Artificial lighting for house plants. Homemade lemon: caring for citrus and timing of harvesting What is the light power for illuminating citrus fruits

It’s a pity to realize this, but summer is ending and our favorites have a tough time ahead. better times. The group is increasingly asking questions about wintering and the use of lamps to illuminate citrus fruits. This prompted Ivan Kuznetsov, an active member of the group, to write this article. As the author of the blog, I express my deep gratitude for this work, since I myself am interested in the issue of additional illumination and invite you, the readers, to read it below in the original.

First, let's figure out why additional lighting is needed. Additional lighting– artificial improvement of lighting and extension of daylight hours. It's no secret that citrus fruits need 12 hours of daylight, and in winter we have 8 hours of daylight at best. And if the plants overwinter in a warm place, they will clearly not have enough light, which can lead to leaf fall, a depressed state of the plant, and in the worst case, it can cause its death.

Today there are a huge number of lamps on the market that can be used for additional lighting. Most often used in citrus growing are: fluorescent lamps, sodium DNAT and DNAZ, metal halide lamps DRI, and led lamps; and in almost each of these categories, there is a series of phytolamps. Phytolamps are lamps whose spectrum is adapted to the needs of plants - at least that’s what the manufacturers say. The cost of these lamps is slightly higher than the cost of “ordinary” analogues; their light is unpleasant for the human eye, since they lack middle part spectrum Reviews about these lamps are divided 50/50: some claim that their efficiency is very high, others that they are even inferior to their “regular” counterparts.

It's up to you to decide which lamp to choose. It all depends on the number of plants, which side the window faces, the distance of the plant from the window, etc. Sodium lamps (HPS or HPS) are considered the most effective. They provide the most powerful luminous flux. But it is advisable to use them when large quantities plants. If there are few plants, you can get by with fluorescent lamps.

Very important point When choosing any lamp, its power (Watt) is determined. The more watts, the greater the luminous flux and the greater its efficiency.Many indoor plants receive quite a significant portion of the light without lamps. It follows from this that the lamps themselves, for some types of plants, can be relatively low-power. But citrus fruits are light-loving plants and, of course, without the help of lamps we will not be able to provide them with enough light. For additional lighting on southern windows in winter, you can get by with one standard 40 W fluorescent lamp per meter of window sill length (30 cm wide). For the north window you will need up to three 40W lamps per meter.

If citrus fruits are grown under completely artificial light, we need much more power. That is, you will either have to use a lot of fluorescent lights, or (which is much more convenient) use lamps high pressure, giving a lot of light.For additional illumination of a large number of plants on the loggia or in winter garden It’s also much more convenient using high-pressure lamps.

Lamps should be located as close to the plants as possible. But the main thing is to find out at what distance from the lamp the temperature will not be too high. This can be determined by simply raising your hand to the lamp. If it is too warm, the lamp should be placed higher. Fluorescent lamps can be located at a height of 15-20 cm above the plants, then their efficiency will be maximum; with each subsequent cm, the efficiency of the lamp will decrease. DNAT and DNAZ should not be placed closer than 50 centimeters from the upper leaves.

Supplementary lighting is advisable from mid-October to March.Last year my citrus fruits

Growing indoor lemon is a job troublesome, but very rewarding. In addition to fruits, we get fresh air in the apartment, because citrus fruits emit phytoncides that reduce the concentration harmful microorganisms in the air up to 300 times! And we can get 15-20 fruits per year from a well-formed 5-7 year old tree.

conditions for growing indoor lemon

light

For homemade lemon you need a fairly spacious room and good lighting. Therefore, windows on the south and southeast sides are considered the most favorable. In winter, the plant requires lighting for 5-6 hours with a lamp. daylight. The tree needs to be carefully turned at a small angle every half month, precisely at a small angle. If you make a large angle in relation to the light source, this can slow down the growth of shoots and leaves, since lemons are very sensitive to rearrangements and changes in lighting. So for correct formation trees are important.

temperature

For leaves and shoots, the optimal temperature is about 17°, and for fruit development 21-22 and the soil temperature should not be lower than air temperature. In winter, when the plant is on a cold windowsill, this problem arises. In order to somehow cope with it, you need to insulate the pot standing on the windowsill.

