Growing a lemon tree in a house does not seem to be a difficult task. It is easy to get a sprout from a seed after several weeks of germination. But how to further grow a healthy tree, take care of it and how to feed a lemon at home for fruiting? These plants are sensitive to any actions and to changes around themselves. To obtain an abundant harvest, you need to feed a home tree correctly and on time.
Which grade to choose for home
Before choosing a variety, you need to decide how the bush should eventually grow. If preference is given to small bushes, then it is worth taking a closer look at the varieties:
- Miner.
- Meyer.
- "Eureka".
- Lunario.
These species are adapted for planting in the house. Such varieties grow with low trees, mainly up to 1.5 m, have a fairly high yield. A common variety is Miner. How to feed a lemon in a pot at home? The tree in a flowerpot is unpretentious in leaving and easily takes root in the house. Its fruits are less acidic, but the bush itself is not distinguished by productivity among other varieties. It creates coziness in the house more.
If the preference is given to tall trees, which will please a large harvest, then it is worth taking a closer look at the varieties:
- "Kursk."
- "Novokuznetsk."
- "Ponderosa."
Trees will have to take care more. They need frequent pruning of branches, tying the fruit. Due to the large amount of the crop, it is necessary to know how and what to feed the lemon at home and how many times a year to do it correctly.
Environment for lemon
Keeping a lemon in the house is not an easy task. Finding a tree-friendly housing is virtually impossible, so you need to create an environment in which it will grow and bear fruit.
- Lighting. When choosing a place for the pot, it is better to give preference to the southeast side. If the windows do not go there, you will have to adapt to the situation. In the northern part there will be a lack of sunlight for the lemon, you will have to lengthen the day using lamps. And on the south side for the lemon will be an excess of lighting. At lunchtime, it is advisable to shade it so that the sun does not leave burns on the leaves.
- Room temperature. During the formation of the buds, it is desirable to maintain about 16 degrees of heat in the room. A higher temperature causes the buds to dry out, while a lower temperature slows down their formation or stops the process altogether. During rest, the bush lasts 26 degrees.
- Fresh air. In the summer, pots can be moved to the balcony. In winter, ventilate the rooms in which the lemons are located, while the pots themselves must be removed from the room. Sudden jumps in temperature and drafts are not allowed, this can adversely affect its condition.
- Humidity. Lemon refers to plants that love the moist environment around, 60% humidity is an ideal comfortable level. Watering in the summer is recommended to be carried out with warm, settled water 2-3 times a week. In winter, it is better to reduce watering to 1 time, but at the same time spray the leaves more often.
The substances lemon needs for active development
To increase the size and yield of the lemon, the balance of the elements it receives is maintained. The main substance for the formation of strong and healthy fruits on a tree is nitrogen. When feeding your pet, you need to remember that the dosage of nitrogen is increased 2 times in relation to other necessary substances, such as:
- potassium;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium.
Signs of a lack of useful items
Sometimes a situation arises when, like all climatic conditions are met, fertilizers are applied to the soil on time, and the bush begins to wither. In order not to experiment with the lemon - not to transplant into new soil or replace the usual lure - you need to carefully consider all the changes, because each sign indicates a lack of a certain element:
- The lack of the basic substance of nitrogen necessary for lemon causes a decrease in young shoots. And the leaves turn yellow at the tree. How to feed lemon at home to correct the situation? The answer to this question is very important, because untimely application of fertilizing can provoke the development of chlorosis.
- If the lemon gets a dull color, brings few fruits and tastes bitter-acid and irregular in shape - this indicates a deficiency of phosphorus.
- A lack of potassium can stop the growth of a tree. New shoots die, leaves fold into a tube and change color. If the tree was in the process of fruiting, then its fruits do not ripen to the end, remain sour taste. And the leaves fall abundantly, leaving an empty crown.
- The fruits on the lemon do not grow to normal size and do not ripen, the leaves are smaller and stained. This indicates a lack of zinc.
- Leaves turn yellow? How to feed lemon at home, if this happened? To solve this problem, fertilizers with a high iron content are added.
- Brightly distinguished veins with the subsequent appearance on the sheet of dead sites indicate a lack of manganese.
- If the leaves turn pale yellow, without vein discharge, there is a lack of sulfur.
- In situations where the leaves are tucked down, it is worth feeding calcium.
