How to plant a lemon grown from a seed at home

Do you want to learn how to propagate citrus fruits with your own hands? Grafting is the surest and most inexpensive way to get a fruit-bearing plant of any variety. To do this, you first need to plant a seed of any representative of citrus fruits, grow a rootstock and graft a bud or cuttings taken from a fruiting tree onto it. You can also purchase a ready-made rootstock in a specialty store or from indoor plant lovers. Almost all citrus crops are vegetatively compatible, that is, lemon, citrus orange or pomelo fruit are suitable for tangerine grafting. And, conversely, in almost any combination - there are exceptions, which we will discuss further.

Is it necessary to graft a lemon grown from a seed?

All citrus crops are heat-loving, native to countries with a tropical climate. In Russia, plants are grown only in stationary conditions. The bright decorative crown of a lemon with the citrus scent of its leaves becomes an interior decoration in itself, but ideally the lemon should bloom and bear fruit.

In this case, difficulties arise, the plant is capricious in care, if the conditions for growth do not meet its biological requirements, there is no point in waiting for fruiting. Even with ideal agricultural technology, a lemon grown from a seed will bloom no earlier than 6-8 years. But in general, wild ones do not bear fruit, so vaccination is necessary.

A correctly carried out procedure will guarantee the survival of the cutting on the trunk. After about 3 years, the scion will form buds. The properties of a lemon directly depend on the type of material chosen, the cuttings completely retain the characteristics of the mother tree, and in the end it will be known which lemons will grow. And another important advantage of grafting is that the quality of the fruit is always high.

Homemade lemon description

In the countries where lemons grow, tropical and subtropical climates prevail. There, trees up to 8 meters high with large juicy fruits grow in open ground. The largest fruits are varietal.

The largest lemon, which was registered in the Guinness Book of Records, weighed 5265 g, and the fruit grew not just anywhere, but in the house of an ordinary Israeli, Aharon Shemoel.

The record lemon tree is, of course, an exception to the rule. Indoor plants are more modest in size. Their height rarely reaches 2 m, usually limited to 1.5 m, but the crown of the tree is spreading, the leaves are dense, glossy, leathery, and have a pleasant green color. After three years, the leaves fall off, and new ones gradually grow in their place.

Lemon leaves are miniature repositories of valuable aromatic essential oil, thanks to which the fruit cannot be confused with any other fruit in the world. In addition to their wonderful aroma, they have disinfecting properties, which means that lemon trees can be safely grown by anyone who cares about their health.

A real gift is the flowering period of a home tree. Beautiful flowers, white on the outside and slightly pinkish on the inside, exude a delicate aroma and delight the owner of the plant. Later the fruits set. They are slightly smaller than varietal lemons grown on the ground. However, absolutely all valuable substances are completely preserved in them.

Features of lemon grafting

You can vaccinate one standard from several varieties. During fruiting, the tree will produce citrus fruits of different shapes, weights and tastes. Lemons on sale are the fruits of hybrids; after the seed germinates, it can be difficult to determine what species the seedling belongs to. The tree may have signs of orange or grapefruit, vaguely reminiscent of a classic lemon. For grafting, these qualities do not play a role; as a result, fruiting will be of the varieties that are grafted.

Grafting is carried out with material from trees that have already bear fruit. The retail chain sells lemons with fragments of green mass; they can be used as a scion. Only fresh branches are used, first dipped in water for several hours so that the plant restores turgor. The survival rate of such a vaccination is worse, but you can try.

What is lemon grafted onto?

Grafting involves transferring buds or shoots from one tree to another for fusion. Any citrus crop is suitable as a rootstock: orange, grapefruit, but it is better to use lemon to prevent rejection of the material after grafting.

Grafting can be carried out on a perennial plant if the tree does not bear fruit. But it is better to use a 1.5-3 year old plant with a stem diameter of 0.5 cm as a rootstock. It will take a very long time to wait for fruits from a wild plant, and there is no guarantee that the plant will eventually bloom, so in order not to waste time, it is better to vaccinate . Young trees react calmly to foreign material, and the survival rate is high. Older plants more often reject foreign cuttings and buds.

Advice! If you don’t have a self-grown lemon from seed, it is better to use dwarf varieties of citrus crops for the rootstock.

Low-growing plants are more appropriate in indoor conditions; they spend less nutrients on growth and crown formation; dwarf forms calmly respond to foreign material.

When can you graft lemon?

Lemon grafting can be done at any time. In indoor conditions, the crop blooms and bears fruit for 12 months without a dormant period. This feature is also characteristic of a plant grown independently; its vegetation does not depend on the time of year.

