How to plant and grow citrus fruits at home from seeds

Keeping exotic plants is a troublesome task, but the fragrant flowering and fruiting make all the effort worth it. The process of growing citrus fruits at home is carried out from seeds or cuttings. The aroma is emitted not only by flowers, but also by foliage. It is a source of phytoncides. Lemon and other citrus fruits have been proven to purify the air and prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria, which is why they can often be seen in hospitals, kindergartens and other public places.

Features of growing citrus fruits

Growing lemons, oranges, limes and other citrus trees at home requires compliance with certain conditions. First you need to choose a method of growing the tree (from seed or cuttings). In addition, much attention is paid to caring for the plant: creating the necessary temperature, humidity, and light conditions. The principles of plant care differ depending on seasonality.

How to properly grow at home?

At home, a citrus plant can be grown in two ways: from a seed or from a cutting. Each method has its positive and negative sides.

From the seed

Citrus plants grown from seeds are more resistant to the external environment and are strong. There is only one explanation - from a very early age they get used to the surrounding conditions. But they have problems with flowering. Trees from seed bloom in the 8-12th year of life, and the fruits are not always pleasing in taste. For earlier flowering, the plant must be grafted. For the rootstock you need a cutting from an adult tree.

To obtain a tree in this way you need:

1. Select planting material: the fruit must be ripe, undamaged, and of high quality.
2. Wash the pit to remove the pulp and soak it in water for a day.
3. Place in prepared soil to a depth of 2 cm.
4. For planting, use a mixture for citrus fruits.
5. Young plants do not tolerate transplantation well; the transshipment method is used for them. It is recommended to use a container of about 2 liters with good drainage.
6. Cover the soil with film and place the container in a warm and dark place.

The time of emergence of seedlings ranges from 2 weeks to 2 months. One seed can produce several sprouts. You need to leave the strongest ones, cut the rest to the soil level.

By cuttings

Cuttings taken from a fruit-bearing tree take root well.

To do this you need:

1. Prepare a container with sand (coarse-grained). Rinse it thoroughly to remove impurities. Can be used with a portion of light leaf humus. Place a layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the container for drainage.
2. To create greenhouse conditions, cut off a transparent plastic bottle.
3. Cuttings are cut from 1-2 year old branches, up to 12 cm long, and should have up to 5 leaves.
4. The lower cut is made under the bud, the upper cut is made at a distance of 0.5 cm from the last bud.
5. Soak the prepared cuttings in a root growth stimulator.
6. Powder the cut of the cutting with charcoal to prevent rotting.
7. Place in prepared sand. Irrigate the sand and cuttings with a spray bottle. Irrigate twice a day.
8. Optimum temperature 20-25 ^OC. Cover the cutting with a cut plastic bottle.

After 2-3 weeks, white roots will appear on the lower cut. They are quite fragile, so they need to be replanted only after 1.5 months. Before transplanting, the plant is gradually accustomed to the environment by opening a plastic bottle. Gradually increase the time spent without a bottle.

How to care for citrus fruit

In order for the plant to fully develop, bloom and bear fruit, much attention is paid not only to proper planting, but also to the conditions under which the tree is kept. Citrus fruits are quite whimsical plants.

How to water plants correctly?

During the active period (from spring to autumn), citrus trees require abundant watering. The amount of liquid is calculated by the following proportion: 1/10 of the volume of the earth mass.

Soft water is used for irrigation. Calcareous liquid causes chlorosis of foliage. It is recommended to use melt or rain water. You can soften the watering liquid with vinegar, lemon juice, or peat. When frozen it also becomes soft.

Watering is done slowly, over the entire surface of the soil, so the root system develops evenly, which is important for large plants. The next watering is carried out when the soil has dried to a thickness of up to 5 cm. The tree is watered once every 7 days.

Fertilizing citrus fruits: fertilizer application scheme

Citrus trees need a lot of valuable elements. Citrus fruits quickly absorb the necessary substances, the land is quickly depleted, therefore, nutrition should be carried out regularly. Complete application of fertilizers occurs during the growing season (early spring). Feed until autumn.

Fertilizer application scheme

The older the plant and the longer it is in the same pot, the more it needs nutrition.

At the beginning of summer, feeding the tree is necessary to ensure the sugar content of the fruits and reduce their bitterness, which is characteristic of indoor citrus fruits.

The procedure for applying fertilizing:

1. Added with water.
2. Only healthy plants are fertilized. If the tree is sick, nutrition will only weaken low immunity.
3. During the wintering period, food is provided no more than once.
4. In the spring, when transplanting into a new pot, fertilizing is done only after 1.5 months. Mineral fertilizers are used for flowering plants.
5. If the tree does not bloom, it is necessary to add organic matter three times every 2 weeks. It is recommended to use horse manure, humus, and vermicompost.
6. The following is used regularly from spring to autumn: nitrogen and potassium - once every 10 days; superphosphate and slurry of manure - once every 4 days.

