Quite recently on the pages of our website we talked about how. The article ended with information that such a lemon, called wild (as opposed to cultivated, varietal lemons), begins to bloom and bear fruit very late. Often you have to wait more than ten years for this moment.
But there is one way by which you can force wild plants to form fruits much faster, sometimes as early as five years after sowing the seed. This method has been known for a long time, and it is called grafting.
Vaccination: what is its essence?
Actually, if you paid attention in biology lessons in high school, it will be easy for you to understand the principle of any grafting on plants. First, you need to understand that vaccinations involve two “actors”: the rootstock and the scion.
– Rootstock- this is always the plant on which the graft is made. In our particular case, the rootstock is a wild lemon seedling.
– Scion- this is part of a varietal, already fruit-bearing plant. By the word “part” we mean either a stalk or a separate eye (bud).
The essence of any grafting is to fuse the rootstock with the scion. As a result, we will get a plant that has the roots of the rootstock, but the crown of the scion. Accordingly, the new tree will bloom and bear fruit in the same way as the cultivated plant from which the cuttings were taken for grafting did. By grafting, we seem to deceive nature, forcing the seedling to bloom.
Let's arm ourselves with tools
For some reason, there is still a widespread opinion among amateur flower growers that vaccinating is a very difficult task, if not difficult. In fact, with some training and dexterity, do simple vaccination(and there are many methods of vaccination) is not so difficult. There would be a desire, and some inclination to experiment, to take risks!
First, let’s think about what to vaccinate and prepare necessary tools. They are simple and accessible to anyone.
– Garden pruner. This tool is sold in many flower shops, especially in large garden centers. You need it to cut cuttings for yourself, as well as trim branches of trees and bushes. If you do vaccinations infrequently, you don’t have to buy a pruner, replacing it with a regular knife.
– Grafting knife. Perhaps this is the main tool in the vaccination business. It is no less important for a florist than a good scalpel is for a surgeon. Actually, the comparison is not accidental. The grafting knife must be as sharp as a scalpel! And, by the way, some flower growers use medical scalpels as a grafting knife. Grafting knives can always be purchased at large garden centers.
Remember! You won't be able to vaccinate with a dull knife! The fact is that only a razor-sharp knife can make a smooth cut of wood tissue without microscopic burrs.
– Strapping material . To tightly bind the scion and rootstock, and also isolate the grafting site from the air, you need a strapping. Now they sell it ready-made, in the form of a special tape, but most gardeners use the usual “improvised means”. Insulating tape, plumbing “fum tape”, and polyethylene cut into thin strips are usually used as strapping. There are cases when a thick synthetic thread acts as a binding.
– Garden var. Also purchased at gardening stores, it is used as a kind of putty, which is applied to the grafting site.
– Disinfection solution and clean cloth . They wipe the grafting site, cuttings, and also the grafting knife. It is convenient to use vodka or pure alcohol as a solution. You will need just a little bit of it.
Vaccination at home
There is evidence that people carried out the first vaccinations several thousand years ago, in ancient China. Whether this is true is not for us to judge, but the obvious fact is that gardeners have been using plant grafting for centuries. During this time, enormous experience has been accumulated, dozens of in various ways vaccinations. The lion's share of these methods is used in gardening, and not in home floriculture, and, of course, it is not at all necessary to know them all.
As a rule, three types of grafting are used in indoor citrus growing:
– budding with an eye;
– grafting into cleft;
– grafting by copulation.
The first grafting method is used if only one scion bud is grafted onto the rootstock. The last two methods are when cuttings are grafted. The most common method is grafting into clefts. Any gardener can easily master it.
Now we will not describe these vaccination methods in detail. Firstly, this would require a separate article, preferably supplemented with drawings. And secondly, such step by step instructions There is a lot on the Internet about vaccinations. To really learn how to vaccinate, you need to read at least one such article and watch a video. And after that, you may not get vaccinated right away. You need to train your hand a little, sharpen your eyes, and gain confidence.
We advise, after familiarizing yourself with the “theoretical literature,” to try grafting on cuttings of any trees. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a garden resident or a forest tree. The main thing is that you train your hand: get even cuts, quickly apply the binding, use garden varnish.
Attention! In any grafting, the most important thing is to tightly connect the cambial layers of the scion and rootstock. Let's remember biology lessons! Cambium is a thin layer between the bark and the wood itself. It is in the cambium layer that the fusion of two different plants occurs.
Where can I get material for vaccinations?
Whether you do the grafting yourself, or invite a skilled person to do this, you will need cuttings or scion buds. It has already been said that they need to be taken from a fruit-bearing lemon. Where can I get it?
There may be several answers. Most often, varietal lemons grown by friends, relatives, and acquaintances are used as donors. Often the owner of such a lemon can be found on the Internet, communicating on flower growing forums.
Interesting! Not everyone knows that cuttings of varietal citrus fruits, including lemons, can be sent by mail. How to do this is usually known to the owners of such plants. The cutting will survive a short trip without any problems and will be suitable as a scion.
By the way, this fact opens up wide opportunities for you! Using the Internet, you can find not just cuttings of a varietal lemon, but a plant of a certain variety. After all, there are a great many varieties of lemons!
When can you vaccinate a lemon seedling?
Distracted by the conversation about vaccinations, we somehow forgot about our seedling, about the rootstock. And they missed one simple but important point: when can it be vaccinated?
And here the answer is ambiguous. Most sources recommend re-vaccinating a wild animal in the third or fourth year of its life. As a rule, by this time the diameter of the stem is already comparable to the thickness of a pencil - the most convenient “grafting” size.
But there are often cases when vaccination is carried out earlier, in the second year of the seedling’s life, or even in the first! True, at this age, the stem of lemongrass grown at home is no thicker than a match, and only an experienced person can make such a graft. But it can be done!
Lemon care after grafting
Be that as it may, your lemon has undergone an “operation”, turning from a rootless wild animal into an elite one. varietal plant. At first, just like a person in a hospital, he requires special care and certain resuscitation actions. They are not complicated, but it is important to follow them.
1. Build a kind of greenhouse for the tree, covering it plastic bag or a cut PET bottle. This is necessary so that the scion, while it has not yet grown to the rootstock, does not lose moisture in dry air.
2. Water the soil in the pot moderately, but less than usual. After all, the roots hardly need moisture at first - the old crown has been cut off, and the new one has not yet developed.
