Grow a lemon at home from a seed. Growing lemon at home

When growing citrus, you need to put in the work and knowledge, carefully monitor its condition, and then the plant will please you graceful flowers with a subtle aroma, useful fruits and a spectacular look.

The location in the room determines how the tree will develop at home. Therefore, before purchasing a lemon (Citrus limon), you need to think about where to place it. North windows are not suitable, since there is no sun there, and the plant needs sunlight. In the south, it needs to be shaded, especially in summer. West, southwest, east and southeast windows are perfect. And insulated balconies and loggias play the role of mini-greenhouses - ideal for both winter and summer maintenance.

Pay attention! Not all Citrus like bright sunlight. Some varieties (for example, Avlovsky, Lunario) can be placed at a distance of several meters from the window.

Video about growing lemon at home

It must be remembered that lemons react poorly to any movement; they especially cannot tolerate turning pots: they can slow down their growth or shed their leaves. The pot must be returned strictly starting position after any procedures. And only once every 2 years can you turn the plant around, carefully turning it at a small angle every day. This rotation makes it possible to form the crown more harmoniously without causing damage to the lemon.

Variety matters

If you try to grow a tree taken from an industrial greenhouse at home, then most likely the experience will be unsuccessful. These varieties are not suitable for indoor growing, because the conditions of detention are very different. When growing lemon indoors, the varieties must be adapted to the dry microclimate of a city apartment, have a compact size and remain not too demanding sunlight. Only then, with proper care, is there a chance of getting a harvest from homemade citrus.

Photo of homemade lemon

General signs:

• small sizes in the range of 1-1.4 m (in the ground they are much higher);
• the beginning of flowering from the second or third year of life;
• fruit weight from 100 to 250 g;
• the number of fruits in different varieties ranges from 6 to 25 per year.

Popular indoor varieties and some of their features:

1. Pavlovsky. Medium size, adapted to conditions with moderate light and dry air. The yield is small;
2. Genoa. A dwarf tree with a decorative crown, without thorns. The fruits taste excellent and the peel is sweet. Productivity is good;
3. Lunario. Medium-sized, one of the most unpretentious, produces few fruits and their taste is of low quality;
4. Meyer. A dwarf tree in the form of a bush that needs to be illuminated in winter time. The “sweetest” of all varieties, delicious;
5. Villa Franca. It is demanding of light, has many medium-sized leaves and small single flowers;
6. Anniversary. The crown is practically not formed. Does not require air humidification. Has large fruits, high-yielding;
7. Maikopsky. Medium height, has no thorns. Unpretentious, good harvest.

In the photo there is a homemade Maikop lemon

How to grow a lemon at home so that it blooms, bears fruit and looks healthy? Carry out all the procedures necessary for plants with amendments specifically for lemon - select the soil, fertilize, water, humidify the air.

Soil acidity can range from slightly acidic to neutral. The mixture should be nutritious, but loose. For example, turf (2 parts) and leaf soil (2), humus (1), coarse sand or perlite (1). It is permissible to use purchased land.

Citrus limon is very fond of feeding with organic matter - diluted and infused manure. When using complex mineral fertilizers, the content of phosphorus and potassium should be higher than nitrogen. Ideally, these two types of feeding alternate. The feeding scheme looks like this: water - mineral fertilizers– water – organic matter – water. But many people refuse slurry at home because unpleasant odor and quite successfully manage with mineral, organo-mineral fertilizers, and liquid extract of vermicompost.

Water for irrigation must be allowed to settle for several days to remove chlorine and precipitate calcium. If it is very hard, it is better to boil it. The best for irrigation is rain or purchased distilled water, melted snow (ice). The temperature of the liquid should be no lower than room temperature or 1-3 degrees higher than the room temperature, especially in winter. A slight drying of the top layer is a sign for new watering. In summer this is about once every two or three days, in winter - much less often.

Photo of poured lemon

Different varieties are not equally sensitive to humidity. Some (Pavlovsky, Yubileiny) can withstand dry indoor air quite well. But everyone loves wet procedures. You only need to spray soft water(distilled, rain). Otherwise, over time, a white calcium coating will appear on the leaves. To increase humidity, use pallets with wet expanded clay (pebbles, coconut fiber, etc.) or an air humidifier.

Comfortable temperature for development is 18 - 25 ˚С.

Citrus limon needs light for 12 hours. When kept in winter at temperatures above 14 °C, plants need additional lighting. Otherwise, the imbalance will lead to leaf shedding in some varieties (for example, Meyer). With cold winter conditions less than 12 ˚С additional lighting no need.

How to grow a lemon so that it does not lose its leaves and has a decorative and well-groomed appearance all year round? Regular pruning in the spring is simply necessary for most Citrus limon: 3 buds with leaves are left on each new branch, weak branches are removed. A beautiful crown is gradually formed.

Pictured are lemon trees

The first flowers are cut off and the fruits are not allowed to set, so the young plant does not become depleted. At 3-4 years of life, after self-pollination or artificial pollination flowers, fruits are set, which can remain on the tree for as long as 2 years. During this time, the fruits can change color - green, yellow, then green again, which turn yellow again. But they must be removed on time. 1 fruit should be per 15 leaves. The plant will not be depleted, but decorative look be preserved.

Healthy citrus fruits have a large number of leaves. A temperature change of 7-9 °C in one direction or another can lead to a sudden drop of leaves. The reason may be moving from a cold to a warm place or vice versa, sudden change weather if the plant is taken out into the open air.

