What soil is suitable for tangerines at home?

Rating of store mixes

There are various options for mixtures, the composition of which has a balanced structure.
Their basis is peat. The product is completely ready for planting and there is no need for additives. Buy:

1. Fasco "Lemon". Contains nutritional elements in balanced amounts.
2. Terra Vita "Universal". A balanced soil containing all the necessary components. Before use, they are calcined in an oven to avoid the appearance of a large number of worms.
3. Gardens of Aurica "Gardenia". Ideal chemical composition. Incoming components: sand, earth, broken brick. Plus, you don’t need to purchase additional drainage.
4. Peat soil “For citrus fruits”. . To preserve the structure, it contains a large-pored baking powder.
5. Botanist's Dream "Lemon". Ideal ratio of microelements. Contains the required level of acidity.
6. "Garden of Miracles". Contains essential minerals. You will have to add river sand before use. It can be purchased separately or prepared independently. Before adding it, it is washed and dried.

The right soil will provide a highly decorative appearance to the plant, accelerate development, and help it grow faster.

Ready mixes

It is important to check the soil purchased in the store for quality and acidity. To do this, you need to take a lump of substrate, moisten it with distilled or filtered water, and then apply litmus paper to the lump. If the color of the indicator strip turns green or yellow, the pH level in the soil is normal.

A blue stripe indicates alkaline soil, while a red litmus color indicates that the soil is too acidic.

Advice: it is important to check the store-bought substrate for petroleum product content. To do this, you need to throw a lump of earth into clean water and stir. If the surface of the water is not covered with a film, rainbow or greasy spots, the substrate is of high quality.

If you wish, you can take a small amount of the substrate to the laboratory to study the level of minerals - lemon does not like both high and low levels of minerals in the soil. Also, before using either self-prepared or store-bought soil, it must be calcined - this procedure will help get rid of possible pest larvae, fungal spores (causative agents of diseases), and pathogenic microorganisms.

When purchasing, in addition to the store-bought substrate, you must purchase drainage. This could be: expanded clay, red broken brick, crushed stone, river pebbles and even fragments of pottery.

Growing lemon from seed

Rules for grafting tangerines at home
As I already mentioned, the easiest way to grow a lemon is from a seed. This is often done casually by sticking a seed into a pot of any other indoor plant. Usually such seeds germinate and grow for some time, but in most cases that’s all it ends with. If you want to grow a full-fledged lemon tree from a seed, then you need to allocate it an individual space with the most suitable soil for it. In principle, the usual mixture for indoor flowers is also suitable for germinating lemon seeds, but it is better to make it even easier by diluting it with pure peat. For germination, seeds taken from well-ripened fruits are best suited (unripe lemons are often found on sale). The pot should be small - 7-9 centimeters in diameter (as for growing violets). The bone is buried about a centimeter - one and a half. Next, put the pot in a bright, warm place. It is advisable, as when growing seedlings, to create greenhouse conditions for the grain. To do this, just cover the pot with a regular glass jar. At this point, the process of planting lemon seeds can be considered complete. During the germination process, make sure that the soil does not dry out. A sprout should appear in a couple of weeks.

Caring for lemon seedlings is also simple. Keep the soil moist, do not let it dry out too much, spray it periodically. To maintain greenhouse conditions, leave it under the same jar, only periodically (once a day) remove it for a few minutes to ventilate and remove condensation from the walls of the jar. The young lemon is kept in this way until it grows to about 15 centimeters. After this, you can transfer it into a more spacious (10 cm in diameter) pot, add more nutritious soil (more about it below) and begin caring for an adult lemon.

Other ways to grow indoor lemons

A more effective method is to graft a cutting of a fruit-bearing lemon onto an adult non-fruit-bearing tree. The same lemon grown from the seed can be used as a rootstock. By the way. Any citrus tree (tangerine, orange, etc.) is suitable as a rootstock. Lemon is grafted, just like ordinary garden trees. This operation is quite complicated and beyond the capabilities of most novice flower growers, so if you decide to do it, think carefully about whether you can carry it out efficiently.

Despite the fact that fruiting of such a lemon will begin much earlier than when grown by other methods, it also has a number of significant disadvantages.

– Firstly, the method is complex and requires skills.

– Secondly, you need to have a well-developed (at least three years old) rootstock, and growing it also takes time...

Growing lemon from cuttings is the most effective, simple and reliable way to grow fruit-bearing indoor lemon. For it you only need cuttings taken from an adult fruit-bearing lemon tree. I have already described in detail how to grow a lemon from a cutting. You can read it here. I can only add that although the flowering of such lemons can occur within a few months after rooting (as evidenced by the photo below), they will not begin to bear fruit immediately either. First, they need to develop well. But after three to four years you can safely count on the first harvest.

