Rules for growing a tangerine from a bone at home

The tangerine tree is often grown as a houseplant. It looks attractive all year round: green, leathery, glossy leaves, delicate white inflorescences and bright orange fruits. The tree is distinguished by its rich aroma, which has a beneficial effect on health.

Mandarin is propagated by vegetative and generative methods. The latter method is simpler - it allows you to get hardy plants that are resistant to negative factors and diseases. For more information on how to grow a tangerine from a seed at home, read on.

Features of growing a tangerine from a bone

Growing tangerine from the bone at home is possible. Such the tree will be distinguished by increased resistance to negative environmental factors and undemanding to the composition of the soil.

The disadvantage of the generative method of reproduction of the mandarin is that the seeds produce plants that look attractive, but are distinguished by smaller fruits with a pale skin and a sour, tart taste. But their aroma is more intense.

When growing tangerine take into account the fact that it germinates more slowly than other citrus plants... Often the tree stops growing for a while, but with proper care it will soon resume development.

It is interesting! Unlike other citrus fruits, mandarin cuttings take root badly.

There is often information that real tangerines do not have seeds, but in hybrids they do. This is not always true. There are no seeds in the fruits of Satsuma and Unshiu. It is they who are sold under the name "Abkhaz tangerines". Some hybrids also lack seeds.

Preparing for landing

To grow an indoor tangerine tree in a seed pot, preparatory work is first carried out. It depends on the correct choice and preparation of planting material and soil whether the seeds will germinate and whether the sprout will survive.

The choice of planting material

When choosing fruits for planting stock, it is difficult to determine which fruits have seeds. The easiest option is to ask the sellers. Another way to get planting material is to buy tangerines of different varieties.

Note! Tangerines with seeds are usually cheaper than without them.

Fruits for planting material must be ripe, with an even color., free from stains, rot, mold and other signs of disease.

The collected seeds are sorted out. Specimens suitable for planting must meet the following requirements:

1. Shape and size... Seeds should be voluminous, pot-bellied and large. It is better to discard small and deformed planting material immediately. The first sign indicates that the seeds have not formed, and the second indicates that they have not formed correctly.
2. Hardness... The seeds should be firm and firm to the touch, without damage. Dried and soft specimens are not suitable.
3. Appearance... The bones are light, with a uniform color. Seeds with a blackened tip, green spots, mold and other signs of disease are not suitable.

Even if you plan to grow only one tree, take at least 10 seeds, since not all of them will sprout, and some sprouts will die. If grafting is planned, it is best to grow several trees at once in case the procedure fails.

Rules for preparing bones

The collected seeds are used immediately... They are not dried, as this negatively affects germination.

Before growing a tangerine from a bone at home, the seeds are prepared:

1. Disinfection... The planting material is soaked for half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide.
2. Soak... To make the bones swell before planting, they are wrapped in gauze and placed in a saucer. The gauze is moistened with warm settled water, covered with a film and removed to a warm place. In this form, the seeds are left for a day.
3. Growth stimulation... A day later, the gauze is poured with a solution of a growth stimulant ("Epin", "Solution"). The seeds are left in this form for another 24 hours.

Tangerine seeds swell in 48 hours... Germinate in such a short period is extremely rare.

Some growers plant seeds without presoaking. In this case, they take longer to germinate.

Preparation of soil and containers

Mandarins are demanding on the composition of the soil. Not suitable for them soil mixtures with peat. This component increases the likelihood of sprout decay. That is why it is not recommended to use purchased universal primers.

It's best to prepare the soil yourself... To do this, mix:

• humus - 2 parts;
• river sand - 1 part;
• forest or garden land - 2 parts.

It is recommended to check the acidity of the soil using a litmus test. If the soil is acidic, ash is added to it, since mandarin loves a neutral environment.

When growing mandarin, drainage is used... Small rubble, special glass balls, broken dishes, crushed brick, etc. are placed on the bottom of the pot.

The soil and drainage are disinfected: calcined in the oven, poured over with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or doused with boiling water.

