A homemade lemon tree is a godsend for many gardeners. Not every plant can simultaneously please with decorative foliage, fragrant flowers, growing and already ripe fruits. The advantage of homemade lemons is absolute naturalness. And although getting a harvest does not always come out quickly, indoor citruses grow tastier and juicier than store ones. If the grower wants to harvest a decent harvest, one must responsibly approach the cultivation of a homemade lemon: how to care for the plant, when to mold and feed - everyone who has purchased citrus should know this.

The citrus guest comes from subtropical regions, so it does not take root well in open ground in cold winters. However, growing it indoors can be successful. To do this, you must initially organize competent care for homemade lemon: maintain a constant humidity of the air, soil, provide a sufficient amount of light and heat.

In flower shops or nurseries, it will not be difficult to purchase seeds or seedlings of varieties that are adapted to adverse conditions. In the wild, the plant can reach an impressive size, and for growing in a room, samples no higher than 1.5-2 m are taken. For the winter, the foliage of a subtropical guest does not fall, so it is called evergreen. Leaf plates last 2-3 years, so they must be protected. - a solid competitor for lemon, he also boasts elegant decoration.

In room conditions, flowering is possible twice a year: in early spring and late autumn.

The best varieties of citrus trees for the home are dwarfs and semi-dwarfs:

Dwarf varieties do not differ in yield, they are grown mainly for decorative purposes. Taller trees can reward the grower with large fruits in large quantities.

How to care for indoor citrus?

Lemon tree care consists in constant monitoring of humidity, temperature and lighting. He needs the right selection of the composition of the soil, its friability. Do not ignore the formation of the bush. The gardener must initially know how to cut a lemon so that it develops harmoniously and produces more fragrant fruits.

• Lighting and temperature conditions in summer and winter

Southern windows and other places with good lighting are suitable for growing. Lemon prefers bright light and long daylight hours. Young specimens are best shaded from the midday sun, as fragile leaves will get a serious burn. Organizing, cypress, variegated ficuses also take into account this rule, despite the fact that these plants are photophilous.

The temperature in the room where the lemon is kept should be moderately warm. Sharp drops are contraindicated, therefore, during winter ventilation, the pot must be removed from the windowsill without changing the position of the crown to the light. In summer, the plant can be sent to the garden or to the open balcony.

The crown develops better if it is not often turned over in different directions to the light.

Lemon care in winter is moderate. The room should be cooler - from 10 to 14 ° C warm. An ideal accommodation option is a warmed loggia. If the tree has not gone into the dormant phase, then the temperature is maintained at about + 18 ° C, while it is necessary to extend the daylight hours up to 12 hours with the help of a lamp.

• Watering a lemon without errors

Depending on the air temperature, the amount and frequency of water application is changed. In hot weather, moisture is applied daily. Water is taken warm, settled for at least 7-8 hours. From September to March, one watering per week will suffice. After each introduction of liquid, the soil must be loosened so that air flows freely to the roots. The plant does not tolerate both drought and waterlogging. It is necessary to focus on the volume of the pot, the temperature regime.

The smaller the pot and the looser the soil, the faster it dries out. In rooms with central heating, you need to water more and more often. Humidify so that the liquid penetrates through the drainage hole onto the pan. Excess water is removed after 20 minutes. In this way, it will be possible to wet the entire earthen lump, and not just its upper part.

Lemon care involves spraying in hot weather. Foliage is processed from a spray bottle 2-3 times a week. Spraying is carried out both in summer and in winter, when the heating radiators are operating at full capacity. To increase the humidity of the air will help placing a tray with water or a humidifier next to the tree. If there is a practice of caring for this plant, then it is possible to grow wild for a bountiful harvest.

When caring for a lemon in a pot, it is important not to forget about fertilizing. During the growing season, feed every 10 days. Fertilizers are suitable for both mineral for citrus fruits and organic ones, for example, mullein solution. Before applying fertilizer for 2-3 hours, the soil is watered. This will protect the root system from burns. In winter, fertilizers will also be useful, but the frequency of their application is once a month. If the tree has a healthy appearance, it blooms and forms fruits, then for a while you can refrain from applying fertilizers.