3. Make sure that the room is not cold, but not too hot. Shade the lemon from bright sunlight.
4. From time to time, open your greenhouse for a short time, allowing fresh air to flow.
The period of resuscitation can be considered completed only when buds begin to emerge on the grafted cuttings and it begins to grow. From now on, care for the lemon in the same way as you did before. But now - remember - the crown of a completely different, varietal plant is developing on the roots of your seedling!
Is it really just a vaccine?
Surely many reading this text have a question: “Is grafting really the only way to make wild lemons bear fruit?” If we are talking about a plant that is 4–5 years old, then it is the only one. But it also happens that a wild animal has been living in your house for many years, having been inherited, for example, from parents or grandmother.
If the seedling has reached 10 years of age, it has a chance to bloom and set fruit. He just needs your help for this. There are a number of special measures that can speed up the appearance of fruits on homemade lemon. The main ones are the following:
– Cool winter . A very important moment for laying flower buds! The lemon should spend the winter at temperatures close to +10 °C, and if it is large and aged, then even at 5 °C. The more you “scare” the lemon low temperatures, the greater the chance of spring flowering. Just don't overdo it!
– Proper pruning . Often old lemons look like long fishing rods: one trunk and almost no side branches. But the nature of lemon is such that flowers appear only on branches of the fourth order. Shape the lemon proper pruning, achieve a branched crown; It is quite possible that success will await you!
– Proper care. A large lemon should grow in a tub of the appropriate size filled with a nutrient mixture. A thick, leafy crown will tell you about your nutritional well-being. Citrus leaves should be fresh, look healthy, and juicy. Flowering is possible only if there are a large number of leaves.
– Organization of good lighting . Lemon will not bloom if it does not receive enough light, preferably natural, sunny. Place it in a location where there is no deep shade most of the year.
– Grafting a varietal cutting onto one of the branches of a seedling . The appearance of a fruit-bearing varietal branch in the crown of a wildflower, as it were, encourages the rest of the crown to flower.
And, since we returned to the issue of vaccinations, think about such an experiment as creating a garden tree! After all, if you have a large, perennial wildflower with a spreading crown, you can graft not one, but several varieties of lemons onto its branches! Or you can do something even more interesting and graft orange, tangerine, kincan and citron into the crown! After all, fortunately, all representatives of the citrus genus are perfectly grafted onto each other!
Agree, this is an incredibly tempting creative idea! We may tell you about it a little later. Check out our website to find out something new and interesting!
Yes, by the way, if you decide to create a garden tree, leave one “original” wild branch in the crown. When it blooms, it will probably bear delicious lemons, unlike any other variety in the world! After all, citrus fruits easily cross-pollinate, and your seed, perhaps, carried a completely unique set of qualities. However, if the wild lemons turn out to be small and tasteless (and this will most likely happen) - it’s not a problem either! Did we start this whole story for food?
Citrus fruits are grown at home to obtain useful fruits, and for decorative purposes. In addition, during the flowering period they fill the entire room with their aroma, making staying in it like a fairy tale. However, it happens that a planted lemon does not bloom for a long time. What to do and how to get fruit from the plant?
There may be several reasons why a lemon tree does not form flowers or bear fruit. You need to thoroughly understand whether mistakes have been made in care, and also whether pests have appeared on the tree.
Incorrect vaccination
If the seedling was grown from a seed, then you should not expect a harvest or flowering from it. A fruiting lemon must be grafted. For these purposes, they mainly use the Meyer and Dioscursia varieties, which are capable of producing crops the following year. The rootstock can be an orange or grapefruit grown from a seed.
Incorrectly selected temperature mode
Lemon does not tolerate temperature fluctuations. If there are sudden changes, the plant may bloom profusely, but then lose color. It is recommended to grow the tree at a temperature of +20 – +24 °C. Heat negatively affects its growth and development, especially indoors.
Insufficient humidity
The lemon tree enjoys a humid indoor climate. Otherwise, buds with flowers will not form at all or will crumble. Used to humidify the air special devices or simply place an open bowl of water in the room. The plant is also regularly sprayed.
Abundant flowering
There are times when a lemon blooms but does not bear fruit. Experts recommend normalizing the number of flowers, removing unnecessary ones. If there are a lot of them, the tree will lose a lot of strength and there will be no more left to form ovaries. You can determine how many flowers to leave by counting the number of leaves on the plant. For every 10 leaves leave 1 flower.
Lack of vitamins and minerals
During flowering, lemon requires good nutrition with a high content of vitamins and microelements. They come along with feeding.
If you do not fertilize the soil, the tree loses color and does not form ovaries.
Diseases and pests
Lemon, like others houseplants, can be affected by pathogens and pests. During the flowering period, fungal infections are considered the most dangerous. To prevent their appearance and development, it is necessary to control the level of humidity and regulate watering. Among the pests that attack the plant are:
- thrips;
- spider mites;
- Scale insects.
If a tree is sick, then it will not bloom, much less form an ovary. It is necessary to immediately take measures to destroy pests and pathogenic flora and improve the health of the lemon. Only after this will he be able to please with abundant flowering.
How to make a lemon bloom and bear fruit?
What to do if you want to see your homemade lemon blossom and enjoy its healthy fruits? It is necessary to stimulate flowering, provide proper care, improve the health of the tree and eliminate possible mistakes in care.
Vaccination and feeding
If the grafting is done correctly, then within 3 years the indoor lemon will be able to please its owners with a harvest. The most commonly used method is eye grafting. A cutting is grafted only if the branch contains a small amount of leaves. You can perform this action in a split or behind the bark. The work is carried out during the period when the lemon begins to actively flow sap. As a rule, this happens in April or May.
For the rootstock, strong seedlings with thick branches are used, the bark of which comes away well from the wood. The growth should contain about 5 leaves. To ensure a high-quality operation, use a clean and very sharp knife. Strong alignment is achieved by tightly tying the grafted lemon. If after 3 weeks the petiole of the leaf near the eye turns yellow, then the graft has taken root successfully. Failure in this matter can occur when the bark is poorly separated from the wood.
Cultivation lemon tree V closed space requires that it be provided with proper feeding.
The amount of fertilizer must be dosed correctly and applied to the soil. During the flowering period, the plant is fed 2 times a month, and in winter the application of drugs is reduced to 1 time per month. Organic and humic fertilizers are well suited for growing citrus fruits. There are natural supplements that contain a full range of essential microelements. To achieve abundant flowering, they must be added from February to August.
Crown formation
For a homemade lemon to bloom, it needs to be regular pruning from the first year of cultivation. First, the tops are cut off so that after 3 years a crown with 7 main branches is formed.