If the tree is taken into a room with a temperature no higher than +150 C for the winter, sap flow slows down. In this case, vaccination can be carried out in February-March. And also the timing depends on the material taken, it is taken from the plant during the fruiting period, it is different for many varieties, and the scion is used immediately after cutting.

Many gardeners recommend vaccinating at the end of summer, citing the fact that the growing season is ending. Lemon is from a tropical climate zone, its biological cycles do not involve a winter period. In this process, correctly carried out vaccination plays a greater role than the chosen period.

Selection and preparation of rootstock and scion

The scion for grafting is prepared from plants with stable immunity to diseases and pests, with high-quality fruits and a high yield.

Basic requirements for wood and material:

The mother plant should be in the fruiting stage, when the lemons have completely reached the desired shape and weight, and yellow areas have appeared in the color of the peel. At this time, the tree does not waste energy on fruit growth and active ripening. The material from such a lemon is more viable.
Cuttings are cut from the top of annual shoots, and an area is taken where the leaves are fully formed.
Regardless of the grafting method, cut stems about 8 cm in size with developed fruit buds.

The leaves are cut from the cuttings, the petioles are left about 0.5 cm, and the scion is used for grafting on the same day. If it is not possible to carry out the work on the day of harvesting, the cuttings are completely covered with a wet cloth and placed in the refrigerator; the shelf life of the material is no more than 3 days.

If two seeds are planted in a flower pot and they sprout, a stronger and more branchy plant with strong stems is chosen for grafting. The second tree is cut off completely. 2-3 branches are left on the rootstock, the rest are removed, those left are shortened by 1/3, side shoots and thorns are cut off. Drastic pruning will be the impetus for intensive restoration of green mass, the chances of survival of the scion will increase significantly.

Why don't lemons bloom?

Once established, the citrus should bloom next season. Buds are formed in spring at temperatures from + 15 °C. Flowering plants are cross pollinated. To do this, use a small brush. With its help, pollen is shaken from one flower to another.

The absence of ovaries is not always a sign of poor grafting work. In this case, the owners begin to be tormented by doubts as to why the lemon refuses to bloom. There are several environmental factors that negatively affect the formation of buds. These include:

low room temperature;
insufficient lighting;
low acid soil;
traumatic pruning;
unbalanced feeding.

Experienced gardeners recommend mulching the soil in a flower pot with rotted manure or humus to further nourish the tree and reduce moisture evaporation. With strong shoot growth and poor flowering, it is necessary to temporarily increase the application of phosphorus and reduce the amount of nitrogen. Then lemons will soon appear.

If you provide the tree with enough light, warmth and nutrients, it will definitely bloom. The ovary and fruit ripening last for 9 months, i.e. from May to November. After the specified period, the fruits can be eaten.

Source of the article: https://ukusta.ru/deko/list/privivka-limona-na-otlichno

How to graft a lemon grown from a seed

Lemon grafting can be done in several ways, using a fruit bud or cutting as the material. The survival rate does not depend on the chosen method. You will need little equipment for the work, but it is better to prepare it in advance. For vaccination use:

pruner;
garden var;
wet wipe;
fixing tape;
budding knife or ordinary blade.

The tape for attaching the material at the vaccination site can be cut from medical gloves no more than 0.5 cm wide. It stretches well and does not tear.

Copulation

This grafting method is used if the diameter of the cutting and the rootstock branch are the same. The method is the simplest in technology and the most effective. The main task is to press the cuts tightly.

Copulation technology:

On the rootstock, select a place with a smooth surface and without fruit buds, wipe with a wet cloth.
A sharp cut is made 4 times longer than the diameter of the branch, approximately 5 cm at an angle of 250. The procedure is carried out in one movement, with a sharp instrument, the edges should be smooth.
3 fruit buds are left on the cuttings, the cut is made below the first one of the same length as on the rootstock. The upper part of the cutting above the 3rd bud is cut off.
The two parts of the plants are connected to form one whole; if the cutting is done correctly, the parts will fit tightly, this moment in grafting is decisive; the denser the planting, the greater the chance of survival.
The junction area is tightly wrapped with tape; this is done carefully so as not to displace the rootstock and scion.
The upper cut of the cutting is treated with garden varnish to prevent the buds from drying out.

The result of the vaccination will be visible in a week, the buds should begin to grow.

Important! If the fruit buds have dried out, the procedure must be repeated with a new cutting.

Budding

This grafting method requires one or more fruit buds. When the leaves are removed from the cuttings, short petioles are left, and buds form in the leaf axils.

