lack of lighting, stagnation of water in the soil are secondary reasons for lemon drying out. Sometimes like this unfavorable changes may occur due to an attack by a pest - spider mites.

If we know how to cope with a lack of moisture, then more radical measures are needed to combat mites. Treating a lemon tree with insecticides will put an end to harvesting, since after it it will be impossible to eat the fruits. But there is a way out - ultraviolet light (UV lamp) kills spider mites in 2-3 minutes and such a short “irradiation” of the plant at home will be enough.

The cause of drying out may also be seasonal acclimatization of the plant. You will have to cut off the dried branches. And in the spring, new shoots will appear in their place. The lack of micro- and macroelements is also expressed in the form of drying, introduction necessary fertilizing and balanced fertilizers solve this problem. Nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium supplements or the Root Feeder fertilizer (KP-5) will help the tree come to life and receive all the missing nutrients.

Pavlova lemon

As we can see, lemon requires careful care and compliance with the rules of cultivation, but the result of such efforts cannot but please. Beautiful plant with vitamin fruits is a worthy gift that the lemon tree gives us. it's not that complicated if you know all the nuances.

In the wild, citrus fruits grow well, reproduce, bloom, and 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 caring for lemons at home.

The lemon tree is propagated by cuttings, seeds or grafting. However, you don’t have to plant it yourself. Moreover, this also requires certain knowledge. Now there are enough places where you can buy a ready-made plant in a pot. This is a botanical garden, a specialized nursery, or flower shop. So, you 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 “place of residence.” It does not tolerate frequent movements;
• quite high - about two meters. Compare 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. They require less care than other varieties (admire the photo);
• keep him away from heating batteries. The heat will have a detrimental effect.

Lighting

Homemade lemon loves a bright room. Ideal – absent-minded sunlight, south or southeast side of the house.

You can keep it in direct sunlight for up to two hours a day. This is no longer possible, otherwise the foliage will get burned. In winter, additional lighting is required.

Too much, long-term (more than 12 hours/day) lighting leads to rapid growth, but slows down fruiting. Insufficient - slows down growth and causes diseases.

Temperature

Most main stage lemon tree care occurs in the spring. Active growth and flowering begins. Therefore, such a factor as temperature plays an important role here.

Citrus fruit tolerates different temperatures: from +14 to +27 degrees. The peculiarity is that it should always be the same. The tree does not tolerate temperature changes well. When the flowering period begins, the temperature in the apartment should not be higher than +18 degrees. More heat leads to drying out of the buds, and then to their dropping.

In spring (starting from +12 degrees) the flowerpot can be moved to the balcony. Also good garden plot. This stimulates growth.

In winter, lemons need cooler conditions than in summer. An insulated balcony is perfect for him. If the apartment is hot, illness and even death may occur. At night, wrap the crown with light natural fabric.

Humidity

Humidity is especially important when caring for indoor lemons. It is moderate, 60-70% at average temperature (+18 degrees). If it’s hot, spray the plant and the air around it twice daily.

The soil

The lemon tree needs soil with a neutral reaction. Avoid acidic ones. Make sure the soil is loose. The approximate composition is:

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

For mature trees, add a little clay. Be sure to use drainage. For example, fine crushed stone or charcoal. The top layer of soil must be loosened shallowly periodically.

Fertilizer and watering

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

It needs abundant watering 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.

In autumn, watering is reduced. In winter, bring it up to once or twice a week. Remember to spray: leaves, trunk, air around.

Signs that indicate the need for hydration:

• grayish earth tone;
• the pot makes a ringing sound if you click on it;
• drooping young shoots;
• the leaves are rolled up into a “tube”;
• The lump of soil from the dish crumbles easily.

Watering lemon depends on:

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

The most important component of lemon care at home is feeding. Nutrients necessary for normal growth and fruiting. March – October, fertilizers are applied every three weeks. Organic fertilizers alternate with mineral ones. In summer, feed during watering. The rest of the time - 2 hours after moisturizing. Overfeeding gives negative effect. Therefore, it is better to underfeed. It is not necessary to feed lemon in winter.

Video “Growing lemon at home”

Learn more about growing citrus fruits at home in the video below.