It should be remembered that flowers form just at the tips of thin branches, so there is no need to constantly shorten them. Otherwise, flowering will never occur. When properly formed, the tree throws out flower stalks within 2 years after planting. The lower shoots must be pruned as soon as they begin to appear. Flowers do not form on them, and such shoots take moisture from the tree.
Pulling branches
With the onset of sap flow, the branches of the lemon tree become flexible. At this time, you can tighten them with soft wire, which will allow you to concentrate the supply of nutrients there. This will contribute to the active formation of flower stalks next year.
Keeping the branches in a horizontal position gives the lemon crown a spreading shape, which is somewhat similar to a fountain. The garter is removed around November, when the period of sap flow stops. The procedure should be repeated after 1 or 2 years.
I bought my first lemon on vacation in Anapa, in 2005. It was a cutting with two cut leaves, rooted in a disposable cup.
Arriving home, I transplanted it. But after transplanting, my lemon did not grow at all, did not overwinter well and constantly dropped its leaves.
I already despaired that this plant would be able to recover. And then I even decided that I would no longer bring lemon home after spending the summer on the veranda.
And in 2009, I was again in Anapa and brought from there a small lemon tree.
But what was my surprise when I walked onto the veranda and saw that my first lemon was covered in leaves and blooming!
Now I know about mine main mistake in caring for this plant. Lemons should never be rotated. But I, on the contrary, used to always turn it around - I thought that with even lighting of the lemon its crown would be more luxuriant.
As a result, my first lemon did not overwinter on the veranda; I just brought it into the house in the fall later than all the other flowers (in September).
It turned out that before flowering I left it alone for a while. I haven’t moved or turned over a pot of lemon on the veranda for more than 3 months. So he answered me with lush foliage and flowering...
Now I have a mark on the pots with lemons (so that, for example, after spraying, I place the pot correctly).
Both lemons grow on the east window, and there is no radiator under this window.
After I started caring for lemons properly, I now have no problems with them. I regularly harvest them.
For now, I leave only one lemon to ripen on each plant. The fact is that if the lemon tree is small and has few leaves, then it cannot be overloaded with fruits. Moreover, if the fruits are quite large and heavy. For example, last year the largest fruit of my lemon weighed 420 g.
I have both of these lemons now, in December (2011), overwintering with ripening fruits.
Natalia Egorova (Krasnoyarsk region, Boguchansky district)
Lemon does not tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations
I started growing a lemon tree several years ago, when I became interested in indoor Pavlovsk lemons. My friends gave me a lemon cutting.
I planted the gifted cuttings in a pot with sand and created a favorable microclimate for the lemon to take root. Soon the cutting successfully took hold and began to grow.
Every spring I transplanted the developing lemons into suitable larger pots.
This lemon has grown to a meter in height, with a very spreading crown - it no longer even fits on the windowsill.
I had to transplant such a large plant into a 10-liter galvanized bucket, making several drainage holes in the bottom.
I carefully looked after the lemon in the house, regularly moistening its leaves. And after 2 years, my lemon blossomed for the first time - I was so happy!
However, all the lemon flowers soon fell off without forming ovaries.
The next year the lemon blossomed again. Then I suddenly remembered how my mother hand-pollinated plant flowers. And I decided to do the same with my lemon.
After artificial pollination of lemon flowers, the first fruits began to appear.
But here again there was failure: only three ovaries did not fall off and began to develop further.
My first lemons ripened for exactly 9 months - until they turned yellow and fell off on their own. I didn't deliberately pick off the fruits. I was waiting to see how long it would take them to ripen and how much weight they would gain.
The lemons from my tree tasted the same as those bought in the store. And they weighed about 150g.
Inspired by such success, the next year in the spring I put the lemon on the balcony. I thought that here there would be more favorable conditions for this light-loving and heat-loving plant than in the house.
And indeed, my lemon bloomed profusely on the balcony, and a lot of ovaries had already formed on the tree.
But then autumn came. And when I brought the lemon into the room, all its leaves and fruits fell off. My tree has dried up.
At that time, I could not understand why my lemon, completely healthy and bearing fruit, suddenly died. Then I read the reason for this in a library book.
It turns out that the lemon tree does not tolerate sharp fluctuations in temperature.
Therefore, when moving a plant to the garden for the summer or placing a lemon on the balcony, when autumn approaches, you need to carefully monitor the weather. If there is a threat of cold weather, it is necessary to bring the tree indoors in advance so as not to expose the lemon to dangerous temperature shock.
I hope that my experience in growing lemon will help other citrus plant lovers avoid making a similar mistake.
Favorable wintering and natural feeding of lemon
Beginning citrus growers are often faced with the fact that their plants lose leaves in winter and rarely bloom.
I would like to tell Gardenia.ru readers about the winter conditions for keeping my lemon. I don’t know the variety; they once gave me a cutting.
Now my lemon has become a tree about 60 cm high, growing in a 5 liter pot.
In winter, the lemon stands on my kitchen windowsill, where there are no radiators. The window is constantly open for ventilation. And so that the tree on the window does not fall under the stream of cold air, I protected it from the draft. I attached a cellophane film, using it to block off the corner with the lemon.
I water lemons about once a month in winter, but I water them well. At the same time, I remove the film for a day and spray the leaves.
And I try not to rotate the lemon relative to the light source.
By the way, in winter it is very convenient to prepare natural fertilizer for lemons in the house. I have a jar of soil for this purpose. I put scales and bone remains from raw fish there. I periodically stir the contents of the jar; there is no unpleasant smell. This jar, closed with a lid, stands on the battery pipe. And yet, an earthworm lives there.
So, during the winter I get humus rich in phosphorus, which is an excellent feeding. I re-sow it and then replace it with this nutritious humus upper layer soil in a pot with lemon.
My lemon really likes this treatment. It blooms and bears fruit constantly, and the tree never loses its leaves.
Problems when growing indoor lemon
When growing indoor lemons, in some cases problems arise due to improper care and maintenance of this whimsical plant. By eliminating the cause of tree disease, you can regularly obtain a rich harvest of fruits. Failure to follow care recommendations can lead to the death of the citrus.
Why do lemon leaves turn yellow, fall and curl?