This lemon was grown from a cutting 4 months ago. A bud has already appeared on its top.

Reproduction

If there is enough free space, you can propagate lemons in your home, greenhouse, or greenhouse. Propagating lemons allows you to watch the plants grow, which is fun, and saves money.

There are 2 ways to propagate lemons:

1. generative (from seeds);
2. vegetative (cuttings).

Seeds

Growing lemons from seeds is suitable for those who have a lot of patience. Whether a lemon grown from a seed will bear fruit depends on many factors. The best sowing time is spring.

Work progress:

1. After removing the seed from the pulp, without allowing it to dry completely, it is sown in small pots or in a flat dish (for example, a bowl) filled with special soil consisting of peat soil and sand. You can lightly cut the seeds before planting to speed up germination.
2. Then it is necessary to moisten the soil by spraying and place it in a room where constant humidity is maintained, a temperature of about 24 ° C, and plenty of light. The dish can be covered with glass or transparent film.
3. The room must be ventilated frequently to prevent fungal diseases.
4. You need to regularly check the surface moisture and, if necessary, spray it with a spray bottle. Plants germinate in 3-5 weeks.
5. When the seedlings produce their first true leaf, they are transplanted into a separate pot. Over time, they grow into large, vigorously growing plants. However, these plants begin to bear fruit late, sometimes only after 15 years.

Vegetatively propagated lemons bloom and bear fruit after 2-3 years, because the seedlings were taken from a plant that has already passed its teenage period.

Cuttings

You can successfully propagate lemons from cuttings.

Preparation of the cutting:

1. The stalk is cut. The best for rooting are cuttings with a heel, that is, from side shoots torn from the stem. The collected shoots must be annual, not lignified.
2. A piece of shoot 10-20 cm long should be cut diagonally just below the node (the place from which the leaves grow).
3. Remove the lowest leaves.
4. Dip the tip into the rooting agent and place it in the prepared hole in a special substrate for seedlings.
5. Watered.

The substrate should preferably consist of perlite and sand. Make a frame over the pot and cover it with a plastic bag so that the seedlings have enough moisture. The container with the cuttings is placed in a warm place with a temperature of + 25 +28 °C (not lower than 20 °C).

A sign that citrus seedlings have begun to grow is the appearance of new shoots or leaves. The young plant should be ventilated and prepared for external conditions. The best time for planting is early spring, but many species can be propagated until autumn.

How to propagate citrus fruits

What kind of home care does yucca need?

Citrus fruits are propagated by cuttings, layering, and seeds. Strong plants can grow from seeds, but they will not retain the characteristics of the variety, they will not begin to bear fruit soon, and they may not bear fruit at all. They are usually grafted with the desired variety. Cuttings are cut 10–15 cm long with 3–4 buds in autumn or spring, and they are rooted in water or soil. If the branch is long enough, it is buried in the ground, after making a ring-shaped cut in the bark. If this is not possible, then air layering is done - the soil is simply attached to the branch using adhesive tape and a sawn flower pot.

Land for homemade lemon

Why do spathiphyllum leaves and their tips dry out? what care does the plant need at home?

Land for lemon plays a big role in ensuring the growth and development of the plant. Choosing the right soil composition for homemade lemon helps to grow a tree and get high-quality fruits.

Land for homemade lemon

Soil for lemon

For indoor lemon seedlings, the soil should be light and enriched with minerals. The mixture can be purchased at the store or prepared independently. Cultivation of lemon fruits begins at 2-3 years of age, subject to optimal development conditions.

Normal plant growth is ensured by adding a high-quality soil mixture. It must meet the following parameters:

• lightness, air and moisture permeability;
• neutral level pH5-7: increased soil acidity affects leaf fall and plant death;
• the absence of earth lumps that interfere with the penetration of nutrients to the roots.

Growing young lemon trees is impossible in heavy soil, where moisture is poorly distributed and greenhouse processes are present. The root system is susceptible to drying out and rotting.

Soil composition

Indoor lemon trees need to select soil based on their age. For a young lemon tree, a soil composition containing sand and peat is selected; an adult plant loves heavy soils. The soil for lemon should be enriched with fertilizers.

