How to care for a lemon growing in a pot at home

Pavlovsk lemon can be considered a symbol of Russian home citrus growing. History says that in 1860, the Nizhny Novgorod merchant Karachistov brought a lemon seedling from Turkey to the village of Pavlovo and planted it in a tub. Years passed, the lemon gave birth, and over time, almost every window in the village was decorated with lemon trees with golden fruits. That line of trees became known as Pavlovsk lemon.

But in fact, lemons were grown in tubs before. And not only in the greenhouses of kings and shahs - in Russia, it was rare that a landowner’s estate did not have its own greenhouse where lemons ripened.

It is believed that lemon arose as a result of natural hybridization of other citrus fruits. According to some sources, it is a hybrid of citron and bitter orange. Already in the 12th – 13th centuries, it was grown in India and Pakistan and quickly gained popularity in countries with tropical and subtropical climates. And the ability of lemon to adapt to closed ground today allows lemons to be grown even beyond the Arctic Circle.

Lemon (Citrus limon) from the Rutaceae family is an evergreen tree or shrub with thick shoots covered with sparse thorns. The leaves are oblong, oval-shaped, dark emerald green, glossy.

The flowers are single or paired, 2–3 cm in diameter, pure white or creamy white, strongly recurved, with a delicate aroma. The buds and outer side of the flowers are pinkish in color. Budding lasts about 1 month, and flowering lasts up to 1.5 months. The fruits are egg-shaped, yellow, with juicy flesh of greenish-yellow color, sour-tart taste, ripen 8-9 months after the end of flowering. Most varieties have seeds.

The leaves and peel of the fruit contain a large amount of phytoncides, thanks to which lemons growing at home improve the atmosphere of rooms, protecting against staphylococcus and E. coli, its essential oils increase human performance. By the way, among all citrus fruits, lemons and grapefruits purify the air the best. Oranges and tangerines to a lesser extent (1).

Fruits grown independently contain the maximum amount of useful substances. They strengthen the immune system and have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. Water or tea with lemon is an excellent remedy against colds, vitamin deficiency and poisoning.

Lemons are grown outdoors in subtropical regions. However, this citrus has long been grown in tubs. Moreover, in the summer, these plants are traditionally taken out into the garden under the canopy of trees. It is important to return the plants to warm rooms in time, because during short-term frosts (-3 ° C) the shoots freeze, and the fruits are even more sensitive.

An adult tree in indoor conditions can produce 10 - 20 lemons.

Varieties of indoor lemon

To grow lemon at home, it is important to choose the right variety. The best option is varieties that have long been adapted for such conditions or specially created, which do not exceed 2 m in height and are shade-tolerant. If you have a choice, it is better to buy a seedling grown from a cutting, because sellers of grafted lemons do not always indicate the rootstock. And this is important, because these can be seedlings for open ground.

Traditionally, the lemon varieties grown in Russian homes are Pavlovsky, Meyer and Lunario. However, the range of lemon seedlings is wider, so you can choose the most suitable one for a particular living space. Particularly interesting are the remontant varieties, which bloom and bear fruit 2 to 4 times a year.

Pavlovsky. An ancient Russian variety with a rounded compact crown up to 1.5 m high. The fruits are large with thin smooth skin, juicy sweet and sour pulp and a large number of seeds.

The variety is early-bearing - blooms 3 years after rooting of cuttings, remontant, blooms 2 times a year - in spring and autumn.

Meyer. One of the best high-yielding varieties of Chinese origin with a rounded crown, up to 2 m high, relatively small leaves, multi-flowered inflorescences, round bright yellow fruits with thin shiny skin - they are very juicy, sweet and sour, with a special flavor.

The variety is remontant, blooms 4 times a year.

Photo: pixabay.com

Lunario ( Four Seasons ). An ancient Sicilian high-yielding variety with a beautiful crown shape, barely reaching 1 m in height. Very characteristic fruits are elongated in shape with a pronounced neck and “navel”, thin smooth skin of light yellow color. The taste is weak, not very sour, but with a strong aroma. The pulp is slightly juicy.

The variety is remontant and blooms every new moon, so the tree almost always has ripening fruits and flowers.