Often gardeners are faced with the fact that lemon leaves turn yellow. There may be several reasons why a lemon turns yellow. Possible causes could be lack of light or nutrients, as nutrition is very important for citrus crops. For full development For growth and fruit set, elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and calcium are required. Nitrogen affects healthy leaf color. Calcium is responsible for the development of the root system. Phosphorus is involved in the construction of plant cells, improves the quality of fruits, and increases their sugar content, vitamins and microelements. Potassium promotes better nitrogen absorption, accelerates the ripening of woody shoots and fruit ripening, and increases lemon resistance to disease. Timely application of fertilizers containing the above elements will help prevent yellowing, wilting and falling of leaves. At the same time, the taste of the fruit will increase significantly.
Lighting plays an important role in the formation of a healthy tree. Citrus, like any other plant in the tropics, requires 12 hours of daylight, so lemon is placed on southern, southwestern and southeastern windows. If necessary, use additional lighting.
Another reason why lemon leaves turn yellow is excess light. When direct sunlight hits the plant, or its prolonged exposure to the sun leads to the formation of yellow spots on the leaf blades - miniature burns, which the tree can cope with on its own if it is placed in a shaded or semi-shaded place. If this is not done, the lemon will completely lose its leaves and die.
This culture is moisture-loving. Needs regular, abundant watering and high air humidity (70-90%). In extreme heat or when the air in the room is excessively dry, the edges of citrus leaves begin to turn yellow. To prevent this, you need to spray the tree daily with a spray bottle and also use a humidifier. You can place a container filled with water next to the lemon.
Dry air is often the reason why lemon leaves curl.
In some cases, the leaves turn yellow at the base and then fall off. This can be facilitated by moisture accumulating in the soil and negatively affecting the root system. With prolonged stagnation of moisture, the roots begin to rot, and the soil becomes bad smell. In this case, it is necessary to transplant the plant into another container filled with fresh soil. Pebbles or expanded clay are first laid at the bottom, which will ensure good drainage. Before transplanting, roots that have rotted are removed. Then the root system is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to destroy putrefactive bacteria. After this, the lemon is planted in fresh soil.
Sometimes lemon leaves turn yellow at the edges and curl when there are sudden changes in room temperature. In the same way, citrus reacts to drafts, so a pot of lemon should not be placed near a window or door.
Turning on heating appliances can also cause yellowing of lemon leaves.
Why does a lemon drop its leaves?
At different times of the year, citrus sheds its leaves, but more often this can be observed in the autumn-winter period. The reasons why lemon leaves fall off are usually related to unfavorable conditions tree content.
With a lack of light, the plant becomes depleted and begins to lose foliage. Quite often this happens in winter. In this case, additional illumination with special lamps is required.
Other reasons why a lemon drops its leaves are dry indoor air, lack of nutrition, insufficient watering, a cramped pot, overcooling of the roots, acidification of the soil, a sudden change of location, and premature flowering. To eliminate this problem, you need to provide the plant with regular watering and timely application of fertilizers. If the pot becomes too small, the tree is transplanted into a larger container. To prevent overcooling of the root system, you should water the citrus with water. room temperature or a little warmer. Do not keep it on a cold windowsill. It is important to regularly monitor the condition of the soil and its moisture. With excess moisture, the roots begin to rot, which leads to the shedding of leaves.
When transplanting a tree into a larger pot, the soil may become acidic. To avoid this new pot should be 2-4 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. Often the leaves fall off immediately after transplantation, so lemons are initially planted in spacious containers.
Since the lemon quickly gets used to its permanent place, it reacts negatively to the rearrangement and has difficulty getting used to new conditions, as a result of which it can lose its leaves.
Citrus leaves can fall off under the influence of pathogens and various pests, such as scale insects or spider mites. In order to promptly identify and eliminate pests, it is recommended to periodically inspect the tree.
What to do if a lemon has dropped its leaves? In some cases, the plant recovers on its own. However, it is necessary to exclude all possible causes: prevent drafts, ensure timely watering, optimal air humidity. Fertilizer is applied only if the plant is healthy. If the tree has been moved to another location, you need to return it to its original location.
Why homemade lemons don't bloom?
Sometimes it happens that citrus does not bloom for a very long time. In this case, the tree can be encouraged to flower by grafting with a cultivated cutting. After this, flowers will appear in 2-3 years. The reason why homemade lemons do not bloom may be the lack of a cool winter (at a temperature of 12-15°C), when the plant begins to develop flower buds. In a warm room, without a dormant period, citrus may not bloom. In addition, the tree may lack trace elements.
Lemons grown from seeds very rarely bloom and bear fruit. To achieve flowering, it is necessary to graft a branch of a fruiting plant. Flowering will occur in 3-4 years.
When planting lemons, you should know that some varieties bloom annually, while others bloom once every 4-5 years.
Why doesn't lemon bear fruit?
It happens that a tree blooms, but does not bear fruit. Why doesn't the lemon bear fruit? There may be several reasons for this. The most common of them are lack of nutrients, low air humidity, and lack of light.
With insufficient feeding, the ovary has developed to the size walnut, crumbles. Sometimes, with scanty feeding, the ovary ripens, but the fruits remain small.
The lack of fruiting may be due to poor pollination. IN in this case you need to cross-pollinate the flowers with a cotton swab, transferring pollen from one flower to another.
To get a rich harvest of lemons, you need to create all the necessary conditions for the tree and provide proper care. For example, in the absence of a state of dormancy, the development of the plant is disrupted, which directly affects its fruiting.
Why do the ovaries and fruits of lemons fall off?
It happens that a citrus blossoms, but the ovaries fall off. Why do lemon ovaries fall off? Most often this occurs due to dry air, drafts, excess moisture, and lack of nutrients. Dropping of the ovary can be caused by scale insects and spider mite.
Why do lemon fruits fall off? During fruiting, citrus reacts painfully to even a slight lack of nutrients, as a result of which its yield decreases.
To obtain good harvest, V autumn period Potassium fertilizers are added to the soil. You can prepare a solution from water (1 liter) and wood ash(2-3 tablespoons).
It is also worth keeping in mind that a tree sheds its ovary when it feels that it is not ready to bear fruit. It is believed that there should be 10 leaves for each fruit. If there are fewer of them, after flowering the excess ovary is removed.
It is important to correctly form the load of future fruits. Remove excess flowers, leaving 1-2 flowers on the side branches.
If you follow all the rules of care, the question “why lemons fall off” will no longer arise.
Why does the lemon dry up and the branches dry out?
Gardeners often ask the question “why does the lemon dry out?” This situation occurs when there is a lack of moisture, excessively dry air, stagnation of water in the soil or poor lighting. The possible cause should be eliminated and after some time the tree will recover.