Rules for transplanting and pruning

When transplanting citrus, a drainage layer of broken brick, expanded clay or coarse sand must be laid at the bottom of the box. Drainage holes must be made in any container to drain water. Liquid stagnation must not be allowed. The soil in the pot should be loose, without lumps. The reaction is neutral or slightly acidic. Lemon develops well in soil of medium nutritional value: humus, sand and leafy soil are taken in equal proportions. A container for transplantation is needed 3-4 cm larger than the previous one in diameter.

Pruning is necessary to approach the flowering period. The shoots are also shortened in order to create a neat crown. It is pinched, removing the apical kidney. At least 4-5 leaves should remain on the shoot. The lemon tree is pruned in the spring at the beginning of flowering.

Pruning homemade lemons play an important role. If it is ignored, then the tree will not give enough fruit or will not bloom at all. If in one year the lemon has formed much more ovaries than usual, then the weakest branches with buds must be removed. Too many fruits will deplete the plant.

As soon as the lemon peel turns yellow, the lemons must be harvested. If you are late with the collection, they will become too sour and dense.

Video about cropping rules.

How to increase productivity?

The room lemon gives the first harvest, depending on the method of reproduction. If a tree is grown from a seed, then it is not worth waiting for fruits before 5-7 years. Sometimes it takes at least a decade before fruiting begins. A bush obtained from a cutting, with proper care, begins to bear fruit for 2-3 years.

Secrets of a bountiful harvest:

Growing problems

What difficulties can be encountered in growing? There are several problems:

1. Falling leaves and buds occurs when there is a lack of moisture, drying out of the soil, excessive dryness of the air. Leaf loss can also be caused by waterlogging. It is recommended to transplant the tree by taking out the roots with a clod of earth and pre-drying on a newspaper sheet.
2. The leaves become pale with a lack of lighting, a minimum amount of nutrients.
3. Lack of flowering - a cramped or overall pot is to blame.
4. The tips of the leaf plates turn brown due to lack of moisture and dry air.

As a prevention of fungal diseases, the soil is watered every 2 years with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

If no mistakes were made at all stages of cultivation, then after a few years the florist can be content with mouth-watering lemon slices for tea throughout the year. In addition to fragrant and tonic supplements, they will be useful during the cold season.

Many people who decide to buy a citrus tree opt for. It attracts with its decorative appearance, fragrant smell and original gloss of foliage. But in order for the plant to exist at home for a long period and bear fruit abundantly, you need to know how to properly care for indoor lemon.

- capricious exotic plant. Its homeland is India. But in wildlife there are no more wild representatives, a person has completely cultivated all the available species cultures of this representative.

Plant features:

• Lemon is a low plant or large shrub with powerful branches covered with prickly needles. Young shoots at the point of growth are distinguished by a violet-purple hue.
• The leaf is oblong, oval in shape with slightly protruding teeth. The leaves contain a large number of glands, which contain essential oil. When touching a leaf plate, thanks to these glands, a characteristic aroma is felt. The change of greenery is gradual. Each leaf lives up to a maximum of 3 years, then dries up and dies.
• The flowers on the lemon are inconspicuous, reach 4-5 cm. The inflorescences are white, visually represent a rare chamomile. They are bisexual, placed on a branch singly or in pairs. In some cases, there may be much more inflorescences in one place, but then some of them will have to be removed. This is necessary so that the developing fruits gain the maximum amount of nutrients.
• Each inflorescence from the moment of appearance to full disclosure lives from 7 to 9 weeks. Flowering lasts a short period of time, but the process of fruit formation before it begins to ripen can take up to 230-250 days. If the fruit started in the spring and summer, in a warm room and with sufficient, then the period of formation of a full-fledged lemon can be reduced to 180-210 days.
• If a tree produced flowers in the first year of its life, it is better to break them off, and let the plant get enough nutrients, grow even more. In the second year, the shrub will independently decide how many flowers remain on its branches. It is recommended to leave flowering if the tree has 20 full leaves.
• Small lemons are tied on the branches of a tree, both with the help of pollination and without it (parthenocarpic). In the latter case, the fruits differ only in the absence of seeds inside the slices of a ripened lemon.
• The fruits are ovoid or slightly oblong in shape. Initially, the skin of the fruit has a rich green tone. As it matures, the skin changes to light yellow. In addition, it has a pronounced specific smell. The pulp inside the fruit is juicy, quite sour, divided into 10-14 equivalent slices.

