Indoor tangerine is a bright personification of a good mood in the house! Mandarin at home - care and pest control When to replant indoor mandarin.

Exotic plants can become a real home decoration. Of course, growing them on your own from seeds is not at all easy, but you can purchase an already grown seedling of such a tree or flower and simply organize proper balanced care for it. Thus, home-grown citrus fruits are extremely popular among lovers: tangerines and oranges, as well as laurels, etc. And growing them in an ordinary apartment is not so difficult. Today we will talk about how to care for a homemade tangerine in a pot.

So, indoor tangerine is a representative of the Rutaceae family, evergreen, which grows successfully in greenhouses and various winter gardens. Although this tree can reach quite large sizes, it can be grown on a windowsill. In addition, you can now find dwarf and low-growing tangerines on sale, the height of which does not exceed sixty centimeters - one meter.

How to care for tangerine at home?

Optimal lighting

In order for this exotic tree to feel good, readers of Popular About Health need to organize it correct lighting– quite good, but with a minimum amount of direct sunlight. If the plant feels a lack of light, it may practically not bloom, and if there is a strong lack of lighting, its leaves will become pale, the shoots will begin to stretch and weaken. So it is best to place a pot with a plant on the windowsill of an eastern or south-eastern window; when growing on the south side, it is advisable to provide shading for the indoor pet from direct rays of the sun. In the hot season, it is quite possible to take the tree outside, but you should gradually accustom it to open space.

In cold weather, it is extremely important to place the pot of tangerine in the most illuminated place, and it is better to even provide it with additional lighting.

Optimal temperature indicators

It is best to grow indoor tangerine in the summer at temperatures from twenty to twenty-five degrees. At the budding stage, as well as during the flowering period, it is advisable to slightly reduce the temperature - to twenty degrees or even slightly lower. At higher temperatures, the tree may drop flowers or buds. In cold weather, in order to organize a period of short rest for your pet, it is worth lowering the temperature to five to ten degrees. If the tree has the opportunity to rest during the winter, it will bloom and bear fruit much better.

How to properly water a homemade tangerine?

Indoor tangerines at home are quite resistant to a lack of life-giving moisture. They successfully tolerate a lack of watering, and in severe drought they can only shed their leaves. Quite often, such plants suffer from excess moisture, which can lead to the development of fungal diseases.

So you should water the tree only after the soil in the pot has dried out somewhat. It is advisable to carry out this manipulation in the first half of the day. When temperatures drop (in winter), watering is reduced, performing it only to maintain life.

Humidity

Despite their drought resistance, indoor tangerines really do not like dry air. Therefore, they should be sprayed systematically. In case of lack of humidity environment plants may suffer from spider mites. But during the flowering period, it is extremely important to ensure that droplets of water do not fall on the tangerine flowers.

Top dressing

In order to exotic trees looked attractive and remained healthy, it is necessary to feed them. After all, the soil in the pot is depleted quite quickly. For fertilizing it is worth using soluble fertilizers; they can be used for both watering and spraying, but in the second case the concentration should be very weak. As fertilizers, you can use any complex mixtures that contain basic particles, needed by plants, they are represented by phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.

Tangerines are fed starting from March and ending in September, once every two weeks. In autumn, it is worth carrying out such manipulations less often - once a month.
Experienced flower growers It is also recommended to feed indoor tangerines organic fertilizers. In this case, it is necessary to dilute well-infused cow manure, maintaining a ratio of 1:10.

Transfer

Young trees need to be replanted annually, and adults - at intervals of two years. For replanting, it is best to purchase special soil intended for citrus fruits. It is advisable to move the plant into a pot whose diameter is no more than five centimeters larger than before. The organization of a sufficiently good drainage layer in the new container also plays an extremely important role.

Best time for replanting tangerines - early spring, when the active growing season is just beginning. A couple of days before this procedure, you should stop using fertilizers. Fertilizing is not carried out within two weeks after transplantation. At the end of this procedure, you need to water the tree, and after half an hour, add soil (if necessary) and water again.

Additional Information

In order to get a lush tree in a pot in a home flower garden, the indoor mandarin needs to pinch out the branches. It is also worth periodically removing dried leaves, elongated branches and excess flowers. For every fifteen leaves you should leave no more than one ovary. And when bearing fruit, the branches must be tied to a support so that they do not break.

- one of the most favorite treats on New Year's Eve. The aroma of citrus lifts your spirits, gives the body many beneficial microelements and delights with a pleasant, sweet taste. It is possible to grow a “homemade” tangerine. Moreover, it's simple. The plant will decorate the interior of the room and refresh the air with delicate floral and citrus notes.