Why do lemon branches dry out? This can occur due to a lack or excess of moisture. Often, dried branches indicate a spider mite invasion.
It happens that branches dry out in winter. In most cases, this indicates that the plant is acclimatizing. In this case in early spring Dried shoots are removed and new ones will appear in their place.
Another reason why lemon dries out is a lack of microelements. It is recommended to alternate fertilizing with nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium or use a balanced fertilizer containing micro and macroelements, necessary for the plant. Citrus responds well to the Root Feeder fertilizer. As a result of its use, the tree pleases with a healthy appearance and a rich harvest.
What happened and why lemon does not bloom at home
Improper watering
A lemon will not bloom (or drop the buds that have appeared) if it is not provided with sufficient regular watering. The plant belongs to the category of moisture-loving, so it does not tolerate drying out of the earthen coma. If this happens, the tree will most likely get rid of buds or ovaries, and sometimes even part of the foliage, in order to retain the missing moisture to ensure basic life processes.
Excessive watering is also equally harmful: then the soil in the pot becomes compacted, and root system plants are no longer able to extract nutrients from it. In order for the lemon to bloom, it is necessary to keep the soil in the container with it constantly slightly moist, avoiding drying out or stagnating moisture. It would also be a good idea to spray the tree - the high humidity of the surrounding year will please your pet.
Lack of sunlight
Another reason that answers the question why indoor lemons don’t bloom lies in the violation of lighting conditions. Without enough light, unfortunately, not a single flower will appear on your lemon. Citrus fruits are extremely heat-loving, so the window sill on which you decide to place the tree should be well lit: it is better if the window is oriented to the south or southwest.
In the summer months, it would be a good idea to move the plant to a glassed-in loggia, making sure there are no drafts. True, you should not place the pot in direct sunlight - you can provoke the appearance of burns on the leaves, and then you will have to think not about how to make your lemon bloom, but about how to save it from death.
Vitamin and mineral deficiency
Caring for lemons, like any other indoor plants, requires mandatory and regular feeding - without sufficient nutrition, citrus trees, as a rule, do not bloom. During the active growth of the tree, nutrient mixtures must be applied twice a month, with obligatory pauses for the period of winter dormancy. There are complex fertilizers on sale that are specially designed for citrus fruits, thanks to which fertilizing and caring for lemons at home is not particularly difficult.
But still, keep an eye on your tree - it will definitely tell you if problems arise: for example, with a lack of nitrogen, a blooming lemon loses its color, and the flowers themselves turn pale, and a lack of calcium leads to a slowdown in the formation of the ovary and the ripening of fruits.
Untimely transplant
Sometimes the absence of flowers on a tree may be due to untimely relocation of the plant. Young lemons should be replanted annually in the spring until they reach three years of age. It is noteworthy that during this time your pet should completely master the earth ball in the pot, and you will just have to transfer it to a larger container. Then the mature lemon is replanted once every few years, and it is better to do this before the beginning of the growing season. If these requirements are not met, the lemon is simply cramped in a small pot - naturally, the answer to the question why such a lemon does not bloom at home is absolutely obvious.
Pests and diseases
If we talk about diseases, the greatest danger to lemons, including during flowering, are fungal infections (given the constant increased level humidity necessary for the normal development of the plant). Try to control moisture and watering intensity to prevent this problem from occurring.
Turning to the topic of pests, it can be noted that the home lemon tree suffers from the same insects as other plants - these are spider mites, scale insects and thrips. As you know, there can be no talk of any flowering, much less fruiting, if the plant is not healthy. Pests need to be controlled traditional ways: to get rid of spider mites, lemon leaves should be treated with a solution of Actellik; scale insects and thrips can be washed off with soapy water.
Now you know how to care for your lemon in order not only to wait for abundant flowering, but also to receive such a cherished and long-awaited harvest. Try to comply with all the requirements that citrus puts forward to you, carefully monitor the slightest changes in the condition of your plant, and you will definitely achieve unprecedented success in the difficult task of growing lemons in an ordinary city apartment. And how pleasant it is to drink your favorite tea when a slice of aromatic fruit, grown not somewhere in hot countries, but on your own windowsill, cheerfully turns yellow in the cup with the drink!
Video “How to help a lemon bloom”
From this video you will learn how to help a lemon start to bloom.
Why lemons don't bloom at home and how to fix it
Violation of agricultural technology
Care indoor lemon- it’s a rather painstaking matter; you must follow certain requirements and rules in order to see how your pet blooms. The easiest way to make mistakes is in agricultural technology, and in this case lemon blossom you may never see it. Let's take a closer look at why lemons don't bloom at home.
Incorrect watering. Lemon will not bloom if it is not provided with the necessary watering. This plant loves moisture very much, so when the soil dries out it can get rid of buds (if this happened during flowering) or even fruits that quickly set. It does all this in order to compensate for missing resources. Therefore, it is better not to allow the earthen clod to dry out.
However, you shouldn’t flood the tree with water either; it’s no less harmful. These actions cause the soil in the pot to become compacted, in which case the plant is no longer able to extract nutrients from it.
How to make a lemon bloom in this case? To avoid problems with moisture, it is recommended to always keep the soil slightly moist. It is also recommended to spray the tree from time to time to maintain humidity at the proper level.
Untimely transplant. Some may think that it will be enough to replant the lemon once - immediately after purchase. However, it is not. Since the plant is quite demanding in terms of maintenance conditions, it will require regular replanting every year for the first three years. In the future, the plant is replanted no earlier than once every few years, and this is done before flowering begins and fruits set.
In general, during the period that the tree will be in a new pot, it will have time to take root there and get used to the new place. Therefore, when replanting, simply select a larger pot for it; the earthen lump itself in which it grew before can be left. Naturally, if this is not done on time, your pet is unlikely to bloom in cramped conditions.
Inappropriate conditions
In addition to following agricultural practices, caring for a lemon means providing it good conditions. Otherwise, he will not please you with a single flower.
Unsuitable soil. If the soil where the tree was planted is highly acidic or alkaline, your pet begins to wither and lose flowers. In order to determine the acidity of the soil, it is enough to use litmus paper. If this was indeed the problem, it is necessary to give it a slightly acidic reaction.
a lack of sunlight. This plant is very heat-loving, so for optimal development it needs a sufficient amount of sunny color. You shouldn't expect beautiful flowers without it. It would be best to place it on a window that is oriented to the south or southwest.