If the leaves fall gradually, the cause must be sought in improper watering or soil quality, which lead to the death of roots, short daylight hours, presence of pests.

The photo shows a lemon tree

Tree change appearance gives an SOS signal in time. To prevent your citrus from dying, you need to find and eliminate all errors in its cultivation as quickly as possible.

Is it possible to propagate lemons at home?

What to do if all the adult Citrus limon you bring disappear, but you really want to have this plant at home? You can try to solve this problem in 2 ways.

Plant fresh seeds in prepared soil and grow a tree. You have to wait for flowering for more than 10 years, or even 25! There is information about fruiting after 7 years, but this is still too much long term. But don’t be upset, if you are seriously interested in citrus fruits, then a lemon grown from a seed can be used as a rootstock for some cutting of the varietal Citrus limon.

Video about how to grow lemons at home

In spring, the survival rate of cuttings is much higher, but cuttings can also be carried out at other times of the year. The branches are taken with several leaves (buds), treated with a rooting agent and placed in sand or directly in the ground, covered with some transparent covering material, and the temperature is constantly maintained at at least 20˚C. After rooting, they are transplanted into good soil and after a year they begin to form a tree. In the first year, replanting occurs 2-3 times, and then replanting less frequently (every few years).

It is much easier for young plants grown from cuttings and seeds to adapt to life in your home than for adult lemons grown in other conditions. In addition, watching your pet's full development is interesting and rewarding.

Lemon tree - unpretentious houseplant, easily adaptable to home conditions. For its active growth and development, it will be necessary to create suitable conditions, as well as perform simple manipulations for care and protection from pests. This article will help you understand all the intricacies of growing lemons with your own hands, and will also tell you about the rules of planting and methods of propagating the tree.

Lemon tree planting material

To plant a tree at home use:

• fruit seeds;
• cuttings.

Fruit selection

When buying lemons in a store or market, you need to choose only ripe fruits, from which planting material and will be extracted. Citrus fruits should be bright yellow in color with a characteristic odor.

To harvest seeds, choose only ripe fruits.

• sluggish;
• green;
• rotten.

Lemon trees from seeds grow and develop much faster than plants from cuttings. They adapt better to room conditions(air humidity level, temperature and lighting) and are less exposed to various diseases.

Planting cuttings

Cuttings are also actively used for growing at home. They can be purchased at a flower shop, or taken from a familiar florist.

Important! The lemon tree from the scion has the genetic material of its “parents”.

Disadvantages of the method:

• the need to search for cuttings;
• financial costs for the purchase of planting material;

Rostock lemon tree

• sprouts do not adapt well to the new environment;
• the crown of the plant is not so lush (unlike citrus grown from a seed).

Preparing soil for lemon seeds

Before you start planting seeds in the ground, you need to prepare the pots and soil. For active germination of grains, it is ideal as a special soil for citrus plants; it is sold in flower shops, and so does the soil homemade. If the purchased land is already ready for use, then homemade soil you need to devote a little time and attention. It should consist of:

• ½ turf land;
• ½ humus soil;
• a small amount of fertilizer - charcoal and/or peat.

Advice. Flowerpots for planting must be spacious and deep so that the root system has room for its growth and development.

Planting a grain in the ground:

1. Expanded clay, pieces of charcoal or foam plastic are placed at the bottom of the flowerpot (this material will serve as drainage).
2. The pot is filled with prepared or purchased soil.
3. The earth is moistened with rain or purified water.
4. Several grains are planted in a container and immersed to a depth of 0.5-1 cm.
5. The flowerpot is covered with film to create greenhouse conditions.

When planted correctly, sprouts appear quite quickly

After 2-2.5 weeks, the first sprouts will appear on the soil surface, the strongest of them are transplanted into another container for further germination.

• Lemon, as a southern plant, loves heat very much (the ideal temperature for lemon is 17-27 degrees). Flowerpots with shoots must be placed in a bright room, but not in direct sunlight.
• The tree needs moderate watering (2-3 times a week), since an excess of moisture leads to root rot, and a lack of moisture leads to the death of the plant.
• For irrigation, you should use only settled, rain or purified water.
• Florists recommend spraying the tree crown 2-3 times a week (especially in winter period) and wiping its leaves from dust.

Fertilizing the soil and fertilizing lemons

Lemon, like any other plant, needs fertilizers and fertilizing. They significantly accelerate the growth and development of the tree, filling it with all the necessary useful substances. Experts recommend feeding the lemon tree once every three months.

Lemon tree needs fertilizing several times a year

To feed and fertilize indoor citrus plants use:

• sodium nitrate (13 g per 1 liter of rainwater);
• ammonium nitrate (5 g per 1 liter of water);
• bird droppings (it is mixed with water (ratio 1:1), left for 2-3 weeks, diluted with plenty of water (1:20), added to the root);
• other ready-made fertilizers, sold in specialized stores.

Important! The amount of fertilizers should be moderate, as they can accumulate in the plant and its fruits.

Reproduction methods

At home, lemons reproduce:

• seeds;
• bends;
• cuttings.

Lemon tree cuttings

Propagation by seeds is a fairly common method, it is simple and straightforward. Fruits on such plants appear only 10-12 years after planting.

