Rules for planting and caring for Meyer lemon at home, secrets of cultivation
The Meyer lemon needs home care. The tree should be regularly and moderately watered, fed in time, and at the very beginning of its growth, form a crown for it. Lemon grows well at room temperature, however, it does not like too sharp temperature fluctuations and drafts. In winter, the plant can be kept in the house, and in summer it is better to take it out to the balcony or garden.
Description and peculiarities of the plant
The Meyer lemon is nothing more than a hybrid of lemon and orange, created by nature itself. The plant gained popularity thanks to Frank Meyer, who brought it to America from China at the beginning of the last century. This variety is often called the Chinese lemon. Under natural conditions, the tree grows up to 8 meters in height. Lemon in the 90s of the last century became known in Europe and quickly learned about it in Russia.
This thermophilic plant in our climates is grown only indoors. The Meyer variety reaches a height of 1.45 meters. It has smooth, oval leaves with slightly jagged edges. For 2-3 years of life, the plant blooms in the spring.Flowers - white (buds are slightly lilac), 5-petalled, collected in inflorescences (5-8 pieces each).
It is a repeat-flowering variety that can flower and bear fruit almost all year round.
Instead of flowers, fruits appear - bright yellow lemons. Their full maturation occurs within 8-9 months. Lemons are round in shape and weigh between 75 and 155 grams. The fruit has a thin skin, yellowish-orange pulp, sweet and sour taste. There are usually 10 seeds inside a lemon.
Necessary detention conditions
The Meyer lemon cannot be bought in stores. This variety has a thin soft skin, so the fruits do not tolerate transportation well and deteriorate quickly. But Meyer's lemon can be grown in an apartment, creating the necessary conditions for its normal development.
Location requirements
The lemon tree can be placed near the window. The main thing is that the plant grows in a well-lit place and is not exposed to direct sunlight for a long time. In summer, lemon tree leaves can turn yellow in the sun. In the shade, the tree will not grow well and may not even flower.
Lighting
Daylight hours should be 10-12 hours. In autumn-winter, in the evening, the tree can be illuminated using phytolamps or turn on fluorescent LED backlighting.
In late spring and summer, a lemon can stand near a window, it should have enough daylight for normal growth.
Humidity
The Meyer variety grows well indoors, where the air humidity is above 70 percent. The plant needs regular and moderate watering. The soil in the pot should not dry out.In the heat and during the heating season, it is recommended to spray the leaves from a spray bottle.
Temperature regime
The optimum growth temperature is 20-25 degrees Celsius. The Meyer variety hates drafts and negative readings of the thermometer. For the summer, it is advisable to take the lemon out into the garden or put it on the balcony.
Rules of care
For normal growth and development, the plant needs proper care. Like any indoor flower, a lemon needs regular watering and feeding.
watering
The plant should be watered regularly. The soil in the pot should not dry out. In spring and summer, the tree is watered daily. For irrigation take soft, settled water. In winter, the tree is watered less often (2 times a week). In the heat, the plant should be irrigated with water. In summer, the foliage is sprayed daily.
top dresser
During the period of active growth, that is, from spring to late autumn, the Meyer variety should be fed with complex fertilizers. In winter, the feed is stopped. During the warm period, the plant is fed once every 2 weeks. Fertilizer should contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
Disease prevention
The lemon can get sick if not properly cared for. If the tree is flooded with water, it will begin to rot. Fungal lesions (powdery mildew, anthracnose, spot) occur in weakened plants that do not have enough nutrients for normal growth. For the prevention of diseases, lemon can be treated with a fungicide solution (Karbofos, copper sulfate).
pest control
If the tree is taken out into the garden in the summer, the lemon can be attacked by pests. The plant is damaged by such insects: aphids, spider mites, scale insects, thrips, scale insects, nematodes.For pest control, insecticides are used (Aktellik, Aktara, Inta-vir). Seeing insects on the plant, the tree should be taken to the bathroom and rinsed in the shower.
Bloom
Lemon first blooms at 2-3 years (usually in spring). Flowering can occur in summer. This plant has asexual flowers, so the ovaries are formed independently. Half of the flowers should be picked so that the plant does not spend all its resources on the development of numerous fruits.