And remember that it is better not to expose your pet to direct sunlight - this can lead to sunburn, and then you will have to think about how to revive the poor plant. Then you don’t have to ask why the lemon doesn’t bloom.
Watering with cold water. Flowers and trees are usually watered with warm water. A lemon tree is also no exception to the rule - watering it with cold water will nullify all attempts of the tree to bloom.
A sharp change in conditions of detention. A sudden change of environment has a detrimental effect on this citrus tree. For example, you decided to move your pet to the sun, although before that it was always in the shade. Or they took a houseplant outside without hardening it off beforehand. Naturally, if the situation changes so abruptly, the tree simply does not have time to adapt to the new conditions. It is because of this “stress” that it can stop blooming. Therefore, if you decide to change the conditions of detention, do it gradually so as not to provoke stressful situations.
Lack of vitamins and minerals
It is imperative to feed your pet - after all, for full growth and development, he needs the nutrients that he receives thanks to regular feeding. Fertilize the tree twice a month (during the active growth phase), and take a short break for the winter.
The reason why a plant may either not bloom or begin to drop fruits that it has already set is a lack of manganese and boron. You should compensate for the lack of these elements by purchasing citrus mixtures in stores.
Diseases and pests
Fungal diseases can develop due to too high level humidity and are treated with copper sulfate (late blight), soap solution (sooty fungus) and Bordeaux mixture (mold).
Pests (spider mites, thrips, scale insects) must be removed mechanically or washed off the leaves with a soap solution. You can also use a variety of insecticides.
From this video you will learn how to help a lemon bloom at home.
Reasons for the lack of flowers on homemade lemon
Houseplants not only decorate the house, but can also become a real curiosity in a green corner. Lemon is a beautiful flowering tree that gives useful fruits. From one healthy tree you can get a dozen lemons in a year. Why doesn't lemon bloom at home? A question that worries both people with experience and beginners who planted fruitful fruit for the first time. decorative tree at home. There are few reasons why inflorescences did not appear on the lemon. The problem should be looked for in external environment or among possible diseases, after which the tree slowly fades.
Lemon has beautiful flowers, but requires special conditions for their appearance
Why don't ovaries appear?
The lemon tree always stands out in the background ornamental plants, and fresh fruits can be picked and eaten by the whole family. The crop bears fruit in the second year, after a person has properly planted the cuttings and fertilized the soil. Tree care involves many activities that take place throughout the year, and it is difficult to understand all the lemon diseases or causes of wilting. What to do if the first inflorescences do not appear on the green branches?
It is necessary to find out the cause of the disease and eliminate it. The problem of a fruit-bearing tree can arise at any time of the year, both with a young plant and with an old tree that has always bear fruit. The reasons affecting the proper growth of lemon are either temporary or permanent. Changes in care or fertilizers often lead to a sharp deterioration in the condition of the tree. Withering leaves, lack of inflorescences, or the appearance of small bitter fruits are alarming signals for the grower about the emergence of serious problems.
Sick lemon produces small and bitter fruits
Improper care
Flower growers are proud to plant a lemon tree. Such a plant requires a lot of care and grows for many years before it begins to bear its first fruits. Improper maintenance conditions or pests prevent the tree from growing and bearing fruit. Why doesn't the lemon bear fruit? If the lemon does not bloom, you should consider several possible reasons for this negative phenomenon:
- poor watering;
- insufficient amount of sunlight;
- lack of vitamins or mineral fertilizers;
- improper plant replanting.
Before starting a fruit-bearing tree that can be placed on the windowsill, it is worth studying the conditions for keeping the citrus tree for its rapid and proper growth.
The lemon tree does not need daily care. Lemon loves sun and moisture, but only in limited quantities.
Improper watering
A lemon will not bloom or will suddenly lose its color if a person has not properly watered the plant. Excessive watering damages the root system, and hot weather causes green leaves to quickly wither. But a dried out lump of earth is the worst thing that can happen to the soil in which a lemon rhizome grows. A moisture-loving plant needs constant moistening of not only the soil, but also the green part of the tree. Experienced gardeners irrigate the leaves with a spray bottle at least once a week.
Regular watering will prevent flowers from dropping
A tree that does not receive enough moisture sheds its buds so that they do not take the last moisture from the stems. After the buds the foliage immediately falls. From these characteristic “symptoms” it is easy to understand the cause of the fallen inflorescences. The opposite situation can also be observed in cases where a person literally floods a pot with a plant with a large amount of water. Excess moisture causes the soil to thicken and the roots can no longer absorb water. Rotting roots and fallen inflorescences are difficult to save.
Unsuitable fertilizer
Problems with fruiting are often associated with the choice of fertilizer. Make a feed for the root system with your own hands or buy ready-made fertilizers - the choice is up to the grower, but how the lemon will bear fruit depends on the quality of the selected substances.
Caring for a tree necessarily includes fertilizing the soil at any time of the year. Citrus plants need constant feeding, otherwise their root system weakens. A bad rhizome does not allow new inflorescences to arise, and a good tree does not bear any fruit. The best option– feeding the tree twice a month and constant watering several times a week. In winter, the amount of fertilizer is reduced, because all processes in lemon slow down.
To strengthen citrus, complex fertilizers are needed, which are easy to buy in specialized stores. A strong root system will allow the tree to bloom in due time, and soon a person will be able to harvest the first harvest.
Fertilizers for lemons can be bought at the store or made by yourself.
Lack of sunlight
Disturbed lighting mode – common reason lack of flowers on lemon stems. Without good lighting, inflorescences simply do not appear. The situation can be corrected if you move the tree to another window sill with a better natural light. During the cold season, special lamps are installed around the lemon. In summer, the pots are taken outside, but left where there are no drafts. Covered loggias or balconies are suitable for summer ventilation of the plant.
Problems of another kind, leading to the fact that inflorescences do not appear, concern pests. Diseases that harm the lemon tree contribute not only to the shedding of leaves or flowers, but also to the death of the entire plant. The lack of white flowers is a consequence of a fungal disease, and not the main problem.
Infections and fungi multiply quickly due to frequent watering of the plant. A humid environment is the most favorable for the activity of dangerous microorganisms.