Cuttings

1. This is another way to propagate a lemon tree and is used in spring or summer. Reproduction technology:
2. Using a sharp knife or pruning shears, cut off a branch with 3-4 green leaves (the lower edge of the shoot should have a pointed edge).
3. Immerse it in a specialized liquid (growth activator) for 10-12 hours.
4. The treated shoot is planted in prepared sandy soil.
5. Spray generously with water, cover with film (such water treatments repeat daily).
6. When young shoots appear, the film is removed from the cuttings and cared for in accordance with all the requirements and recommendations of specialists.

Reproduction by grafting

Indoor lemons are actively propagated by grafting into clefts. This method is quite effective, but not everyone can succeed. Technology:

Pests of indoor citrus

• fungus;
• various harmful bacteria;
• viruses.

Important! Diseases can be seen by the appearance of spots and blemishes on the foliage, a decrease in its size, and the appearance of various growths and plaques.

Common citrus tree diseases:

• gommosis;
• scab;

Lemon scab disease

• root rot;
• sooty fungus;
• stickiness of the sheets (a sign of the appearance of scale insects).

Gommosis is one of the most serious diseases. It appears in the lower part of the tree, gradually spreading to its upper part (tubercles with dark brown liquid form on the trunk, “burns” and cracks appear on the affected branches). Gommosis is very difficult to treat. In this situation, only treatment can help copper sulfate and clearing branches.

Manifestation of gommosis

Sooty fungus also quite often disturbs citrus fruits. It appears in the form dark spots on foliage, they have a bad effect on the growth and development of lemon. You can fight it with warm water; it washes off the resulting stains, thereby freeing the leaves from plaque.

Sticky leaves are the result of scale insects. You can fight it with ready-made products that are sold in specialized stores, as well as with the help of folk remedies.

How to grow lemon at home: video

Growing lemon from seed: photo

This deservedly popular citrus can take up residence in your home. How to grow a lemon from a seed at home? This evergreen perennial is a guest from the subtropics and has taken root quite comfortably in our houses and apartments. Home-grown lemon fruits have a thinner rind and more intense aroma than those grown outdoors.

The homeland of lemon is Southeast Asia; more than a thousand years ago, these fruits were brought from India, and over time they found popularity in Africa and America.

This citrus tree produces flowers several times a year. To grow a lemon from a seed, you will need to create a comfortable conditions: high-quality ventilation, lighting, periodic fertilizing with fertilizers, individual approach according to the time of year.

One of the main stages is selection quality seeds- This is the guarantee of the future harvest. Seeds from purchased ripe lemons are quite suitable for planting material. Sow many seeds at once so that you can select the strongest shoots later.

How to plant a lemon from a seed?

Step by step process:

1. Remove the seeds from ripe citrus fruits. Select the largest seeds.
   Most often, the seeds are sown immediately, but some gardeners recommend pre-treating them with a solution of sodium gummate. The solution is diluted with water according to the attached instructions, the seeds are immersed for 24 hours.
2. Drainage (small pebbles, charcoal or expanded clay) is first poured into the bottom of pots or special containers, and soil is poured on top. Soil for indoor lemon A should consist of equal parts of peat and soil for flowers. You can purchase ready-made soil mixture for citrus plants. Lemons feel great in chernozem mixed with leaf humus (1:1), you can also add sand there.
3. The seeds are buried approximately 1 cm, the distance between them should be at least 5 cm, and from the sides of the container - at least 3 cm.
4. To maintain the temperature required at home, the soil must always be moistened, but not oversaturated with water. The ideal temperature for seedlings is +18..23ºC.
5. After about 10-14 days, the first sprouts from the seed appear. Already from the very beginning, stronger specimens are visible; they are selected for further growing.
6. In order for an indoor lemon to begin to grow and show the world its first full-fledged leaves, it is necessary to create an appropriate microclimate for it. To do this, cover the sprouted sprouts glass jars, and then put it in a well-lit place, but direct sunlight should be avoided.
   
7. Ventilation should be daily. The jars are removed from the sprouts for 15-20 minutes.
8. When full-fledged leaves appear (two or three pieces), it’s time to replant the indoor lemon into separate containers. The pot for the sprout should be no more than 10 cm in diameter. Drainage at the bottom of the pot with a nutritious soil mixture is a prerequisite.

Here the young seedling from the seed should grow to about 17-20 cm, after which it is transplanted. The volume of the new pot should be larger than the previous one.

Indoor lemon - home care

This tree loves bright colors, but diffuse light To prevent the scorching rays of the sun from damaging the leaves in summer, it needs to be shaded. Here, as with watering, you need to stick to the golden mean, since with a lack of light, the fruits will be sour and the foliage will be sluggish and sparse.

Optimal temperature regime for flowering, fruit formation (set) – approximately +17..20°C.

Indoor lemon does not like being moved from place to place, but staying on outdoors(for example, on the balcony) it still won’t hurt him. Keep a close eye on the weather forecast as sharp drop temperatures can harm the plant (it will lose its leaves). Wintering should take place in cool home conditions, a temperature of +15..18°C will be sufficient.

How to care for lemon in terms of watering? Like all citrus crops, it loves moisture. In summer it is necessary to provide the perennial abundant watering, twice a week is enough. In winter, one watering per week is enough. Overfilling should be avoided. In this case, the water must be boiled or well settled, have room temperature. This plant does not tolerate chlorine, which is rich in tap water- take this factor into account.