Pests and diseases

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

Shchitovka

Damages leaves. They are covered with brown round scales. It is almost impossible to separate them. The scale insect is covered with a waxy shell. That's why chemicals useless here. Soon a sticky discharge appears from the leaves. If no measures are taken, they turn yellow and then fall off.

It is best to deal with such a disease at the initial stage. Inspect the leaves daily, especially the bottom. If you notice an insect, you can donate one leaf. In case of widespread damage, wipe them with a cloth moistened with soapy water. Then - with an alcohol solution. Afterwards, treat all green parts with an insecticide, as larvae may remain.

Spider mite

The most dangerous pest homemade lemon. Initially, 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 spread - 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 come from other plants, or by air. It is very difficult to remove. Therefore, it is easier to do prevention:

1. inspect daily; 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 fruits should be kept separate from other plants.

When a mite or aphid appears, spray with the following solution: pour a glass of boiling water over a tablespoon of tobacco dust. Leave for 6 days. Add laundry soap shavings. Spray once a month, once every week.

They also use the following solution. Pour a glass of boiling water over the crushed head of garlic. Leave for two days. The dishes are dark and closed. Strain. Apply in the same way.

For ticks and aphids there is a drug called “Omite” (4 ml/1 liter of water). Spray weekly 3 times in a row. Other chemicals can 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 spider mites.

The lemon tree is susceptible to bacterial, infectious, viral diseases. The latter are incurable. These are such as: xylopsorosis. The virus can live 10 years before the first symptoms appear. Therefore, only a specialist can determine this disease. Tristeza - affects the bark of the plant, until it dies. Leaf mosaic, citrus canker.

Infectious diseases

Gommoz. Affects a tree trunk. Its lower part becomes brown and covered with cracks. A glue-like dark liquid flows out of them. The cracks are growing. Rotting begins. Damaged parts are cleaned and sealed copper sulfate. The plant is replanted. Take new, fertilized soil. Before doing this, inspect and wash the roots. Sometimes it is impossible to cure gommosis.

Malseco. Affects shoots, even to the point of death. First, their tips are affected, moving to the foliage, then to the wood. Diseased parts have a brick color. Leaves fall. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment recipe.

Root rot. Noticeable when massive leaf fall begins. Treatment. Remove the lemon from the soil. Rinse the roots. Completely remove rotten parts. Transplant into a new pot. Take quality soil.

The main cause of these problems is poor care behind indoor plant. It should be remembered that not only fruit-bearing, but also decorative lemons require careful care.

So do everything right and your lemon tree will be fine.

If you have a lemon, caring for it at home will require a lot of work. It belongs to the remontant plants, therefore, under certain conditions, it can bloom and bear fruit all year round. But not everyone manages not only to taste the fruits of their citrus, but also to simply admire the flowering. What is the reason? Let's figure it out.

Variety selection

First of all, for planting in the house, you should choose varieties specially bred for these purposes. They do not grow to gigantic dimensions, but at the same time they are characterized by high productivity. Pay attention to these varieties of dwarf and semi-dwarf lemons:

• Meyer
• Pavlovsky
• Novogruzinsky
• Maykop
• Eureka
• Genoa

Among the most common varieties in our latitudes is Meyer lemon; caring for it is the least troublesome compared to other types. This variety is sometimes called Chinese Dwarf, and its fruits are not as sour as other varieties. Dwarf lemons are not known for their rich harvest, but they will add coziness to the interior of the apartment.

Video about indoor lemon

Tall lemons will certainly delight you with delicious and large fruits, but at the same time they require a lot of time for care, since in addition to the usual activities, they need more frequent pruning, gartering and crown formation. If you are interested in such citrus fruits, choose among the following varieties:

• Novogruzinsky
• Kursk

How to care for lemons in an ordinary city apartment, when there is no heating, the windows face north, or the air is too dry for citrus? You will have to provide the tree comfortable conditions growth and development.

The first thing that is important for a lemon is light.

Photo of homemade lemon

To place the pots, it is better to choose south-eastern windows with moderate lighting, if, of course, you are lucky and you have them. But what to do if all your alternative is the north or south side.

On northern windows, the lemon will noticeably lack light, so you will have to use fluorescent lamps, extending the daylight hours for the plant to 12 hours. This is especially true in the winter.