Villa Franca. An American variety with oval smooth fruits, yellow juicy sweetish pulp and dense skin. It is distinguished by large emerald-colored leaves and a small number of thorns.

Genoa. Italian high-yielding variety up to 1.5 m high with a lush crown. The fruits are round and medium in size with a yellowish-green rough skin, juicy and aromatic pulp with a sour taste.

Kursk. An early ripening, high-yielding variety with oval fruits weighing up to 140 g with thin skin. Tolerates shade and low temperatures well.

Lemon 008. Russian high-yielding variety up to 1.5 m high with round fruits. The peel is medium thick, slightly wrinkled, yellow in color. The pulp is very juicy and sour.

The variety is remontant - it blooms and bears fruit at the same time all year round.

Maikopsky. A high-yielding variety with oval oblong fruits weighing up to 150 g. The peel is medium thick, glossy, ribbed. The variety is early-bearing – it blooms in 2–3 years.

World. A high-yielding domestic variety with beautiful round fruits weighing up to 400 g, bright yellow, with thin skin. The pulp is juicy, with a strong special aroma. A distinctive feature of the variety is that the fruits can be collected in clusters of several pieces.

Novogruzinsky (Novoafonsky). A productive variety up to 2 m high with a spreading crown, round or elliptical fruits with thin yellow skin, juicy sweet-sour pulp. A characteristic feature is quite a lot of thorns.

Tashkent. Uzbek early-fruiting and early-ripening variety with small (up to 85 g) fruits, with thin orange peel. It is distinguished by small leaves and flowers, blooming twice during the year.

Anniversary. Uzbek early ripening variety with round fruits and dense yellow skin. It has a high degree of shade tolerance.

In general, lemon does not have any incredible care requirements, but there are nuances that must be taken into account.

Description of culture

Indoor lemon is an evergreen dwarf tree with thorns on its branches. Lemon leaves are bright green, oblong, very dense. They contain glands with essential oils that bring a pleasant, fresh citrus smell into the room. Young pagons stand out with a rich violet-purple hue. The buds take about five weeks to develop. The flowers are white, collected in inflorescences, and are characterized by a pronounced aroma. One flower can live up to nine weeks.

Lemon in buds

The process of fruit ripening can last more than nine months. They are mainly egg-shaped with a tubercle at the base. Color and size may vary from deep green to pale, almost yellow or striped. There are lemons whose weight exceeds 100 g, and there are smaller ones - up to 50 g.

Important! If a ripe fruit is not picked, it can hang for a long time without losing its attractive appearance, but the taste will deteriorate - the pulp will become dry and hard.

Caring for indoor lemon at home

In general, lemon does not have any incredible care requirements, but there are nuances that must be taken into account.

Priming

Lemons are fairly large and fast-growing plants, so they need nutrient-rich soil to grow in a small container. It should be loose, water- and breathable. Ideal soil is loamy with a neutral reaction (pH 6.5 – 7.0)

Photo: pixabay.com

Most often, a special soil for citrus fruits from a reliable manufacturer is used.

You can prepare soil for lemon yourself. One of the recipes is this: take equal proportions of turf and leaf soil, rotted horse manure, peat and washed river sand. For specimens older than 5 years, the share of turf soil is doubled. Be sure to pickle the mixture and check the acidity level (2).

Lighting

To successfully grow lemons, it is important to provide the plant with good lighting. The best option is a window sill in the southeast direction. Despite its love of light, lemons must be shaded from direct sunlight in summer. By the appearance of a tree it is easy to determine when it does not have enough light: new leaves are small, pale, shoots are weak, and there are few flowers. In this case, it is necessary to either move the plant to a brighter place, or turn on additional illumination with phytolamps, especially in winter.

When kept in cool conditions in the spring, the lemon wakes up early and begins to grow actively. At this time, it is necessary to increase the illumination, and when it gets warmer, move the lemon to the balcony or garden. In the garden, the lemon tree is placed under the light, diffused shade of trees.

Temperature

Lemon is a subtropical crop, so the comfortable temperature for it is 14 – 16 °C. But it easily tolerates both lower temperatures in winter and summer heat. However, it is important for him that the difference between day and night temperatures is no more than 6 °C. Especially during the flowering period.