If the house has radiator heating, the air will become dry and the lemons may die. To avoid this, move the tree away from heating devices, place a wet cloth on the radiator, and spray the lemons with soft, warm water. But do not overdo it in spraying so that the plants do not get fungal diseases.

watering and fertilizing

The rule regarding lemon is that it is better not to add more than to overfill. And you need to water with warm, settled water. Approximately once every 10-12 days, fertilizer is added to the water for irrigation (if you use minimal fertilizer, you can find special fertilizer for citrus fruits in the store). This fertilizer contains nutrients and microelements needed by lemon, it can be used for root and foliar feeding (spray on the leaves).

trimming and shaping

The lemon needs to be pruned, as it tends to grow long powerful branches; if you do not trim it, the crown will be voluminous, and this is inconvenient in the room. Therefore, it is better to choose dwarf varieties.

Pruning is done early spring. First, inconveniently growing branches that have dried out are removed and the stem is shortened slightly, which stimulates branching. And the fruits of lemons grow on shoots of the 3rd-5th order. Formation begins at the end of the first year of growth, the zero shoot is cut off at a height of 15-20 cm, while 2-3 leaves are left on the tree. For shoots from 1st to 4th order, 15-20 cm long, the apical bud with 1-2 underdeveloped leaves is removed. This formation just helps the bush to remain compact.

Attention, mistakes made when growing lemons

• Do not plant the lemon in a large container right away, the soil will turn sour and the roots may rot.
• Pay attention to watering. Although underwatering is less dangerous than constantly wet soil, which can turn sour, when underwatering, some of the roots dry out and the plant grows worse.
• If your lemon tree is still small, but at the same time decides to bloom, do not regret it, remove the buds that have not yet blossomed, otherwise it will become very depleted.
• Dry air causes leaf tips to dry out or fall off, and when flowering or ovaries form, flowers and fruits drop off. This is a very common problem that occurs in our houses and apartments in winter.
• Be careful with rearranging and rotating lemons; if done carelessly, you can cause severe leaf fall, slower growth and poor fruiting.

If the tree has at least 20 full leaves, then flowering and fruiting are allowed. And for each fruit, there must be at least 9-10 mature leaves in the crown of the tree.

Humidity is very important; this plant does not like dry air and does not like high temperatures. Lemon especially does not like it when the humidity is low and the air temperature is high; it will definitely drop its leaves.

the best varieties of indoor lemon

Pavlova lemon — productive, you can harvest from 20 to 50 fruits per plant. The fruits of this variety have thin skin and few seeds, the vitamin C content is no less than in southern varieties, and is not inferior in other respects.

Maykop lemons - dwarf lemons, well adapted to apartment conditions. Maikop craftsmen succeeded in harvesting, and often up to 200-300 fruits per year.

Meyer lemon — the smallest, the most productive and the earliest to bear fruit. IN room conditions It grows very well, blooms profusely and bears fruit every year, but requires bright rooms. Fruiting occurs in 2-3 years.

Panderosa - a hybrid between lemon and citron. The tree is small with a beautiful crown, tolerates dry air and high temperature, begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year. The fruits can reach 600-800 g.

Do you like lemons?

All the best to you, friends! See you!

Growing citrus plants at home - this 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 grown. In order for plants to form correctly, they need systematic feeding, correct watering and optimal lighting crowns. About lighting for indoor lemons and tangerines we'll talk about it in this article.

The importance of lighting citrus plants

Light is one of the key factors for plants that allows them to exist. If there is too much or too little of it, it will immediately affect the nutrition of the plant, since they consume energy only in this way. Light allows the process of photosynthesis to occur, in which plant cells produce organic matter, which are used for leaf formation, shoot growth, flowering and fruiting. Too much light and too long a period of illumination disrupt the natural processes in leaf cells and negatively affect development.

Lighting of 5,000 lumens and a duration of twelve hours is considered optimal for citrus plants.

How to get the lighting right

The amount of light a home citrus plant receives is influenced by a very large number of factors.: this is the orientation of the windows in the direction of the world, their size, the number of floors of the house, and in general whether they have been washed or not.

And, since light is critically necessary for indoor lemons, tangerines, citrons and other citrus fruits and they should receive it in sufficient quantities in the right way organize a habitat for them.

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 taken at a distance of 3 meters from the window, then only 4% of the street light can reach it.
You should also know that the most dimly lit places in the house by street light are the corners. There you need to be very careful to ensure that there is enough light.