Citrus tree small sizes specially bred for cultivation in greenhouses, winter gardens and rooms. Beautiful ornamental plant can not only brighten up the decor of the room, but also bear fruit. The process of growing a tangerine is very interesting, and what pride appears after the first taste of a sweet fruit grown independently! Growing conditions, planting and caring for citrus - all this can be found in useful material for the grower.

Mandarin orange originally grew wild in China. In nature, it reaches a height of 4 to 5 m and grows as a lush tree. Citrus leaves are bright green, juicy and glossy. Interestingly, the plant changes its crown only once every four years. The plant blooms with white inflorescences in May. Tangerine begins to bear fruit at 4-5 years of age. The fruits are round in shape, slightly flattened in the center, bright orange or yellow color, ripen in October. The peel is easily removed, thin or compacted, depending on the variety and type.

The tangerine tree belongs to the mulberry family and has many species and varieties.

The house plant belongs to the group called "satsumas". They are usually grown indoors. This is a frost-resistant tree, reaching a height of no more than 2 m. It begins to bear fruit at 3-4 years of age, the fruits are sweet or moderately sweet, depending on the variety in this group. Many gardeners grow tangerines from seeds they get from store-bought fruit. But such seeds are not able to produce sweet and tasty fruits in the future. Fruits from the store are tangerines from the “tangerine” or “noble” group, which cannot be grown at home; they need a good climate and a lot of space.

To grow tangerines at home, it is advisable to find seed material from the satsum group and a variety intended for growing indoors. This way you won’t have to bother with grafting tangerine or a noble species planted and grown from a “store-bought” seed. Having understood the intricacies of citrus, you can decide which tangerine to grow at home.

Whatever type of tangerine the gardener chooses to grow, it is necessary to comply with the conditions under which the plant will feel comfortable. For successful development, you need to choose a good place and provide the tangerine with lighting, humidity and select.

Lighting and air temperature:

• Citrus fruits love bright areas with a lot of diffused sunlight. Twelve hours of daylight - necessary conditions for tangerine.
• At home, choose windows facing south. You can also place the seeds on the windowsill, but protect the already grown sprouts from sunburn– place the flowerpot a little further from the window.
• IN winter time Keep your distance from radiators. Do not expose the tangerine to dry air or currents coming from batteries. It is more advisable to choose a place near the wall of the room, not far from the window, but at a sufficient distance from the radiators. Lighting plays an important role in growing a plant; it should not be ignored.
• The air temperature in the room should not fall below 15° in winter and below 18° in summer. Varieties of the "satsuma", "tangerine" and "noble" group can withstand temperature changes down to -7°.

Citrus loves nutritious soils rich in microelements. Moreover, for seeds you need one mixture, and when transplanting adult plants - another.

Main condition - good drainage and soil nutrition.

For seeds and their germination, a substrate is prepared from turf soil, sand, humus and leaf soil. Ratio 2:1:1:1. Peat cannot be added to the soil; it acidifies the soil. For a tree aged one year or more, a substrate is prepared from turf, humus, sand, clay and leaf soil. Ratio 3:1:1:1:1. If there is no clay available, no problem. This is not a mandatory component of the substrate. Having properly prepared the soil, you can safely plant seeds or replant an already mature tree.

It is very important to provide the plant with sufficient air humidity. This condition is quite difficult to implement at home, especially if the heating system is equipped with conventional radiators. Experienced plant growers place containers of water next to pots of tangerines, and in winter they place wet towels on the radiators. Required condition is a regular sprinkling procedure - this will maintain high humidity air and will not allow the citrus to dry out. As often as possible, you just need to spray water into the air in the room where the tangerine is located.

Mandarin from the seed: planting rules

Tangerine seeds are the most common plant method. You can always get it from purchased fruit or purchase it at a garden store. Seedlings are bought less often. The process of growing an exotic fruit from a seed is very interesting. It's always nice to know that the resulting fruit was grown "from scratch" - from a seed.

Planting the seed:

1. The available seed material must first be prepared. To do this, the bones are placed in damp gauze for several days. should swell and hatch a little. This way they will sprout faster, in 3-4 weeks, and not in the prescribed 5-6. Mandarin takes a long time to grow. Therefore, be patient from the very beginning.
2. Place a drainage layer in a flowerpot or any other container. It can be expanded clay, broken brick or pebbles.
3. Then the pot is filled with substrate for young plants (see above).
4. Plant the seed shallowly - to a depth of 1-2 cm.
5. Cover the container with film to create a greenhouse climate.
6. The container with seeds can be placed on the windowsill.