Care has a big impact on the health of the tree. If the conditions of detention are not appropriate, then the plant begins to throw off the leaves. Most often, this process occurs in the winter.

How many healthy leaves remain on the branches depends on whether there will be fragrant fruits next year. Each fruit should have at least 10-15 green leaves. With a smaller amount, the plant will refuse to bear fruit.

Watering is very important for shrubs. Irrigation should be carried out with warm water or room temperature. In different periods of the year, the introduction of nutrient moisture is different:

• From March to September inclusive, it is recommended to water the plant abundantly daily.
• From October to February, you need to reduce the amount of incoming moisture to 1 time per week.

The main thing is that in no case should the formation of swampy soil under the plant be allowed. This can lead to rotting of the root system. Then it will be either very difficult or impossible to save the bush.

Some experienced gardeners who know thoroughly lemon care can provoke a new round of flowering by canceling watering. So the owner of the lemon tree takes the plant to a forced rest, practically reducing the introduction of nutrient moisture. After being removed from rest, the shrub begins to bloom profusely and form sunny berries. But the main thing in this matter is not to overdo it. With a long absence of liquid, the leaves of the shrub twist into tubules, dry and fall off.

A prerequisite for active growth is top dressing. It should be applied weekly in summer and in winter, if fruits are formed, then once a month. Fertilization is carried out after watering after 2 hours:

• - mullein and water are combined in proportions of 1: 1, respectively, infused for 1 week. After the infusion is diluted in a ratio of 1:15 parts of water and watered under the root, trying not to fall on the foliage.
• Minerals - for this, in a specialized store, it is selected for citrus plants. Breed should be according to the instructions.

Lighting for a lemon is of great importance. It is best placed on the southeast side. But during the period of summer heat and scorching rays, it is recommended to shade with a curtain or move slightly into the shade. In winter, with a lack of daylight hours, it is necessary to additionally illuminate the bush with phytolamps, increasing the daylight hours to the maximum required 12 hours.

In order for the tree to grow its branches evenly and not stretch to one side, it needs to be scrolled once a month, exposing the sun to one side or the other.

Lack of light threatens to stop the growth and development of foliage and new shoots. In addition, the taste of ripe fruits will be poor - they will be saturated with acid.

The temperature regime for the fruitful cultivation of shrubs should be observed:

• At the time of flowering, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the region of +18 C. If the degrees are exceeded, the plant will shed its leaves and inflorescences.
• In spring, you need to reduce the degrees to +12 C, place the plant on a glazed balcony. This will provoke a good growth of leaf plates.
• In the winter months, the recommended temperature is +12..+17 C, additional lighting is needed for good growth.
• In summer, for better ripening, up to + 22 .. + 25 C is required.

If the temperature rises to +25 C, then you need to additionally spray the shrub. If the humidity drops to a minimum, then the plant will begin to throw off the foliage and die. Spray in hot weather or if the shrub is next to a hot battery at least 2-3 times a day.

The optimum humidity is 60-70%. It is these requirements for the growth and development of a homemade lemon that are the best.

Young plants under the age of 3 years are recommended to be transplanted once every 12 months. Transplantation should be carried out by transshipment, so that the root system does not notice the replacement of the pot and the addition of new soil. During transshipment, part of the old earth is removed, from which all the nutrients have already been selected by the roots of the plant.

After the lemon crosses the age of 3, it is transplanted 1 time in 3 years. It is strictly forbidden to transplant a flowering or fruiting plant. For transplanting, prepare a fresh soil substrate. It should be loose, well permeable to water and oxygen. The reaction must be neutral, otherwise the shrub will not grow.

For a lemon, the following composition of the soil substrate is suitable:

• Sand - river.
• Sod connected to garden soil.
• Wood ash.
• Manure manure.

All ingredients must be taken in the same parts, and the ash should not exceed 1-2 tablespoons. By combining these components, you get an excellent nutrient mass that saturates the root system of the lemon tree with nutrients.

Pruning of fruit crops is most often carried out in the spring months, when the plant comes out of hibernation.

