Small citrus plants feel great at home. They are planted in ordinary flower pots and kept on a windowsill, loggia or in a greenhouse. With proper care, the trees are able not only to please the owners with their appearance, but also to bear fruit. One of these tropical plants that have taken root in apartments is calamondine. Home care for a small tree with delicate white flowers and fragrant fruits is not very difficult. So to grow your own tangerines on the balcony or in the kitchen is quite real.
What does citrofortunella look like
The plant is often either mistakenly or, for simplicity, called mandarin. In fact, its proper name is calamondine. At home, he feels great and often bears fruit even in not very caring housewives.
At its core, a small tree of the root family is a hybrid of mandarin and fortunella. The plant turned out to be surprisingly frost-resistant, completely unpretentious and perfectly fruitful. True, the taste of his mini-tangerines little resembles an "older brother." They are very fragrant, but not at all sweet, but with a sour-bitter aftertaste. So they often get on the table in the form of jam.
Like all citrus fruits, calamondin can grow both in the form of a tree and a shrub. On its branches are not very large bright green leaves with a glossy surface. If you touch them, a subtle aroma appears in the air. For 3-4 years of life in spring, citrofortunella is covered with small white flowers, which later turn into green fruits. By autumn, mini-tangerines ripen, radiating cheerfulness and filling the room with warmth and light. It is noteworthy that on the branches there can be simultaneously green and ripe fruits, as well as flowers and buds.
Content temperature
Despite its frost resistance, calamondine feels better in moderate heat. In the summer it can be 22-25 degrees (the heat will not benefit him). And in winter, so that the tree rests, it is better to reduce it to 10-15. After spending several months in a dormant state, calamandine will necessarily respond to an increase in temperature by active growth and flowering. In general, in the summer it is better to put it on the windowsill, and in the winter take it out onto the balcony or loggia, trying not to freeze it. The plant reacts to too high a temperature by dropping fruits, flowers, and even leaves.
Watering
Those who do not know how to care for calamondin, first of all, need to deal with the moisturizing regimen. During the period of active growth, flowering and fruiting (that is, from spring to autumn), it should be watered quite often, preferably daily. At rest (in winter) this is done less often, once a week will be enough. But this is subject to the correct temperature conditions. If the plant remained in the winter on the windowsill or on the floor next to the battery, then it should be watered as in the summer.
A drought tree is quite capable of surviving. It will not die, even if you forget about it for a few months. But the appearance of this will suffer. Firstly, you can’t even dream about flowers (and especially fruits) without watering. Secondly, the plant can shed its leaves. But in general, it will not die.
To make calamondine feel good, it is recommended to spray it. They do this in the spring until flowering and in the summer when the fruits appear. In winter, moisten the leaves is necessary only in case of excessively high temperature. During the flowering period, it is better not to do this, since the petals react rather painfully to the ingress of water. And it’s not worth pouring calamondin. Care should be such that the soil is not too dry, but the fungus does not appear. In the latter case, the plant may die.
Lighting
The tree itself, being unpretentious, feels quite normal without the sun. But only now it is unlikely to bloom and bear fruit in such conditions. Although the direct sun is also not very favorable effect on the health of calamondine. If we consider the ideal lighting, then in summer it is a windowsill with access to the west or east, and in winter it is more likely the north side or shadow.
In warm weather, citrus fruits are often taken outside, leaving them to “breathe” air and bask in the natural environment. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this, but in a strong sun it is still not worth leaving the calamondin. Home care after a street tan can be complicated by the fact that the leaves begin to dry and fall off. With a lack of moisture and an excess of light, the fruits will suffer.
Feeding and reproduction
Citrus calamondine, which is maintained in accordance with the recommendations, does not need fertilizers. It is better to use top dressing during the period of active growth and flowering. For calamondine, natural organic fertilizers or a special mixture for citrus fruits are suitable. Sometimes they use compositions for flowering indoor plants. The intensity and frequency of feeding should depend on the age of the plant (the older, the more often) and its condition. The lack of minerals is indicated by small or pale leaves, the absence of flowers.
Kalamondin is recommended to be replanted regularly (in the spring before flowering), using light soil for young plants and heavier for old ones. Before fruiting, the procedure is repeated annually, then 2-3 times less often.
It propagates, like all citrus plants, in two ways: cuttings, formed from twigs with 2-3 buds, and seeds, planted in the soil. The second option is considered more time-consuming and requires mandatory grafting for subsequent flowering and fruiting. Calamondine, which will be the right care at home, takes root quickly enough. Before planting, it is recommended to dip the cuttings in a special liquid, and then cover with a cropped plastic bottle from above. As soon as new leaves appear, it can be removed. It is more difficult to grow a tree from a bone, but this method is also often used.
Pests and diseases
Being an unpretentious and hardy plant, calamondine, home care which is carried out regularly and correctly, is resistant to infections and parasites. Perhaps this is due to the high content of essential oils.
However, with insufficient watering, its leaves may become stained, curl and fall off. The solution to the problem is reduced to timely hydration. With excessive watering, a fungus sometimes appears, which often goes away on its own if the plant is slightly dried.
Of the parasites that infect calamondine, the most famous are the insect, the red spider mite and the mealybug. The first one helps to cope with a soap solution. An infusion of onions or garlic rescues from a tick and a worm (first you need to collect the parasite manually).
Kalamondin is a bright, beautiful and not very whimsical plant that can bloom and bear fruit in an ordinary apartment. If you follow the basic rules and recommendations for care, it will not only please the eye, but also give a delightful aroma and good mood. And from the fruit comes a wonderful jam.