The air temperature must be at least 15°. The soil must be periodically moistened, but not flooded. Remove condensation from the film so that the young sprouts are not affected by the fungus. Initially, the seeds soaked in gauze will sprout in 3-4 weeks.

Caring for the plant is simple and requires minimal effort, mainly associated with watering and fertilizing. Mandarin will not cause any trouble if all growing conditions were initially met and provided.

• IN summer time Citrus should be watered and sprinkled frequently. The earthen clod must not be allowed to dry out.
• Make sure the soil is evenly moistened but not waterlogged.
• Use only settled, warm water. You can’t take it straight from the tap. All sediments that are invariably present in the water will settle in the soil. This adversely affects the health of the plant and the nutritional value of the soil.
• Sprinkling procedures are also carried out with warm, settled water. In the hot season, the plant is sprayed 1-2 times a day so that direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves.
• In winter, watering and sprinkling are reduced by 2-3 times.
• Feeding:
• In spring, it is necessary to add and to the soil. The first feeding is carried out after 5-6 full-fledged leaves have formed on the sprout. It is better to give preference to mineral complexes for citrus fruits. Well-rotted humus is added from organic matter.
• In autumn, fertilizing is reduced.
• In winter it is better to avoid them.

It is important to apply fertilizer before - May-June and before the fruits ripen - September. Always observe moderation and adhere to the gardener’s golden rule: in the spring, apply fertilizers with nitrogen compounds, and closer to autumn with phosphorus-potassium compounds.

Every year, in the spring, the young tree needs to be transplanted into a larger pot.

After 8 years of life, the tangerine is replanted once every 2-3 years. The method is transshipment of an earthen clod. Fresh substrate is distributed in a circle into a free space along the diameter of the pot. Young plants should be moved from one flowerpot to another with extreme caution, since the tangerine root system is very fragile. Many gardeners do young tree so that the fruits are sweet and tasty. However, if the variety and group are selected correctly, this procedure is not necessary. Basically, it is provided if the seeds were taken from a purchased fruit of an unknown variety and group.

At home, tangerines are more often affected by spider mites, scale insects or mealy worms. Pests are removed with cotton wool, and the plant is treated either with plant solutions or with insecticides of chemical origin. Solutions can be prepared from soap shavings, as well. As for chemicals, “Fitoverm” or “Aktellika” will help here. Remember that the use of chemicals is justified in case of severe damage to the plant, which rarely happens at home.

Pests are more likely to attack tangerines when the room is hot and low humidity air.

If done incorrectly, the leaves of the tree become stained and fall off. Therefore, it is very important to water the citrus tree in a timely manner, but not to waterlog the soil. Otherwise, the mandarin no longer has enemies or diseases.

Growing an indoor tangerine at home is easy if you follow the rules and the tree has enough light and moisture. At the 3-4th year of life of the exotic, the first tasty fruits will appear - the pride of the grower. Good luck growing your tangerine!

More information can be found in the video:

Many people have tried at least once in their lives to stick a tangerine or other fruit seed into the ground, in the hope that flower pot soon a fruit-bearing tree will grow. The task is difficult and overwhelming, mainly due to a lack of knowledge on cultivation, and then there is no need to talk about proper care.

But it turns out that if you approach the matter correctly, without relying on “maybe”, then, for example, anyone can grow a tangerine tree in an apartment, even those who are not a skilled gardener. The main thing is patience, the ability to care and the desire to achieve what you want!

As is the case with other citrus crops, there are two possible ways to grow a tangerine tree - purchasing a seedling from a specialized store, or growing a tree yourself from a seed. The second way is more interesting and exciting (if you have the habit of caring for plantings), and if everything works out, then in a couple of years you will be filled with pride that your homemade tangerine not only smells fragrant, but also bears fruit!

It’s worth starting the process of growing at home by extracting seed material.

The procedure is expected to be as follows:

• Extraction and preparation of seed material
• Preparing the container
• Preparing the land for planting
• Waiting for shoots
• Preventive measures against diseases and pests

So, let's start moving through the list from the very beginning. It is worth starting the process of growing at home by obtaining seed material - several tangerine seeds, preferably 5-6, since not all of them can sprout. To do this, purchase ripe tangerines from your nearest store, which are stored in appropriate conditions (not in the refrigerator, not in direct sunlight), from which you remove the seeds necessary for this stage. Rinse the “extracted” seed thoroughly and place it on a flat, open surface to dry. After the seeds have dried, you need to start preparing them for planting.