Long shoots are cut so that up to 5 healthy powerful leaves remain. If pruned on time and correctly, then a young lemon can form the first fruits as early as 2-3 years of age. Many varieties of lemons produce flowers only on branches of the 4th-5th order. It is worth controlling the number of flowers, because if you leave everything, then the tree may be depleted when the fruit is formed.

Under adverse conditions, a lemon tree can be attacked by various pests and diseases. The following uninvited guests are distinguished who can harm the bush:

• spider mite
• Shchitovka
• Aphid
• thrips

Any pest, upon close inspection, is easily visible on the lower part of the leaf, multiplies quickly and in large numbers. The fight is carried out after using a soap-ash solution. In addition, a regular shower helps well, while the leaves are washed both from the top and from the bottom.

In addition, infection with diseases is possible:

1. Infectious nature - not always subject to treatment. Often the affected bush is removed so as not to infect healthy species and burned to prevent disease.
2. Fungal diseases (mold, late blight, soot fungus, root rot) - to eliminate the problem, the affected areas are removed, rotten roots are cut off. Fresh sections are treated with activated charcoal or potassium permanganate solution. If necessary, spraying with chemicals is carried out.
3. Viral diseases (leaf mosaic, citrus cancer, xylopsorosis, trithesis) cannot be cured. The pot is removed and burned.

More information can be found in the video:

Lamps for plants (phytolamps sodium, LED, fluorescent, ultraviolet, gas discharge and others) buy in the PhytoTechnologies online store at competitive prices! Suitable lamps are needed for plants, consult a company consultant and specify which phytolamp is suitable for you, then place an order and the very next day your vegetation will delight you with growth and flowering! Managers will professionally select a suitable phyto-lamp for your needs, taking into account the location of your garden (the type of lamp attachment depends on this, or a phyto floor lamp may be suitable for you), and depending on the lighting area, we will help you determine the power (70W, 100W. , 150W, 250W, 400W).

Why do we need lamps for plants (phytolamps) and how to choose the most effective one?

Various modifications and designs intended for lighting plants are commonly called phytolamps, by adding two words phyto (from Greek) plants and lamps. The difference between phytolamps and incandescent or fluorescent lamps is that phytolamps generate photons in a narrow color range, which is necessary to create favorable artificial conditions similar to natural ones.

In the winter-autumn period, it was impossible to produce plants on an industrial scale until recently. For the first time, experiments on this topic were carried out by the Russian botanist Andrei Sergeevich Famintsy in 1868, he used a kerosene lamp for the artificial cultivation of plants. Everything changed with the invention of phytolamps, now, with the creation of appropriate conditions (heat, humidity) and the main lighting, almost any plant is grown all year round, regardless of the weather and season. Experiments have proven that the blue spectrum stimulates plant growth, and the red spectrum stimulates fruit ripening. At home, it is easy to grow seedlings and prepare strong seedlings for growing plants in country or garden beds. In addition, it became possible to grow exotic plants, such as lemon or Indian plant Tulasi, at home!

Well, we figured out why we need lamps for plants, and now let's move on to each of them separately.

Energy saving lamps for plants or housekeeper

The Internet is replete with connoisseurs who advise using housekeepers instead of phytolamps for plants and seedlings, however, their effectiveness is easily disputed by comparison with fluorescent or sodium lamps. The light output of housekeepers is low, which is ineffective for plants, such lighting is used as an additional and not so powerful resource, so we will not pay much attention to it.

Fluorescent lamps for plants

Phytolamps of this type were used first, due to the lack of analogues. As we have already read above, the first lamps were incandescent and fluorescent, incandescent lamps are not suitable for artificial lighting of plants due to the luminescence spectrum (it is far from solar) and inefficient use of efficiency. 95% of the efficiency is spent on heat recovery, which is suitable for heating, but not for lighting plants.

Fluorescent phytolamps win in the fight against incandescent lamps, the first advantage is the economical consumption of electricity, the second is the proximity of the light flux to solar radiation, pay attention not to light, but to radiation, which is harmful to people. Fluorescent lamps are also called fluorescent lamps.

Luminescent phytolamps of the Osram Flora type are designed in such a way that they do not create ultraviolet and infrared radiation harmful to green plant cells (not for humans), but at the same time they generate photons in the red and blue luminous spectrum.