Citrus fruits require frequent irrigation of the crown with moisture. This is especially true in summer, and in winter (with constantly running batteries or heaters) spraying becomes simply necessary. Sometimes you can give the plant warm shower– This is a good prevention against the appearance of ticks and scale insects. To further increase the humidity, the lemon pot can be placed on a tray of wet expanded clay (or charcoal, gravel).

Fertilizer for indoor lemon is a prerequisite for harmonious development and fruiting. Compared to other domestic perennials, this citrus needs to be fed more often than its green counterparts. In summer, fertilizers are introduced weekly (with water for irrigation), in winter - once a month will be enough.

Mineral supplements are more effective. But organic ones contain all the important microelements, have a beneficial effect on the structure of the soil, and activate the vital activity of necessary microorganisms. If you combine minerals with organic matter, then such a union will provide the best nutrition for this citrus at home.

During the activation of shoot growth (in spring), it is appropriate to introduce potassium, nitrogen fertilizing, and when flowers appear - phosphorus. Carefully study the information on the fertilizer packaging - compliance with the dosage is very important, since you will subsequently use these lemons. With the onset of the so-called “rest period” (autumn-winter time), the dose and frequency of fertilizing is reduced to once a month.

Transplanting a lemon into a new pot, pruning, crown formation

Every year, preferably in the spring (the beginning of the growing season), a lemon is transplanted. Replanting must be carried out carefully so that the root system of the perennial is not disturbed. The transshipment method is most preferable for this case. Only young specimens are replanted annually when they reach 3 years of age (certain varieties - 5 years). Transplantation is carried out every 2 or 3 years. It is highly not recommended to carry out this process during flowering or fruiting - the plant may shed inflorescences with fruits.

Do not forget that high-quality drainage at the bottom of the container is a prerequisite for citrus crops. The size of the pot is also important, because if the container is too small, the plant will not have enough soil or nutrients. A pot that is too large is also not suitable - the soil will turn sour and the root system will rot.

Lemon pot - size (diameter):

• small bushes up to 2 years old - approximately 20 cm;
• plants 3-4 years old – 30 cm;
• young trees 5-6 years old – 35 cm;
• citrus over 7 years old - 45 cm.

It is advisable that the pot be made of clay. However, wood, glass, and plastic are also acceptable, the main thing is that the container has drainage holes.

It’s also better to give the crown shape and remove excess branches in the spring (April), before it starts active growth shoots. When the crown is first formed, the trunk of the bush is cut to a length of 25-30 cm.

The strongest buds remain on the sides (these are shoots of the first order), from which skeletal branches will later grow. Usually there are three or four of them, make sure that they are evenly spaced, as the beauty of the future crown depends on this. Each subsequent order of shoots must be pinched 5 cm shorter than the previous one.

In most citrus fruits, the ovary is observed on branches of the 4th and 5th order. These branches grow in the second or third year of life.

On branches of the first order, fruits are not set at all. And on branches of the 2nd and 3rd order - only individual varieties(for example, Meyer).

The number of flowers also needs to be controlled so that they do not become depleted. vitality plants. In order for the tree to develop harmoniously, at about the 3rd year of life, you need to start removing half of the inflorescences (the harvest will be smaller, but the fruits will be larger), and leave 3 or 4 pieces from the ovaries. For the same purposes, after a year you can leave 5 or 6 citrus fruits. And for the future, don’t leave more than 7 or 9.

Growing branches can be carefully, without excessive enthusiasm, trimmed by eye so that the crown has a visually attractive shape. It should be borne in mind that short pruning provokes the growth of new powerful shoots, and long pruning promotes the formation of fruit buds.

The skeleton of a tree is considered formed after the young shoots of branches grow and become woody. A properly formed crown gives all leaves the required amount of light and air.

How to pinch a lemon? If it actively branches and forms shoots, then excess fragments must be removed as soon as they appear. In those shoots that are left to develop, the tops are pinched after the appearance of the 6th leaf.

Diseases of indoor lemon

Often, diseases appear due to non-compliance with the rules of care: underwatering leads to drying out of the tree; if there is oversaturation with moisture, the root system rots and the leaves turn yellow.

If the foliage becomes covered with yellow spots, and then turns pale and dries out, then the lemon most likely lacks iron.

If the tips of the leaves dry out and they themselves seem to rust, this indicates a lack of phosphorus.

A lack of potassium leads to wrinkling of the leaves, and with a deficiency of manganese, the ovaries disappear altogether.

Proper, timely fertilization of the plant is an ideal prevention of the negative manifestations described above.

It’s not enough to know how to grow lemons. You need to know how to protect it in a timely manner. Weakened plants are the first to fall into the risk zone; they are the ones who are most often exposed to disease. Proper care is the basis for keeping lemon at home. If the tree is sick, then the affected leaves, flowers, fruits, and branches must be removed immediately. If a pest is detected, then you need to immediately carry out a defensive “attack”, but after individual species After processing, the lemon will no longer be eaten.

The drug “Fitosporin” shows good results. It suppresses a wide range of citrus pathogens. It is also good because it is odorless and does not contain toxic compounds. It is diluted with water when watering and irrigates plants. This drug is very good for preventing diseases.