On the south side of the house there is always plenty of light, and even too much for a lemon. Therefore, during the midday hours it is necessary to shade your citrus, saving it from the destructive effects of direct sunlight, which can leave real burns on the leaves.

Lemon is a native of the Pacific tropics, so it is not surprising that the tree is demanding in terms of thermal conditions.

In the spring, during the budding period, the room temperature should be 14 - 16 degrees. A high degree causes the buds to dry out and drop, while a low degree helps to slow down or even stop this process. During the rest period, room temperature up to 26 degrees is sufficient. If possible, move your pet to a glassed-in balcony for the summer. Fresh air will benefit the lemon and the question of how to care for the lemon will not be so pressing. However, you should be wary of how sudden changes temperature and drafts. Like a true southerner, indoor lemon requires meticulous care.

The photo shows a homemade lemon

Moisture. This parameter is very important for lemon. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the soil in the pot is constantly slightly moist. In summer it is reasonable to increase the number of waterings to 3 times per week, and in winter you can reduce it to 1 time, but spray the air around the tree. This is provided that heating devices stand far from the plant. Be sure to water the lemon with non-cold water that has stood for 5 hours. Water should not be poured directly under the root, but evenly over the entire surface of the soil. The air around the tree should also not be dry - at least 60% humidity. Otherwise, you risk seeing curled, browning leaves on the lemon.

Lemon, like other plants in your home, needs support, so it needs to be fed periodically.

Young lemon trees do not need additional stimulation; lemons that have reached 3-4 years of age need to be fertilized.

The photo shows a lemon tree

You can purchase specialized mixtures organic fertilizers, or you can use folk methods:

• For abundant fruiting, sometimes regular watering is replaced with infusion eggshells. But you should not get carried away with this method, so that excess calcium does not reduce the acidity of the soil.
• If the plant develops normally, has a healthy appearance and pleases with flowering, you can refuse to apply fertilizers.
• During the growing season, it is worth feeding the lemon with superphosphate twice (50 grams of fertilizer per 1 liter).
• Ammonium nitrate is highly recommended for improving growth. It is taken in a proportion of 30 grams per liter of water. You can water with this fertilizer monthly.
• Periodically water your lemon with a 7-day infusion of horse manure, diluted ten times.
• Lemon needs microelements for normal development: magnesium, phosphorus, nitrogen and others. To compensate for their deficiency, you can use Citrus mixture fertilizer once a quarter. 2-3 grams of this fertilizer are diluted in a liter of water and used instead of the main watering.

Pruning and replanting indoor lemon

Young lemon trees should be replanted at least once a year.

Copies older than 3 years - with a frequency of 2-3 years. However, the need for a transplant may arise “unplanned”, for example, due to illness or deterioration of the lemon’s condition.

The photo shows a lemon transplant

1. The soil around the trunk is watered generously to soften it, then the tree is carefully removed. In this case, extreme caution must be exercised so as not to disturb the earthen lump and not touch root system.
2. If you find damaged roots, cut them with a sharp knife or blade.
3. For transplantation, take a container 30-50% larger than the previous one. A pot that is too large, like a pot that is too small, will slow growth. Give preference to a cone-shaped container.
4. Place a shard at the bottom of the pot on the drainage hole so that its convex side is on top. Then a layer of drainage (small stones, pebbles), a thin layer of dry manure and earthen mixture is laid.
5. Closer to the center of the pot, a tree is installed along with a lump of earth. Slowly begin to fill the container between the lump and the walls of the pot with soil. You can lightly press the laid soil, but there is no need to compact it tightly.

Lemon pruning is done in order to form a beautiful crown and improve fruiting.

When the height of the tree is 20-25 cm from the ground, pinch the stem, allowing side branches to develop. Please note that the first fruits appear on branches of the 4th-5th order (rows from the bottom) and until they are formed, there is no need to wait for fruits.

Vertically grown branches should be pruned without pity.

To form the correct shape, the flower pot must be carefully rotated relative to the sun every 10 days. Gardeners sometimes improve the crown using copper wire - they secure individual branches with it, giving them the desired direction of growth.

The formation of the crown is also carried out at the moments of picking fruits. A ripe lemon is cut off not only with the stalk, but also with a section of the branch itself with 1-2 internodes. This way the growth of the branch is stimulated.

