Will a lemon grown from a seed bear fruit without grafting, when should it start to bloom at home, why does this not happen and how to force it? Dacha expert

What does a lemon tree need?

Light, temperature and humidity are the main conditions for growing a citrus tree. It is possible to create favorable conditions for lemon at home.

A sudden change in the conditions of maintenance is unacceptable, for example, rearranging or moving it outside - the plant may stop blooming.

Health and immunity

Viruses and bacteria are one of the causes of tree disease. Some of them are carried by insects, others are spread through the air and can appear in a plant pot due to lack of oxygen. Weakening of the immune system is the most common disease of homemade lemons, and the person himself is often to blame for this.

Main reasons:

Poor quality soil.
Unfavorable conditions such as elevated temperature or humidity.
Improper watering and/or fertilization.

Correct conditions of maintenance and care

Lemon prefers long daylight hours - for this it is necessary to correctly position the tree in the apartment (for example, east or west windows). In winter, the plant should be placed closer to the window and illuminated with a phytolamp for 5-6 hours a day. In summer, the tree should not be exposed to drafts or direct sunlight.
The plant does not tolerate heat. The optimal temperature in room conditions is from 18 to 20° in summer and 12-15° in winter. Lemon does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, so during the winter dormancy period, the tree can be watered with lukewarm water.
In the room where the citrus is located, the air must be well humidified; for this, the room must be systematically ventilated, and a container of water must be placed next to the plant.
Lemon should be sprayed once or twice a week.

Selection and preparation of seeds

You can grow lemons from seeds using only indoor varieties (not industrial ones, bought in the market). Industrial varieties require different conditions.

Seeds are selected from fresh lemon (recently picked). The fruit must be mature, whole, without damage or disease. Sprout up to 10 grains at once, some of them will not germinate.

There is no need to pre-soak the seeds (the seed material will suffocate and become moldy). The seeds are treated with a biostimulant immediately before planting.

Flowering and fruiting times

Many people are interested in when indoor lemons should begin to bloom and bear fruit. It turns out that it can bloom already in the first year of life, however, it is recommended to pick off the flowers while still in buds, since flowering greatly depletes the young plant and can destroy it. It is recommended to allow fruiting when the tree already has at least 20 leaves.

itself from the beginning of flowering to fruiting takes 6-8 months (depending on the variety) if the necessary conditions are maintained. Homemade lemon blooms twice a year - in winter and autumn. After planting, the tree will be able to please with fruits only after three to four years.

With proper care, lemons at home can bloom and bear fruit for about 40 years. The main factor in the life of a plant is your concern, since the life of a tree can always be extended with the help of air layering, cuttings and grafting onto other plants.

Probability of plant fruiting

The peculiarity of the lemon tree is that there is no clearly defined dormant period. On one bush, at the same time, only blossoming flowers, ovaries, buds, and already ripened fruits are observed.

For full fruiting, the plant needs rest - a cold winter. The pots are taken to a cool place in the house (veranda, loggia, cold window), otherwise the tree will simply shed all its leaves and stop growing.

For proper rest, lemon needs coolness (no higher than 15-160C).

An important point is that during wild flowering, some of the flowers are pinched off. Otherwise, the plant will be exhausted and will not have the strength to fully develop the fruits. The tree may bloom and die.

Why doesn't the plant at home produce a harvest?

There may be several reasons for the lack of homemade lemon fruits, for example:

If citrus is grown from a seed, the plant must be grafted and wait several years before flowering begins.
Pests and bacteria.
Dry air or high humidity.
Poor soil, lack of fertilizers and minerals.

Improper care

However, the main reason why indoor lemon does not bear fruit is the wrong conditions for keeping the plant:

Increased or decreased indoor air temperature. The optimal indoor temperature for growing a lemon tree is from 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.
Incorrect watering. You need to water the lemon regularly with pre-settled water so that all the chlorine has time to disappear from it. In summer and spring 2 times a day, in winter - 2 times a week. The temperature for watering should be room temperature.
Lack of fertilizers. Homemade lemon is fertilized during the period of active flowering from March to September, once or twice every two weeks, otherwise the tree will lose color. During winter dormancy and in the presence of diseases, the plant should not be fed.
Incorrect location and lighting. It is recommended to place lemon closer to sunlight.
An excellent option would be rooms with windows facing west or east; an insulated loggia would also be suitable. But it is worth considering that citrus fruits are afraid of drafts, especially during flowering. During the hot period, the tree must be shaded. It is unacceptable for the plant to be exposed to sunlight, as this will lead to burns of the leaves.
Wrong soil.
You cannot pour different parts of the soil in layers.
The soil should be loose, without lumps.
Drainage can be added to the soil to provide the roots with oxygen.
The soil acidity level is not more than 7 (pH = 7), determined using an ion meter.
The soil must be fertilized regularly.
Every two years, the citrus tree is replanted with a complete replacement of the soil.
Poor pollination. Lemon fruiting will occur without any intervention on your part.
If you want to get a bountiful harvest, you need to use a cotton swab to shake the pollen from the stamens onto the pistil. You should proceed with caution, as there is a high risk of damage to the flowers. The procedure should be repeated in the next couple of days. The tree can bear fruit either with or without pollination, but in the latter case, no seeds are formed in the lemon fruit.
Excessively abundant flowering. A large number of flowers takes a lot of energy from the plant.
It is necessary to periodically remove excess ovaries so that the citrus can bear fruit. It is recommended to leave 10 leaves per 1 flower.

What varieties are best to grow at home?

Let's consider the most popular varieties, adapted to home conditions:

Anniversary

A hybrid from Uzbekistan, obtained by crossing the Novogruzinsky and Tashkent varieties. The height of an adult tree is up to 1-1.5 m. The branches are strong, prone to drooping when the fruits ripen.

The leaves are smooth, shiny, hard to the touch. The leaf blade is large, oval or round in shape, rich green in color, large in size. Blooms throughout the year. Fruits abundantly; up to 1 kg of fruit is collected from an adult specimen. Requires shaping pruning for full development of the crown.

Feature - the variety is resistant to arid microclimates and can grow in a semi-shaded place.

Genoa

An elite variety of indoor Lemon tree hybrids. Originally from nurseries in California and Florida.

The height of an adult specimen in nature is up to 2.5-3 m, at home the tree is medium-sized - up to 1.2-1.5 m. The crown develops evenly, compactly, and does not require pruning.

The branches are densely leafy. The leaf blade is oval or ovoid, oblong. Petioles are short. Young shoots and leaves are light purple.

Fruits in the 4th year of life, blooms 2-3 times a season. At home, 20-25 fruits of 100-150 g each ripen per season. The fruit is oval with a sharp papilla at the top, the neck is ribbed. The peel is light with a greenish tint and does not taste bitter. The pulp is sweetish with sourness.

Feature - Genoa does not tolerate shaded locations. Overflow or drought are contraindicated for capricious exotics.

Pavlovsky

An exceptional hybrid in its unpretentiousness and durability, originally from Turkey. A fruit-bearing variety that is loved by both beginners and experienced gardeners.

The crown is compact, small, round in shape. An adult specimen grows no more than 1.2-1.5 m. The branches are drooping and covered with small green spines. The bark is green at the beginning of growth, then acquires a grayish tint.

The leaves are light green, glossy, dense in texture. The leaf blade is slightly elongated, large, up to 6-7 cm wide and up to 10-12 cm long. Petioles are short.

It blooms at least 2 times a year - in early spring after awakening and in late summer - early autumn. The snow-white flowers are fragrant, up to 2.5-3 cm in diameter. The yield is sufficient. An adult tree in a tub bears fruit with large lemons, up to 150-200 g each.

Its peculiarity is that it grows even in poor lighting and easily tolerates summer heat and drought. Loves diffused light; it is better to hide the plant from direct sun.

Panderosa

It is no coincidence that this heavyweight American hybrid crossed with citron is called the miracle lemon. It grows compactly, the height of an adult tree does not exceed 1.5 m. The branches are strong, droop under the weight of the fruit, and are covered with many small spines.

The leaf blade is smooth, elastic, dense in structure, dark green in color. The shape of the leaves is oblong, rounded, supported by short petioles with winglets. Flowering is abundant, the flowers are snow-white, with a delicate delicate aroma.

It blooms several times a year consistently, for 10-14 days. Inflorescences are loose. The fruits are juicy, large, the skin is thick, the surface is lumpy. The shape of the fruit is giant, ovoid with a pointed end. The taste is excellent, the pulp is without characteristic acid. Up to 17-20 seeds ripen inside the fruit.

Features: decorative crown, unpretentious care. The variety is suitable for indoor cultivation of lemon from seed.