When communicating with friends with similar interests, you can often hear complaints: “the indoor lemon has dropped its leaves, what should I do?” The main reasons for this reaction are insufficient lighting, overwatering or underwatering, depleted soil, excessive dry air, heat or extreme cold. For reference, we list the most common diseases of domestic citrus fruits and provide a brief recommendation for eliminating the cause:

1. Scab or wartiness – has fungal origin, appears on young shoots and leaves: pale yellow spots first appear, which subsequently become grayish warts. The growths grow, cover the shoots, which subsequently die. Scab also affects the fruits: bright yellow spots appear on them, which then turn red and darken. All affected parts of the plant must be cut off and destroyed, and the trunk and crown should be treated generously with 1% Bordeaux mixture(a mixture of copper sulfate and lime milk solution).
2. Anthracnose is the most common fungal reason why indoor lemon leaves turn yellow at home. With this disease, the tree loses buds, brown spots appear on the fruits, and branches die. All affected shoots and fruits must be removed, and the plant itself must be treated with the above-described drug “Fitosporin” or Bordeaux mixture.
3. Sooty fungus is a consequence of pest infestation - mealybug or scale insect. Active preventive measures – the right way protect the tree from such consequences.
4. Hommosis - manifested by the appearance dark red spots on the trunk and branches, in the affected areas, the bark cracks, and a sticky liquid (gum) is released from the crack, which subsequently hardens. There are many reasons for this disease: excessive deepening of seedlings, “dirty” soil, mechanical “injuries” to the plant, Not proper care for indoor lemon. Treatment - finding out the root cause of the disease, as well as radical excision of the affected areas using sharp knife. Damage should be treated with a 3% solution of copper sulfate and then covered with garden pitch.

This citrus perennial needs to be inspected regularly to notice the disease at its very beginning. As you know, any disease is easier to cure at the initial stage. You need to inspect not only the trunk or foliage, but also when root system trees, soil.

Lemon in the apartment - benefit or harm

Of course, the benefits from it are much greater than possible harm. Everyone knows the healing and protective properties of this citrus for the human body. Vitamins, flavonoids, biological active substances successfully suppress viruses and create a powerful shield against pathogenic bacteria.

Eating this yellow citrus strengthens the immune system, normalizes hormonal levels, improves vision, and stimulates the gastrointestinal tract. Lemon mobilizes the body's internal resources, helps with sore throats and colds. It is widely used in cosmetology: masks for the face (whitening, healing, cleansing) and hair (growth stimulator). Even just green tree(indoor lemon from a seed, grown at home) saturates the air with phytoncides, lifts your spirits, and makes breathing easier.

Contraindications to use may be individual intolerance, peptic ulcer of the stomach, duodenum, chronic gastritis, pancreatitis. In everything you need to know moderation, since eating lemon in large quantities will not lead to anything good.

Considering all of the above, now you know how to grow a lemon from a seed at home. Despite the abundance of information, this process does not require special knowledge or skills. It is necessary to understand and take into account the basic criteria - rules of maintenance and care, competent pruning, timely prevention of diseases.

Lemon is a plant that belongs to the citrus family. It contains a large amount of vitamin C. It helps improve immunity and prevent the occurrence of various viral diseases. Those who would like to have such a tree at home are wondering how to grow a lemon from a seed at home.

Lemon can be grown from a seed

To grow a lemon at home, you should study the technology and know how to properly care for it. After all, no plant can grow without proper care.

The best varieties for growing citrus at home

To answer the question of how to grow a lemon tree from a seed, you need to choose a variety; the necessary conditions for planting and the germination of seeds depend on this.

To obtain this citrus fruit from seeds, these varieties are most often used:

1. Pavlovsky. It has large lemons (the weight of one can be about 500 g). The taste of the fruit is sweetish with sourness. The tree can reach 2 meters. The Pavlovsk variety has fragrant leaves, the smell of which spreads throughout the house.
2. The Meyer variety is a mixture of lemon and grapefruit. The fruits have a pleasant sweet and sour taste with a slight bitterness. This tree is small in size, with small fruits (the weight of one is maximum 150 g).
3. Ponderosa is another hybrid with predominantly grapefruit characteristics. The seeds of this plant are quite large. The variety is constantly in the process of flowering. The advantage of this type is its ease of care.
4. Genoa variety is a tree small sizes. By the second year of life, the seedlings of this plant begin to actively bloom, and in the fifth year of life they produce good harvest. The fruits have a sour taste, but a pleasant aroma.

Once you decide on the variety, you can start selecting the seeds and planting them in a pot. The first good seedling will appear from a lemon seed within a year.

Every person at least once in his life tried to plant a plant, but few managed to get the fruits. There may be several reasons: improper care or improper planting. How to plant a lemon from a seed so that it pleases you with its fruits?

Ponderosa lemon produces large seeds

Growing lemons from seeds is quite possible. Therefore, you should not ask the question whether it is possible to grow lemon at home. Inside the fruit you can see more than one seed, which is perfect for this. The main thing is to choose the right ripe lemon. Only from the seed of such a lemon will it be possible to grow a full-fledged plant, because the embryos will already be formed inside.

Growing lemon at home should be done using 10 large seeds. This will allow you to choose the strongest seedling from several sprouts. It is also very important to choose the right variety, because it determines whether the tree will bear fruit and how many fruits it can produce.

Landing technology

To grow a lemon from a seed at home, you need to follow all the steps step by step. The first thing is to germinate the seed. To speed up the process, it is carefully cleared of the top layer, being careful not to damage the core of the stone. You can't expect germination from a spoiled seed.