- If the leaves become a lighter color, a copper deficiency may have appeared.
With a timely response to changes in the state of the bush, you can affect the early recovery and prevent the death of the lemon. However, if you carefully and accurately follow the care rules, such problems should not arise at all.
Fertilizers
How to feed lemon at home and is it difficult to do? Even novice citrus growers should not have much fear that something difficult will be done. In stores there is a large selection of various fertilizers. But they are all divided into main types: mineral and organic. Very often they are used alternating one after another. Each of the species is able to fill the soil with essential nutrients.
Mineral fertilizer
Applying it for feeding, the tree will receive a full set of nutrients. What to feed a lemon at home:
- Ammonium nitrate. It contains a large amount of nitrogen, which is necessary for the full development of lemon.
- Superphosphate. These are granules that act on the soil gradually. They are evenly distributed in the soil on top of the need to pour warm water.
- Complex fertilizers. They collected all the necessary set of elements. Use a better certified, designed for growing citrus trees.
Organic top dressing
Organics are positively perceived by lemon, but when using it, you need to know the measure. Excess fertilizer can harm the development of the tree. It is recommended to apply:
- Mullein. To prepare the right complementary foods, fresh mullein is diluted with water, the liquid is infused for 2 weeks. For watering, a proportion of fertilizer with water in a ratio of 1:10 is used.
- Bird droppings. To prepare the solution, 1 kg of wet manure and 10 liters of water are taken. If it is in dry form, then it is used per 10 l - 0.5 kg. It is recommended to use the solution immediately after preparation. Over time, useful properties are lost.
What is succinic acid useful for?
Succinic acid has very useful properties. Feeding lemon at home with something else to strengthen health and immunity will no longer have to.
She gets divorced in water. For domestic plants, it is recommended to use it no more than once a month. Thanks to its beneficial properties, it helps the bush to absorb all the necessary useful elements contained in the soil. It also causes faster growth and increased yield.
You can fertilize a lemon in several ways:
- Water the soil.
- Spray the tree.
- Soak seedlings before planting.
Topping up lemon at the time of active growth
This period falls on January – August. How to feed lemon at home during the growth period? At this point, he needs fertilizers with a high level of nitrogen.
Organic fertilizers (horse, cow or chicken manure) or mineral fertilizers (urea or complex) are used. However, it is worth remembering that you need to use one of the species so as not to burn the plant.
And how to feed lemon at home in early spring? This can be done by alternating the described fertilizers one by one. The interval between top dressing 10-14 days: organic, then mineral and organic again. The course repeats after a while. However, during the flowering period of the tree, fertilizing with high nitrogen content stops.
What is the difference between fertilizing lemon at home during the fruiting period from the rest of the time? The fact that lemon needs to receive more phosphorus and potassium, for the full formation of strong and healthy fruits. You can return to nitrogen nutrition when the fruits reach 15-18 mm.
Feeding lemon before dormancy
After active growth and fruit development, the tree needs to prepare for the dormant stage, strengthen new sprouts and their immunity. How and what to feed lemon at home at this time? The main complementary foods needed from August to September are potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen also remains an important substance for wood, but in smaller quantities.
Florists are advised to use superphosphate as fertilizer. To achieve the most useful result, you need to fertilize the lemon in several ways:
- Water with diluted fertilizer with water.
- Spray the tree.
Experienced gardeners advise in what way is better to process and than to feed lemon with yellowing leaves at home. To do this, you need fertilizer containing iron. It is necessary to dilute it according to the instructions and look through the crown of a lemon. This method of bait will allow citrus to develop more actively and the process of assimilation of nutrients will proceed fully.
How to feed a lemon in winter
If the lemon is in a cool room in the winter, then it hibernates. At temperatures up to 14 degrees, he does not need additional feeding until the onset of heat.
Often the question arises, how to feed lemon at home in the winter, if it grows at a temperature of 18-22 degrees. In such conditions, he needs complementary foods, only several times less. You can use ready-made fertilizers for citrus 1 time in 1.5 months.
Caring for a lemon is not an easy task. It requires attention throughout the year. It is necessary not only to feed it, but also to observe simple rules of detention. If you combine lemon care correctly and make top dressing on time, you can get a beautiful, healthy tree at home. It will be pleasant to harvest a large crop from it. In winter, you can drink hot tea with lemon grown on your tree.