Store-bought lemon blends

Store-bought primer for lemon consists of:

• fibrous peat: the remains of marsh plants after decay, a material with water and air permeability, containing components necessary for growth and development;
• peat humus after decomposition;
• sand;
• a fertilizer complex consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Homemade lemon does not always take root after transplanting into store-bought soil. The following factors influence this:

• using waste soil from greenhouses to prepare mixtures: it is devoid of nutritional components and has a developed pathogenic microflora;
• soil storage: in dense bags in a humid environment, plant components decompose, creating conditions for the development of anaerobic bacteria.

Soil selection

When choosing store-bought soil for homemade lemon, check:

• start and end date of expiration date;
• proportions of minerals: lemon needs nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium;
• sizes of the constituent parts of the soil: the presence of large compressed lumps indicates poor quality of the mixture.

Preparing soil at home

It is better to prepare the soil yourself

Soil prepared at home yourself is better for lemon than a store-bought mixture.

To prepare you will need:

• lowland peat (before use it is ventilated for 2-3 days);
• garden soil;
• turf soil (soil from a clover meadow or a plot of nettles has good properties);
• humus from leaves (it is better to collect soil from under linden trees; soil from under willows, oaks and pine needles is not suitable, because it has high acidity and tannin content);
• sand;
• manure humus;
• alder or birch charcoal;
• crushed coal - 20 g.

Young indoor lemons can be planted in a mixture of turf soil and leaf humus in a 1:1 ratio, and a small amount of sand or peat. The soil is stored in a cool place.

Land quality

After preparation, before planting, the quality of the resulting land for lemons is checked. Using litmus paper, check the pH level. A lump of earth is moistened with filtered or distilled water, and litmus paper is tightly applied to it. Yellow and green color of the paper indicates a pH level of 6-7, red indicates high acidity, blue indicates an alkaline environment.

To check for the presence of oil impurities in the mixture, a small part of it is sent into water and mixed.

After the earth settles at the bottom, the surface of the water is examined. If there are no greasy spots on the surface, there are no impurities. Studying the mineral composition allows you to choose the right soil for lemons.

Soil requirements

The ideal soil for indoor lemon is considered to be sandy soils rich in nutrients, nutritious loams, etc. The plant does not tolerate clay soils due to poor access to oxygen to the roots and stagnation of moisture.

Soil acidity plays a major role in growth and development. The plant prefers neutral soil with an acidity level of 6.5-7 pH. It also grows well in less acidic soil with a pH level of about 6. At home, you can check this indicator, for example, using litmus paper or a special device, which are now sold in stores with gardening equipment.

The plant cannot tolerate acidic soil, nor does it tolerate alkaline soil. Stores sell special soil for planting citrus plants - it can be used for growing indoor lemons. These substrates are already enriched with organic elements, and this is a very important factor for lemon.

Ideal soil for lemon: preparing soil mixture at home

Citrus growing in Russia has been around for more than 280 years; lemons were first imported under Peter I.

The practice of growing lemons at home became especially popular during the Soviet Union, and interest in growing citrus fruits has not cooled to this day.

Lemon is a plant that is quite demanding of care, and in order for it to begin to bloom and bear fruit, you need to create ideal conditions for it.

Everything matters - lighting, frequency of watering, air humidity, soil composition, presence of drainage; any mistake will definitely affect the appearance of the plant.

In this article we will talk about what kind of soil is needed for lemon.

What kind of soil is needed?

So, what kind of soil is needed for lemons? What soil should I plant lemons in?

1. Lemon roots do not have hairs, so it is more difficult for them to absorb nutrients from the soil than for other plants. For this reason, the soil in the pot should consist of small particles; the presence of lumps of earth is unacceptable.
2. To ensure the flow of oxygen to the roots, drainage (sand with small peat particles) is added to the soil.
3. The soil for lemons cannot be too acidic; its pH should be approximately equal to 7 (can be determined using a special device - an ionometer). Acidic soil can be neutralized by adding a little chalk to it.

The best soil

1. Lemon roots need a constant supply of oxygen, so let the soil be light and loose, without lumps.
2. Ideally, it is better to prepare an earthen mixture yourself by mixing leaf humus, ordinary soil and sand in equal parts.
3. If you have chosen a purchased soil mixture (special mixtures for lemon are sold), then when replanting the plant, be sure to add a little sand and agrovermiculite (expanded clay) to the pot so that the soil becomes porous and retains more moisture.
4. Under no circumstances should you pour different parts of the soil in layers - humus, sand and black soil have different water permeability, so the water will be distributed unevenly when watering. It is necessary to mix the soil in the pot before planting the lemon in it.
5. Agrovermiculite is poured into the bottom of the pot; it should occupy approximately 1/5 of its volume. Then the prepared soil is filled in. Agrovermiculite does not need to be mixed with soil.
6. To prevent the development of fungus in the soil, add birch charcoal to the soil mixture in a ratio of 1:40 or pour 1 centimeter of crushed pine bark onto the bottom of the pot, on top of agrovermiculite.
7. Young lemon cuttings are first planted in damp sand, and only after a few weeks - in the ground. The grains of sand should be neither too small nor too large. The optimal diameter of a pot of young lemon is 12 centimeters. A ceramic pot is best for lemon.
8. If, when replanting, you smell rotten emanating from the roots, add crushed coal to the soil and trim off the damaged roots.
9. If the soil in the pot has sank, but the time for replanting has not yet arrived, you need to add fresh soil to the pot.