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 serious burns on the leaves of both lemon and tangerine. If there is no other option where to place the pot, then you should shade your citrus by constructing an obstacle in the form of gauze or mesh that scatters direct rays. This should be seriously monitored; even already mature plant. But if you suddenly didn’t check and the leaves are damaged, then you need to spray them with soft water, adding a small amount of the stimulant - Epin.

In addition to leaves, plant roots can also be damaged by solar 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 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 intense period for growth and development for the home citrus plant, since at this time it receives a sufficient amount of light and can fully grow, bloom and bear fruit. At the same time, do not forget about complex feeding so that he has something to eat.

Lemon lighting according to the seasons

But in autumn- summer period when natural light is reduced due to reduction daylight hours in our natural zone, you can also allow the citrus plant to fully grow and develop. Indeed, in conditions of lack of light, plants begin to consume stored nutrients, which will significantly slow down the development and growth of the crop.

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

Citrus plants require 5,000 lumens of illumination and a daylight period consisting 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 - in many digital cameras There is such a function, or by installing a special application on your smartphone and measuring the illumination through the phone’s camera. To control this, you should purchase a special timer, which will turn the light on and off at the right time.

Many people who decide to buy a citrus tree opt for. It attracts with its decorative appearance, fragrant smell and original shine 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.

- a capricious exotic plant. Its homeland is India. But there are no more wild representatives left in wildlife; man has completely domesticated all existing species cultures of this representative.

Features of the plant:

• Lemon is a low plant or large shrub with powerful branches covered in prickly needles. Young shoots at the growing point are distinguished by a violet-purple hue.
• The leaf is oblong, oval in shape with slightly prominent teeth. The leaves contain a large number of glands, which contain essential oil. When you touch the leaf plate, thanks to these glands, a characteristic aroma is felt. The change of greenery occurs gradually. Each leaf lives up to a maximum of 3 years, then dries out and dies.
• The flowers on the lemon are inconspicuous, reaching 4-5 cm. Inflorescences white, visually represent a rare chamomile. They are bisexual, located on a branch singly or in pairs. In some cases, there may be many more inflorescences in one place, but then some of them will have to be removed. This is necessary for the developing fruits to gain maximum quantity nutrients.
• Each inflorescence lives from 7 to 9 weeks from the moment it appears until it fully opens. 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 begins to set in the spring-summer period, in a warm room and with sufficient water, then the period of formation of a full-fledged lemon can be reduced to 180-210 days.
• If a tree produces flowers in the first year of its life, it is better to break them off and allow the plant to become saturated with nutrients and grow even more. In the second year, the bush will decide on its own how long the flowers will remain on its branches. It is recommended to leave flowering if the tree has 20 full leaves.
• Small lemons grow 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 ripe lemon.
• The fruits are ovoid or slightly oblong in shape. Initially, the skin of the fruit has a rich green tone. As it ripens, the skin changes to light yellow. In addition, it has a distinct specific odor. The pulp inside the fruit is juicy, quite sour, divided into 10-14 equal segments.

Provides care great influence on the health of the tree. If the conditions are not proper, the plant begins to shed its leaves. Most often this process occurs in winter.

It depends on how many healthy leaves remain on the branches whether they will next year fragrant fruits. Each fruit should have at least 10-15 green leaves. With less quantity, the plant will refuse to bear fruit.

Watering is very important for shrubs. Irrigation should be carried out with warm water or room temperature. At different times of the year, the application of nutrient moisture differs:

• From March to September inclusive, it is recommended to water the plant abundantly every day.
• From October to February, you need to reduce the amount of incoming moisture to once a week.

The main thing is that under no circumstances should education be allowed to marshy soil under the plant. This can lead to rotting of the root system. Then saving the bush will be either very difficult or impossible.

Some experienced gardeners who know thoroughly how to care for lemons can provoke by canceling watering new round flowering. This is how the owner of a lemon tree puts the plant into forced dormancy, practically reducing the supply 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. In the absence of liquid for a long time, the leaves of the shrub curl into tubes, dry out and fall off.

A prerequisite for active growth- feeding. It should be applied weekly in summer and in winter, if fruits are formed, then once a month. Fertilizers are applied after watering 2 hours later:

• – mullein and water are combined in proportions of 1:1, respectively, and infused for 1 week. Afterwards, the infusion is diluted in a ratio of 1:15 to parts of water and poured under the root, trying not to get on the foliage.
• Minerals - for this purpose, they are selected for citrus plants in a specialized store. It should be diluted according to the instructions.