For this purpose, seed material for better germination it is necessary to soak: it is better to take a clean, damp cotton cloth, wrap tangerine seeds in it and leave them for a couple of days. There is no need to fill the fabric with seeds with water, but you need to make sure that the fabric is constantly wet - completely drying it out is unacceptable, as this will ruin the whole thing. For those who don’t want to deal with fabric and constantly monitor its moisture status experienced gardeners I advise you to purchase a hydrogel (possibly called aqua-soil, eco-soil), which will allow you to produce required process no hassle. The hydrogel will replace damp cloth/gauze: by mixing the powder in the required proportion with water and placing the seeds inside the resulting jelly, you will not need to worry for several days that the seed will dry out at home.

Video about how to grow a tangerine from a seed

While the seeds are swelling and hatching, they do not need any more care than described above, and therefore it is time to start preparing the container and soil. Let's start with containers: at the first stage, you can take a container of any volume, up to plastic cup. In the future, the grown seedling will need to be grown in a pot with a volume of about 4 liters. Before filling with soil, drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot (or any other container you have prepared). Let it be small pebbles, crushed walnut shells.

Now let's decide on the land. Like the “wild” one, homemade tangerine does not like acidic soils, so if you purchase the substrate at a specialized point of sale, you need to make sure that the soil is peat-free. If you prepare the soil for planting yourself, then some light mixture that allows air to pass through well, for example, a mixture of turf, leaf soil and sand, is best.

After everything is prepared, and the seeds have hatched and sprouts have already appeared, you can proceed directly to planting. Selected grains must be placed in grooves 3-4 cm deep and sprinkled with earth. Water the soil well, but try not to overwater. After this, we remove the pots with plantings in a dark, warm place. As a rule, tangerines even in natural conditions take quite a long time to sprout, so do not be alarmed or despair because there are no sprouts for a long time; as a rule, they appear 3-4 weeks after planting. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that the soil in the container is moist, but not waterlogged.

Water the soil well, but try not to overwater

After the sprouts have appeared, it is necessary to move the pot to a bright, but again warm place. Mandarin is a heat-loving plant, and for its good growth and development, the ambient temperature must be at least 200C.

First of all, as noted above, tangerine grows only in suitable temperature conditions. If the pot with sprouts is placed in a cool place (below 20 -22 0C), the plant will stop growing and may soon die completely.

After each watering, it is strictly necessary to care for the tangerine: loosen the soil

Secondly, you must remember that the citrus tree is moisture-loving. In the summer, care includes mandatory watering, which should be done several times a day (depending on temperature and humidity conditions). In winter, watering is done less frequently - about 3 times a week, as the soil in the pot dries out. In addition, the leaves of the tree must be sprayed generously every day, and a container of water must be placed next to the pot. All these measures are necessary to ensure sufficient humidity, which is vital for the tangerine tree, since under natural conditions it, as a rule, does not lack moisture. The water must be filtered and settled, at room temperature. However, you can’t overwater the plant either. After each watering, it is strictly necessary to care for the tangerine: loosen the soil and, if necessary, apply fertilizer.

Thirdly, some gardeners who have had a citrus tree growing in artificial conditions for several years advise replanting the plant annually in the spring. Moreover, this must be done extremely carefully, trying not to touch the soil around the roots. After the tree reaches eight years of age, replanting can be done once or twice a year. Like home care will not just allow the tree to grow better, but from a certain point will also influence the qualitative and quantitative indicators of tangerine yield.

Fourthly, feeding the tree with mineral and organic fertilizers is mandatory when growing citrus fruits at home. Balanced fertilizers are best purchased at a specialty store. The most frequent feeding should be done when the plant has its first leaves. Frequency of feeding in summer period- once every 14 days, with the onset of autumn once a month.

Video about tangerine tree

Pest and disease control.

Citrus trees grown at home can be seriously damaged by flies, aphids, and red mites. Therefore, mandatory care should include a weekly visual inspection of all parts of the plant, from the trunk and root part to the leaves and shoots.

As soon as you notice pests, you must immediately take a number of measures aimed at saving the tree. If you notice pests in time, then you won’t need strong “chemistry”. It will be enough to prepare a solution from onion peels or garlic, and use it to thoroughly rinse the entire plant - leaves and trunk. Don’t be lazy, wash everything carefully and thoroughly, since spraying will not give the desired results. Instead of homemade infusions prepared yourself, you can buy a biological product “green soap” in a specialized store, which will help cope with pests.

The evergreen tangerine tree has become a frequent guest of home greenhouses and winter gardens. Even in ordinary apartments You can find miniature citrus plants, because they not only delight the gardener’s eye with their greenery, but also give several dozen fragrant fruits every year. True, it is not easy to achieve a thick crown and abundant fruiting; there are special rules for watering, fertilizing and pruning that are necessary for a tangerine tree when caring for it at home. Certain difficulties in growing indoor citrus fruits can cause some trouble for the grower.