Lemon is very whimsical environment and reacts instantly to the slightest fluctuations in temperature or humidity. Measures should be taken to save the plant.

Dried citrus needs watering. By appearance foliage - it becomes yellowish-brownish and sparse - it is easy to guess the cause of the disease. But don’t rush to irrigate the soil abundantly; you can damage the root system. It’s better to pour a little settled water under the root and spray around the crown. You can wrap the trunk with gauze, folded in several layers and soaked in water. Let the tree stand in this “dress” for several hours, but do not leave it overnight.

Excess watering will quickly make itself felt with sudden leaf fall. Healthy-looking leaves suddenly fly off en masse. As soon as a symptom is identified, perform a transplant immediately. Carefully remove the tree from the pot and place it together with the soil ball on newspaper or cardboard to allow the roots to dry. You need to plant it in soil that is slightly moistened and continue to water it moderately.

In the photo there is a homemade lemon with fallen leaves

It is very difficult to save a frozen lemon. In conditions of sudden cold weather, the vital activity of the plant may cease. In addition to the fall of leaves, the trunk darkens when it freezes. You can try to carry out "resuscitation". To do this, move the lemon to a higher warm room, extend daylight hours with the help of artificial lighting. It makes sense to transplant into another pot. When removing, be sure to inspect the rhizome and remove dead and rotten parts. Remove dried branches.

Overheating is no less dangerous for citrus. Appeared brown spots on the leaves clearly indicate overheating. Therefore, on hot days summer days Move the container with the plant deep into the room. Make sure that air from the air conditioner does not hit the crown. No additional watering or cooling is required.

Important! You can’t change your place and habitat often; it takes a long time and doesn’t adapt well to new circumstances. Therefore, it slows down growth and fruiting, and may even show signs of disease. Both drafts and unventilated rooms are equally destructive for it.

Photo of lemon tree

Pests and diseases of lemon

The appearance of white flies may indicate stagnation. Their larvae feed on roots and cause significant damage to the plant. Insecticides are used to combat them various types- watering solutions and aerosol forms to kill insects that have managed to hatch. Karbofos and Aktelik are quite effective in combating these insects.

It is necessary to regularly inspect lemon leaves on which ticks and scale insects can settle. Externally, mites resemble tiny spiders. They are distinguished by their orange or brown color, which stands out noticeably against the green background of the back of the leaves. They cover the damaged areas with a thin cobweb, which makes it easy to recognize pests. Wash the twigs and leaves on both sides several times at intervals of three to four days under a shower head with strong water pressure. Repeated spraying with infusions is effective

• garlic (infuse 1 medium-sized head in 0.5 liters of water),
• onion (1 onion, finely grated, poured with a liter of water),
• bay leaf (2-3 leaves per 0.5 liter jar of water)
• strong brew of green tea (for 2 cups of boiled water, 2 tablespoons of dry tea leaves).

Attention! It is not recommended to water the soil with these products.

Scale insects look like small brown turtles, motionless and tightly attached to the leaves. It's difficult to fight them. Three times at weekly intervals, thoroughly wipe the plant, including leaves on both sides, twigs and trunk, with a mixture of soap and kerosene, taken in a ratio of 1/0.5. Cover the ground with cardboard or polyethylene, wrap the trunk at the very bottom with a narrow bandage to prevent liquid from penetrating into the root system.

Lemons often get sick from improper care. Browning leaves on the outside healthy plant, and even during the flowering period - one of the ailments. In this case, reconsider the conditions of keeping the flower; perhaps it makes sense to replant it. But in this case, choose a different soil than the current one. Perhaps it was the acidity of the soil that caused the disease.

Video about indoor lemon pests

Like the human body, disease prevention is important for citrus fruits. To prevent diseases, follow the regime, replant, and trim damaged areas. Sometimes a sudden illness can be caused by depletion of the plant itself. In this case, limit flowering to a few buds, and, no matter how sorry it is, remove the rest. Each house has its own separate microclimate, which is not always suitable for lemon. The task of the plant owner is to adapt it to existing conditions gradually.

Sometimes the process of caring for a lemon at home is comparable in terms of troubles to caring for small children - it is difficult at the beginning, but all the work is rewarded when the tree begins to actively grow.