How to pinch a tangerine tree at home

• first, the apex is removed. This is done only if the main shoot reaches a growth of 1-1.2 meters, and the lateral ones - 50 cm. In this case, second-order shoots should be formed on the lateral processes. Their length should not exceed 20 cm;
• in the absence of a garter, the algorithm of action is much simpler. In this case, on the main sprout, the growth point is destroyed after the fourth leaf, and on the lateral ones - after the second;
• in the case of hybrid varieties, only lateral shoots are pinched; all formed axillary shoots that are located on the lashes are necessarily "blinded". It is recommended in the process of "blinding" to remove not only barren flowers, but also the first ovaries. The next ovaries will appear within the next two weeks.



Parthenocarpic varieties

Parthenocarpic (self-pollinated) cucumber varieties do not need pollinating insects. On such plants, mainly female flowers are formed. They are characterized by the presence of a small ovary and, at the base of the flower, a small cucumber. Such a plant is characterized by a high rate of shoot formation. Therefore, pinching, as a way to increase yields, is not entirely effective in this case. The fundamental factors in the cultivation of such plants are the density of their planting, as well as the degree of illumination, and just this can be achieved by applying the agrotechnical method of pinching.



In such cucumbers, female flowers form on the main stem. The pinching should not be carried out over the 5th or 6th sheets. Blinding is carried out in the axils of the first four true leaves. Both leaves and flowers are removed. The fifth or sixth lateral stem is shortened to 20 cm, and the top is pinched. Above, only sprouts up to 40 cm long are left, and even higher - up to 50 cm. The main shoot is fixed on a trellis when it grows 60 cm from the soil surface and only then is pinched. In the axils of the next five leaves, lateral stems are left. Then they are pinched over the sheet. When the main shoot grows to 1.7 meters, then pinch the branches above the third and fourth leaves. In this case, the second-order scraps on the lower tier are cut out, and then pinched over the third sheet. Then the tops of the cucumbers above the fourth sheet above the trellis are slightly pinched and bent to one side.

If you carry out all of the above manipulations correctly, you will get an excellent harvest of cucumbers.

Read also:  When and how does a walnut bloom? Why are there no buds and how to fix it?

Why do you need pruning?

There are several reasons why you should prune your plant.

• It helps to make the crown even and neat.
• The procedure helps to rejuvenate the old tree.
• If the plant is not cut, then it will grow upward and not bear fruit.
• Pruning reduces the risk of developing tree diseases.
• A properly formed crown will increase the life of the plant and the duration of fruiting.

The crown should be given an even shape even if there is no purpose for obtaining fruits, otherwise the tree will look untidy.

Top dressing

A solution or liquid vermicompost is introduced into the soil to stimulate sap flow. Such feeding should be done twice a month. In winter, you need to saturate the soil with trace elements.Potassium and magnesium are very important for the flowering of lemon, and phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the soil for better accumulation of nutrients in the leaf plates.

In winter, it is important not to overfeed indoor lemon with phosphates, since due to a lack of sunlight, nitrates and harmful substances can be formed from phosphorus, which accumulate in the ovary during the flowering period.

In the warm season, and especially in the summer, lemon needs organic fertilizers. For top dressing in the summer, use liquid biohumus, a tincture of cow humus or herbal infusion. Thanks to such fertilizers, the lemon will grow quickly and bear the first fruits already in the third year after being transplanted into a pot.

Main rules

To keep the lemon tree pruned from doing harm, you must adhere to the following rules.

• It should be produced at a time when the plant is dormant. This is the period from late autumn to early spring.
• If the plant is mature and already bearing fruit, all fruit should be removed from it.
• The shoots of the first level should be removed by 25 cm, the second - by no more than 10 cm.All subsequent branches - only 5 cm.

It is necessary to understand that the procedure is simple, but it must be approached responsibly, because an incorrectly performed pruning will set the tree in the wrong direction of growth. It is possible to correct mistakes after an unsuccessful procedure only by removing a large number of branches, which is why it is important to act clearly in accordance with the recommendations of experienced lemon tree owners.

Lemon banding for a quick harvest

Broken twigs are removed entirely

A procedure called "ringing" is carried out in order to bring the lemon tree closer to the fruiting phase.

It is performed according to the following algorithm:

1. Copper wire is tightly wrapped around the main shoot of the plant at the very bottom (you can also "ring" several skeletal branches).
2. The wire should sit tight enough, then squeeze a little into the bark of the plant.
3. The ring is removed after about six months, but it is allowed to leave it for up to a year.
4. The injured area is covered with garden varnish and girded with a piece of elastic bandage.