Meyer

A classic option for growing lemon from seed at home. The hybrid is grown as an industrial crop in many countries. The roots of the “ancestry” go to southeast China (Beijing). The variety is called "Chinese dwarf".

The tree is decorative, looks like a bush. The crown is formed compactly, symmetrically (easy to shape and trim). Height - no more than 1.5 m. The side branches branch and are covered with sparse thorns.

The leaves are hard, small in size, and grow densely. The leaf blade is aromatic (if rubbed), shiny, oblong with fine serrations along the edge.

Fragrant flowers are white, small, no more than 4 cm in diameter. The fruit is round, ripens small in size, average weight - 100-120 g. The peel and pulp are rich yellow with an orange tint.

The peculiarity of the variety is its compactness and abundant fruiting already 4-5 years after sowing the seeds. Often the tree sheds its leaves by winter. The variety can withstand temperatures down to -100C.

How to get vaccinated?

There are two ways to graft a citrus tree:

Budding is the safest method. A young and strong lemon bud is placed under the bark of a young seedling. This method has a high survival rate.
Copulation is a more traumatic method for the plant. The cuttings of the fruiting lemon and the mother tree are cut at an acute angle with a special, disinfected tool and fixed together. It is important that there is no bare wood after grafting.

Ways to grow lemon

When growing a lemon tree in a pot, seeds or seedlings are used as planting material. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

When planting a seedling, the first harvest is obtained within 3-4 years. Moreover, the next year the tree has an attractive appearance. Flowering occurs faster. Plants grown from seedlings grow more slowly, have reduced endurance and have a less harmonious appearance.

A tree grown from seeds develops faster and more evenly and has increased resistance to negative environmental factors. However, a wildflower grows from a seed, and the first fruits appear after 4-7 years.

From the seed

Lemon seeds are collected from the fruit, which is sold in grocery stores. The fruit should be as regular in shape as possible, bright yellow in color, free of rot, signs of disease and green spots. Select light seeds without damage or dark areas, hard and smooth to the touch.

They are prepared before planting. For this planting material:

Soak for half an hour in warm water and wash off the pulp.
For 30 min. immerse in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes biological products are used for disinfection, for example, Fitosporin.
Soak for a day in a growth stimulator (“Solution”, “Epin”, etc.).

Not all seeds will sprout. It is recommended to plant more seeds than required. At this stage, lemons are grown in one common container (boxes, cut-off bottles) with drainage holes in the bottom. Before planting, containers are disinfected by soaking in a solution of copper sulfate or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

To plant lemon seeds, use universal soil or humus, peat and garden soil taken in equal proportions. A layer of drainage (expanded clay, ground ceramics, small crushed stone) is poured into the bottom of the container. Both the soil and drainage are pre-disinfected.

The seeds are buried 1.5-2 cm into the soil. The distance between them should be at least 5 cm. After planting the seeds, the soil is watered with warm water, covered with film and put away in a place protected from direct sunlight.

Every day the soil is moistened with a spray bottle, and the film is opened for 5-10 minutes. When shoots appear, the box is moved to the windowsill, and the duration of ventilation is gradually increased to a day, after which the film is removed.

After 3-4 true leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into individual pots with a diameter of 6-8 cm. The containers are filled first with a centimeter layer of drainage and then with soil. When transplanting, the root collar of lemons is not buried.

After transplantation, the plants are watered. For the first 2 weeks they should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

From a cutting

Lemon cuttings are bought in specialized stores, markets, or independently separated from an adult plant

It is important to choose the right planting material:

length – from 8 to 15 cm;
the presence of 3-5 developed buds;
presence of at least 2 sheets;
the age of the maternal shoot is about a year;
dark, hard, but elastic bark.

To independently obtain cuttings, choose a one-year-old shoot. 10-15 cm are retreated from the top part and a cut is made at an angle of 45°. The lower leaves are removed, leaving 2-4 upper leaves. If they are large, they are cut in half.

The cuttings are prepared for planting. First, the cut is dipped into a solution of potassium permanganate for 60 minutes, and then soaked for a day in Kornevin.

To root a seedling, use a universal soil mixture mixed 1:1 with sand, or a mixture of humus, peat, garden soil and sand. To enrich the soil, add 1 tbsp. ash, 25 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium fertilizer. The soil is disinfected by calcining it in the oven or watering it with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

It is convenient to use a cut bottle to root the seedling. Drainage holes are made in the bottom of the container, then a centimeter layer of drainage is filled in, and the rest of the volume is filled with earth.