There are other methods. Before planting the seed, it must be soaked in water for several days. Be sure to germinate the seeds if you want to get good seedlings. If desired, you can soak the seeds in a special solution to accelerate growth, which is sold at any gardening store.

You should prepare a small pot in advance and pour soil into it. There must be small holes at the bottom of the container to allow excess moisture to be removed from the soil. Before planting a lemon, add a little expanded clay to the bottom of the pot. Planting lemons from seeds at home should be done to a depth of no more than 2 cm and only sprouted seeds should be used for this.

After a seedling grows from the seeds, it should be transplanted into a larger pot. You need to replant in the same way as you planted the seeds. Next, you should carry out proper care at home.

You can grow lemons from cuttings. This method allows you to quickly get fruit. But many still prefer to plant lemon seeds. This method takes more time, but it allows you to get new, young trees.

Lemon seeds should be soaked before planting

Fruits of indoor lemon

Some people think that a growing seedling is useless because it is not a fruit. How long do you have to wait to receive them? The citrus you grow will bear fruit only after 7 years. There are several methods to accelerate fruiting:

1. Cleavage A cutting of a fruiting plant is taken. A small cut is made on the seedling and a fruiting cutting is applied to it. The vaccine must be wrapped with electrical tape and covered with a bag. When the branch grows, the polyethylene must be removed.
2. Budding. The seedling is pruned to 10 cm and grafted with a fruiting cutting.

Most often, the first method is used to vaccinate. It is much simpler and more effective. Many gardeners claim that if we grow lemons from seeds at home, they will begin to bear fruit earlier than those planted from cuttings.

You can use any of the above methods. Experienced gardeners Both the first and second methods of vaccination are practiced. The result will be the same, only in the second case you will have to wait a little longer.

A lemon grown from a seed will bear fruit 7 years after planting.

Caring for a young plant

When a seedling is actively growing, it needs careful care. The first thing to do with the tree is to replant it when four leaves appear on the trunk. Young lemons need to be replanted twice a year.

The lemon tree reacts to any climate change. Therefore, it is best to keep it in one place all the time. Window sills that are located on the south or southwest side are suitable for wood. Optimal temperature 22°C. Air humidity should be about 65%.

It is recommended to water the lemon with rainwater. The temperature of the liquid should be at room temperature. IN summer period Watering should be done twice a day. With the onset of autumn and the shortening of the day, you should illuminate the lemon using LED lamps. In summer, fertilizing is carried out using humus and mineral fertilizers.

Rainwater is optimal for watering lemons

Diseases and insects of lemon

Lemon can be attacked by pests and diseases, especially if the tree grows in the garden. In order for lemons to grow well, we care for them carefully. A lemon can only get sick if it is not cared for properly. At insufficient watering the tree dries out, and when there is excess moisture, the leaves begin to turn yellow. This indicates that the roots of the plant are rotting. If a lemon lacks iron, the leaves not only turn yellow, but also dry out.

There are also a number of pests that actively attack lemons:

• mealyworm;
• scale insect;
• spider mite

It’s worth getting Fitosporin. It allows you to fight all diseases and pests of lemon.

Lemon (Citrus limon) is a representative of the Citrus genus, belonging to the Rutov family. The plant, whose homeland is considered to be China, India and the Pacific Islands, is today cultivated in many subtropical countries. And where the climate does not allow, the lemon tree is grown as a houseplant. You can grow a compact plant from a lemon seed. evergreen tree, which will not only decorate the interior, but also delight you with tasty, healthy fruits. And secreted by lemon leaves essential oils and phytoncides will help fight stress and nervous tension.

In countries with subtropical climates, lemons are grown under open air, and in Central and Eastern Europe climatic conditions not suitable for a lemon tree, and here it is cultivated as a houseplant.

In nature, lemon is evergreen shrub. Home-grown lemon is also a small shrub with thorns on the trunk and dense leaves with a dark green, glossy surface.

The result of long-term selection, lasting hundreds of years, was the emergence of many varieties of lemon.

• Pavlovsky. It is highly popular among Russian gardeners. The unpretentious lemon tree grows up to 1.5 m, begins to bear fruit in the third year of life and produces an average of 15 lemons per year.
• Ponderosa (aka Canadian). low growing tree, not exceeding 1 m in height. It blooms quite early and bears few fruits - no more than 5 pieces.
• Lunario (aka four-season). A medium-sized plant that produces fruits with weakly expressed taste qualities. This variety is cultivated mainly in Egypt.
• Libson. A tree 1.5 m high with powerful spines produces large, fragrant fruits(on average - 15 pieces). It blooms for the first time 3 years after planting.
• Maikopsky. It is easy to maintain and high yield, grows up to 1.3 m. It is especially popular in the Krasnodar region.
• Corsican (aka Buddha's hand). Exotic variety, the fruits of which are used in cooking mainly for making candied fruits. It reaches a height of 1.5 m and bears about 10 fruits annually.
• Anniversary. The most suitable variety for growing at home, hardy and requiring the least attention. It grows up to 1.5 m in height and bears fruit well. But the fruits have a thick peel and a weakly expressed taste.
• Meyer (aka Chinese dwarf). The variety, bred by crossing lemon and orange, is a low-growing bush no more than 50–70 cm high. But the plant is quite whimsical, often gets sick, and requires additional lighting in autumn and winter.