In the area of ​​the constriction, the crust is deformed and, as it were, floats onto the ring. This causes the accumulation of nutrients in the tissues of the lemon and it begins to lay fruit buds faster.

This operation is carried out when the indoor lemon has reached the age of two to three years. If a one-year-old lemon has given flowers, then they must be cut off. Premature flowering weakens the plant and slows down the branching required to initiate the formation of fruit buds. In addition, if there are less than 15 leaves per one left flower, then the lemon will simply not be able to "bear" the harvest.

Regular pruning of lemon allows you to get plants with a compact but dense crown. In addition, it promotes intensive branching, thereby stimulating the plant to set fruit.

Of course, pruning is also stressful for the lemon. To make it easier for him to cope with it, after carrying out surgical procedures, be sure to feed your pet with some weak organic fertilizer. For example, you can use blood water after washing meat.

A grafted lemon can be shaped without a stem. And if you grew it from a stone, like a houseplant, then the stem should be up to 15 centimeters.

Before proceeding with the formation of the crown of a lemon tree, it is necessary to study how a lemon should develop correctly, and what is necessary for its good growth, taking into account its biological characteristics.

Lemon, a fruiting plant. In order for your pet to bring more and more lemons every year, you need to do everything and properly care for the plant.If it is not formed, not fertilized, then it will be just a beautiful tree.

Lemon does not develop branches in the same way as other plants. The first to grow is the vertical shoot. This is a zero queue. Up to a year or a year later, shoots grow - this is the first stage. Cut off excess shoots, and leave 4 shoots. More shoots will grow on these shoots - this is the second stage. Then more shoots grow on them - this is the third stage, then the fourth, fifth, etc.

When shoots of the fourth line appear, the first fruits may appear on your lemon. And this despite the fact that you did not specifically graft the tree and did not root it.

The formation of the crown must be carried out in stages. When the vertical shoot has grown to 25 centimeters, four well-developed buds are left on it, which are located in different directions. Cut the rest of the branch. Skeletal branches will grow from these four buds. Upon reaching their height - 30 centimeters - pinch the branches. Each shoot of the new line must be pinched, but it should be 5 centimeters shorter than the shoot of the previous line. This means that the branches of the second stage will be 25 centimeters, the third stage - 20 centimeters, and so on.

Shoots are fatty and grow upward. But it happens that already in the first year of growth, the lemon bears fruit. Fruiting branches are usually horizontal and located in the upper part of the crown. A large amount of ovary is formed on them, which will not be a barren flower, but will bear fruit.

As the tree grows and forms, the old branches of the first stages will die off. So that they do not take away nutrients and food for new shoots, they must be cut off regularly.

It is advisable to remove fatty shoots completely. But you can prune up to 25 cm, and if the shoot does not bear fruit, then it is better to cut it off completely.

Pruning should be done gradually, as if you do a lot of pruning, the lemon will weaken and may die.

Pruning is different depending on what results you want to achieve from the plant. Pruning is divided into two types: short and long. It is necessary to cut short shoots in order to form new stronger shoots. Long pruning is needed to form fruit buds.

The best time for pruning is in the spring in March. At this time, the lemon has buds and is preparing to bloom. When the lemons have been harvested, you can revise the excess branches again and cut them off.

You can not do pruning in the spring, but replace it with an autumn one. If you cut the branches in the fall and winter, then next year the lemon will bear more fruit.

It is necessary to pinch the shoots in time so that the crown is formed correctly. Just saw unnecessary shoots - remove them. Those shoots that you left for growth must be pinned after the appearance of the seventh leaf.

Not only on lemon, but also on other types of plants, in order to harvest an annual harvest, the color is partially removed. The harvest will be smaller, but the fruits will be larger. Thus, you yourself regulate the volume of the crop.

Flowers must be thinned out so that the plant does not weaken during strong flowering. There may be many flowers, but no ovary will form. A large harvest of lemons will lead the plant to depletion and there will be no fruit next year. Thinning the buds - you need to remove the weaker ones. When there are fewer buds, they will receive more nutrition and more ovary will form.

If the lemon is old and gives little fruit, it needs to be "restored". This means that the weak branches are cut shorter - this will enable new shoots to develop. If you do the right pruning and feeding of lemon, then the tree will bear fruit for more than one year.

An indoor lemon will only bear fruit with proper care and provided that a high-quality plant seedling has been chosen.

It is important to choose the correct pot for transplanting the seedling.