It is worth noting the low cost relative to other phytolamps for plants and seedlings. Of the advantages of this lamp, probably everything.

The main disadvantage of fluorescent lamps for plants is the hazard to human and animal health.

The spectrum of the glow of these lamps greatly affects vision, and causes headaches with frequent use, in addition, some people experience allergic reactions on the skin in the form of a rash. These phytolamps are used in industry, observing safety standards (robe, headgear and goggles). An important disadvantage is their fragility relative to other phytolamps 8000 - 10000 hours of burning and a decrease in efficiency as they age, the luminous flux drops (is lost).

Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps (phytolamps) for plants

LED lamps for plants are a separate topic, due to the incredible PR on the Internet. If you are reading this article, then you know that by going to most online stores you will be offered to buy LED phytolamps. In the PhytoTechnology online store, LED phytolamps are presented, as we offer a wide range of products for growers and, as they say, everyone has their own opinion. Let's start with the pros, the advantage of LEDs is their long service life and low power consumption (economical).

As for the effectiveness of LED lamps for plants (phytolamps, modules and spotlights), it certainly is, but it is worth noting that LED phytolamps are different, and if you expect a miraculous effect from a purchased LED bulb for 1500 rubles in Leroy Merlin, OBI or Eldorado, and in our store, we are in a hurry to disappoint you, this will not happen, but we would like to. However, it is worth turning on the logic and thinking, would large manufacturers really begin to purchase expensive phytolamps, phytolamps and structures with higher energy consumption than LEDs for growing argo crops? Isn't it easier to buy a lot of LED bulbs and save on the cost of phytolamps and electricity bills. No, it’s not easier if it doesn’t give any effect, it’s money thrown to the wind, so experiments are being carried out that are designed to identify the pros and cons of certain phytolamps for plants. So smoothly we moved from pluses to minuses, and the last not unimportant minus of LED lamps for plants is their harm to human health. LED phytolamps essentially imitate fluorescent ones and shine in the blue and red spectrum, and as we remember, this kind of radiation negatively affects a person and requires special conditions for use. It is not recommended to be near these phytolamps to an unprotected person, with open areas of the body and eyes.

Sodium lamps for plants

Sodium phytolamps are gas-discharge, visually the luminous flux looks in yellow-orange shades, very reminiscent of sunlight. Today we can safely say that sodium phytolamps are the most efficient, economical, and popular among industrialists. We are being bullied with stories about miraculous LED lamps. But smart people will easily find information on the forums and websites of manufacturers, on YouTube and other places of information about how effective and popular they are. Some of the most attentive will have a question: - Stop, but what about the blue and red spectrum, which is so important for plants, and here yellow is on you, effective! It's simple, the fact is that sodium lamps, like LED and fluorescent lamps, have a blue and red light spectrum, but it is not visible to the human eye. Also, the advantage of sodium lamps for plants is a long service life, not like that of LEDs, but 25,000 hours of burning is not a little, 4-6 years.

In addition, during operation there is no decrease in light output and the lamp does not lose efficiency over time, such as a fluorescent lamp. Well, perhaps the last and not unimportant plus of sodium lamps is that they are harmless to people and animals, this is important for people who grow plants at home, and not in greenhouses. In Russia, well-known manufacturers of sodium and metal halide lamps are Reflux and Ecolum.

Metal halide phytolamps

Metal halide lamps for plants, like sodium lamps, belong to the category of gas discharge lamps. The main difference between metal halide lamps and other gas discharge lamps is the addition of a metal halide to enhance the light output effect. Such lamps have a color temperature of 3,000 to 6,000 K. The color rendering index of such lamps ranges from 65 to 85. They come with ceramic and quartz burners. Abbreviations for such lamps are DRI, DRIZ, DRIKZ.

Information from the PhytoTechnology store to buyers of lamps for plants

We sell products presented on the international market for crop products, and describe in detail the characteristics of each of them.

To get the effect of phytolamps, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the information on the varieties of lamps for plants and with information about a particular plant, the method and conditions of its cultivation.

Turning only to special sources so that you are not misinformed, Answers-Mail will not work better to look for information in textbooks or on high-quality Internet resources! For this purpose, this article was created about lamps for plants, for a brief introduction and overview of phytolamps on the market and with us today.