Meyer lemon is characterized by high yield and produces many fruits of unusual taste, but due to its whimsicality and capriciousness, it is not often grown at home.

Features of care

Indoor lemon does not react well to rearrangements, so it is better to decide right away when choosing a suitable location. After moving to another place, the lemon tree begins to shed its leaves, and if the plant is disturbed during the flowering phase, the harvest may not be expected.

Lighting

The lemon tree loves light, but also tolerates partial shade. Not suitable for the plant south windows, since with excessive access to light, the growth of the vegetative part is activated, and the flowering and fruit formation phase is inhibited. On the north side, the tree, on the contrary, will not have enough light. As a result, the leaves will grow slower and the fruits will be too sour. Windows facing east or west are best suited for lemon.

To form a symmetrical crown, the flowerpot with the lemon tree needs to be rotated once a week around its axis by about a quarter of a turn.

Temperature

The optimal summer temperature for a lemon tree is from 18 to 20 ° C. In winter, it is recommended to grow the plant at 15–18 ° C. In spring and summer, you can take the citrus out to the balcony or terrace, but with the onset of autumn coolness, the tree must be moved into the room, since sudden changes temperatures are destructive for him.

Humidity and watering

The lemon tree loves moist air. It can be sprayed all year round, and it is advisable to place the pot on a tray filled with wet gravel. The plant does not tolerate stagnant water in the pot, so optimal mode watering in winter - once a week, and in summer - twice every 7 days, but abundantly.

Priming

Lemon loves nutritious soil with sufficient mineral and organic matter. Suitable for planting:

• ready-made soil for all citrus plants;
• universal soil for indoor flowers;
• soil with humus;
• composition of leaf and turf soil, humus, river sand and charcoal.

The soil should be soft and loose. And so that the water in the pot does not stagnate, you need good drainage from expanded clay and brick pieces at least 2 cm thick.

The soil for growing lemon should be light, well-permeable to moisture and air, with a pH level in the range of 6.6–7.0.

Fertilizer application

Indoor lemons need to be fed constantly. In summer, fertilizers are applied only in liquid form every week, the rest of the time - at least once every 30 days. It is recommended to alternate mineral fertilizers with organic fertilizers. Can be used:

• a weak solution of mullein, bird droppings;
• water with the addition of nettle infusion (infuse for 2 weeks);
• infusion eggshells(only from the fourth year of the plant’s life).

Trimming

A lemon grown from a seed grows quite large, with long branches. The plant takes up a lot of space, and its productivity decreases. To achieve an acceptable crown size, pinching and pruning are carried out.

The first pinching is carried out when the main shoot grows to 20–25 cm. The next pinching is carried out at a height of 15–20 cm from the previous one. Between the two pinches there should be 4 buds, which will give rise to main branches in the future. The shoots of the first row are pinched after 20–30 cm, and when the branches become hard, they are cut 5 cm below the pinching site. The following shoots are pinched so that they are 5 cm shorter than the branches of the previous row. Crown formation is completed on the shoots of the fourth row.

Pruning is usually done in the spring, before flowering begins. The roots of the lemon tree also need to be pruned during replanting, otherwise the root system will stop developing normally and the lemon leaves will become pale.

If necessary, during pruning you need to remove weak shoots and branches growing inside the crown.

Transfer

A young, newly emerged lemon from a seed should be replanted annually, or better yet, twice a year (in February and June). Lemons older than 5 years are replanted every three years in the spring.

Every new pot should be 3–4 cm larger than the previous one - both the root system and the crown of the lemon tree grow very quickly. When transplanting, do not sprinkle with soil. root collar(the junction of the stem with the roots).

The roots of young lemons are very sensitive and vulnerable and require extremely careful handling when transplanting.

Banding

Banding is a procedure that helps speed up the appearance of fruits. It consists in the following. The base of the trunk with one or two adjacent shoots is twisted copper wire so that it is slightly pressed into the bark (but not too much!). As a result, nutrients begin to accumulate at the ringing site, and fruit buds begin to form on the lemon. The wire is removed after six months, and the crushed bark is treated with garden varnish and wrapped with elastic tape.

Reproduction

Lemon can be propagated at home in three ways:

1. seeds (seeds);
2. cuttings;
3. layering.

Seeds

Many people believe that lemons grown from seeds do not bear fruit. But this is wrong. With proper care, a plant grown from a seed begins to bear fruit in 5–8 years.

For those who do not know how to plant a lemon from a seed, it is worth saying that even a novice gardener can cope with this simple process. The main task when seed propagation– choose the right planting material.

Due to the ease of obtaining planting material, the seed method of lemon propagation has become the most common.

The fruits must be of good ripeness, with a smooth surface and uniform color, without dents, spots on the skin or other damage. Lemon seeds should also be intact and large. It is better to take planting material from several fruits, and then select the most viable seeds.

The procedure for growing a lemon from a seed includes several stages.

1. Prepare small long pots with a drainage layer and a soil substrate consisting of flower soil and peat.
2. Immediately after removing the seeds from the fruits, they are treated with a solution of sodium humate - this will speed up germination.
3. The treated seeds are planted in the ground at a distance of 3 cm from the walls of the pot and to a depth of 1.5–2 cm.
4. The containers are covered with polyethylene until the first shoots appear and kept at a temperature of 20 ° C. Lemon seeds germinate for a very long time - from two months to six months.
5. From the emerging sprouts, the healthiest and strongest ones are selected, covered with glass jars to create the desired microclimate. The containers are placed in a place with sufficient lighting and ventilated every day.
6. When the first leaves appear on the sprouts, they are planted in separate pots.
7. Seedlings are planted in larger containers when their height reaches 20 cm.