Growing a seedling from a seed

There is nothing easier than buying a ready-made grafted seedling in a fruit nursery or in an online store garden crops. Most often, trees are sold with a closed root system: directly in pots or in a clod of earth, packed in a bag. In the second case, transplantation into a container will be required.

But for gardeners, growing a citrus tree from the seed of a ripe fruit is much more economical. In addition, many people get mental satisfaction from growing plants from scratch, although it takes much longer.

For germination, you need to select several seeds from ripe, juicy, sweet fruits to increase the chances of success. Tangerine seeds have good germination. As is the case with the seeds of many crops, it is advisable not to immediately place the seeds in the ground, but to soak them first. To do this, they are placed between 2-3 layers of clean gauze and placed on a saucer. The gauze needs to be moistened as it dries for several days until the bones swell. As soon as the first shoots hatch, it’s time to plant the plants in the ground. If it is not possible to wait several days, then the bones are soaked for 2–3 hours in water with the addition of a few drops of Epin (a growth stimulant).

A bag of soil for citrus trees can be purchased in specialty stores. If there is no such thing nearby, then prepare the soil yourself by mixing leaf soil, rotted manure and turf soil. You can add to this mixture river sand. It is not recommended to add clay or peat to the substrate. Drainage (expanded clay, coarse gravel) and a soil mixture are poured into the bottom of a clean pot, container or other container. The seeds are planted to a depth of 5–6 cm. It is important to choose a place for the pot that is well lit, but without direct sunlight, so that the young sprout does not get burned. At favorable conditions The sprout will appear from the ground in 2.5–3 weeks. From this moment you can start feeding the future tree with organic or mineral fertilizers, because useful material They are washed out of the ground quite quickly when watering.

Caring for indoor tangerine

Lighting

As permanent place It is recommended to choose a brightly lit room for the pot, because without enough light decorative tangerine will not grow big, will be painful. It would seem that the easiest way is to place the container on the windowsill of the south side of the house, but this can lead to leaf burns. A more acceptable option would be to choose the southeast or east side. If the south side is the only possible variant to install a pot of tangerine, the plant will need shading on spring and summer days. But in winter, on the contrary, the southern window sill is a good place for a seedling. When shortening daylight hours In winter, it is necessary to turn on additional lighting - special phytolamps.

Temperature and humidity

The best temperature regime for tangerine seedlings is +15+18 °C in the warm season, and about +12 °C in winter. In hotter weather, the tree begins to bear fruit worse - it blooms poorly, and weakly forms buds and ovaries. Air humidity is very important for tangerines: on hot, dry days in summer, as well as on winter days, when central heating dries out the air, it is necessary to spray the tree frequently, sometimes up to three times a day. You can place a bowl of water or another air humidifier on the windowsill (imitation of a waterfall, fountain, stream). Too dry air often provokes the appearance of pests such as mites, scale insects and others. During flowering, the tree should be sprayed carefully. To avoid moisture getting on the buds and flowers, it is better to replace spraying with regular wiping of the leaves.

Hardening. In order for the plant to become stronger, it should be hardened, that is, helped to adapt to changes in temperature and lighting. For this purpose in spring time during the day you need to take the seedling out to the balcony for a short time or closed veranda(or at least open the window).

Watering

Indoor tangerine needs frequent watering. On particularly hot days you will have to water it 2-3 times a day. In winter, while maintaining enough high temperature and good air humidity, watering twice a week will be sufficient. It is recommended to first pour water for irrigation into bottles or other containers so that it can settle and warm up to room temperature.

A tangerine tree will not die due to a short-term lack of moisture, since it will shed all or part of the leaves to reduce water loss. Fresh greenery will not grow on “bald” branches; it will appear only on new branches, so everyone tries to avoid unexpected leaf fall. But frequent overwatering of the tree with water is no less dangerous - fungal diseases can develop.

Transplantation and fertilizing

Growing and caring for a young tangerine seedling involves annual transplantation into a container bigger size. Root system The tree grows very quickly, entwining a lump of earth over its entire surface. Replanting involves changing the drainage layer and adding soil mass. If, having pulled out a tree with a lump of earth, it becomes clear that there was quite enough space for roots to grow in the pot, then you can replace the drainage layer, insert the tree back with the same lump of earth and add only surface layer soil. Annual transplantation is carried out before March, before the start of the growing season. Root collar should not go deep when transplanting; it needs to be ensured at the same level relative to the soil surface.