What are the lamps, and which ones are suitable for plants

You need to start with the history of the emergence of lamps as such and their evolution, the first incandescent lamps were invented in the early 1800s, many inventors tried to make it as durable as possible but failed.

The sources of information vary, so let's focus on the Russian engineer and inventor Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin, who in 1872 invented at that time the most durable lamp that burned for half an hour. After they began to pump out air from the flask, the lamp became more durable, and in 1873 these bulbs lit up in the lampposts of St. Petersburg.

Incandescent lamps emit light from a hot metal filament, platinum acts as the metal. Everyone knows Thomas Edison. a little later, a strong bamboo (coal) thread began to be used, but before succeeding, he had to lead 6000 experiments, which allowed the lamps to burn for hundreds of hours.

The next breakthrough was fluorescent lamps, however, at the time of their invention, they, like incandescent lamps, were not as durable, the first use of mercury vapor was suggested by Peter Cooper Hewitt, but we will talk about mercury lamps a little later. And only in 1927, Edmund Germer with his colleagues Friedrich Meyer and Hans Spanner, covered the ultraviolet lamp with a layer of phosphor, it turned out that such a lamp is capable of emitting natural and bright light, and mass sales of such lamps began in 1938.

After that, LED lamps were invented, the description occurs in this sequence based on mass sales, the first mention of diodes was described in 1907 by a British, and invented, it is considered in 1962.

Now let's go directly to the plants and what kind of lamps are produced directly for them.

What are the requirements of plants for light

Each plant has its own requirements for light, depending on what kind of plant it is and what its usual habitat is. Our task is to create conditions similar to natural ones for a particular type of plant. As the plant grows, it needs more and more light, but how to solve this problem with only one phytolamp in stock? For full illumination of plants, it must be periodically rotated by 15-20 degrees in front of the phytolamp, since in natural conditions this is done by the sun moving across the sky and covering the maximum area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe plant. With a lack of lighting, plants stop growing, regardless of various kinds of top dressing and other conditions. Also, do not forget about the darkness, in no case should the plant be illuminated around the clock, unless we are talking about seedlings during the first weeks, in other cases it is important to observe the dark and light phytoperiod, turn the plant lamp on and off, depending on the vegetative stage of the plant and its requests for light.

Which grow lights are best?

Where to buy lamps for plants and how much?

The listed options for phytolamps for plants are presented in the PhytoTechnologies online store. You can buy lamps for plants of any modifications from us: fluorescent, LED, sodium and metal halide. We carry out delivery to the regions of the Russian Federation, in ways convenient for you.

Now about the price. Prices are listed on the site, and as you noticed, you can buy a lamp for plants for 900 rubles and 80,000 rubles. Why such a difference in price? Well, firstly, not every phytolamp works autonomously, which means you cannot screw any plant lamp into a standard e27 cartridge and enjoy its glow, most phytolamps require component parts to work, this is a lamp, a choke or trigger, mount, reflectors and others. Among other things, most of the lamps for plants are of an unpresentable appearance; until recently, they were used primarily only by industrialists. What does it mean? This means that the structures are bulky, rough soldering or welding is visible, electric wires stick out, unpolished materials, and a rough industrial look. This is not suitable for everyone at home, if the interior is made in some style, or you have an expensive winter garden. But in our online store there are solutions for any customers, you only need to know what you want and tell us about it, and we will offer the best option for solving problems.

Growing citrus plants at home is not a difficult process, but it should be approached correctly. Lemon, tangerine, orange and other exotic plants are, as a rule, natives of tropical latitudes, cultivated and adapted for home cultivation. In order for plants to form correctly, they need systematic top dressing, correct watering and optimum crown illumination. About lighting for indoor lemons and tangerines we will talk in this article.

On the importance of lighting citrus plants

Light is one of the key factors for plants, which allows them to exist. If there is too much or too little of it, this will immediately affect the nutrition of the plant, since they consume energy only in this way. Light allows the process of photosynthesis to proceed, in which organic substances are produced in plant cells from inorganic compounds consumed by plant roots, which are used to form leaves, shoot growth, flowering and fruiting. Too much light and too long a period of illumination disrupt the natural processes in the cells of the leaf and negatively affect development.

Optimal lighting for citrus plants is considered to be 5000 lumens and a duration of twelve hours.