So, preparing soil for lemon is not at all as simple as it seems at first glance.

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What soil is needed for lemon?

The soil for homemade lemon must have good permeability.

The soil should be:

1. very light
2. loose,
3. do not retain water.

Stagnant water in a pot causes citrus roots to rot, so the soil structure should allow water to easily pass through so that excess flows out through the holes in the pot.

The best growing effects are achieved when sufficient soil aeration allows roots to grow easily.

Most of all, lemon loves access to air to the roots and rapid passage of water.

A drainage layer of fine gravel or expanded clay is placed at the bottom of the pot.

Soil acidity for citrus fruits

Citrus soils should have an acidity pH of 5.5-6.5. Measuring the ph of the soil is done with various types of acid meters, ph meters and electronic soil testers.

Ready-made special soils for citrus fruits are sold on the market.

You can easily prepare your own lemon primer using readily available ingredients.

Several soil “recipes”

Recipe No. 1.

• 8 parts black soil,
• 3 parts sand
• 2 parts perlite
• a handful of peat.

Recipe No. 2.

• 5 parts pine bark,
• 1 part perlite
• 1 part humus.

Recipe No. 3.

• 5 parts black soil,
• 2 parts sand
• 2 parts perlite
• 1 part clay.

Recipe No. 4.

• 5 parts black soil,
• 2 parts sand
• 1 part perlite
• 1 part compost soil.

When using chernozem in a mixture, it is best to use soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. For example, soil is good for palm trees.

When using pine bark, you need to make sure that the pieces are no more than 2 cm in diameter. Finely ground pine bark is a good leavening agent that citrus soil should contain.

Photo. Pine bark and perlite are excellent leavening agents.

The sand added to the ground should be the gray, coarse sand used in construction, not fine beach sand. The sand should be scalded with boiling water or at least rinsed thoroughly before use.

The clay must be dried and finely ground. It is bought in fishing and zoological stores.

Sometimes, to ensure better aeration of the substrate, small pieces of coconut shells are used.

A popular procedure is the addition of special mycorrhiza to the soil, which facilitates the plant's absorption of substances from the soil, which leads to better plant growth.

Artificial substrate components

Artificial components improve the combination of natural ones.
Substrates of artificial origin are commercially available - industrially processed rocks and minerals. Artificial components will improve soil substrates for indoor lemons.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is an environmentally friendly material, similar in appearance to wood shavings, made from clay heated to a very high temperature.

Vermiculite absorbs excess water, has a high absorption capacity and low density, maintains an optimal amount of air and moisture in the soil, which prevents compaction and caking of the soil mixture.

Vermiculite is an ideal component of soil mixtures for rooting cuttings; they take root well in it. In substrates for adult plants, vermiculite successfully replaces river sand.

The ability of vermiculite to absorb unused moisture and fertilizers dissolved in it and release them as needed increases the operating time of fertilizing.

Vermiculite contains microelements necessary for plants: magnesium, calcium, silicon, iron. Therefore, vermiculite creates favorable conditions for nutrition of the root system and growth of lemons.

Perlite

Perlite is a silica-based volcanic rock that has been heat-treated and ground into a homogeneous mass. Perlite is used as a sand substitute, but, unlike sand, it is light, porous and homogeneous in both physical and chemical characteristics.

Unlike vermiculite, perlite contains magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iron in a bound state, in a form inaccessible to plants.

Perlite is added to improve the porosity of mixtures and prevent the formation of crust on the surface of substrates containing garden soil. The amount of perlite is 10-20% of the volume of the mixture. Perlite plays the role of a fan in the substrate.

Dolomite

Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing calcium and manganese carbonates, one of the best materials for liming soil.

Dolomite is crushed and used in the form of dolomite flour to reduce the acidity of peat substrates, which is especially important when growing citrus plants and indoor lemons, in particular

Expanded clay

Expanded clay is an artificial material in the form of porous balls, obtained by firing clay fusible rocks.