The seeds are planted in one common container or in individual pots. The first option is more economical, since not all seeds will germinate. Used as containers for germination:

• the bottom of the cut bottle (the top will be used to create a greenhouse);
• the bottom of the cake package (the top is also used to create a greenhouse);
• a plastic cup.

Drainage holes are pierced in the bottom of the germination containerthat will prevent moisture stagnation. The container is disinfected by soaking for 30 minutes in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or wiping with alcohol.

Rules for planting tangerine seeds

When everything is prepared, proceed to planting the seeds.

How to plant a mandarin:

1. A drainage layer is poured onto the bottom of the container, the earth is on top and watered with warm water.
2. Seeds are planted in the ground, deepening them by 2-3 cm.
3. The soil with the seeds is watered again, and if the seeds become visible, they are covered with earth.

Containers with crops are covered with foil or transparent plastic and removed to a warm place (+ 20 ... + 26 ° С) away from direct sunlight.

Interesting! Orange seeds can germinate without a greenhouse. Then the seedlings will appear later, but they will not have to be accustomed to the conditions in the apartment.

Crop care

Crops need care before picking:

1. Watering. Tangerines are watered with warm, settled water - chlorine is harmful to them. Before the seeds germinate, the soil is moistened daily from a spray bottle so as not to erode the soil. The emerging seedlings are watered from a watering can with a narrow spout for ornamental plants and the sprouts are sprayed with a spray bottle.
2. Airing... Every day, the greenhouse is slightly opened for 30 minutes to ventilate the plantings.
3. Temperature... At this stage, the temperature in the room should be within + 20 ... + 26 ° С.
4. Hardening... After the seeds germinate, the duration of airing is increased daily by 30-40 minutes. Gradually, this time is brought to a day, and the greenhouse is dismantled.

After the emergence of seedlings, the pot is rearranged on the windowsill... At this stage, the plant will need more light.

Note! The first shoots usually appear 2-4 weeks after planting. Sometimes the germination process takes longer.

Picking

When 2-4 leaves appear on the seedlings, they are dived in individual containers. The best planting material with the following characteristics is chosen for transplantation:

• bright green;
• good turgor;
• strong stem;
• large leaves.

Yellow and sluggish sprouts are removed... If 2 sprouts appear from one bone (such a phenomenon as two embryos in one bone is characteristic for a mandarin), pinch the weaker one. If both plants are well developed, their root system is separated and planted in separate pots.

It is interesting! Mandarin has no cotyledon leaves.

Step-by-step instructions for picking:

1. Choose a clay or ceramic container with a diameter of 5-6 cm. It is disinfected.
2. A drainage layer and soil are poured at the bottom of the pot. The soil is watered with warm water.
3. Healthy seedlings are removed from the common bin with a fork, ice cream stick or toothpick.
4. They are transplanted into a pot without deepening the root collar.
5. The soil is watered again, and the plants are sprayed with a spray bottle.

Until the sprout takes root, it is kept in a bright place protected from direct sunlight.

Mandarin care rules

After transplantation and throughout its life, the mandarin needs care... This is an unpretentious tree, but if you skip watering and feeding, there will be no flowering and fruits.

In order for the tree to bear fruit, the rules of care are observed.

Temperature

Before flowering, the temperature in the room where the tangerine grows is maintained within + 20 ... + 26 ° С... When the plant blooms, the indicators are reduced to + 18 ... + 19 ° C so that it does not throw off the flowers. In winter, tangerine feels good at a temperature of + 10 ... + 12 ° С.

Lighting

During the warm season, tangerines need light and protection from direct sunlight.... To provide optimal conditions for growth, the pot is placed on the east or west windowsill. In winter, the tree does not require additional lighting, as it is at rest. If possible, for the cold period, the pot is moved to the southern windowsill.

Humidity

Mandarin needs a moist environment... Its leaves are sprayed daily with a spray bottle. In winter, the air is drier, so additional moisture will be needed. A humidifier or a container of water is placed near the tree.