Lighting for lemon has great value. It is best placed on the southeast side. But during summer heat and scorching rays, it is recommended to shade it with a curtain or move it slightly into the shade. In winter, if there is not enough daylight, the shrubs need to be additionally illuminated with phytolamps, increasing the duration of daylight 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 turned once a month, exposing one side or the other to the sun.

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.

Should be observed temperature regime for fruitful cultivation of shrubs:

• At the time of flowering, you need to maintain the temperature around +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 glassed balcony. This will provoke good growth of leaf plates.
• In the winter months, the recommended temperature is +12..+17 C, for good growth Need additional lighting.
• During the summer for better ripening required up to +22..+25 C.

If the temperature rises to +25 C, then you need to additionally spray the bush. If the humidity drops to a minimum, the plant will begin to shed its leaves and die. Spray in hot weather or if the bush is located next to a hot radiator at least 2-3 times a day.

Optimal humidity is 60-70%. These are the best requirements for the growth and development of homemade lemon.

Young plants up to 3 years old are recommended to be replanted once every 12 months. Replanting should be carried out using the transshipment method, 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 soil is removed, from which all the nutrients have already been selected by the roots of the plant.

After the lemon has passed 3 years of age, it is transplanted once every 3 years. It is strictly forbidden to replant a flowering or fruiting plant. For replanting, fresh soil substrate should be prepared. It should be loose, well permeable to water and oxygen. The reaction must be neutral, otherwise the bush will not grow.

The following soil substrate composition is suitable for lemon:

• Sand - river.
• Turf connected to garden soil.
• Wood ash.
• Dung humus.

All ingredients should be taken in equal parts, and the ash should not be more than 1-2 tablespoons. By combining these components, you get an excellent nutritional mass that saturates with nutrients root system lemon tree.

Trimming fruit crop most often carried out in the spring months, when the plant comes out of hibernation.

Long shoots are pruned so that up to 5 healthy powerful leaves remain. If pruning is done on time and correctly, a young lemon can form its first fruits already in 2-3 years of life. 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, the tree may become exhausted when forming fruits.

At unfavorable conditions content on lemon tree may be attacked by various pests and diseases. The following are highlighted uninvited guests that can harm the bush:

• Spider mite
• Shchitovka
• Aphid
• Thrips

Any pest thorough examination easily visible on the bottom of the leaf, multiplies quickly and in large numbers. The fight is carried out after using a soap-ash solution. Besides this, it helps a lot regular shower, while the leaves are washed both from the top and bottom.

In addition, it is possible to become infected with diseases:

1. Infectious in nature - not always treatable. Often the affected bush is removed so as not to infect healthy species and burned to prevent disease.
2. Fungal diseases (mold, late blight, sooty fungus, root rot) - to eliminate the problem, the affected areas are removed, rotten roots are cut off. Fresh cuts are processed activated carbon or a solution of potassium permanganate. If necessary, chemical spraying is carried out.
3. Viral diseases ( sheet mosaic, citrus canker, xylopsorosis, triteza) – cannot be cured. The flowerpot is removed and burned.

More information can be found in the video:

If you have a lemon, caring for it at home will require a lot of work. It belongs to the remontant plants, therefore, in certain conditions it is capable of all year round bloom and bear fruit. But not everyone manages not only to taste the fruits of their citrus, but also to simply admire the flowering. What is the reason? Let's figure it out.

Variety selection

First of all, for planting in the house, you should choose varieties specially bred for these purposes. They do not grow to gigantic dimensions, but at the same time they are characterized by high productivity. Pay attention to these varieties of dwarf and semi-dwarf lemons:

• Meyer
• Pavlovsky
• Novogruzinsky
• Maykop
• Eureka
• Genoa

Among the most common varieties in our latitudes is Meyer lemon; caring for it is the least troublesome compared to other types. This variety is sometimes called Chinese Dwarf, and its fruits are not as sour as other varieties. Dwarf lemons are not known for their rich harvest, but they will add coziness to the interior of the apartment.

Video about indoor lemon

Tall lemons will certainly delight you with delicious and large fruits, but at the same time they require a lot of time for care, since in addition to the usual activities, they need more frequent pruning, gartering and crown formation. If you are interested in such citrus fruits, choose among the following varieties:

• Novogruzinsky
• Kursk

How to care for lemons in an ordinary city apartment, when there is no heating, the windows face north, or the air is too dry for citrus? You will have to provide the tree comfortable conditions growth and development.

The first thing that is important for a lemon is light.