Since the lemon grows very slowly, its root system will entwine a large area of ​​the pot for several years. Until a solid earthy ball forms in the pot, the lemon will not bear fruit. Therefore, the plant is transplanted into a cramped pot.

First cut

At home, the first pruning of the tree should be done on time; if it is carried out correctly, you can count on the indoor plant to bear fruit. The procedure is carried out in the first year of a lemon's life, the trunk is cut off at a height of about 20 cm, but it is very important that 3-4 developed buds remain, from which shoots will form - this will allow lateral branches to develop. Pruning is done with a secateurs.

Advice

It is best if the kidneys are placed at the same level, but on different sides of the trunk.

When pruning a young lemon, all vertically growing branches are removed. The best time for the procedure is February.

The height of the plant depends on where the lemon pot is. So, if the tree grows on the windowsill, it should not be too high. This must be taken into account when forming the crown.

Lemon pruning: features of crown formation

Probably most of us dreamed of growing exotic fruits in order not only to enjoy our own lemons or oranges from our mini-garden, but also to create an unforgettable atmosphere in the house. The most commonly grown heat-loving plant in our latitudes has become a lemon. Of course, it does not produce as many fruits as when grown in open ground in subtropical conditions. However, with the right care, pruning and watering, great results can be achieved. In addition, the flowering of this plant will fill the whole house with an excellent aroma, which has a very beneficial effect on the emotional state of a person.

Characteristics of the fruits. Lemon pruning

The homeland of lemon is considered to be China, India and the Pacific islands with a subtropical or tropical climate. It is believed that this fruit arose due to natural hybridization of related plants belonging to the rutaceae family.

The first mentions of this citrus, or rather, the citron, which is its ancestor, are found in documents created by the philosopher Theophrastus in 280 BC. True, at that time, citron was practically not used for food. It was used as a remedy for small pests such as aphids and moths. Then they simply did not suspect that this fruit has such useful qualities. A thousand years later, the famous physician Avicenna, after the first description of this citrus, began to use its juice in order to treat people - to relieve nausea, to treat heart disease, jaundice. Moreover, these recipes have even survived to this day. Today, the lemon tree can be successfully grown at home. Let's talk about this in more detail below.

Why prune a lemon? It is primarily aimed at forming the correct crown of the tree. If the seedling of a plant is left unattended, then its structure will more resemble a candle, stretching upward. Naturally, there can be no question of any fruits from this tree. A properly formed crown allows you to significantly increase the fertility of the tree, make it more beautiful, reduce the risk of diseases, including the root system, and increase the life expectancy and fruiting.

One must be aware that this is not so much a complicated procedure as it is a responsible procedure. After all, its incorrect implementation can not only not benefit the tree, but also harm it, laying the wrong direction of growth. Most often, errors in crown formation can be corrected only by cutting off a large number of tree branches, which clearly will not benefit him.Therefore, before starting work, it is necessary to carefully study all the recommendations of specialists and think over a thorough pruning plan.

Lemon cut for the first time

The first pruning of the plant is done in the first year of the plant's life. The trunk of a ripe lemon is cut at a height of about 20 cm. In this case, it is necessary to leave 4 sufficiently developed buds. They will become the basis for the formation of branches of the first order. It is desirable that the kidneys are located on different sides of the trunk and at the same level.

If the first pruning is done correctly, then the indoor lemon is guaranteed to bear fruit. Usually the latter grow on small branches that are covered with foliage.

Features of the growth of lemon branches and their pruning

As is already known, a young seedling gives only one vertical shoot, from which in the second year or at the end of the first several lateral branches of the first order branch off. Only 4 of them are left to form branches of the second order. Thus, the tree forms its crown. Lemon begins to bear fruit after the formation of shoots of the 4th order and further.

Not all branches of the tree begin to bear fruit after the formation of branches of the 4th order. Some of them continue to grow to bear fruit for the next year. In the process of tree growth, so-called "fatty" branches may appear, which grow vertically and do not bear fruit. So that they do not take useful substances from the whole tree, it is better to get rid of them. This can be done in two ways:

• Complete removal. By shortening them by 20-25 cm in the hope of rebirth into a fruiting branch. Fruit branches are considered the richest in fruit-bearing ovaries. They are usually located at the top of the tree crown. Their most common position is horizontal, however, there are also hanging fruit-bearing branches.