You might be interested in:
- In a word, the new game “In a Word” appeared in Odnoklassniki much later than its analogues, but managed to gain popularity among users not only of this social network, but also on VKontakte, where the game appeared a little later. The game has a huge number of levels, with new ones being constantly added. As in other […]
- Why do you dream of grapes - interpretation of the dream Why do you dream of grapes according to the dream book - "Big universal dream book for the whole family of O. Smurov" Grapes in a dream are a symbol of wealth, prosperity, happiness, fertility and success in love. For men, seeing or eating grapes in a dream means joy and benefit from communicating with a woman, if […]
- A site about the garden, cottage and indoor plants. Planting and growing vegetables and fruits, caring for the garden, building and repairing a summer house - all with your own hands. Isabella grapes in the Moscow region Growing Isabella in the Moscow region - propagation and planting I am 57 years old. I am a veterinarian by profession, but I have been involved with the earth since childhood, [...]
- With your own hands - How to do it yourself How to do something yourself, with your own hands - home craftsman's site How to properly store and ventilate grain during storage Proper grain storage. Ventilation, recommended humidity. Typical granaries. Recently we went on a sabbath and built a granary on a very smart farm. […]
- geography, economics, attractions All articles: Articles on economics: Economy of Nigeria: industry, Agriculture, transport Nigeria belongs to the group of poorest countries in the world. The basis of the economy is the oil industry. There is a significant scale of “shadow” business. About 60% […]
- Grapes "Black Pearl": features of the variety, agricultural technology and application View the full image Grapes Black Pearl Description and advantages of the variety Application Planting: timing and rules Care: watering, fertilizing and pruning Diseases and pests Grape arbors are not only a beautiful decoration for a secluded […]
- Honey for eyes: best recipes and reviews Honey is not only very tasty, but also useful product. It’s not without reason that they produce cosmetics and medications. Even in ancient times, this ingredient was used to treat various diseases. As you know, Avicenna recommended [...]
- Summary of books and stories Don't have time to read voluminous volumes? Need to quickly remember the plot of a novel or story? On our website you can easily find and read summary books online without any restrictions. For your maximum convenience, the retellings are structured and presented in chapters [...]
Lemon is an exotic indoor plant. A fruiting citrus fruit must be properly grafted onto the rootstock. If you have correctly grafted a cultivated lemon variety onto a rootstock, but there has been no fruiting for three years, then you can resort to several tricks to speed it up. Like any bush, a lemon will begin to bear fruit if you ring the green shoots. But there are several more specific ways to increase the fruiting of citrus plants. Let's look at some of them.
Stimulation of sap flow
If the lemon does not bear fruit, and its branches are already woody, the leaves look dull and pale, you need to carry out moisture-replenishing watering. If you do one large water-recharging watering, the root system of the lemon will rot and the plant will die. It is also not recommended to water the earthen ball with cold water.
Water the plant every day warm water. You need to pour water into the pan. At first, the plant will take little water from the pan, but a month after such watering, the roots will begin to greedily drink water, which is why the sap flow will increase.
Thanks to the intensive movement of tree sap, the growth of new green shoots will be stimulated, on which there will be flower buds.
Banding green shoots
If you are afraid to moisten the soil too much, you can ring the green shoots of the bush. Then the lemon will intensively begin to absorb the reserve nutrients accumulated in the leaf blades, which will stimulate the blooming of flower buds and the formation of fruits. For ringing, choose a young green shoot. Razor blade or stationery knife remove a small ring of bark from between two flower buds. The bark ribbon should be up to 0.5 cm wide.
It is important not to damage the flower buds when ringing. You need to carefully remove the lemon peel, being careful not to tear it. The bark is then turned inside out and wound back onto the shoot trunk. The bark needs to be secured with tape or tape so that it covers the entire cut.
Barrel constriction
Lemon absorbs nutrients from the soil and accumulates them in young shoots and leaf blades. These microelements are then transported back to the roots. By tightening the trunk with thick wire, you can leave some of the nutrients in the branches, which will stimulate the flowering of the lemon. A lemon can be rethreaded as soon as its trunk becomes woody.
Who among us has not tried to plant a lemon seed at least once? There are probably few of these, because the seeds of lemon (tangerine, orange, grapefruit) seem to have some kind of magical power, which encourages us to do this, and we stick a bone into the first one we come across flower pot . When a sprout hatches, there is no limit to joy. True, it goes away as soon as we find out that we won’t see fruit for 10 years. It is believed that a lemon grown from a seed will not bloom before. Is it so? After all, I want it early. And the tree grows well, and the leaves are green. Is it really that long to wait for a lemon from the seed? Is it true? So... In part, this is true. A lemon from a seed planted in the first pot you come across and growing “on its own”, even with regular watering and fertilizing, will begin to bear fruit in 10-15 years (or maybe this won’t happen). But if you have a great desire and put in a little effort, you can get a “harvest” of citrus fruits in 4-5 years. Don't believe me? But in vain. In the mass cultivation of lemons (and other citrus fruits), planting with seeds is mainly practiced. Of course, this is in subtropical conditions, so we will need to use some “tricky” techniques. How to grow a lemon from a seed. First, a small digression. To avoid confusion, I will write specifically about lemon. But this technology is suitable for growing not only lemons, but also any other citrus tree from seeds. First of all, you need to choose a seed. The seeds for planting lemons must be large and fresh. They must be planted immediately after being removed from the fruit. It is better to plant several at once, so that later you can choose the best seedling (or several). We plant the extracted lemon seeds in separate containers (100g “disposable” cups are ideal). It is advisable to pre-treat the lemon seeds with a preparation for root formation, for example, by soaking them for 12 hours in a solution of root, heteroauxin or sodium humanate. Be sure to make a drainage hole in the cup and fill it with drainage, for example, vermoculite. The soil for planting lemon seeds should be sufficiently nutritious, light and loose. To do this, you can take one part of humus and turf soil with the addition of part of peat, although other options are possible at this stage of growing lemon from a seed. You can germinate lemon seeds both in a greenhouse and without it. We will be able to determine which of the seedlings is of the highest quality when they grow to 7-10 cm in height (from 3 to 6 months). High-quality lemon seedlings have an initially bushy crown and the maximum number of buds on the branches, there are no short needles, and the leaves are strong and do not fall off. It is based on these characteristics that we choose the highest quality plant, which we continue to develop. During this period, the seedlings are transferred to a large container (7 cm. pot), into which we add vermicompost (it is freely sold in flower shops). You should start forming a bush at this time. To do this, we pinch the top of the plant to stimulate the growth of side shoots, which in turn also need to be pinched when they have at least three leaves. Lighting for lemon plays a very important role. And to obtain a uniform crown, it must be illuminated evenly, but in an apartment this is not easy to achieve. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically turn the plant (I do this once every 10 days), but no more than a quarter of a turn (use a marker to draw a mark on the pot and use it as a guide). It should be noted that lemon grows in waves, which means that it only has a maximum of 5 growth periods per year, with a break between them of approximately 3 months. It is during these periods that maximum attention should be paid to the formation of the bush. I repeat. Young lemons grown from a seed, grafted or planted from cuttings do not need to be pruned! For citrus fruits, every leaf is important. Therefore, the crown is formed only by pinching. A properly formed bush is the basis of a high-quality fruit-bearing lemon tree. Of course, this is not all. We continue to grow our lemon from the seed. We have formed the crown and continue to form it as the tree grows. But this, of course, is not all that is required to speed up the fruiting of lemons from seeds. The main role here is played by proper lemon care and the use of certain technologies. Lemon from the seed. Part II. Published: Fruit garden in the room Limon iz kostochki. We continue to grow our lemon from the seed. We have formed the crown and continue to form it as the tree grows. But this, of course, is not all that is required to speed up the fruiting of lemons from seeds. The main role here is played by proper lemon care and the use of certain technologies. Lemon care. As I already wrote, you can achieve flowering and fruiting of a lemon grown from a seed already in the fourth or fifth year (during this period, by the way, a lemon planted from a cutting will also bloom). To do this, you need to make extra efforts when caring for it. Lemon is a light-loving plant, and for normal, and even more intensive development, it needs a lot of light. Even in the brightest room, during the growing season, and especially when it falls during periods of short days (autumn-winter), our seeded lemons need to be illuminated. It is better to do this with special phytolamps, or, in extreme cases, fluorescent lamps (an 18-20 W energy-saving lamp with any homemade reflector is also suitable). By the way, about lighting. In order to understand how to properly and effectively illuminate indoor plants, it is not at all necessary to go to a greenhouse. All you need to do is go to a regular grocery store. The method of lighting display chest freezers is quite suitable for us. Moreover, the very structure of such a display case is an indoor greenhouse. And it’s easy to make. The second important component for successfully obtaining fruit from a lemon from a seed is air humidity. It would be better if it was an electric humidifier (there is a huge selection of them now). By the way. An electric humidifier will improve your well-being too. It is believed that lemons cannot be replanted often and that they love tight containers. And this is of course true. But not in our case. To successfully achieve our goal, two transplants per year are necessary, one in February, the second in June. Since the plant grows intensively, each subsequent pot should be taken 3-4 cm larger than the previous one. In order not to damage the tender roots of the tree, it is better not to remove the entire lump from them, but to perform the so-called. "partial transplant" The soil for lemon must be very nutritious. Therefore, it will be better if you prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to stock up on rotted leaves of linden or maple (in a forest, park, etc.), turf soil (soil on which grass grows densely) and manure humus (this is more difficult for a city dweller, but can still be solved). Then all this is mixed in equal parts. If you can get it horse dung, then a quarter of manure added to ordinary garden (but loose!) soil will also make it suitable for planting lemons. But even such frequent transplants are not able to provide our lemon from the seed with all the necessary nutrition. Those substances contained in the soil mixture can feed our tree for no more than five months, and even then this is already the deadline. Therefore, an important component of lemon care is feeding it with fertilizers. This moment must be taken Special attention. You don’t have to choose which fertilizers to use – mineral or organic. Both should be used. Alternate. There should be a break between feedings - at least a week, maximum 10 days (during the growing season, a little less often during breaks). Apply fertilizer only in liquid form (no sticks or surface granules!). Maximum dose of complex mineral fertilizer– 2 grams. If you overdose, you can burn the roots. You can use purchased organics (there are plenty of them in stores), but it is still better to use infusions of mullein or bird droppings (weak solutions). In the summer, it will be very useful to add nettle infusion to water for irrigation (you can infuse it in any closed container, just fill the nettle with water for two weeks), add 50 grams of infusion per liter of water. In the fourth year, after you start growing lemon from the seed, you can add an infusion of eggshells to the water for irrigation (the smell is terrible but the effect is great, I recommend using it for everyone flowering plants). And finally - a mechanical effect on the tree, which will contribute to the speedy flowering of our lemon from the seed. In the fourth year, it is necessary to produce the so-called. “ringing” our plant. To do this, we tightly pull the central trunk of the tree at the very base with copper wire, slightly deepening it into the bark. This is done so that an influx will form at the site of the constriction, which will contribute to the accumulation of substances necessary for flowering. After 6-10 months (maximum a year), the ring must be removed to avoid squeezing the plant. Lubricate the wound mark with garden varnish and cover it with electrical tape. If you do everything correctly, then after 4-5 years your efforts will be rewarded by the flowering and fruiting of lemon grown from the seed. At the same time, it should be noted that a lemon grown from a seed is more adapted to home conditions than one bought in a store (greenhouse, market, etc.). And the fruits, as a rule, are larger and tastier than the “mother” ones. True, with the beginning of fruiting, one must observe the rule of proportionality of the ovaries to the leaves. This is very important for young plants. There are many tips and recommendations on this matter. Some advise leaving one ovary for 25 leaves, and there are those who leave all 50. Personally, I chose the golden mean for myself - one ovary for 30 leaves, I remove the rest, although it’s a shame. But if you leave more, the tree will not be able to feed them and, as a result, an exhausted tree and small fruits. In the summer, it is better to take the tree out Fresh air, it will be very grateful to you. And in a house where there are children, the place for him is in the nursery! It perfectly disinfects the air. But it is better to keep it away from people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. And the very last thing. ENEMY! Most terrible enemy for lemon - scale insects. This evil spirit is capable of sucking out all the juice from a plant within a short time. And the most unpleasant thing is that initial stage it is extremely difficult to detect. This is a very small insect, the size of a flea, and moves just as quickly throughout the plant. You can see it with the naked eye already in the adult stage. That's why! If, during inspection (and it should be carried out regularly), you found gray-brown spots (beige, light brown) at the base of the leaves, on the leaves themselves (especially on the back), on the stem and branches (beige, light brown), if gum (sticky sap) - take action immediately (!), this is a scale insect. It is very difficult to destroy this infection; there are few drugs that can really remove it from a plant. These include, first of all, “Aktara” (process in a ventilated place!) and special drug trademark"Blank sheet". These drugs have been personally tested by me, and I vouch for them. The rest... After processing, it is also advisable to manually collect the “loose” scale insects from the leaves and trunks of the plant. After 10 days, repeat the treatment.
