Proper care at home for Meyer's lemon

Lemons in the apartments on the windowsills are no longer considered a rarity, but in order to grow this exotic fruit you need to know all the features of care. Also, is very important to choose the right grade of , which will please not only with the appearance, but also with tasty and juicy fruits. In this article, let's get acquainted with the Meyer variety lemon.

Feature Home lemon Meyer

is considered to be a Mayer lemon or a Chinese lemon an hybrid of orange and lemon, not created in scientific laboratories,nature itself. This variety was discovered by the American Frank Mayer, who brought it from China to America in 1908.

Meyer’s Indoor Lemon Variety

Chinese Lemon is the smallest among the representatives of this culture and that is why it is often grown at home.

The maximum tree height reaches 1.5 meters , oval-shaped leaves, saturated green with a characteristic brilliance. The variety is remontant, that is, it blooms and bears fruit all year round and in one season you can take several harvests with a total weight of 2-3 kilograms. The first fruits can be removed only on 2-3 years life tree .The highest peak of flowering is observed in the spring, with the formation of white flowers, gathered in clusters of 6-8 pieces.

From the moment of formation of the ovary to the full ripening of the fruits, 8-9 months pass. Leaves of the correct rounded shape can weigh from 70 to 150 ASG17DD, thin, bright yellow skin. The flesh is orange, sour with a slight bitterness, many tasters rate this taste as noble.

The advantages and disadvantages of

• Mayer lemon is not afraid of cold temperatures and can grow in almost any climatic conditions;
• The tree itself is distinguished by its excellent decorative appearance, , and can be an ornament in any room;
• The fruits are very beautiful and at the same time delicious , which can not but rejoice the growers;
• constantly lasts for a long period of flowering and fruiting, so with proper care you can harvest several harvests per season.
• In addition to all the advantages, the Chinese lemon has disadvantages, such as , the need for constant and quality care , in the absence of which the tree can quickly get sick and die;
• There is also a high risk of for the appearance of various insect pests ;
• fruits are not suitable for long storage of and transportation over long distances.

Features of

top dressing During the flowering and fruiting of a lemon variety Mayer should be fed

The plant especially needs to be fed in the vegetation process. For this, experienced growers recommend 2 weeks once a week from early spring to late fall( while the lemon is actively flowering and bearing fruit) to make complex mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus.

During the winter period, feeding should be stopped.

Landing rules

Usually, ornamental plants are already sold in pots, but in order to create more comfortable conditions for it, it is necessary to transplant a lemon, while adhering to some rules.

The following soil mix is ​​well suited for young plants:

• one part of leafy ground;
• one piece of sand;
• one piece of humus;
• two pieces of sod land.

For more mature lemons, the composition of the soil varies slightly:

• is one part of leafy ground;
• one piece of sand;
• one piece of humus;
• one piece of clay;
• three pieces of sod land.

A neutral level of acidity is preferable. When planting you need to monitor the position of the root collar, it should be flush with the ground.

Meyer’s root collar should be level with the ground

Until the lemon tree has grown to 5 years old , it is necessary to replant annually, while renewing the soil and increasing the size of the previous pot by 4-5 cm. As soon as the plant becomes more mature, transplants are carried out once every three years, completely changing the soil mixture and replacing the pot if necessary.

Taking care of the lemon tree

In order for the tree to grow strong and healthy you need to properly care for it , creating as comfortable living conditions as possible close to the natural growth of such a plant. High-quality care consists of several points.

Lighting

In order for the plant to fully bear fruit it needs to provide intense sunlight throughout the year. The best option would be to create 12 hours of the day , in such conditions the tree actively grows foliage, if the number of hours of light decreases, there will be a risk that the lemon will lose all the green mass and simply die.

Flower growers recommend placing the plant pot on the western or eastern sill, while in the winter, artificial lighting is required.

Temperature regime

Meyer lemon is very poor in tolerating drafts and sudden changes in temperature, so is not recommended to take the plant to an unglazed and unheated balcony or outside.