The cutting is planted in the ground so that it stands level and without support. The soil is watered abundantly. The top of the bottle is placed over the container to create a greenhouse effect. The soil is moistened daily, and the seedling is sprayed with warm, settled water. The lemon is ventilated by removing it for 30-60 minutes. top of the bottle.

After 2 months, when the seedling takes root and adapts, it is transplanted into a pot with a diameter of 8-10 cm. It is better to use a clay or ceramic container with drainage holes. It is filled with drainage and soil. The seedling is buried in such a way that the trunk is also 1 cm above the border of the roots.

The planted lemon is watered with warm, settled water and sprayed daily.

Could the age of the crop be the reason for the lack of yield?

An old lemon may not bear fruit for the same reason as a young one - improper maintenance conditions.

A lemon tree lives and actively bears fruit for up to 40-50 years , the main thing is to properly care for it.

A young plant, on the contrary, will not bear fruit for the first few years. A grafted lemon grown from a cutting under the right conditions will produce its first fruits in 3-4 years, but one that has sprouted from a seed may not bear fruit even after 10 years.

How to speed up the growth of a lemon

To quickly grow a lemon, you need to annually replant the grown plant into a looser pot (2-3 cm) with updated soil mixture. The root system should be evenly distributed throughout the volume of the pot; the neck of the root should not be deepened too much underground. When the tree becomes an adult (8-10 liter pot), only the top layer of the soil mixture can be renewed annually.

It is necessary to avoid stunting the growth of the citrus plant. To do this, all flowers that appear before 3–5 years of the lemon tree’s life must be plucked off. Flowers are removed from a plant grown from a seed until the age of 8. The exception is the Meyer variety, which can bear fruit in the third year of life. To quickly grow a lemon tree, once a month it is recommended to feed the plant with biofertilizers or complex mineral fertilizers containing sulfur, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Is it possible to force a lemon tree to bloom or not and how?

Proper care contributes to the proper development of the lemon tree. There are several ways to make a plant bloom:

Extreme conditions can be created. For example, perform short pruning or slightly damage the bark of the lemon tree by tapping it with a stick or other object. You can also hang small weights on vertical branches so that the branches assume a horizontal position. In this case, the tension of the bark will promote flowering in a stressful situation.
Crown formation. At home, it is recommended to form the tree into a flat shape. To do this, you need to cut and carefully break off the shoots to the windowsill. After the dimensions of the window opening and the crown become the same, pinching or even trimming is carried out. With this type of crown, the lemon will feel great and will be able to produce a good harvest. The main thing is to have time to form the crown before fruiting begins.
Pulling branches. The branches need to be tied together with soft wire at the beginning of sap flow in order to concentrate nutrients in them that will be useful during the next flowering. In November, the plant is freed from the garter.

Diseases and pests

Despite the fact that homemade lemon grows on the windowsill, it is not immune from diseases. Harmful insects can easily be acquired through contaminated soil or due to improper (insufficient) care.

Chlorosis. The leaves turn yellow, while the veins remain green. The reason is that the plant is cramped, the soil is acidified or there is not enough nutrition (iron).
Root rot. The reason is improper watering, getting wet and sudden cooling of the roots. The infection is spreading rapidly.
Late blight. A fungal infection occurs against the background of waterlogging of the soil and air. The leaf blade is covered with oily round spots. This is a gray/brown rot that spreads to buds and fruits.
Gommoz. The reason is cold and drafts. A gum forms, destroying the above-ground part, and the tree dries out. Microcracks are cleaned and treated with disinfectant garden putty.
Tristeza is a viral infection, as a result the trunk gradually dies, the veins of the leaf blade swell and turn white, the fruits become smaller, and the plant dies.
Leaf mosaic is a viral infection of green mass. Light streaks and stripes appear on the leaf plate, then the leaves fall off. Difficult to treat.
Citrus cancer. Infection with a dangerous virus occurs through leaf stomata or microcracks and damage. The entire aerial part is affected by brown spot tumors.

To prevent diseases and pests, a weekly careful inspection of branches and leaves is required. It is especially important to inspect the underside of the leaf - the favorite places of spider mites , scale insects , aphids and other insects.

It is important to periodically wash the leaves and stems with a solution of green soap with the addition of any insecticide. When pests appear, repeated treatment with Aktara is required.