Lemon budding is carried out in the butt. The work requires high motor skills, but the results are good. The contact area is small, the rootstock is not injured. Several graftings can be made from one cutting, which is also an important factor if the material is in limited quantities.

Budding sequence:

On the scion, in the area of the bud, an incision is made with a teardrop-shaped bark blade, 2 cm long, and carefully separated from the cutting.
On the lemon stem, select an area in the internode, cut off the bark of the same shape and size as on the scion.
Combine the parts so that the bark on both sections touches.
The grafting site is fixed with tape, the kidney is left open.

You can make a T-shaped cut on the scion, carefully separate the bark from the wood, and insert the scion into the socket. This method is more suitable if grafting is done on a perennial tree.

After some time, the petiole will fall off or will remain at the grafting site for a long time. Both cases are considered normal. Survival is determined by the condition of the kidney; if it has darkened and shrunk, the procedure was unsuccessful and should be repeated. The result of the vaccination will be visible after 2 weeks.

For the bark

The thickest branch on the lemon is selected, shoots and leaves are removed from it, a trunk of about 10 cm is left, and the top part is cut off.

Sequencing:

A vertical incision of at least 2 cm is made on the bark.
Separate the bark from the wood.
An oblique cut is made on the cutting on one side.
Insert into the cut on the trunk with the cut towards the stem.
Secure with tape.

Using the same technology, you can graft into a cleft. The cut is made in the center of the stem; the stem and the rootstock must be the same diameter. Oblique cuts on the scion are made on both sides. Insert into the incision and wrap with tape.

Preparatory work

Vaccination requires certain skills, and you should not be upset if growth does not occur the first time, because no method gives a 100% guarantee of survival. If unsuccessful, you can try again.

To work you will need the following tools:

grafting knife and pruning shears;
scion from a mother tree bearing fruit at home;
grafting tape;
garden varnish for processing;
film;
damp cloth.

The rootstock is usually a small tree grown from a lemon, grapefruit or orange seed. The thickness of the trunk should be approximately 5-6 cm. But it should be remembered that such a plant will grow greatly over time, so it is better to use the seeds of dwarf trees.

Grafted lemon tree at home

For grafting, it is best to use lemon varieties such as Meyer and Dioscuria. They begin to bloom in the same year, and bear fruit the next year and take root well. The scion is a twig cut from an adult tree. It is recommended to cut the stalk before the procedure itself, and if this is not possible, then it must be wrapped in a damp cloth and stored in the refrigerator.

So, if you already have a grown tree, a scion and all the tools are prepared, you can start grafting. It should be remembered that the best time for this procedure is from April to August, when there is active movement of sap in the trunk. It is recommended to carry out this work on a cloudy, rainy day, when the air humidity is highest. This has a positive effect on the scion.

Before starting work, you must wash your hands and wipe the pruning shears and knife with alcohol. It should be remembered that you should not touch fresh cuts with your hands, otherwise you can get an infection.

Lemon care after grafting

If the grafting was successful, the scion has taken root and formed shoots, it takes time and proper care of the plant to grow a grafted lemon at home.

Agricultural technology includes the following activities:

After work, cover the plant with a bag or a plastic bottle with holes to maintain constant humidity and temperature.
Every day the cover is removed for a few minutes.
Every other day, moisten the inner surface of the structure to maintain constant humidity.
After 21 days it will be clear whether the scion has taken root or not; if the result is negative, the grafting is repeated; if everything is normal, the time for ventilation is increased, the upper part of the cutting is cut down to 1 bud.
The soil should be moist and mulched.
After the flowers appear, cross-pollination is carried out.
If the tree is gaining green mass and there are few flowers, phosphorus is added.

Advice! If the mulch is made from humus, it is replaced with natural material of inorganic origin. Replacing the material will reduce the nitrogen content in the soil and the plant will bloom.

Preparatory work

Vaccination requires certain skills, and you should not be upset if growth does not occur the first time, because no method gives a 100% guarantee of survival. If unsuccessful, you can try again.

To work you will need the following tools:

grafting knife and pruning shears;
scion from a mother tree bearing fruit at home;
grafting tape;
garden varnish for processing;
film;
damp cloth.

Advice from experienced gardeners

A few recommendations from gardeners on how to get fruit from lemon grown from a seed:

Don't waste time waiting for fruit, the lemon needs to be grafted.
Plants no older than 3 years old are suitable for rootstock.
Take material from trees of a good variety that have already bear fruit.
For the first 1.5 months, create a greenhouse effect for the lemon.
Protect the tree from drafts and sudden changes in temperature.
When budding, make several vaccinations in different areas.

Be sure to remove shoots on the rootstock branch as soon as they appear.