The entire growing season, from April to September, the seedling needs feeding. Every week it needs to be fertilized with mineral or organic fertilizers, you can alternate them. This is especially necessary for mature trees that grow in cramped pots, without replanting or renewing the soil.

So, one week you can pour a solution of liquid mullein, and a week later - ready-made complex fertilizer“for citrus trees”, purchased in a store. IN ready-made composition nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus must be included. Before fertilizing, which is recommended to be done in the first half of the day, the soil should be watered. The temperature of the nutrient solution must be at least +20 °C. The recommended recipe for preparing the fertilizer should be strictly followed.

The rule here is: it’s better not to top up than to overfill. Excess fertilizer, its excessive concentration, leads to burns of leaves or stems and even death of the tree.

Caring for an adult plant

Let's figure out how to care for an adult tangerine tree at home. Many of the above rules for caring for tangerine seedlings also apply to a grown plant. But as the tree grows, the need for periodic pruning of branches and pinching the tops of shoots is added.

Like all other trees, it is advisable to remove dried leaves, twigs, and downward shoots from tangerines. But these measures will not help to form a compact tree with a thick and lush green crown. Homemade tangerine they try to grow it as a dwarf plant, so the crown is formed like a bonsai tree. To do this, the growing tips of the shoots are pinched (removed) at the desired length. For example, you can pinch the top of each sprout after 5 leaves appear. The so-called tops - shoots growing from the root - greatly harm the growth of the tree and the formation of a beautiful crown. They need to be removed.

Advice. In the first years of fruiting, in order to avoid unnecessary stress on the plant, florists recommend pinching the flowers of the tangerine tree. By leaving only a few flowers on the trunk, you can achieve large, fragrant fruits without depleting the plant.

An adult tangerine tree in a pot also needs to be replanted. Unlike young seedlings, it is enough to replant a fruit-bearing tree after 2-3 years. During the procedure, the drainage and the surface layer of soil must be replaced and topped up required amount soil. It is advisable to disturb the earthen lump as little as possible.

When setting fruit, the tree trunk and fruit-bearing branches must be tied to a support to avoid them breaking off.

Reproduction of home tangerine

Most economical way get a tangerine tree seedling - grow it from a seed. But if there is already a tree, and the grower wants to get offspring from it, then he chooses one of the following methods:

• Layerings. From an adult plant, select a branch with a thickness of at least 4 mm and a length sufficient to bend the branch and pin it to the ground (preferably in a separate, nearby standing pot). The branch is not separated from the bush, but is buried in the ground, with the top of the branch protruding to the surface of the soil. The digging area must be kept moist by adding a root-forming agent to the water several times. The branch is separated from mother plant, only when the cuttings form new good roots.
• Air layering. The cuttings take root “in weight”. An adult shoot is cut in a circle, cutting off the bark 1 cm wide. The wound is treated with “Heteroauxin” or “Kornevin”, wrapped with sphagnum moss and transparent polyethylene (loosely, in the form of a cone). This “pupa” must be kept constantly moist until roots begin to form (this may take several months). When the roots become clearly visible through the polyethylene, the rooted branch is cut off and planted in a separate pot. It is advisable to first create young seedling greenhouse conditions, covering the pot with a transparent lid or bag.

Pest Control

Even when providing tangerines with proper care at home, flower growers sometimes encounter problems such as pests. The most common are the following:

• Whiteflies;
• Scale insects;
• Red spider mites.

All of them are capable of causing irreparable harm to the plant, therefore, when pests are detected or at the slightest suspicion of their appearance, you need to wipe the leaves or spray the entire tree with special preparations, for example, Actellik or Fitoverm. It is important to use insecticidal and acaricidal preparations in strict accordance with the instructions for use!