How to get the lighting right

A very large number of factors affect the amount of light received by a home citrus plant.: this is the orientation of the windows in the direction of the cardinal direction, their size, the number of storeys of the house, and indeed whether they are washed or not.

And, since light is critically needed for indoor lemons, tangerines, citrons and other citrus fruits, and in order for them to receive it in sufficient quantities, the habitat for them should be properly organized.

Many people remember from school that the intensity of light decreases very much with distance from the light source, namely, in proportion to the square of the distance to it. And if you don’t remember, then it’s okay, for us it only means that the plant needs to be placed as close to the window as possible. If, for example, a pot is carried away at a distance of 3 meters from the window, then only 4% of street light can reach it.
You should also know that the most dimly lit places in the house are the corners. There you need to be very careful to ensure that the light is sufficient.

But there can be not only little light for a plant, but a lot, and in this case it becomes not a friend, but an enemy. Direct scorching rays of the sun, especially on the south side at noon, can cause severe burns on leaves of both lemon and tangerine. If there is no other option where to place the pot, then you should shade your citrus by building an obstacle in the form of gauze or a mesh that scatters direct rays. This should be seriously monitored, even an adult plant can die from heavy burns on the leaves. But if you suddenly didn’t watch and the leaves were damaged, then you must definitely spray them with soft water, adding a small amount of stimulant - Epin.

In addition to leaves, the roots of plants can also suffer from overheating, especially if they are grown in dark pots. In this case, it is recommended to shade the pot, for example, with a sheet of cardboard, or to place the plants below the level of the windowsill so that the crown is illuminated, but the plant is not.
If everything is organized correctly, then spring and summer will become the most intensive period for growth and development for a home citrus plant, since at this time it receives enough light and can fully grow, bloom and bear fruit. At the same time, do not forget about complex top dressing so that he has something to eat.

Lemon lighting by seasons

But in autumn-summer period, when natural light is reduced by reducing daylight hours in our natural zone, it is also possible to allow a citrus plant to fully grow and develop. Indeed, in conditions of lack of light, plants start the processes of consuming stored nutrients, which will significantly slow down the development and growth of the culture.

To support a homemade lemon, tangerine or other exotic plant, use artificial light. For this, special lamps for plants with a specially selected spectrum are used. Typically, their light looks like pink, but is actually a mixture of red and blue light.

Citrus plants require 5,000 lumens of light and a daylight cycle of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of rest. Lumens can be measured either by pointing the camera at the surface of the sheet - many digital cameras have such a function, or by installing a special application on a smartphone and measuring the illumination through the phone's camera. To manage this, you should purchase a special timer that will turn the light on and off at the right time.

Winter is just around the corner already. And winter is a special time in the life of plants. During this period, they go into rest mode to endure adverse conditions. Indoor plants also need to be prepared for the onset of cold weather, in winter they need special care, even though they are in a warm apartment. About how to do it right take care of indoor lemon in winter we will tell you in this article.

Watering

In winter, the irrigation regime will be different from the summer. The number of waterings in winter should be reduced to once a week, it is best to water in the evening. Frequent watering is fraught with acidification of the earth in a pot, and, consequently, further diseases of the lemon tree. Water slowly, gradually, allowing the water to soak well into the soil. Water for irrigation must be at room temperature, you can even heat it up a little, up to about 30-35 degrees.

In winter, it is imperative to monitor soil moisture, warm batteries can dry out an earthen ball very quickly. But the plant should not be flooded either.

And also winter is an ideal time for watering lemon with melt water, since such water is considered the best for this purpose. Melt the required amount of snow, let the resulting water warm to room temperature and water your lemon tree with it. Melt water is much softer than tap water, it will not saline the soil, which means it will have a beneficial effect on the condition of your lemon.

Air humidity

In winter, due to the beginning of the heating season, the air in the apartment becomes dry, its humidity decreases. This can adversely affect the health of your lemon tree. in winter implies that dry air should be humidified, for this you can use containers with water. Place them indoors, preferably next to radiators, so that the water evaporates faster. You can also use special devices for humidifying the air.

Be sure to spray the crown

Spray your tree weekly with water from a spray bottle or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. The water must be warm for this.
Several times a month, arrange “water procedures” for him: wash the plant with a shower in the bathroom. Such a procedure will saturate the plant with moisture, wash dust from the leaves and help get rid of possible insects.