In indoor conditions, some varieties of lemon also bloom in winter, so on a cold windowsill you need to place a piece of polystyrene foam or thick cork under the pot and separate it from the cold glass with film. But the plant also needs to be protected from the heat of the battery, for example, by hanging a damp cloth on it - this will also increase the air humidity.

Lemon loves fresh air, but not drafts. Therefore, regular ventilation must be carried out carefully so that the plant is not exposed to jets of cold air.

Humidity

Humidity plays a vital role in successfully growing lemons. If in the warm season lemons are often taken out into the garden or onto the balcony and there are minimal problems with air humidity, then during the heating season dry air causes great harm to the plant.

The optimal air humidity for lemon is 60 – 80%. If it is lower in summer and the temperature is high, then it is recommended to spray the plants with clean, soft water at least once a day. In winter, the humidity in a living room is always low and the temperature is above 20 ° C, so it is recommended to use air humidifiers or spray the plants 2-3 times a day, place the pot in a deep tray with wet expanded clay, and next to the pot there is a wide vessel with water.

It is also important to wash the plant regularly, removing dust and dirt from the leaves.

Water the lemon rarely, after the top layer of soil has dried to a depth of 1.5 - 2 cm), but generously, draining the water from the pan after 3 - 5 minutes. The water should be settled and at room temperature.

For watering, spraying and a full shower, it is recommended to use rain or filtered water at room temperature with the addition of a pinch of citric acid per 3 liters.

Fertilizers

Lemon nutrition should be balanced. Experienced citrus growers prefer to use special complex fertilizers, or fertilizers such as Ideal or Zdraven. Complex fertilizers must contain boron, manganese and zinc.

Practice shows that lemons respond well to fertilizing with infusions of wood ash and vermicompost.

Feeding

At home, lemons rarely have a dormant period, so the plants are fed all year round. From March to October, fertilizing watering is done once a week using Ideal fertilizer. From November to February – once a month.

To stimulate the formation of fruits and prevent shedding of the ovaries, the drug Bud is used.

Photo: pixabay.com

During the period of growth and ripening of the fruit, the lemon is fed 2 times with an interval of 2–3 months with a solution of wood ash – 1 tbsp. spoon per 1 liter of water.

When transplanting, a root formation stimulator is added to the water for irrigation.

Trimming

As a result of pruning, it is important to obtain a tree with a low trunk and a harmonious fluffy crown. This will allow you to get a good and stable harvest. The process of forming a lemon crown is long and leisurely.

It is better to prune lemons at the end of winter or in the first days of spring - this increases the chances of active fruiting.

Pruning begins in the first year of life: the trunk is shortened to a height of 20–25 cm. However, it is important that there are 4 buds left on it for the growth of side branches.

In the second year of life, the lemon begins to form a crown. Trim the crown and long side branches, cutting off approximately 10 - 20 cm of the shoot. This is done in the second half of February. Pinching of shoots is carried out during the spring, shortening rapidly growing young shoots. But don’t get carried away with pinching, since it is at the tips of the branches that the inflorescences appear.

In addition to formative pruning, lemons also require sanitary pruning. Individual branches may dry out. But there is no need to rush to remove them, because even on a seemingly dry shoot, dormant buds can come to life.

Fruit ripening

How many hours of sunshine do lemons need? Trees grown at home should be kept in a place exposed to sunlight for at least 5 hours. The best growing effects are achieved when the trees receive 8 hours of full sun per day.

In our country it is often not possible to create optimal conditions that would satisfy our plants. Sometimes the summer season is not as sunny as expected.

The sun makes lemons ripen.

In addition to heating, it is necessary to ensure an adequate daily temperature range:

• during the day - sun and warmth,
• at night - cool.

Lemons require the least amount of light and are the least demanding of all citrus plants in this regard. Therefore, they are suitable for growing in regions where summers are typically colder.

Propagation of indoor lemon at home

Lemons are propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering. However, the seed method is used only for further grafting, because without it, the seedling will bear its first fruits in 20 years. Lemon can be propagated by layering only if you already have an adult tree.