general information

Of all the types of citrus plants grown indoors, only the indoor tangerine is second to the lemon tree in terms of prevalence and popularity. According to botanists, its homeland is China or Japan. The name “mandarin” was given to this plant by the Chinese, since for many centuries it was grown only in the gardens of wealthy dignitaries of feudal China - mandarins. Tangerine trees exported from China appeared in Europe only in the 19th century. The Italian Michel Tecor brought tangerine trees to Italy in 1840, and this citrus plant quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean. Probably, such popularity was caused by the fact that tangerine trees are early-fruiting and very productive, and the fruits are sweet and without seeds. Mandarin came to Ukraine from Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, during the mass country house construction in the subtropical zone of the Black Sea coast. Here it has become the most common citrus plant. Regardless of the variety, summer gardeners gave tangerine trees a common name - forged. Mandarin trees are relatively low-growing; on plantations they reach a height of 2-3 meters. The branches of the tangerine tree are mostly drooping. The leaves are dense, dark green, with small wings on the petioles. White fragrant flowers are collected in brushes. Mandarin fruits are spherical, flattened, 4-6 cm in diameter and weighing from 30 to 100 g. The fruit peel is thin, orange, and easily separated from the pulp. In the so-called “plump” tangerines, it almost does not touch the pulp, because it is separated from it air gap. The pulp is sweet, juicy, yellow-orange, easily divided into slices. The fruit of the tangerine tree contains a lot of sugar, organic acids, vitamins C and B1. Seeds are rarely formed in tangerine fruits. In an apartment, tangerine grows and develops with a limited amount of light and fresh air, therefore it is of paramount importance right choice tangerine variety, most suitable for indoor conditions. Early ripening tangerine trees of Japanese origin, characterized by low growth and unpretentiousness, meet these requirements. The most common is the indoor tangerine variety Unshiu (which means “Seedless”). This is a low (no higher than 1.5 m) tangerine tree with a spreading crown; without thorns on the branches; with wide, leathery, dark green leaves. The tangerine tree usually blooms once a year in the spring, very profusely. Tangerine flowers are small, white, exuding a pleasant aroma. The tangerine tree begins to bear fruit at the age of 3. At home, a well-groomed adult tangerine tree produces an average of 40-50 fruits per year.

Dwarf tangerines of the Vasya group.

These varieties of tangerine trees are low-growing and decorative. These include indoor varieties of tangerines: Kovano-Vase, Mikha-Vase, Miyagawa-Vase. The height of mature tangerine trees does not exceed 50-80 cm, so they are very convenient to keep on the windowsill. Indoor mandarin does not need to form a crown; only sometimes it is necessary to remove dried and improperly growing branches. Dwarf tangerines begin to bear fruit in the second year of life. The fruits of the tangerine tree are not inferior in size and taste to the fruits of the Unshiu variety.

Landing (transfer)

For this purpose, take a pot from any material, the main thing is that the upper diameter should not exceed 10-15 cm, the height is approximately the same. There should be one or several small holes at the bottom of the pot for drainage excess water when watering. At the bottom of the pot, and this can be a plastic bucket, wooden, ceramic, glass container, place expanded clay or sand as drainage, and best of all charcoal, which can be taken from an extinct fire in the forest, in a city park. The thickness of the drainage should not exceed 3-5 cm. Then sprinkle the drainage with a little soil. To transplant a tangerine tree seedling, you need specially prepared soil of the “Mandarin” type; it is presented on our website in the section “Soils and fertilizers for indoor plants" - "Soils for indoor plants." Or prepare the soil yourself: the soil for replanting must be taken from the forest or park, under old deciduous trees, except oak, chestnut and poplar. It is necessary to take only the top, most fertile layer soil, 5-10 cm thick. Add sand to this soil, preferably river sand, a little ash, and more humus, if available. The proportion is as follows: two glasses of deciduous soil, a glass of sand, three tablespoons of humus and one tablespoon of ash. Stir all this in any bowl, add a little water to get a thick, creamy mass that will well fill the entire volume of the pot, leaving no air voids near the roots of the tangerine tree. After six months, the tangerine tree must be transplanted into a larger pot 5 cm in diameter. Spray and water the planted indoor tangerine with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate), and then place it on a previously prepared window sill, bay window or balcony so that the surface of the leaves is directed towards the light.

Reproduction

Indoor tangerines are propagated by grafting onto lemon and orange seedlings grown from seeds indoor varieties and by air layering method. Indoor mandarin is practically not amenable to cuttings under amateur conditions.

Lighting

The tangerine tree should be kept in a southern sunny window. In summer, it is recommended to take indoor tangerine outdoors - to the garden, veranda, balcony, placing it in a place protected from the wind. If an indoor tangerine stands on a south-facing window, then in the summer it is advisable to darken it a little from direct sunlight so that burns do not occur on the leaves of the tangerine and chlorosis does not appear from overheating of the entire crown and roots. For this, at the very window frame, according to the height of the tangerine tree, they make a gauze curtain and in the morning, before leaving the house, cover the glass with it if the day promises to be sunny.

Air temperature

If a pot of indoor tangerine will stand on a windowsill, then the window must be well insulated for the winter, and the pot itself must be insulated in winter and summer. Favorable temperature for budding and flowering of tangerine is +16 +18°C, air humidity is at least 60%, but do not be afraid of high temperatures, the tangerine tree can withstand and bear fruit up to +40°C.

