Growing a lemon tree in an apartment is not an easy but exciting process. Proper care and patience will help to grow a beautiful perennial tree with fragrant fruits from a seed or stalk. Homemade lemons are in no way inferior to those who have grown free. They have as many valuable substances, vitamins and minerals, taste and aroma. For those who are interested in how to grow a lemon tree at home, you should know that there are two methods of cultivation: using seeds and cuttings.
According to gardeners, it is possible to get a full-fledged tree from the seeds of a lemon bought in a store, however, this will take several years. In this case, the plant looks neat, branched, but the first flowering and the appearance of the fruit will have to wait 6-8 years. The cultivation of lemon tree from the seed begins in January. To do this, the seeds are sown in soil to a depth of 1 cm. The soil should be fertile, it is better to use a special composition for lemon. The soil is moistened and covered with glass, periodically watered and aired, pushing back the protection.
In about a month, seedlings should appear. They should leave everything to choose the largest and most viable. Next, the grown plants are transplanted into glasses. During the first year, the seedlings will already grow, and they will be from 3 of these leaves. So that the bushes have a neat crown, they are formed by cutting off shoots 4 and 5 of the branching order. The main care consists in regular spraying, top dressing, pruning and re-exposure in the winter.
For the symmetrical development of the crown, the lemon must be turned to the light in different directions. It is especially worth paying attention to watering. For those who do not know how to water a lemon tree, you should pay attention to the acidity of the water. Water for irrigation should not be alkaline, therefore often use boiled water or acidify it with preparations of citric, nitric, phosphoric acid. You can also apply infusion of horse peat, which is sold in any store for gardeners. You need to water it with warm water, moistening the earthen lump, and not pouring water into the pan.
At any time of the year, for home citrus fruits, not only watering is important, but also spraying, as well as a warm shower. Dry air is damaging to the lemon tree. During the heating season, remove the pot away from the batteries or periodically close the heating radiators with a damp cloth. Well, if next to the pot there is the opportunity to install containers with water. In addition, wide leaves should be washed periodically or wiped with a wet cloth - this will keep the foliage clean and provide the tree with deeper breathing. Spraying dusty plants is unacceptable, since the spread of pathogenic bacteria and fungi is possible.
Growing a lemon tree from the cuttings will speed up the process a little. The stem can be taken from an adult, well-developed plant. For rooting, it is planted in the ground in February – March and covered with a glass jar. You can remove such a mini-shelter after the stalk actively moves to growth.
Moisture, light and heat are the main conditions that will allow you to grow a lemon at home.