There are several more ways moisten the lemon tree in winter. One of these ways to maintain optimal plant moisture is to purchase a special stand with pebbles. It is necessary to place in this stand, pour water into it so that the bottom of the pot does not sink into the water.

Light mode

The lemon tree is quite sensitive to the amount of sunlight, especially in winter. At this time, you need to be very careful to ensure that your plant receives a sufficient amount of light. It should be remembered that the higher the temperature in the room where it is contained, the more sunlight it needs.

Do not place under the sun for a long time, the tree may get sunburn. It is also best not to place the tree next to the window, because it can blow cold air from it, and lemons do not like drafts. The location of the pot next to the heating radiators is also not the best idea, the plant will dry out quickly from the increased temperature and dryness of the air.

It looks very nice on the window, but this arrangement is fraught with sunburn and hypothermia

In case the lighting in your apartment is not enough, you need to additionally highlight. winter means that, for normal health, citrus fruits need 12 hours of daylight, but in winter it is much shorter. With a lack of light, the plant begins to shed its leaves, its condition is generally depressed, in the worst case, the tree may die. This is where supplementary lighting comes to the rescue - extending daylight hours with the help of lamps.

Now in stores you can find a wide variety of lamps: fluorescent, sodium, metal halide and LED. In almost each of these groups, you can find phytolamps, the spectrum of which is most optimal for plants.
Be sure to pay attention to the power of the lamp, it is measured in watts. The more watts a given lamp has, the greater the flux of light, and therefore the greater the efficiency of the lamp. For illumination, one or three lamps with a power of 40 watts will suffice.

The use of phytolamps will help the plant survive the lack of sunlight without consequences.

At what height should the lamp be placed? For more effective illumination, the lamp should be located as close as possible to the lemon. But it is very important not to place it too close to the plant, because the plant will be too warm. You can find out the optimal height for a phytolamp by placing your hand under it. If the hand feels too much heat, you should raise the lamp higher. In general, the recommended lamp height is 15-20 cm.

Pruning and feeding

In general, pruning a lemon in winter is not much needed, especially if your plant hibernates in cool conditions. Trim only dead branches and leaves. This procedure will generally improve the condition of the lemon tree.
Feeding in winter may not be needed.

wintering lemon

There is another wintering option for your lemon - you can enter it into a winter state of rest, natural for all plants. This method is also called "cold wintering". This method is especially suitable for novice citrus growers, as a dormant lemon requires minimal attention.

Before wintering, you need to carry out some preparatory activities. About a couple of months before the onset of cold weather, move the tree to the room in which you are going to leave it for the winter. Before doing this, do not forget to wipe it well to get rid of dust and possible insects.

Where to put for the time of cold weather? For this, a glazed loggia or veranda is perfect. The most optimal conditions for the room where you are going to place the plant for the winter are soft diffused light and a constant temperature of about 7-10C. With a combination of such conditions, it will be able to maintain normal life, but will not evaporate excess moisture. But it is worth lowering the temperature gradually, by several degrees over 10-14 days. If you abruptly move from a warm room to a cold one, the leaves from the plant may fall off.

And also lemons can hibernate in complete darkness, but on condition that the temperature in this place will be maintained at + 3-5 degrees. During cold wintering, the temperature should not be allowed to fall below 0 degrees, this temperature is detrimental to lemons and can cause massive leaf fall. You also need to avoid raising the temperature in the daytime to 15 degrees, such overheating can also cause massive leaf fall.

A well-wintered one will definitely shoot new shoots in the spring

Although your lemon tree is dormant, it still needs to be watered occasionally. The plant needs to be watered only when the soil in its pot becomes dry (when trying to compress the earth into a lump, it should crumble).
In the spring, with the onset of heat, it can be taken out of dormancy, but this should be done gradually.

It is impossible to bring from cold to heat without first heating the soil in a pot. It is necessary to increase the temperature and the amount of light gradually, over several days, in order to avoid leaf fall due to temperature differences.

That's all the advice that will help the lemon tree to endure the winter period normally. If they are observed, your green pet will again delight you with flowering in the spring, and subsequently with delicious fruits.