Watering

Indoor tangerine should be watered as the top layer of soil dries, without allowing the lump of earth in the pot to completely dry out. To determine soil moisture, take the time to take a little of the surface layer of soil with three fingers every day and squeeze it. If the soil sticks together, then there is no need to water; if it crumbles under your fingers, then it’s time to water. You need to monitor the condition of the soil daily (especially in summer) so that the entire earthen lump in the pot does not dry out due to high temperatures and bright sun. The question of where to get water for irrigation and what it should be is also very difficult, and therefore we will dwell on it in detail. In a city apartment drinking water practically unsuitable for watering citrus fruits, since it contains a large number of compounds of alkaline earth metals and chlorine, which together and each individually cause great harm to the tangerine, causing leaf spot (chlorosis), alkalizing the soil, and disrupting metabolic processes. Many authors recommend boiling tap water, but this does not always immediately lead to the desired result; unnecessary hassle often scares off potential fans of window fruit growing, so I recommend using hot water from the tap. This water contains less chlorine and is softer. In addition, water for irrigation must be left for at least 24 hours in an open container to completely remove chlorine, which is extremely harmful to citrus fruits. In a private house, water can be taken from a well, but it is better from a lake or stream and left in the room for heating. Rainwater now contains many harmful impurities, so do not collect it for irrigation. In any case, wherever the water is taken, it must be left for at least a day in an open container at room temperature and only then water the tangerine. In winter, to achieve better growth and fruiting of tangerines, it is advisable to heat the water to a temperature of +30 +35°C before watering. In summer, you can put water on sunny window and don't bother heating it up.

Spraying

It must be well remembered that in addition to watering, indoor tangerines should be sprayed with water from a spray bottle or any other method at least once a day, especially in summer, to create humidity, to wash away dust from the branches, so that the leaves “breathe”. At least once a month, it is advisable to place the tangerine tree in the bathtub and cover it plastic film soil in a pot and treat the entire crown with cotton wool and soap suds. Then you won't have to deal with difficult pest control. Do not forget to tie the stem of the tangerine tree at the bottom with gauze or a bandage so that the soapy water is absorbed into the fabric and does not get into the soil.

Fertilizer

In winter, indoor mandarin is not fed, in spring and summer - once every two weeks. Any fertilizing should be done only the next day after watering, i.e. when the soil in the pot is wet, otherwise you can burn the roots. Pour fertilizer under the plant until the solution begins to flow out of the drainage holes. To feed a tangerine tree seedling, you need fertilizer of the “Tangerine” type; it is presented on our website in the section “Soils and fertilizers for indoor plants” - “Fertilizers for indoor plants.” Feeding mature plants, at least one meter high, with fish soup once a month increases their fruiting. They do it like this: 200 grams of fish waste or small unsalted fish are boiled in two liters of water for half an hour. Then dilute the solution cold water and filter through cheesecloth. This fertilizer must be used together with the Mandarin fertilizer mentioned above.

Pests

The enemies of the indoor tangerine are sucking and gnawing pests, as well as fungi and viruses. The most common pests are: spider mites, scale insects (false scale insects). They are combated with chemicals and biological drugs, which are more acceptable in open soil conditions of subtropics and greenhouses. It is advisable not to use pesticides for an apartment. Signs of defeat spider mite the following: on old tangerine leaves, white dots appear on the underside, and the reddish mite itself is visible to the naked eye. If you touch it, it starts to move quickly. Young leaves curl into a “boat” and become entangled in a white web. To combat mites, use tobacco dust, garlic, and laundry soap. Take 1 tablespoon of tobacco dust and pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 6 days. Add 10 grams of laundry soap to the resulting infusion and spray the plant 3 times with an interval of 6 days. Garlic is used in the following way: one head of garlic is mashed, poured into a glass hot water and insist for 2 days. The solution is filtered and spraying is carried out similarly to the above. When affected by scale insects, brown-gray shiny round formations with a diameter of 3-5 mm are visible on the surface of young and old leaves. They are placed along the veins at the top and bottom of the leaf, as well as on the branches themselves. IN initial stage these growths are almost transparent, whitish in color and difficult to notice. With severe damage, sticky gum appears on the surface of old leaves, and in the late stage they become covered with a black sticky coating, which is very difficult to wash off with water. Water-oil emulsions effectively help against scale insects. One teaspoon machine oil stir in one glass warm water, add 40 grams of laundry soap, 2 tablespoons washing powder. Before processing, cover the soil in the pot with plastic film, and the stem is tied at the bottom with a bandage. This is done in order to prevent the emulsion from getting into the soil. Treatment is carried out using a cotton or gauze swab. A water-oil emulsion is applied to all surfaces of tangerine branches and leaves. After 3-4 hours, rinse everything off in the shower, making sure that the emulsion does not get into the soil. Process 3 times with an interval of 6 days.