Expanded clay does not hold water well, so it is used to create a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. A few centimeters of expanded clay will prevent the roots from clogging the hole in the pot.

I wish you to make the right substrate and grow lemons worth a million!

Video “Soil for citrus fruits”

From this video you will learn how to properly prepare soil for citrus plants.

Today, there are many articles on the Internet about growing citrus fruits, and many are increasingly concerned with the question: “What substances should an ideal fertilizer for citrus fruits consist of?” The emergence of such increased attention to the problem is due to the fact that plant growers associate yellowed leaves with poor quality nutrition

Of course, the quality of fertilizing plays an important role in the development of citrus fruits, but soil acidity is much more important.

Many people underestimate the importance of pH

. The secret is that on self-prepared or purchased substrates, the first time after transplantation everything grows perfectly, but after a little more the plant begins to slow down its development rate until it stops completely. If you measure the pH

soil of such plants, you can find out that in pots of chlorotic citrus fruits, the acidity of the soil is much higher than normal, in contrast to those that have rich green foliage.

Optimal soil acidity for citrus fruits

We all remember from our school chemistry course that pH

- This is an indicator of acidity. If the environment has an acidity of 7.0, then it is neutral, if the indicators are higher, we are talking about an alkaline environment, but if the indicators are below 7, then this indicates increased acidity.

Chlorosis

is a disease accompanied by the loss of plants’ ability to produce chlorophyll during photosynthesis. The main sign of the disease is that active yellowing of the leaves is observed on the plants. Experienced farmers know that iron is responsible for the production of chlorophyll in sprouts, which the crop is unable to absorb if the acidity is incorrect.

With chlorosis, yellowing of the leaf blades of the seedlings is observed, while the veins on them retain an active green color. Alkalinization of the soil can occur if you constantly water the bushes with hard water. If the acidity of the soil in pots of plants grown in heavy soil has dropped to 8.0, then it is recommended to deoxidize it. Most often, to deoxidize soils at home, add 1/3 teaspoon of citric acid per liter of water.

If you water the prepared solution on citrus fruits that have stopped growing and their leaves show obvious signs of chlorosis, you will notice that after the soil in the pots reaches the desired pH value of 6.5, the bushes will begin to actively grow new healthy shoots. This allows us to conclude that growing citrus fruits at home must be carried out with complete control of soil acidity.

Growing citrus fruits at home requires the most responsible approach, and if you pay attention to any changes in the life of your pets and try to provide them with ideal conditions, then you will definitely be able to harvest the first harvest of tasty and aromatic fruits in your life

Essential Minerals

Lemon is one of those plants for which an excess of nutrients is more harmful than their deficiency, so you should not be particularly zealous in adding fertilizers to the soil before planting. If humus has been added to the substrate, then there is no longer a need to apply nitrogen fertilizers, and this element becomes more necessary only in the spring. As for ready-made soil mixtures marked “For citrus fruits,” their composition is completely balanced and meets all the needs of a young plant, so you should not add anything else there when planting.

A self-prepared substrate can be enriched with wood ash (1–2 tablespoons per pot). This wood combustion product contains almost the entire chemical table - up to 30 trace elements, potassium, phosphorus, as well as calcium and magnesium. No less useful is adding crushed charcoal to the substrate, which will release all the minerals it contains to the soil. If these components are not available, then you can improve the soil for lemon with fertilizers containing a complex of minerals and trace elements: Rainbow, Ideal, Lemon.

Substrates for growing lemons

Lemons do not grow in acidic soil
Based on the components of the soil mixtures described above, you can prepare several substrate options for growing indoor lemons and citrus plants.

The substrate is a mixture of several types of soil, taken in a certain proportion.

Do not forget to check the acidity of the finished substrate, especially those containing peat. Remember, lemons prefer slightly acidic and neutral soils.

If necessary, reduce the acidity of the finished substrate by adding wood ash or dolomite flour. You can increase the acidity of the soil by additionally adding manure humus or peat.