You need to plant the seeds in one container at a distance of at least 5 cm from each other, but it is better to take separate small containers (for example, disposable cups) with drainage holes.

Cuttings

When propagated by cuttings, lemon begins to bloom in the third or fourth year.

Propagation by cuttings is carried out in the spring (March-April) and includes several stages.

1. From a well-fruiting plant, cut 10 cm of a fairly hard and at the same time flexible cutting (about 5 mm thick) with 2-3 live buds. An oblique cut is made under the sheet using a sharp knife. The top cut should be 1.5–2 cm above the bud.
2. The cuttings are treated with a root system growth stimulator (Kornevin preparations, heteroauxin, sodium humanate), placed in water or in moist soil to a depth of 2–3 cm.
3. The cutting is covered with polyethylene so that it does not dry out.
4. After the roots appear (on average after 2 weeks), the cuttings are moved to small pot, kept at a temperature of 20 ° C in a place where there is sufficient access to light. Spraying the cuttings is carried out twice a day.
5. To accustom the plant to room air, the film is opened daily, first for an hour, then gradually the time is increased.
6. After 2 months, when the plant has completely taken root, it is transplanted into bigger pot(diameter 10 cm) with nutrient soil, placed in a permanent place.

If the selected cutting is intended to be placed not in water, but in soil, you need to prepare a container with soil substrate:

• cover the bottom of the container with a drainage layer (clay shards, porous vermoculite, expanded clay);
• cover the drainage with nutrient soil with a layer of 5 cm (you can take equal parts of forest and turf substrate, one-sixth of sand);
• sprinkle the mixture on top equal quantities sand and sphagnum moss (can be replaced with high-moor peat).

When planting several cuttings in one container, leave a distance of at least 5 cm between them. Immediately after planting, the cuttings should be sprinkled with warm water and covered with film.

Branches and vaccinations

This method of propagation is quite complex and labor-intensive, and therefore is rarely practiced by amateur gardeners. The plant is often grafted by professionals to get fruit as quickly as possible. Typically, a lemon blooms in the year of grafting, and a year later bears its first fruits.

In general, the vaccination procedure is carried out as follows. A bud is cut from an older lemon that has reached the age of 2–3 years. She sits down in the cut for more young plant. It is best to plant citrus in May or at the end of August.

Bloom

Depending on the variety, the color of the flowers can be white, pink or red. To get fruits, it is important to properly care for the plant during flowering and follow a number of rules:

1. during the flowering phase, do not move the lemon tree to another place;
2. pollinate the plant yourself (carefully transfer pollen to the stamens with a cotton swab);
3. remove excess flowers in a timely manner.

At the first flowering, you need to remove half of the buds. It is best when there are from 15 to 25 leaves per fruit.

From the moment the ovary appears until the fruit is fully ripe, more than 9 months can pass.

Problems in growing

Lemon grown from seeds is not demanding in terms of living conditions, but is often susceptible to disease and attack by pests. One of the most common problems is yellowing and falling leaves. The reasons for this may be:

1. watering with cold water;
2. excessive watering;
3. insufficient lighting;
4. high temperature;
5. drafts;
6. change in soil acidity;
7. lack of nutrients.

If yellowing of the leaves is observed in a newly acquired plant, this is a normal phenomenon associated with acclimatization.

Pests

Damage to lemon tree by aphids.

Diseases

• Gommoz. An infectious disease that affects the trunk of a tree. Cracks appear in the bark below, and a dark, sticky liquid begins to seep through the damage. After a while, the lemon fades, and putrefactive spots appear at the damaged areas. You can save a lemon tree by replanting it in a pot with fresh soil. Before planting, you should clean the roots and damaged areas and treat them with copper sulfate. It is possible to cure a tree from gommosis in rare cases; more often the plant dies.
• Late blight. It manifests itself in the same way as gommosis. It most often affects young plants, causing an oily brown ring to form on the trunk. For treatment, the affected area must be treated with copper sulfate.
• Root rot. The disease is characterized by damage to the root system, and the lemon begins to shed its leaves for no apparent reason. If you suspect root rot you need to remove the plant from the pot, inspect the root system, remove damaged roots, and treat healthy roots with a growth stimulator. After this, the tree needs to be planted again. Lemon care until complete recovery includes minimal watering, providing sufficient lighting, and regularly wiping the leaf blades with a damp cloth.
• Tristeza. A viral disease in which the bark of a tree dies. This disease, unfortunately, cannot be cured.
• Leaf mosaic. Characteristic patterns appear on the leaves of the lemon tree. It is impossible to cure the disease, but with careful care, leaf damage becomes less noticeable.
• Citrus cancer. An untreatable disease characterized by the appearance of dark brown spots on leaf blades. The disease leads to the rapid death of the plant.

Growing a lemon from a seed or cutting is not difficult. But fruiting can be achieved only with the correct and regular care behind the plant. The lemon tree will be a wonderful decoration for any interior; during the flowering period it will fill the room with a wonderful aroma. And if you pay enough attention to the plant, the reward will be long-awaited fruits.