Photo of homemade lemon

To place the pots, it is better to choose south-eastern windows with moderate lighting, if, of course, you are lucky and you have them. But what to do if all your alternative is the north or south side.

On northern windows, the lemon will noticeably lack light, so you will have to use fluorescent lamps, extending the daylight hours for the plant to 12 hours. This is especially true in the winter.

On the south side of the house there is always plenty of light, and even too much for a lemon. Therefore, in the midday hours it is necessary to shade your citrus, saving it from the destructive effects of direct sun rays, they can leave real burns on the leaves.

Lemon is a native of the Pacific tropics, so it is not surprising that the tree is demanding in terms of thermal conditions.

In the spring, during the budding period, the room temperature should be 14 - 16 degrees. A high degree causes the buds to dry out and drop, while a low degree helps to slow down or even stop this process. During the rest period, room temperature up to 26 degrees is sufficient. If possible, move your pet to a glassed-in balcony for the summer. Fresh air will benefit the lemon and the question of how to care for the lemon will not be so pressing. However, you should be wary of how sudden changes temperature and drafts. Like a true southerner, indoor lemon requires meticulous care.

The photo shows a homemade lemon

Moisture. This parameter is very important for lemon. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the soil in the pot is constantly slightly moist. In summer it is reasonable to increase the number of waterings to 3 times per week, and in winter you can reduce it to 1 time, but spray the air around the tree. This is provided that heating devices stand far from the plant. Be sure to water the lemon with non-cold water that has stood for 5 hours. Water should not be poured directly under the root, but evenly over the entire surface of the soil. The air around the tree should also not be dry - at least 60% humidity. Otherwise, you risk seeing twisted, browning leaves on the lemon.

Lemon, like other plants in your home, needs support, so it needs to be fed periodically.

Young lemon trees do not need additional stimulation; lemons that have reached 3-4 years of age need to be fertilized.

The photo shows a lemon tree

You can purchase specialized mixtures organic fertilizers, or you can use folk methods:

• For abundant fruiting, sometimes regular watering is replaced with infusion eggshells. But you shouldn’t get carried away with this method, so that excess calcium does not reduce the acidity of the soil.
• If the plant develops normally, it has healthy looking and pleases with flowering, you can refuse to apply fertilizers.
• During the growing season, it is worth feeding the lemon with superphosphate twice (50 grams of fertilizer per 1 liter).
• Ammonium nitrate is highly recommended for improving growth. It is taken in a proportion of 30 grams per liter of water. You can water with this fertilizer monthly.
• Periodically water your lemon with a 7-day infusion of horse manure, diluted ten times.
• Lemon needs microelements for normal development: magnesium, phosphorus, nitrogen and others. To compensate for their deficiency, you can use Citrus mixture fertilizer once a quarter. 2-3 grams of this fertilizer are diluted in a liter of water and used instead of the main watering.

Pruning and replanting indoor lemon

Young lemon trees should be replanted at least once a year.

Copies older than 3 years - with a frequency of 2-3 years. However, the need for a transplant may arise “unplanned”, for example, due to illness or deterioration of the lemon’s condition.

The photo shows a lemon transplant

1. The soil around the trunk is watered generously to soften it, then the tree is carefully removed. In this case, extreme care must be taken so as not to disturb the earthen lump and not touch the root system.
2. If you find spoiled roots, cut them off sharp knife or a blade.
3. For transplantation, take a container 30-50% larger than the previous one. A pot that is too large, like a pot that is too small, will slow growth. Give preference to a cone-shaped container.
4. Place a shard at the bottom of the pot on the drainage hole so that its convex side is on top. Then a layer of drainage (small stones, pebbles), a thin layer of dry manure and earthen mixture is laid.
5. Closer to the center of the pot, a tree is installed along with a lump of earth. Slowly begin to fill the container between the lump and the walls of the pot with soil. You can lightly press the laid soil, but there is no need to compact it tightly.

Lemon pruning is done in order to form a beautiful crown and improve fruiting.

When the height of the tree is 20-25 cm from the ground, pinch the stem, allowing side branches to develop. Please note that the first fruits appear on branches of the 4th-5th order (rows from the bottom) and until they are formed, there is no need to wait for fruits.

Vertically grown branches should be pruned without pity.

To form the correct shape, the flower pot must be carefully rotated relative to the sun every 10 days. Gardeners sometimes improve the crown using copper wire– secure individual branches with it, giving them the desired direction of growth.