1. Mix equal amounts of pre-sifted turf, leaf soil and manure humus. Add washed coarse river sand to the resulting mixture in an amount of 10% of the total mass. Mix thoroughly again. You can add 200 g of granulated superphosphate to a bucket of the finished mixture.
2. To prepare this substrate, equal quantities of turf, leaf, peat soil, manure humus (preferably horse humus) and river sand are taken. When planting (transplanting) adult plants, turf soil is taken twice as much as other components of the substrate. All components of the mixture must be thoroughly mixed and free of foreign impurities.
3. The composition of this substrate differs from the previous one in that it does not contain peat soil and the content of turf is increased. For young plants, the initial components of the soil mixture: turf soil, leaf soil, manure humus and sand are taken in a ratio of 2:1:1:1, and for adults - 3:1:1:1. River sand can be replaced with sea sand (for example, dune sand).
4. A more nutritious substrate is obtained by increasing the amount of leaf soil. Take 2 parts of turf soil, 3 parts of leaf soil, 1 part of manure, 1.5 parts of sand. To increase the breathability of the mixture and prevent rotting of the roots, you can add charcoal (0.5 parts) to the substrate.
5. All previous mixtures contained turf and leaf soil as the main components. If their preparation is difficult, then you can use the following substrate. Take 2 parts garden soil, 1 part sand and 1 part peat. To enrich the mixture with nutrients, you can add organic fertilizer based on manure (1/10 of the volume of the mixture).

The finished substrate is subjected to heat treatment and steamed to destroy larvae or eggs of pests and pathogens (fungal spores), as well as harmful bacteria.

The substrate is steamed in two ways:

1. in an oven heated to approximately +80-90°C, keep the baking sheet with the substrate for 1-2 hours;
2. Fill the bucket with the substrate with water (8 liters of substrate/1 liter of water) and boil for 30-40 minutes, covering the bucket with a lid.

After cooling, the substrate can be used.

Unfortunately, when steaming, not only insects, nematodes, worms, pathogenic fungi and bacteria die, but also the microflora of the substrate deteriorates. You can sterilize not the entire substrate, but only its most dangerous components (turf, leaf soil, compost, manure humus), and add relatively clean ones (peat) after cooling.

Fertilizer and soil care for homemade lemon

Indoor lemon should not be overdried, otherwise the plant will shed its leaves and die. Melt river or rain water is used for irrigation. In extreme cases, tap water warmed to room temperature will do.

Water the lemon over the entire layer of soil, evenly distributing the moisture. In summer, lemon is moistened 3 times a week, in winter - 1 time. Also, the amount of watering depends on where the plant is located. For example, if there is a battery, moisten the soil more often.

Lemon responds well to mineral liquid fertilizers. They are introduced 3 years after planting, using superphosphate or ammonium nitrate. The plant also loves complex fertilizers, for example, Kemira or citrus mixture. They have a balanced composition. Fertilizers are applied once every 1.5 months.

Attention! To protect the lemon from diseases and insect pests, the ground is watered with a soap solution. 100 g of grated soap is poured into 1 liter of water and placed under a bush.

Preparing the perfect composition

The finished substrate for citrus fruits consists of peat, compost, a small amount of sand, humus, leaf and turf soil. The components are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Compost

Land consisting of plant humus and rich in nutrients is called compost. For citrus fruits, decomposed compost is used. It is thoroughly sifted before use.

Peat land

When bog plants decompose, peat is obtained. It contains small amounts of mineral elements and photosynthesis products. When peat is added to the ground, the throughput capacity improves and the structure becomes looser. The microbiological composition also changes. The amino acids and humic acids contained in peat improve the development of citrus crops.

Peat alone is not used for growing plants. It is added to earth mixtures, improving the structure and properties of soils.

Peat is characterized by high acidity and needs to be deoxidized.

Sand

Not every soil has a good structure to begin with. Adding river sand to it is the main condition for increasing fertility.

Sand:

• changes the dense structure of the soil to a looser one and makes it suitable for the fruitful cultivation of plants;
• retains moisture and heat in the soil for a long time;
• significantly facilitates loosening and later replanting of plants;
• prevents the accumulation of large amounts of moisture, prevents the formation of root rot.

When growing citrus fruits, coarse sand is used. Before use, it is washed with clean water.

Garden soil

Under the growing trees in well-kept gardens there is fertile soil, which is actively used for growing many indoor plants. It is harvested in the summer, in dry weather. Before use, remove excess roots and sift through a coarse sieve.

For citrus fruits, garden soil taken at a distance of no more than half a meter from the tree trunk is suitable. The most suitable option is considered to be the top layer of soil, which is taken at a depth of no more than 7 cm.

Leaf ground

Humus from old fallen leaves is called leaf soil. It is believed that leaf soil is more fertile than garden soil. It is harvested in natural conditions, far from dusty cities and major highways. Most often, leaf soil is highly acidic and requires liming.

Sod land

Undisturbed meadows with perennial grasses growing provide excellent turf. Most often it has neutral and weak acidity. Turf soil stands out among other varieties due to its large reserves of nutrients and porous structure. Before use, it is peeled from the roots and sifted through a sieve.