Lemons take a long time to ripen. In one year, a small tree can produce 10 lemons.
Transfer
Once every 2-3 years, the tree can be transplanted into a larger pot and into a new substrate. You can buy citrus potting soil at the store or prepare it yourself. The composition of the substrate should include leaves, turf, garden soil, humus and sand. Soil acidity should be neutral.
Size
The plant is shortened at the beginning of growth in order to stimulate the development of side shoots. 4 skeletal branches should form on the tree. Their tops are also shortened to make the crown compact and lush. The plant is no longer pruned. Only yellowed leaves are removed.
How to propagate
The Meyer variety can be propagated by seeds and cuttings. The seed method does not guarantee the preservation of all varietal characteristics. You can get a lemon of the same type only by cuttings.
Sun-flower seeds
The seeds are removed from the ripe fruit and dried. Then they are sown in a moistened substrate or germinated on a damp cloth. The sprouts are watered, they are first kept under a transparent bottle. When the plant reaches 15 centimeters, it is transplanted into a new pot.
Cuttings
For reproduction in this way, an apical stalk 7 centimeters long is taken. Its leaves are cut in half. The stem is placed in a glass of water and Kornevin for a day, then planted in a moistened substrate. Cover the top of the shoot with a transparent bottle.
Every day the cutting should be ventilated and watered. Rooting takes place over 3-4 weeks.
Solving Common Growing Problems
For normal growth, the Meyer variety must create comfortable conditions. The tree grows well in a warm, bright room. Watering should be regular, but moderate. With improper care, flower growers can have problems with this plant.
Mistakes when growing lemon and how to fix them:
- The leaves turn yellow and fall. This happens when there is a lack of light and nutrients. It is recommended to feed the plant once every 2 weeks with complex citrus fertilizers, once every 2-3 years, completely change the substrate, which should include humus. Daylight hours should be 10-12 hours. In winter, the plant is lit in the evening. Lemon leaves can turn yellow if the tree is exposed to direct sunlight for a long time. The plant in the heat should be shaded with a curtain.
- The leaves are rolled up. This moisture-loving plant needs regular watering. In hot weather, foliage can be irrigated with room temperature water. The humidity in the room should be above 70 percent.
- The leaves turn yellow at the base and drop off. Lemon is harmful for excess moisture. With excessive moisture, water accumulates in the soil and leads to the development of fungal diseases. The roots begin to rot. If lesions are found, the plant should be transplanted to another substrate.When transplanting, the roots should be examined, any rotten areas should be removed, and the wounds should be sprinkled with charcoal. It is recommended to treat the lemon with a fungicidal agent and transplant it into new soil.
- The tree loses its leaves. In autumn-winter, the plant may lose some leaves. This usually happens when the lemon lacks light. In winter, for a tree you need to turn on additional lighting in the evening. The plant also loses leaves if it lacks nutrients, moisture or the pot has become cramped. It is recommended to transplant the tree into a new container, feed it with universal citrus fertilizer. It is advisable to inspect the plant, perhaps insects have bred there. If pests are found, a hot shower is arranged for the lemon, and then treated with insecticides.
- Does not bloom for long. Lemon can bloom even 5 years after planting. You just need to wait this time. Lemons grown from seed rarely flower. You can achieve flowering by grafting a stem from a varietal culture onto such a plant. It is recommended to take out a long-blooming lemon at night on the balcony, where the air temperature is lower than in the apartment, but not lower than 15 degrees Celsius.
- It flowers but does not bear fruit. Lush flowering does not always end with an abundance of fruit. At too high a temperature, high humidity, the plant may not form an ovary. A number of other reasons affect the lack of fruiting. For example, lack of nutrients, lack of light, rare watering. Lemons can be harvested at home if the plant is regularly fed and cared for.
- The ovaries fall. Sometimes the lemon blooms, but later the formed ovaries fall off.This happens when a plant is damaged by disease or insects. The tree should be treated with insecticides and fungicides. The ovaries also fall off if the lemon lacks essential minerals or moisture. During the flowering period, the plant should be watered a little every day, do not allow sharp fluctuations in temperature, do not keep it in the shade or in drafts.