The most affordable way to propagate lemons at home is by cuttings. The best time for cutting cuttings is from April to July, when flowering has finished and the development of the tree has slowed down. At this time, the most favorable conditions for rooting are warm and light.

Cuttings should be cut and trimmed using a sharp and disinfected instrument.

The shoot from which the cutting is removed should be semi-lignified, green in color and bend easily. For rooting, a cutting with 2 to 4 leaves is enough. The lower cut is made oblique right under the bottom sheet, the top cut is 1 cm above the sheet, the bottom sheet is removed. The remaining leaves are shortened by half to reduce moisture evaporation. The lower cut of the cutting is soaked in a root formation stimulator for 8 - 10 hours.

Photo: pixabay.com

To root the cuttings, you need a pot with drainage holes. Pour a layer of fine expanded clay, then soil (about 2/3 of the height of the pot), consisting of equal parts of leaf and turf soil with the addition of vermiculite or coarse sand. Then pour sand and vermiculite in 2 layers. Water with settled warm water with the addition of trichodermin.

Cuttings are planted, deepening them by 1.5 - 2 cm. If 2 - 3 cuttings are rooted in one pot, then they should not touch each other with leaves.

The planted cuttings are sprayed with warm water (2–3°C above room temperature), covered with a glass or plastic cap, or placed in a greenhouse. The rooting process takes place in a warm and bright place, but without direct sunlight. The cuttings are regularly watered, ventilated daily and sprayed with water.

In favorable conditions, after 1 month roots will appear and the cutting will begin to develop. After this, gradually, over 10 days, the shelter is removed.

The cuttings are grown in the same pot, adding fertile soil and ensuring regular fertilizing watering. And only the grown cuttings are transplanted into a separate pot with special soil.

Rooted lemon cuttings can bloom in 1 year, but the flowers must be removed.

What to do and how to make the plant produce buds?

If a lemon tree does not bloom for a long time, it can be provoked to bloom using proven methods:

• Creating extreme conditions:
  In winter, lemon can be taken out to the balcony to force the plant to wake up.
• The second way to change conditions is to deliberately create a period of drought, which is replaced by abundant watering.
• Crown formation. Lemon trees begin to bloom and bear fruit on branches of 3-4 orders. By molding you can push the plant to actively branch and the appearance of the necessary branches. It is important to do the molding correctly and not cut short fruit branches. In addition, pinching helps to form a beautiful crown of the tree.
• Pulling branches. By improvising with rope and weights, you can give the branches a horizontal position. This leads to faster flowering and fruiting. Skeletal branches can be tied with wire.
• Necessary care measures. The plant is needed:
  Feed in a timely manner (only in the summer season).
• Water with settled water.
• Spray frequently to create comfortable conditions that allow the lemon tree to grow stronger and gain strength for flowering.

We invite you to watch a video on how to help a lemon bloom:

Replanting indoor lemons at home

Lemon transplantation is carried out for the first time after you have purchased a seedling. Then it is done annually at the end of February until the age of 5, and then only when the root system outgrows the pot (the roots penetrate the drainage holes). But every year you need to remove the top layer of soil and add fresh soil.

To replant, remove the lemon from the pot, lightly shake off the soil, cut off the damaged roots, and sprinkle the cuts with charcoal.

One-year-olds are planted in pots with a diameter of 10–15 cm, two-year-olds in pots with a diameter of 15–20 cm. Then, with each transplant, the diameter of the pot should be 4–5 cm larger than the old one. For an adult fruit-bearing lemon, a pot with a diameter of about 50 cm is sufficient.

The lemon pot should have a classic cone shape, smooth inner walls, with a diameter equal to or slightly less than the height, and good drainage holes. First, pour a 2 cm layer of drainage material into the pot, then 2 cm of river sand and 6–7 cm of prepared soil.

The seedling is lowered into the pot and, slightly compacted, fresh soil is added. Then water, excess water is drained from the pan.

When transplanting, it is important not to bury not only the grafting site, but also the root collar.

To prevent diseases, add 2-3 tablets of Glyocladin to the soil.

Diseases of indoor lemon

The lemon tree is most often affected by late blight, horse rot and scab. However, in recent years, viral diseases have also become common.