In conclusion, I would like to note that indoor conditions will not be ideal for citrus fruits. And yet, answering the question whether it is possible to grow a lemon from a seed, we will answer in the affirmative: “Of course, it is possible.” This is a fun, albeit time-consuming activity. The result is important - a healthy ornamental tree, and if you are lucky, also with exotic miracle fruits.

Causes of ovary fall

There are several reasons why a plant blooms wildly but does not bear fruit.:

Inappropriate temperature and lighting.
Age of the tree - perhaps the lemon is still too young to bear fruit.
Too poor soil, lack of complementary foods and fertilizers.
Inconsistency in the number of flowers and leaves (one flower for two dozen leaves; pick off the rest while still in buds).
Dry soil or, conversely, overwatering.
Incorrect pollination (carefully transfer pollen from bud to bud with a cotton swab).

Thus, making lemons bloom and bear fruit at home is quite difficult , but interesting. If you follow all the recommendations described above and take the cultivation of the plant seriously, it will definitely thank you with lush flowering and many fruits.

Planting seeds

The likelihood of lemon seed germination, rapid growth and fruiting of the plant directly depends on the correct composition of the soil, its nutritional value, breathability and moisture capacity.

To germinate lemon seeds you will need the following mixture:

leaf soil (linden, hazel, maple, elm);
vermiculite, perlite;
sand;
coconut chips\fiber;
dolomite flour;
mineral fertilizers (complex);
drainage and holes at the bottom of the pot are required.

Specialized peat soil (high and low peat) or soil from the plot is not suitable for lemon.

Planting lemon seeds is easy:

the finished soil mixture is laid out in special containers (drainage, holes in the bottom);
the soil is moistened;
lemon seeds are buried 2.5-3 cm;
to germinate a lemon, cover the top of the seed with a glass cap or film;
sprouts appear after 2.5-3 weeks;
weak shoots from 1 sprout are discarded.

Crown formation

Why do you need to trim your lemon regularly? This should be done in order to form a neat and beautiful crown, as well as to increase the number of fruits. The crown of a tree must be formed from a young age. When the lemon grows 20-25 centimeters, pinch off its stem. This allows the side shoots of the plant to develop.

It must be remembered that the fruits on lemons appear on branches 4-5 orders from the bottom. Therefore, in order to get a harvest, you need to wait for their development. After fruiting and harvesting, the main pruning is carried out. Ripe fruits are cut off along with part of the branch on which they grew (1-2 internodes). This is necessary to stimulate the growth of branches.

For the harmonious development of a lemon tree, you need to prune and shape the crown of the plant.

Constant care of the tree crown is very important. In this way, you can control the growth of new shoots, the formation of branching, and by pruning the lemon you can increase the number and speed of fruit formation on it. The crown must be formed in such a way that the tree rationally uses the sunlight falling on it. You need to regularly free the lemon from old branches so as not to burden it with them. The best time to prune a lemon is in the spring, when it begins to bloom.

But we must not forget that excessive flowering and fruiting depletes the tree. If one year there were too many fruits, the next time the lemon may produce a very small harvest or not at all. Therefore, to obtain a good annual harvest, you need to trim off branches with weak buds, as well as excess flowers and buds, if there are a lot of them.

Tree care

The information above is not all that a plant needs to provide proper care. Lemon pruning is also an important procedure for creating a crown. Nobody wants to see an ugly bush in a pot at home. You should do this immediately, as soon as the plant's stem becomes strong enough, it will stretch upward and branches will appear on it. When this happens, you should immediately cut the center of the pulse, leaving a penny of about twenty centimeters. Second order branches will begin to grow. Having reached a length of about eighteen centimeters, they pinched. All repeats. And so on until you have fourth-order branches. Only on them will buds, flowers and fruits be created. If you don't prune, your plant will get extra leaves that will give you extra vigor. Caring for lemons during the flowering period comes down to the fact that they do not allow the production of many buds. You should remove half of them immediately to prevent the plant from weakening. The same should be done with the ovary. By the way, lemon will begin to bear fruit no earlier than five years after planting the seeds. You need patience. To guarantee fruit-like results, we recommend grafting the lemon. This should be done at the moment when the plant stem has grown greatly and reached a centimeter diameter. To do this, you will need a lemon stem that is already bearing fruit. You can borrow it from friends and buy it at a specialty store. Follow the instructions below:

Caring for lemons during the flowering period comes down to the fact that they do not allow the production of many buds. You should remove half of them immediately to prevent the plant from weakening. The same should be done with the ovary. By the way, lemon will begin to bear fruit no earlier than five years after planting the seeds. You need patience. To guarantee fruit-like results, we recommend grafting the lemon. This should be done at the moment when the plant stem has grown greatly and reached a centimeter diameter. To do this, you will need a lemon stem that is already bearing fruit. You can borrow it from friends and buy it at a specialty store. Follow the instructions below:

Cut one branch that extends from the main trunk, leaving two centimeters at the base.
Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the left handles into two pieces.
Sharpen the stem and insert it into the branched branch.
Trim the cut areas with garden yard and isolate, completely covering the trunk.
I also cut everything out of the cut, leaving about three buds. The cut part is also treated with garden resin and the entire transplant is covered with a bag to obtain a greenhouse effect.
When you see the first shoots, remove the package.

Such a plant usually begins to bear fruit after three years. When you first flower, you only need to leave two flowers, which are artificially pollinated by transferring pollen from one bud to the next. Next, the plant will have as many fruits as there are ovaries.

Will a lemon grown from a seed bear fruit?

In addition to admiring the decorative greenery and delicate fragrant flowers, I also want to collect fruits from the lemon tree. If you follow the rules of agricultural technology, then in 5 - 7 years (at best) you will see fruiting. But there is a way that will almost halve the waiting time for the harvest - this is grafting. It can be done in three ways, which are carried out only in the warm season - in summer or late spring.

Budding

The purpose of the procedure is to graft a kidney ready for growth. Budding is carried out at the end of April - May.

On the selected shoot or section of the trunk, use a sharp knife to make a vertical T-shaped cut up to 4 cm. The edges of the cut are slightly bent.
Then a bud is inserted, cut with a sharp knife along with a small section of the bark and cambial layer (up to 2 mm). The size of the scion should be equal to the size of the cut on the rootstock. Be sure to leave the stem. It will be convenient to hold the graft during the procedure.
After the procedure, the grafting site is tightly wrapped with grafting tape, but the kidney is left open. The tape is removed when the cambial layers have taken root and the scion has grown a few centimeters. Additional care of the vaccination site is not required.

As an experiment, up to 3 buds can be grafted onto one rootstock, placing them in different parts of the trunk. The petiole will tell you that the operation was successfully carried out. If everything is in order, it will turn yellow. If the petiole turns black, then the operation was unsuccessful.

If the operation is successful, the petiole will turn yellow

Budding indoor lemon - video

Simple copulation

This method requires that the scion and rootstock be of equal thickness.

On the grafted areas of the plant, oblique cuts should be made at an angle of 30°. An oblique cut is made on the scion, having first stepped back 1 cm down from the lower bud.

Place the slices next to each other so that the plant tissues match. After which the two parts need to be tightly wrapped with a special tape for grafting

It is important that the grafted parts do not move, otherwise the tissues will not grow together. The winding is overlapped so that there are no gaps

If after 2 weeks the kidney begins to develop, the process was successful.

After aligning the cuts, carefully wrap the parts of the plant with tape or tape

Improved copulation

The rootstock and scion should be the same in thickness.
First, an oblique cut is made on both branches, as in a simple copulation.
But before connecting the rootstock and scion, additional longitudinal cuts are made on both branches, retreating 1/3 from the top of the cut. The depth should be up to 1 cm. Thus, tongues are obtained for better fixation of the rootstock and scion.
After this, the two grafted parts are tightly connected to each other using the formed tongues.
After the procedure, the grafting site is wrapped with overlapping tape.

Grafting into cleft

This procedure is considered one of the simplest and most universal.

The trunk of the lemon chosen as a rootstock is cut vertically (it is recommended to use plants with a trunk diameter of at least 6 mm).
Then, using a sharp knife, make a vertical incision up to 2 cm deep.
A cutting taken from a fruiting lemon is inserted into it. The lower part of the cutting is cut off on both sides in the form of a wedge. The scion is inserted into the cleft so that the cambial layers coincide.
The cut of the rootstock is covered with garden varnish and the junction of the two parts is wrapped with a special tape or film.
After the scion begins to grow, the tape is first loosened and then removed altogether. The grafting site should be protected from intense sunlight until it is completely overgrown.

This is what a lemon looks like after successful grafting into a cleft

Lemon grafting - video

Growing a lemon from a seed at home is very simple. But to make it bear fruit, you need to master an almost surgical procedure - grafting. However, there is nothing complicated about it, and after trying one of the methods, you can soon enjoy the fruits of your labor.