Growing room lemon does not always happen as we would like. Sometimes, due to improper care and maintenance of the plant in an unfavorable environment, problems arise: leaves turn yellow and crumble, the tree is sick, does not bear fruit. Failure to follow the recommendations for care in rare cases even leads to the death of the green plant. What are the reasons for these problems, read on.
Why the lemon turns yellow, crumble, curl leaves
90% of gardeners are aware of the problem of yellowing leaves of a lemon. There are several reasons why the leaves of a lemon fall:
- due to lack of light;
- low levels of nutrients;
- uncomfortable growing conditions;
- unsuitable microclimate.
Nutrition and a balanced microclimate in the room are two of the most important factors that determine the condition of a plant. Full development, growth and setting of lemon fruits is possible only with a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, including:
- nitrogen;
- phosphorus;
- iron;
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- sulfur;
- calcium.
The role of vitamins, micro and macro elements in the life of citrus fruits
With the timely application of fertilizers containing a complex of the above elements, you will be able to unravel why the lemon used to suffer, and to understand why the leaves of the lemon fall off.
Nitrogen allows you to maintain the color of plant leaves in the usual green state, which means that the plant is healthy. Calcium contributes to the normal development of the root system and the absence of pathological processes.
Without the presence of phosphorus, the construction of plant cells would be impossible, the fruits would not be of high quality, would not be so sweet, fortified, would not contain the whole spectrum of useful trace elements.
Thanks to potassium, nitrogen is absorbed faster, thereby accelerating the ripening of shoots, covered with a lignified crust, helps to increase the plant's immunity to citrus diseases.
It is important! Taste qualities with complex systematic fertilizer in citrus fruits significantly increase.
Secret in Lighting
Why do lemon leaves fall? Another reason may be insufficient lighting. Like other citrus fruits growing in the tropics, a lemon, even one that is grown in a pot on a window, requires sufficient lighting. Normally, this is a 12-hour daylight for a plant growing in tropical latitudes. Therefore, the plant feels best on the south, southwest, southeast window. There is also additional artificial lighting.
It is important! Remember that excess light also harms the lemon. This may be another cause of the disease state of the plant.
Lack of light depletes the tree, and it begins to lose foliage. Gradually, the crown thins, and the plant left without greens completely dries up. Extra lighting in the winter is a common practice when growing lemon at home.
Direct sunlight or prolonged exposure of the lemon to the sun has a detrimental effect on the tree. Yellow spots form on the leaves - burns that quickly regenerate if the lemon is immediately removed from the sun and placed in a shaded place. If you miss this moment, the tree may completely discard the foliage and die as a result.
Features of indoor microclimate
Insufficient moisture is not the only reason why lemon leaves fall. This is a moisture-loving crop that needs regular, plentiful watering and high humidity, up to 90%.
If the microclimate is arid and the air is dry, then the leaf plates of the plant begin to turn yellow at the edges. A wet shower is the best solution to this problem. You can use a conventional atomizer or humidifier. The most budget option is to place a container or reservoir filled with water near the winter garden.
The yellowness of the leaves also manifests itself when the temperature in the apartment or house is not normalized. Due to sharp jumps in temperature, the leaves begin to curl. Around the same tree responds to a draft, because the place at the door or an open window is not recommended for placing a lemon.
Other Possible Causes of Lemon Drops
Citrus leaves drop over the course of the year several times. But most often this phenomenon is observed in the cold season. The reason why lemon leaves fall in 95% of cases is associated with unfavorable conditions for the plant.
A number of reasons provoking the fall of lemon leaves include:
- dry air in the room;
- food imbalance;
- irregular watering;
- cramped pot;
- hypothermia of the root system;
- acidification of the soil;
- frequent change of place;
- premature flowering.
It is extremely rare that home-grown lemons grown from seed flower and form fruits. Why leaves fall, turn yellow and curl, shoots dry out, fruiting is absent - a little observation of the plant will help to understand. Analyze how the lemon responds to certain conditions of detention, and try to change their nature by monitoring the condition of the plant.
To get rid of the problem, just follow the green friends who are growing on your window:
- Transplant lemon in a timely manner.
- Water the plant with water at room temperature.
- Do not keep the tree on a cold windowsill or floor. This is another reason why lemon leaves fall in winter.
