How to plant a lemon - step by step instructions

Lemon is an evergreen tree with fleshy, dark green leaves that exude a characteristic citrus scent. The plant looks attractive all year round. It looks especially interesting during flowering and fruiting.

The advantage of citrus fruits is that they are easily propagated not only by layering and cuttings, but also by seeds. Contrary to the opinion of many novice growers, a lemon, even grown in a generative way (that is, from a seed), is quite capable of blooming and bearing fruit. How to plant a lemon from a stone at home with your own hands and achieve its correct development, read on.

Is it possible to plant a lemon from a stone at home

You can grow a lemon tree from a seed at home. In this case, it will be possible to get a beautiful green plant as early as next year. It will develop rapidly and have a beautiful shape. The main advantage of this method is that the plants propagated by the generative method are stronger, hardier and more viable than lemons obtained from cuttings.

With this method of cultivation, citrus trees will definitely bear fruit. However, this will not happen earlier than 5-8 years after planting. With the vegetative method of reproduction, the fruits on the lemon appear already for 4 years.

Another disadvantage of the generative method is that from seeds obtained from fruits purchased in a supermarket, wild is obtained. It produces smaller and sour fruits. But they are formed in large quantities.

Note! There is still a chance that a seed-grown lemon tree will retain varietal characteristics.

All these disadvantages can be easily corrected by vaccination. If you attach a varietal scion to the wild stock, the resulting plant will combine all the advantages of generative and vegetative propagation. The tree begins to bear fruit early, acquires varietal characteristics, it will turn out to be strong and hardy.

Lemon planting rules

Lemon growing begins with planting. This stage requires maximum attention. Indeed, it depends on the correctness of this process whether the planting material will germinate, whether the seedlings will take root and whether the plant will bear fruit.

Selection of variety and seeds

At home, you can grow absolutely any lemon. However, it is recommended to give preference to undersized varieties. These include:

1. Pavlovsky. An old variety that is distinguished by its ability to grow with a lack of light and moisture.
2. Mayer. A mixture of lemon and orange. It has orange fragrant fruits without bitterness. Sweeter than other lemons.
3. Chinese. The first harvest gives already 2-3 years after planting. The fruits ripen quickly. Differs in high productivity.
4. Anniversary. Blooms profusely and bears fruit. Sour fruits with a thick skin reach a weight of 0.5 kg. Able to tie in any conditions.
5. Genoa. It blooms and bears fruit 2-3 times a year. Has small fruits weighing up to 150 g. Differs in high taste characteristics.

When growing by seed, it will not be possible to select a variety. But the desired option is easy to graft onto the stock obtained by the generative method.

To grow lemon at home, it is important to choose a suitable planting material. The fruits from which it will be obtained must have the most regular shape and a uniform yellow color.It is important that they are elastic, ripe, without traces of damage. diseases and pests.

Pits are taken from the selected fruits and prepared for planting:

1. Selection of suitable seeds. For planting, choose large, dense seeds with a uniform light color without any damage. Thin and soft bones, specimens with spots, holes, traces of disease and pests will not work.
2. Disinfection. For 30 min. the bones are soaked in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide or "Fitosporin".
3. Growth stimulation. To do this, use the purchased nutritional formulations "Epin", "Solution", "Heteroauxin". Self-prepared mixtures, such as a solution of ash or aloe juice, are also suitable.

The prepared seeds are used without preliminary drying. They cannot be stored for a long time. It is recommended to take several times more planting material than is actually required. This is due to the fact that not all seeds will germinate, and from the resulting sprouts, you will have to choose the strongest. A few examples will help you experiment with growing grafted and unvaccinated lemons.

Advice! Some citrus growers peel off the tough shell so the seeds germinate faster. In this case, it is important not to damage the cotyledons.

Pot and soil preparation

Lemon soil is also essential. It should be light, nutritious, slightly acidic. The easiest option is to purchase ready-made citrus soil. It is more profitable to prepare the soil for growing lemons yourself. For this, humus, sand, peat and leafy earth are mixed in equal proportions.

Note! Horse red peat has a high acidity and is not suitable for growing lemons. Low-lying black peat is chosen for the preparation of the soil.

Regardless of whether purchased or homemade soil, it is disinfected before use. To do this, it is poured with boiling water, ignited in the oven or poured over with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

The seeds are sown in one common container. They are planted when two true leaves appear on the seedlings in a 200-300 ml container. The pots are also disinfected with potassium permanganate solution or boiling water.

You will also need a disinfected drainage system, for example, shards, broken ceramics, fine gravel.

Planting lemon step by step

How to plant lemon:

1. A layer of drainage 1-2 cm thick is poured onto the bottom of the container.Then the fertile mixture is poured so that 2-3 cm remain free to the edge of the pot.
2. The seeds are sown to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. They are sprinkled with soil, which is slightly compacted.
3. The soil is moistened with warm water with the addition of a growth stimulator from a spray bottle.
4. From above, the container is covered with glass or film. Then they put it in a warm place.

Homemade lemon care rules

Proper care of a lemon in a pot is a guarantee of full development, flowering and fruiting plants. Any mistakes in cultivation cause yellowing and falling of leaves, lemon death. Therefore, it is important to follow the basic rules and take into account the nuances.