The formation of the crown is also carried out at the moments of picking fruits. A ripe lemon is cut off not only with the stalk, but also with a section of the branch itself with 1-2 internodes. This way the growth of the branch is stimulated.

Lemon is very whimsical environment and reacts instantly to the slightest fluctuations in temperature or humidity. Measures should be taken to save the plant.

Dried citrus needs watering. By appearance foliage - it becomes yellowish-brownish and sparse - it is easy to guess the cause of the disease. But don’t rush to irrigate the soil abundantly; you can damage the root system. It’s better to pour a little settled water under the root and spray around the crown. You can wrap the trunk with gauze, folded in several layers and soaked in water. Let the tree stand in this “dress” for several hours, but do not leave it overnight.

Excess watering will quickly make itself felt with sudden leaf fall. Healthy-looking leaves suddenly fly off en masse. As soon as a symptom is identified, perform a transplant immediately. Carefully remove the tree from the pot and place it together with the soil ball on newspaper or cardboard to allow the roots to dry. You need to plant it in soil that is slightly moistened and continue to water it moderately.

In the photo there is a homemade lemon with fallen leaves

It is very difficult to save a frozen lemon. In conditions of sudden cold weather, the vital activity of the plant may cease. In addition to the fall of leaves, the trunk darkens when it freezes. You can try to carry out "resuscitation". To do this, move the lemon to a higher warm room, extend daylight hours with the help of artificial lighting. It makes sense to transplant into another pot. When removing, be sure to inspect the rhizome and remove dead and rotten parts. Remove dried branches.

Overheating is no less dangerous for citrus. Appeared brown spots on the leaves clearly indicate overheating. Therefore, on hot days summer days Move the container with the plant deep into the room. Make sure that air from the air conditioner does not hit the crown. No additional watering or cooling is required.

Important! You can’t change your place and habitat often; it takes a long time and doesn’t adapt well to new circumstances. Therefore, it slows down growth and fruiting, and may even show signs of disease. Both drafts and unventilated rooms are equally destructive for it.

Photo of lemon tree

Pests and diseases of lemon

The appearance of white flies may indicate stagnation. Their larvae feed on roots and cause significant damage to the plant. Insecticides are used to combat them various types- watering solutions and aerosol forms to kill insects that have managed to hatch. Karbofos and Aktelik are quite effective in combating these insects.

It is necessary to regularly inspect lemon leaves, on which mites and scale insects can settle. Externally, mites resemble tiny spiders. They are distinguished by their orange or brown coloring, which stands out noticeably against a green background. back side leaves. They cover the damaged areas with a thin web, which makes it easy to recognize pests. Wash the twigs and leaves on both sides several times at intervals of three to four days under a shower head with strong water pressure. Repeated spraying with infusions is effective

• garlic (infuse 1 medium-sized head in 0.5 liters of water),
• onion (1 onion, finely grated, poured with a liter of water),
• bay leaf (2-3 leaves per 0.5 liter jar of water)
• strong brew green tea(for 2 cups of boiled water, 2 tablespoons of dry tea leaves).

Attention! It is not recommended to water the soil with these products.

Scale insects look like small brown turtles, motionless and tightly attached to the leaves. It's difficult to fight them. Three times at weekly intervals, thoroughly wipe the plant, including leaves on both sides, twigs and trunk, with a mixture of soap and kerosene, taken in a ratio of 1/0.5. Cover the ground with cardboard or polyethylene, wrap the trunk at the very bottom with a narrow bandage to prevent liquid from penetrating into the root system.

Lemons often get sick from improper care. Browning leaves on the outside healthy plant, and even during the flowering period - one of the ailments. In this case, reconsider the conditions of keeping the flower; perhaps it makes sense to replant it. But in this case, choose a different soil than the current one. Perhaps it was the acidity of the soil that caused the disease.

Video about indoor lemon pests

Like the human body, disease prevention is important for citrus fruits. To prevent diseases, follow the regime, replant, and trim damaged areas. Sometimes a sudden illness can be caused by depletion of the plant itself. In this case, limit flowering to a few buds, and, no matter how sorry it is, remove the rest. Each house has its own separate microclimate, not always suitable for lemon. The task of the plant owner is to adapt it to existing conditions gradually.

Sometimes the process of caring for a lemon at home is comparable in terms of troubles to caring for small children - it is difficult at the beginning, but all the work is rewarded when the tree begins to actively grow.