What fertilizers do citrus trees need?

Citrus indoor plants require a special set of fertilizers in the summer. Nutrition is carried out alternating organic and mineral products. Some fertilizers can be made with your own hands from coffee grounds, tea leaves or sugar. If there is an aquarium in the house, water from it is the best means for irrigation, since it contains vermicompost.

Important! Organic and mineral fertilizers cannot be used together. This may burn the roots.

Organic

The best organic remedy is an infusion of horse manure. Proportion: 100 g per liter of liquid. Infuses for about 2 weeks. Instead of horse manure, you can use cow manure or chicken droppings (40 g per 1 liter).

Mineral

Urea contains a large amount of nitrogen. It dissolves at the rate of 1.5 g per liter of liquid. Nitrogenous fertilizing is excluded during the period of flowering and the formation of ovaries, otherwise they will fall off. At this time, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are needed. Feeding with nitrogenous compounds is resumed when the fruit size reaches a diameter of 15 mm.

Magnesium is necessary for the plant, since its deficiency causes chlorosis: loss of color of the leaf blade, and sometimes necrosis: death of individual parts of it.

Trimming and shaping

When the seed has sprouted or the cutting has taken root, a sprout is formed. It is recognized as a zero-order branch. Until the sprout hardens, you need to pinch the top of it. The height should be about 30 cm. Growth stops and the sprout matures.

After ripening, it must be cut to 20 cm.The sprout must have at least 4 leaves. Other shoots will grow from them. For the crown, it is ideal if 3 shoots grow, or at least 2. They will become shoots of the first order.

If the shoots do not grow, and only one grows, it needs to be broken off. Just remove it to the ground. Then new buds will wake up. You will have to break it out again if they have not started growing. In this way, achieve the development of 3 sprouts.

Of the three branches, let the top one grow upward, and direct the others to the sides. Pinch off first-order sprouts when they reach 25 cm. When the sprouts ripen, cut 5 cm off them so that they again have 4 leaves.

The formation of the second and subsequent levels is carried out according to the same scheme: wait until the sprout grows, pinch it off, and trim it after ripening.

The fifth order completes the formation of the tree skeleton. If the tree blooms before the crown has formed, the flowers need to be cut off, since the formation will take a long time. After the formation of the fifth order, the tree is allowed to bloom.

Important! You need to break out the tops. These are shoots that grow upward much faster than fruiting branches. They suck out a lot of useful substances and thicken the crown.

In adult citrus trees, pruning is carried out in the spring. But the tops are removed regardless of the season. It is necessary to remove broken branches that grow incorrectly (inward).

Reproduction and transplantation

Propagation by cuttings and from seed was discussed above. An important point is replanting trees. They are quite whimsical and endure this process painfully.

The soil consists of the following composition: turf soil (3 parts), humus (1 part), sand (1 part). In the store you can purchase ready-made soil for all types of citrus fruits. Transplantation is carried out in spring or autumn. Young trees - every year, adults - if necessary.

The container must correspond to the volume of the tree's root system. The root collar remains above the substrate level. Place drainage at the bottom of the container. Use the transshipment method so as not to injure the delicate roots. After planting, water the tree.

How to survive the winter?

During the wintering period, the optimal temperature for citrus plants is about 10 ^OC. Watering the tree is insignificant; you need to slightly moisten the soil. Low temperature is important for full fruiting. If the temperature is high in winter, citrus trees may not bloom. Recommended location for the plant: cold loggias, insulated unheated balconies.

Diseases and pests

If care requirements are not met, the tree's immunity drops and the plant becomes vulnerable to diseases. These include:

1. Root rot. A fungal infection caused by constantly damp and heavy soil. The roots and the bark of the root collars are affected, and the tree dies.
2. Chlorosis. Photosynthesis is disrupted, the leaves become yellowish, and young leaves fall off.
3. Melanosis. Fungal infection of all parts of the plant. Deep cracks form on the trunk and tree branches. An amber-colored gum oozes from them. The leaves are deformed, dark green formations filled with gum are visible on them.
4. Chern (sooty fungus). All kinds of fungi settle on the remains of the life of aphids and scale insects. A black coating appears on the branches and foliage, interfering with metabolism and breathing.

Parasites that harm the plant:

1. Shield. A stationary insect that clings to any part of the tree, covered with a brown shield.It sucks out the sap of the tree, throwing out a sticky liquid, which is food for the larvae traveling from the mother to their new habitat.
2. Spider mite. Orange-reddish spiders settle in the lower part of the leaf blade and suck out the sap of the tree. Damaged foliage becomes covered with yellow spots, and a white coating forms on the inside. The foliage dries and falls off.

Propagating and caring for citrus trees is not difficult if you follow all the recommendations exactly. And with proper care, the plant will delight you with beautiful fragrant flowers and bright fruits.