- Watch the condition of the soil, its moisture. In too wet, warm soil, pathogenic flora actively develops, capable of destroying the citrus plant.
- Do not water the soil in the pot, otherwise the roots will begin to rot.
How to avoid soil acidification during transplantation
This happens when a plant is transplanted into an oversized pot. To avoid a common problem, choose a new capacity with the calculation of the volume of the lemon root system. Do not buy a planting pot 3-4 cm more than the previous one.
The tree quickly gets used to the usual habitat, because a sharp change in atmosphere can lead to shedding of citrus leaves.
Pathogens also exert their effect on the plant. By identifying pests in a timely manner - scabbard, spider mite, you can avoid the death of the plant and quickly return it to a healthy state due to prevention.
How to find out the reason why lemon leaves fall and how to deal with it? Sometimes none of the above factors takes part in this process, and the tree is restored on its own, updating the crown. In this case, exclude all possible reasons:
- prevent drafts;
- provide timely systematic watering;
- control the humidity in the room;
- fertilize only a healthy strong plant;
- watch how the lemon reacts to a change of place - this may be one of the factors that provide an answer to the question of why leaves of homemade lemon fall in winter.
Why homemade lemon does not bloom
The forums often ask why the leaves of an indoor lemon fall off and the fruits do not form. There are cases when homemade lemon for a long time does not enter the flowering phase. It is possible to push the plant to this artificially, through cultural inoculation with the cuttings. This contributes to the appearance of buds in 2-3 years.
The main, but not the only reason why the lemon leaves fall in winter and the ovaries do not form, is the lack of a cool winter (up to +15 ° ), a favorable period for laying flower buds.
If the lemon is contained in a warm microclimate, without a dormant period, do not expect citrus to bloom. Sometimes a tree simply does not have enough useful elements, and mineral fertilizer solves the problem.
You can achieve flowering after 3-4 years by grafting a branch of an already fruiting plant.
It is important! Remember that not all lemon varieties bloom the same. Some annually, others once every 4-5 years, some do not bloom at all.
Why lemon does not set fruit
Sometimes flowering may be present, but, contrary to this, the lemons cannot be harvested, and so on from year to year. Why do the leaves of indoor lemon fall off, and is the process often accompanied by dropping flowers? There are several options. The most common causes are:
- lack of nutrients;
- low level of humidity in the room;
- lack of light.
In the case of insufficient feeding, fruits that do not exceed the amount of walnuts develop, which subsequently crumble. Only 10% of the formed lemongrasses ripen, but do not develop in volume.
Another reason is poor pollination. In this case, the citrus is re-reloaded, transferring pollen from one flower to another with a cotton swab.
A rich harvest from homemade lemon can be obtained if the citrus is provided with favorable living conditions and a proper care system. For example, when a plant is deprived of a dormant state, lemon development is impaired, which directly affects the fruiting process.
Possible causes of falling ovaries and lemon fruits
It is not surprising if you were faced with a problem when your favorite citrus plant finally bloomed, but immediately formed the ovaries. Why did this happen? The process could be facilitated by:
- low humidity in the room;
- the presence of a draft;
- excess moisture;
- insufficient nutrition of the plant;
- the influence of pests.
Even the slightest flaw in the process of caring for lemon on the part of the host - and the plant, as a result of a painful reaction, can shower the fruits. Now that you know why the lemon leaves turn yellow and flowers fall, you can effectively solve the problem.
It is important! Productivity is significantly reduced with a meager amount of useful and nutrients in the earth.
How to increase the yield
To stimulate fruiting and yield of home citrus plants, prepare such a fertilizer:
- water - 1 l;
- wood ash - 2-3 tbsp. l
The solution is used for watering. Feeding potassium-containing fertilizers is appropriate.
It is important! Scientists have noticed the fact that young trees, not yet ready for fruiting, shed their fruits. This is explained by the fact that one leaf should have 10 leaf plates. Therefore, artificial thinning of the lemon is appropriate when the extra ovary is removed in order to stimulate fruiting.
The load of future fruits is given no less attention. Extra flowers are plucked, leaving only 1-2 flowers on the side shoots.
Now you know why green leaves fall off a lemon, and if you follow all the rules of care and recommendations, such a question will not even arise in your subconscious.