Meyer’s lemon is adversely affected by drafts and temperature differences.

In summer, it is important not to overheat, so under intense sunshine and large amounts of heat it is best to slightly shade the tree so that it receives the right amount of light but does not burn from high temperatures. The ideal indicator is considered to be 20 degrees Celsius .

In winter, it is necessary to maintain the resting state of the lemon tree; for this, the pot is transferred as far as possible from the batteries, trying to ensure the plant has a comfortable temperature not higher than 12 degrees.

Watering

For a comfortable existence of plants, it is recommended to maintain the humidity in the room at the level of 70 percent .

Watering the lemon tree should be both root and foliar method. At the same time moistening the soil and spraying the foliage from the sprayer. In spring and summer, the procedure is repeated in the morning and evening every day, in the autumn and winter, the frequency of watering decreases to 2 times a week.

Pruning

To form a beautiful tree crown, you need to take care of pruning it in advance, for this you need :

1. The grown stem of a seedling is shortened to an length of 20 centimeters , while leaving several developed buds in the upper part;
2. The shoots grown from the remaining buds of the will become the skeletal branches of the , of which 3-4 are chosen the healthiest, and the rest are cut;
3. The skeletal branches of the are cut to the length of 25 centimeters ;
4. Second-order shoots should be no more than 10 centimeters;
5. Third Order - more than 5 centimeters.

Meyer's lemon pruning scheme

As soon as 4th-order shoots appear, forms the crown of the tree is considered to be completed .Now every year in the springtime they carry out sanitary pruning, removing all the diseased, yellowed, dried or damaged leaves.

Breeding Methods

Meyer’s Lemon can be propagated by seed or by grafting .It is worth noting that with the help of grafting it is possible to get a good, varietal tree, and when growing a tree from a seed there is a big risk of dick appearance.

Using

• seeds, seeds are removed from the fruit, washed thoroughly and dried on a windowsill;
• then you need to moisten gauze in water, put seeds on it and put such a construction into the box, while constantly maintaining the moisture content of the fabric;
• As soon as the first sprouts appear, seeds are transplanted into the ground , adapted for young plants, while the seeds are deepened by 3-4 centimeters;

Growing Lemon Meyer from

• seeds seedlings are watered with once every two days;
• as soon as the height of the tree reaches 15 centimeters, its is transplanted into a large capacity .

By cutting the

• cutting with 4-5 leaves placed in a weak solution of manganese for 20 hours;The
• is then cut with a shredded angle with an oblique cut, the remove all the castings of the , leaving only the top 3;
• on the bottom of the pot lay out the drainage , then the soil mixture, on top of the sand, into which the plant is deepened by 2-3 centimeters;

Reproduction of Lemon Meyer by cutting

• at the next stage I cover the pot with a glass jar or plastic bag;
• for the best rooting design place the in place with the diffused light and regularly moisten the soil;
• through 2-3 weeks is being slowly removed from the shelter, first by 2 hours, then this time is increased. Conducting such manipulation is necessary so that the lemon can adapt to environmental conditions.

Diseases and pests

Improper care can cause some diseases that can be identified by the following symptoms of :

1. If the leaves brighten , this means that the tree lacks nutrients or light;
2. If leaves start to wilt and fall off , then the matter is lack of moisture and you need to immediately begin watering and spraying the plant.

If lemon leaves start to turn yellow - this indicates a lack of nutrients

Also, lemon is often attacked by various pests .

1. When the spider mite settles on a plant, it begins to build cobwebs, and when such a sign is first detected, the tree is washed under running water from the shower;
2. If the on the leaves appear black dots, turtles are the flaps, which a mixture of 50 milliliters of kerosene and 100 milliliters of liquid soap will help get rid of.

Meyer's lemon damaged by spider mite Meyer's lemon damaged by

Mayer lemon is perfect for growing in an apartment as an ornamental variety , which also gives excellent taste to the fruit. Initially, it may seem that the care of such a plant is very difficult, but if you correctly follow all the regulations, you can get a good harvest and no diseases and pests will be scary.