Late blight. It causes flowers to fall off, dark spots on leaves and twigs to dry out.

When signs of the disease appear, it is necessary to remove the affected shoots and spray the plant and soil in the pot with Bordeaux mixture (3).

Scab. The scab pathogen causes round spots to appear on leaves, shoots and fruits, which turn brown over time.

When a disease is detected, the first step is to remove the damaged parts, and then treat the plants with Bordeaux mixture or Strobi.

Root rot. It causes shedding of ovaries, leaves and drying out of branches.

First of all, it is necessary to inspect the root system, remove the affected parts, sprinkle the cuts with crushed coal and transplant the plant into new soil. And dig Glyokladin tablets to a depth of 1 - 2 cm.

Photo: pixabay.com

Viral mosaic. Manifests itself in the form of yellow spots and curling of leaves. The disease causes growth retardation and plant depression.

It is impossible to cure the plant - the affected lemon is destroyed. For prevention, it is necessary to follow agricultural practices and promptly destroy pests.

Tristeza. This disease corrodes woody shoots, causing leaves to turn yellow and branches to dry out. The virus is spread by aphids.

The plant cannot be treated - the plant must be burned.

Gum treatment. A physiological disease provoked by sharp temperature fluctuations, excess nitrogen in the soil and lack of microelements.

Treatment consists of cleaning and treating damaged areas with a solution of potassium permanganate, replacing the soil, balanced nutrition, and watering with warm water.

Application

The lemon tree is valued not only for its fruits. Lemon inflorescences are actively used in cooking and folk medicine. Lemon flowers are used in cooking not only as decoration. In the East they are used in making desserts. Floral lemon water is popular in Europe. It is used as a base for various cocktails.

In folk medicine, lemon blossoms are used:

1. For insomnia and menstrual pain.
2. For hypertension and emotional agitation.
3. For nausea and stomach pain.
4. When coughing.

Lemon flowers are brewed as tea, infused with mineral water, and combined with medicinal herbs.

Lemon trees are not only beautiful ornamental plants. With proper care of lemon, you can achieve regular flowering and fruiting. Flowering will provide a pleasant aroma in the room, the inflorescences can be used in cooking or medicine, and the ripe fruits can be eaten. The effort put into growing lemons is well worth it in terms of its beauty and fruits.

Pests of indoor lemon

Mealybug. The appearance of a mealybug can be noticed by a “snowy” coating on the leaves and sticky drops.

If no action is taken, the plant will slow down and even stop growing. The simplest method of prevention is moist air and regular wiping of the leaves with a damp cloth. However, if the infestation is severe, pesticides must be applied. In indoor conditions, it is better to limit yourself to Bitoxibacillin or Fitoverm. In warm weather, you can take the plant out into the open air and use Aktara or Bankol (3).

Shield. It affects the trunk, branches and leaves; its colonies look like dirty drops, sticky to the touch. The activity of scale insects leads to yellowing and shedding of leaves, flowers and ovaries, and oppression of the plant.

At the beginning of infection, washing the plant with a sponge and soapy water has a good effect. Remove pests from the trunk and branches with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol, then wash with water. Scale insects can be completely destroyed by using Actellik or Fitoverm (3).

Spider mite. Damages leaves, which as a result curl into tubes and fall off. It reproduces most aggressively in a dry atmosphere.

To destroy spider mites, use increased air humidity, daily spraying with clean water and treatment with sulfur preparations - colloidal sulfur or Tiovit jet (3).

Possible problems in growing a lemon tree

Indoor lemon is an amazing plant that can decorate any room. Be it an office or just a living room.

However, when growing it you may encounter some problems:

• Pests. Most often, this plant is attacked by a scale insect, after which protruding oval plates form on the leaves. To get rid of this parasite, you should use modern drugs: Aktara, Actellik. If the plant is attacked by a mite, the plant should be sprayed with sulfur, or pesticides should be used. The plant can also be attacked by aphids. In this case, you need garlic water. The crushed head of garlic is placed in a glass of hot water and left for about 2 days. The tree is sprayed with the prepared infusion every other day for a week. After 5 days, the procedure is repeated.