When can you replant a lemon at home?

The time for transplanting lemons is from February to March; by the time of the growing season, the crop adapts to the new soil composition. If a disease or pest is detected, the lemon is replanted regardless of time; the emergency procedure is aimed at saving the tree. In all other cases, change the soil and container at rest.

You can additionally learn about recommendations for transplanting lemons at home from the video below:

When to replant a lemon grown from a seed

In order not to expose the seedling to unnecessary stress, plant the seeds of the crop in separate small pots. Lemon growth after germination is slow; all nutrients are used to build up the root system. When the young tree grows to 10-15 cm, it is transferred to a larger pot, about 4-5 cm. The lemon will intensively begin to fill the new space with the root system.

The soil for the seedling is chosen in the same way as the previous composition. After removal from the pot, the tree with the root ball is transferred. It is not recommended to replant indoor lemons into a pot that is too large; the plant will not allow the crown to grow until it fills the emptiness of the pot with roots. With a large container, there is a risk of soil acidification. Then the transplant is carried out as planned. Replacing the soil and pots is a necessary measure; the plant does not respond well to stress.

Is it possible to replant a blooming lemon?

A certain time of year is allocated for transplanting lemons, when the plant is in a state of relative dormancy. It is advisable not to touch the blooming crop. In case of emergency, if the plant is infected or parasites are progressing on it, then it is replanted at any stage of the growing season. There are also varieties that bloom all year round, but they also need a change in container and soil.

If the plant is healthy, it is transferred by transshipment, trying to minimally disturb the root. There is nothing wrong with this procedure; the crop masters the new soil composition well. The worst that can happen is that some of the flowers will fall off.

In case of development of a disease or accumulation of pests, the soil is completely removed, damaged roots and branches are cut off. Lemon is disinfected and treated with appropriate preparations. It is impossible to lose a tree, so even a flowering plant is replanted.

Is it possible to replant a lemon with fruits?

Replace the soil during fruiting only in emergency cases, if all measures taken to eliminate infection and pests have not given a positive result. If the leaves and young ovaries of a tree turn yellow, fall off, take drastic measures with pruning and processing. After transplantation, all fruits and flowers are removed. The chances of the plant taking root are slim.

Transplanting a lemon into another pot during fruiting is necessary if the growing season and fruit ripening have stopped, fertilizing is insufficient, and the soil is completely depleted. In this case, the plant is transferred to another container; as a rule, the ripening of the fruit is accelerated, and the lemon does not get sick.

Can you replant a lemon without foliage?

In favorable conditions, lemon does not shed its leaves, the plant is conditionally deciduous, skeletal branches are exposed for several reasons:

• insufficient lighting;
• dry air;
• temperature too low for citrus fruits;
• soil depletion;
• soil acidification and root rotting;
• insufficient watering, especially before 4 years of growth;
• damage by pests or infections.

There is no need to rush into an unscheduled transplant; it is necessary to exclude negative environmental factors. If they are not the reason, the plant is urgently replanted if the measure is vital. After 3 weeks, the crown will begin to gradually recover. A tree without leaves tolerates soil changes much better than during flowering and fruiting.

Is it possible to replant a lemon in winter?

In varietal varieties of crops, the so-called biological clock is triggered. In winter, sap flow and growth slow down, which is the best option for transshipment. In case of illness, the plant will more easily tolerate replanting in winter. The main condition is that the temperature and lighting remain familiar. Decorative hybrid forms bloom and bear fruit all year round; correctly replacing the soil and pot will not affect the tree.

Top dressing

When making soil for lemon at home, it is important to add mineral fertilizers to it. Feeding is carried out when growing a tree throughout the growing season.

From January to August, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are used. For lemons, it is recommended to use horse manure tincture. To prepare it, you will need to dilute one hundred grams of manure in a liter of water and leave for two weeks.

Urea contains a lot of nitrogen. To prepare the working solution, you need to dilute one and a half grams of the substance in a liter of water.

During the flowering period, citrus fruits are fed with fertilizers high in potassium and phosphorus. They are added until fruits measuring 2 cm appear.

When growing citrus fruits, it is imperative to prepare the plants for the dormant period. To do this, from August to September the tree is fed with potassium fertilizers.

Planting and propagation

There are a number of options for propagating these trees: from grain, cuttings or grafted bushes.