Seedling care

For seedlings to sprout, it is not enough to plant them correctly. It is important to provide the necessary conditions and care:

1. The greenhouse is regularly ventilated. To do this, it is removed daily for 15-30 minutes. There should be no drafts in the room during airing.
2. The soil is moistened as it dries. This is done with a spray bottle so as not to erode the soil and expose the seeds. For irrigation, use warm, settled water.
3. The box with seedlings should be kept at a temperature of + 24 ... + 26 ° C. Such indicators will allow the seeds to germinate faster.

When the first shoots appear, the duration of airing is increased. After 7-14 days, the film is completely removed.

While the plants are in the common box, they are watered with warm water from a spray bottle. When two real leaves appear, they are seated in individual containers.

The best seedlings are chosen for picking:

• preference is given to specimens with short internodes (small distance between the kidneys);
• the denser the bark, the better;
• the plant should have good turgor and a bright green color;
• leaves - firmly adhere to the shoots (the more, the better).

A layer of drainage and soil is poured onto the bottom of the transplant tank. The seedling is placed in a pot and covered with earth, without deepening the root collar. After transplanting, the lemon is watered.

Lemon tree care

Taking care of a grown lemon tree is easy. The main thing is to follow the basic rules:

1. Temperature... Should vary between 19-27 ° C. The optimal values ​​are 20-22 ° C. In winter, it is advisable to rearrange the plant in a room with a temperature of 8-12 ° C.
2. Watering... In the hot season, lemon is watered daily with a small amount of warm, settled (preferably melt or rain) water. This is done in the morning or evening. After each watering, the soil is loosened. By the end of autumn and throughout the winter, the frequency of watering is reduced to 1-2 times a week.
3. Humidity... Tropical lemon requires high humidity. To ensure optimal conditions, it is sprayed daily with warm water. If citrus is at rest in winter, then spraying is not carried out during this period. If the plant is in a heated room, then a humidifier and containers with water are placed next to it.
4. Lighting... The citrus pot is placed on the south or west windowsill. In the daytime, it is shaded with a translucent curtain. From late autumn to early spring, it is advisable to install additional lighting. If in the cold season the lemon is at rest, then this is not necessary.
5. Formation... Particular attention is paid to the formation of the lemon. It depends on whether the plant will bear fruit. The central shoot is pinched when it reaches a height of 20-30 cm. Side shoots of 1-3 orders of magnitude are pinched at the level of 15-20 cm. At the same time, from 3 to 5 branches are left at each level. The stems of the 4th-6th order are not touched, since it is on them that fruits and inflorescences are formed.
6. the washing up... Lemon leaves are wiped weekly with a damp cloth. Every month the plant is washed under the shower.
7. Top dressing... Top dressing is applied once every 1-2 weeks. Before that, the lemon must be watered. Mineral and organic fertilizers alternate. The procedure is carried out in the evening.

The stores sell ready-made complex mineral formulations for citrus fruits, which include all the necessary elements.

Chicken manure diluted in water in a ratio of 1:20 and rotted manure with water - 1:10 are used as organic feeding.

Folk remedies are also used:

1. Infusion of vegetable peelings. They fill the container up to half. The rest of the volume is filled with water. The tool is insisted for 3 days. Then the liquid is filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3.
2. Tea and coffee. Tea and coffee brews are buried in the ground. The remains of unfinished drinks are poured into a pot.
3. Nettle decoction. 1 tbsp. l. nettle brew 1 tbsp. water. The tool is infused for 4 hours, then used for watering.

Graft

Wild lemon is grafted to obtain varietal fruits and to accelerate fruiting. The procedure is carried out in early spring or late autumn.

It is recommended to vaccinate the wild when it is one year old. It's best to do it in a split... For this:

1. A stalk with 2-3 buds is cut from a one-year-old branch of a varietal lemon that has already borne fruit. She must be healthy, free from signs of damage and diseases.
2. The game is cut so that only the trunk remains without leaves and shoots. A split is made in the center.
3. Leaves are cut off from the scion. The cut point is grinded so that a thin peg is obtained. The depth of the split must match the length of the wedge.
4. The scion wedge is inserted into the rootstock split so that they fit as tightly as possible to each other.
5. The junction is wrapped with electrical tape, leaving no open areas.
6. Wet cotton wool is laid around the stock. A bag is put on top, which is fixed on the pot.
7. The bag is removed daily for 10-15 minutes. and sprinkle the lemon with warm water. Cotton wool is moistened as it dries.

The fact that the scion has taken root is evidenced by the awakened kidneys. After that, the duration of airing is increased, gradually removing the greenhouse. Then remove the tape.

How and when to replant lemon

When it is time to transplant a lemon grown from a seed, it is determined based on its age:

1. Up to 5 years, the plant is reloaded annually. To do this, they take it out of the pot along with a lump of earth. Only drainage and topsoil are removed. The plant is moved to a new pot filled with drainage. The missing land is simply filled up.
2. After 5 years, the transplant is performed every 3 years. The plant is transplanted. It is taken out of the pot and at least 2/3 of the soil is removed. Remove all dry and rotten roots. The plant is planted in a pot filled with soil and drainage.
3. When the lemon reaches the desired size, the transplants are stopped. Each year, 3 cm of top soil is removed and replaced with new soil.

After transplanting, the plant is watered. It is placed in a shaded area for 2 weeks. Top dressing renewed in a month.

Conclusion

Grow lemon from the bone is not difficult. Citrus seeds germinate quickly and take root well. It is only important to plant the planting material correctly and choose the strongest specimens from the resulting seedlings.

Whether the lemon obtained from the seed will bear fruit depends on its care. Even without grafting, the plant will bloom in 5-8 years under the right conditions, and with grafting it will happen 2 years faster.