Scale insect on lemon

• Sometimes the lemon drops its leaves. Most often this happens due to a small amount of sunlight.
• Yellowing and drying of leaves is mainly due to a large number of pests. Also, due to the lack of moisture, the plant will dry out. The plant's watering schedule needs to be changed.
• Plant wilting can be due to either insects or drafts.
• With excessive watering, the roots of the plant begin to rot. The process of decay is not immediately visible, but the leaves begin to lose turgor. If this happens, you need to remove the plant from the container, wash the roots, cut off the rotten areas, and treat the cut areas with activated carbon. Next, the indoor lemon needs to be planted in a new container using fresh soil.

Indoor lemon is a cute plant that requires a very careful attitude towards itself. But growing it is not that difficult. Attention to this plant will bring many pleasant smells and impressions to a Russian home. Lemon will add exclusivity, comfort and beauty to your apartment, but, of course, it will delight you with its juicy fruits.

Popular questions and answers

We asked agronomist Oleg Ispolatov - he answered the most popular questions from gardeners.

How to choose indoor lemon?

When buying a lemon, pay attention to its appearance: the leaves should be shiny and rich green. No signs of pests or diseases. Be sure to inspect the leaves from the underside. The root system is developed, but it is undesirable for the roots to grow through the drainage holes.

What kind of pot is needed for indoor lemon?

The pot for each transplant should be 2–3 cm larger in diameter than the old one. This rule is. The height of the pot should be 2 times less than the diameter of the top part. Lemons need to be replanted regularly, so the shape of the pot should be classic, strict, without any protrusions or decorations.

Why does indoor lemon turn yellow?

Most often, yellowed lemon leaves indicate that there is not enough iron in the diet. Therefore, feed the fertilizer with iron or spray it with Ferovit.

Why do indoor lemon leaves fall off?

Dropping leaves indicates stress in the plant. And it can be caused by a sudden change in location, lighting, or errors in watering and fertilizing.

Why do indoor lemon leaves curl?

Curling of lemon leaves clearly indicates a lack of macro- and microelements: - copper - the leaves darken and begin to curl from the tip of the leaf;
– magnesium – leaves turn pale and curl; – potassium and boron – leaves turn pale and curl. Adding these batteries will pause the process.

Why do the fruits of indoor lemons fall off?

There may be several reasons.
The first flowering is often weak and barren. But even during abundant flowering, some of the fruits will definitely fall off - this is how the plant signals that it is not ready for a big harvest. But it often happens that the shedding of the ovaries is caused by insufficient light and nutrition. Pests can also weaken the plant. Sources

1. Leonov P.P., Radzhabov A.K., Tsitsilin A.N., Aiba L.Ya. Phytoncidal activity of some representatives of the citrus family // Achievements of science and technology of the agro-industrial complex https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/fitontsidnaya-aktivnost-nekotoryh-predstaviteley-semeystva-tsitrusovye
2. Dadykin V.V. Citrus garden in the room. // M.: Agropromizdat,. 1988
3. State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals approved for use on the territory of the Russian Federation as of July 6, 2022 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation https://mcx.gov.ru/ministry/departments/departament-rastenievodstva-mekhanizatsii-khimizatsii- i-zashchity-rasteniy/industry-information/info-gosudarstvennaya-usluga-po-gosudarstvennoy-registratsii-pestitsidov-i-agrokhimikatov/

Lemon tree: what it looks like

Indoor lemon is a citrus fruit whose history goes deep into the past. The name "lemon" comes from the Malay word "lemo", which means "good for mothers". This fruit does not have an exact origin; according to historians, China or India may be its homeland.

Indoor lemon

It is noteworthy that the leaves of the lemon tree are no less healing than the lemon itself. They benefit the human body and have properties beneficial to it:

• regenerative;
• astringents;
• choleretic;
• healing;
• antiviral;
• antibacterial.

Also, these leaves increase resistance against viruses, improve blood circulation, and in case of infection, speed up a person’s recovery.

How does homemade lemon grow? With the right attitude, it quickly reaches the desired height and begins to bear fruit. The exact period for this is different for each variety.

For reference! In ancient times, lemon juice was used as a “panacea” for diseases, and the peel was used for snake bites.