From a grain

The lemon, orange or grapefruit from which you want to remove the seed must be ripe and even somewhat overripe. You should not dry the kernels - they need to be planted immediately after extraction from the fruit, otherwise they may dry out and not hatch. The conditions for planting any type of citrus fruit are almost the same: a layer of drainage-type material must be placed on the bottom of the clay pot.

The soil for planting should be a mixture of leaf soil, fertile soil and coarse sand. The planting depth is two to three centimeters (if you plant it deeper, the grain will rot, if shallower, it will dry out). Make a small greenhouse: cover the pot with a plastic wrap, place it on the windowsill so that the plant receives sun most of the day. In the evening, open the bag, allowing the soil to “breathe”.

It is necessary to water once every three days. In winter, light the greenhouse for a month. Shoots should appear within two to four weeks, depending on the degree of lighting, the quality of the material selected for planting, and the temperature of the room.

Cuttings

With this method, citrus fruits reproduce best in domestic conditions. Cuttings should be pruned from mature plants after flowering has ended. The length of the branch is about 10 centimeters, with two or three buds.

If cuttings are carried out in the spring, it is advisable to take the cuttings from a branch of autumn growth; for summer cuttings - from spring ones. Root the cuttings in damp moss or nutrient solution.

Custom

During the first year of life, citrus must be replanted three times: in summer and spring - in early July and in the 2nd half of August. At the same time, be careful not to ruin the earthen lump and do not plant a tree with fruits and flowers.

Optimal growing conditions

The lemon tree is propagated by cuttings, seeds or grafting. However, you don’t have to plant it yourself. Moreover, this also requires certain knowledge. Now there are enough places where you can buy a ready-made plant in a pot. This is a botanical garden, a specialized nursery, or a flower shop. So, you brought a new guest into your apartment. Where to begin?

Place

Determine a place for your pet in advance. Consider several factors:

• provide the tree with a permanent “place of residence.” It does not tolerate frequent movements;
• quite high - about two meters. Compare with the size of your ceilings. If you want something lower, you can choose citrus hybrids. For example, Meyer lemon, or citrofortunella. The tree is only up to one and a half meters tall. They require less care than other varieties (admire the photo);
• keep it away from heating radiators. The heat will have a detrimental effect.

Lighting

Homemade lemon loves a bright room. Ideal - diffused sunlight, south or south-east side of the house. You can keep it in direct sunlight for up to two hours a day. This is no longer possible, otherwise the foliage will get burned. In winter, additional lighting is required.

Domestic citrus fruits turn their leaves to follow the light. Therefore, so that it is not one-sided, to form a beautiful crown, slightly unfold the flowerpot. Do as needed, but carefully.

Too much, long-term (more than 12 hours/day) lighting leads to rapid growth, but slows down fruiting. Insufficient - slows down growth and causes diseases.

Temperature

The most important stage of caring for a lemon tree occurs in the spring. Active growth and flowering begins. Therefore, such a factor as temperature plays an important role here.

Citrus fruit tolerates different temperatures: from +14 to +27 degrees. The peculiarity is that it should always be the same. The tree does not tolerate temperature changes well. When the flowering period begins, the temperature in the apartment should not be higher than +18 degrees. Higher temperatures cause the buds to dry out and then to drop.

In spring (starting from +12 degrees) the flowerpot can be moved to the balcony. A garden plot is also suitable. This stimulates growth.

In winter, lemons need cooler conditions than in summer. An insulated balcony is perfect for him. If the apartment is hot, illness and even death may occur. At night, wrap the crown with light natural fabric.

Humidity

Humidity is especially important when caring for indoor lemons. It is moderate, 60-70% at average temperature (+18 degrees)

If it’s hot, spray the plant and the air around it twice daily.

Transfer

Plants need to be replanted regularly. Knowing what kind of soil a lemon needs, you can provide the tree with constant access to nutrients, which will help speed up its growth and development. It also helps to change the acidity of the substrate to the one that the plant needs.

Clear signs that the plant needs to be replanted are:

• unripe branches;
• the plant stops growing;
• Lemon development occurs slowly;
• roots appeared from the drainage hole of the pot.

It is necessary to replant the plant during the period when there are no buds or fruits. Prepare for transplantation in advance. The lemon is watered for several days to completely wet the earthen ball, but without stagnating water. The tree is carefully removed from the pot along with the earthen lump. If dried, damaged roots are visible, they are removed.

The lemon is placed in another pot of larger diameter so that the existing earthen lump does not collapse. The plant is sprinkled with new soil.

Regular transshipment allows you to form a strong tree. After transplanting, the tree is well watered and protected from direct sunlight for a couple of weeks until the plant adapts to the new conditions.