Watering

In the warm season, the tangerine is watered daily with warm, settled water.... In winter, this is done less often, 1-2 times a week.

Council. To simplify the care of tangerines, use bottom watering. To do this, water is poured into a tray under a tangerine tree pot.

Transplants

Until the first fruiting, tangerines are transplanted annually. in a pot, which is 4-5 cm larger than the previous one, together with a lump of earth, filling up the missing volume with soil. Plants that bear fruit are transplanted once every 2-3 years, while removing dry roots. Old trees are not replanted. In this case, once every few years, the top layer of the earth is removed in the pot, replacing it with new soil.

Top dressing

Mandarin feed 1-2 times a month... Complex and mineral fertilizers alternate. They buy special products for citrus fruits or prepare fertilizers on their own from chicken manure, herbal and fish broths, ash, vegetable peelings or tea. In winter, the tree is not fed.

Loosening

The soil is loosened at least 1 time a week to normalize root air exchange, prevent moisture stagnation and prevent the appearance of earth pests.

Cleaning

To remove dust from the leaves, Once a week, they are wiped with a damp cloth. The mandarin is washed once a month under the shower.

Bloom

If the tangerine blooms in the first 2 years after planting (this is rare, but it happens), all inflorescences are cut off, otherwise the tree will spend energy on flowering and die. In the first flowering, several flowers are left on a plant over 2 years old.Mandarin does not need artificial pollination.

Fruiting

During first fruiting, only one fruit is left... The next year, 2-3 oranges are left on the tree. Further, the ovaries and fruits are not cut off.

Reference. Some growers, in order to accelerate the growth of mandarin, take care of it in the same way in the warm and cold seasons before the first flowering. Then the plant does not go into a dormant state in winter.

Pruning

This procedure prevents mandarin disease and brings fruiting closer... There are two types of trimming - sanitary and formative.

Sanitary pruning involves the removal of diseased, dry, weak and old parts of plants. The branches are cut with a sharp pruner, covering the cut with garden pitch.

Formation stimulates the formation of new shoots, allows you to bring fruiting closer. This procedure ensures a neat crown.

Step-by-step instructions for forming a crown:

1. When the plant reaches a height of 40-60 cm, pinch the growing point on the main trunk. This activates the formation of lateral shoots.
2. Lateral shoots of the first order are cut off after 4-5 leaves. In the axils of these leaves, shoots of the following order will form. Thus, all branches are formed up to the fifth order.
3. It is recommended to leave 3-5 branches of the same order on the tree. Such shoots should be directed in different directions.

Fruits are formed on branches of 4-5 orders... It takes 3-4 years to form.

Diseases and pests

Despite the fact that the tangerine grown from the seed has a high immunity to diseases, pests still affect it. Among them, the most common:

• aphids - small black or green insects on the underside of leaves and shoots;
• scale - convex plates on branches;
• spider mite - small dots and cobwebs on the underside of the leaf plates;
• Mealyworm - Areas of white fluffy bloom on the plant.

Affected trees are washed under the shower, after which they are sprayed weekly with soapy water. until the problem disappears. To combat the scabbard, a little kerosene is added to the soap solution. If the home remedy does not help, use insecticides "Vertimek", "Sunmayt".

When to expect first fruiting

Mandarin begins to bear fruit after 3-5 years... Plants grown from seed produce small fruits with a sour taste and light skin.

To get real tangerines, tree inoculate... For this, a graft of a citrus hybrid is used, which has already borne fruit and was grown in a vegetative way.

When grafting a mandarin in the first year, all the greens of the plant are cut off, leaving only part of the trunk, which will be the stock. Some gardeners plant one or more branches.

Grafting material is bought in gardening stores or cut from an already fruiting tree. Sometimes in stores tangerine fruits are sold along with twigs - they are also suitable for grafting.

Conclusion

Mandarins are often propagated generatively from seed. This is the most affordable method, as you can plant seeds from fruit purchased at the grocery store. Despite the fact that tangerine takes longer to germinate and takes root less than other citrus fruits, it is not difficult to care for it.