• Partial deletion. Even in the process of tree growth, dead branches begin to appear. They must be removed without delay. They can not only reduce the yield of the tree, taking away all the necessary nutrients, but also cause infection with all kinds of diseases, especially pests, which are very fond of settling under the bark of a dead branch. Old and useless branches still thicken the crown of the tree quite strongly, preventing the penetration of sunlight. Because of this, the fruit of the lemon can be too small and devoid of its traditionally bright aroma.

The nuances of forming a lemon crown
There are general rules for pruning fruit trees. However, for citrus fruits, there are some nuances that you need to know and follow in order to get a good harvest. Acting according to a certain plan, you can avoid unnecessary effort in further pruning of the tree.

Some rules for pruning lemon:

• It is possible to carry out work on the formation of the crown throughout the entire growing season of the plant.
• All branches of a tree, without exception, can be shortened, but it is necessary to start with the trunk. Thanks to this sequence, the tree can take the form of a bush with the formation of a large number of fruit systems.
• Trimming the trunk is carried out no more than 20 cm, while, as a rule, only a couple of well-developed buds are left, oriented in different directions.
• The recommended shortening of the shoots of the first level is no more than 25 cm, the shoots of the second level - no more than 10 cm.
• Subsequent branches are shortened by only 5 cm.
• On pruning branches of 3,4,5 orders of magnitude, the formation of a lemon crown can be completed.

After pruning, all sections must be carefully treated with an antiseptic. It should be noted that branches of small thickness (less than a pencil) should not be processed. Processing is carried out with oil paint or a special garden varnish. If the operation is carried out incorrectly or not in time, the tree may simply die.It must be borne in mind that our climate is not entirely suitable for the growth of this plant, therefore it needs more strength to adapt, even if it grows in a pot in a warm apartment. Therefore, the lack of processing after thinning the crown can lead to additional tree diseases.

Pinching and removing excess blooms

This operation is carried out for all fruit trees, without exception, and lemon is no exception in this matter. This is done to accelerate the growth of young shoots and increase the yield of the tree itself. Pinching consists in removing unnecessary young shoots. This is done as soon as they are born. The "workers" leave the shoots. As soon as at least 6 full-fledged leaves appear on them, they pinch the top.

Lemon differs among other fruit trees in very dense and bright flowering. Of course, the crown of a tree covered with flowers cannot but delight the eye, however, too abundant flowering, for all its beauty, can harm the yield. The fact is that excessive flowering depletes the tree, and even if there are many fruits on it, they will be of poor quality. Therefore, it is better to remove excess flowers. It is necessary to start removal with the weakest flowers. If a whole branch does not bloom well, do not hesitate and prune it. Better to sacrifice the "weak link" for a good harvest in the future.

Tips for novice "lemonologists"

Naturally, for many reasons, growing lemons in our latitudes requires special knowledge and skills, and not every novice gardener will be able to cope with this. Therefore, if a person has never practiced working with this plant, it is better for him to read the advice of more experienced amateurs and professional agronomists in order to grow a good harvest of his own citrus fruits. So, to grow a good productive tree, you need:

• It is imperative to deal with excessive flowering. This will not only affect the formation of the ovary, but also the development of the entire tree. So, after several years of such flowering, the tree may simply dry out.
• Perform annual anti-aging lemon pruning at home to form the crown of the tree. This is done without fail with feeding the tree.
• Try to pinch the "working" branches in time to accelerate their growth.
• Constantly monitor the growth of "fatty" branches and stop their further development in time.
• Try to prevent the tree from fruiting until the end of the crown formation. After completing this process, yields will be much higher than otherwise.
• Lemon bloom in the first year of life should not be allowed. This process can deplete the tree so much that it is very likely that it will simply die. Even if the lemon survives, such a plant is unlikely to produce a normal crop in both quantity and quality.
• Give preference to the formation of a flat crown, as it will provide a large area of ​​sunlight, which favorably affects the development and fruiting of the lemon tree.
• Only prune branches where necessary. It must be remembered that errors in the formation of the crown are very difficult to correct later.
• Remember that short pruning is necessary for the formation of strong new shoots, and long pruning for the formation of fruit buds.

When to cut a lemon



On this issue, the opinions of specialists who have been working with this plant for a long time disagreed. In principle, at home, this operation can be carried out year-round, because the temperature is more or less stable in the apartment almost all the time. However, it is still generally accepted that the most suitable time for pruning is early spring, when the tree begins a period of flowering and budding. If there is an urgent need for home or greenhouse conditions, you can prune in winter, at the end of February.Pruning homemade lemon in the early stages of its formation can be carried out only when urgently needed, because it can cause irreparable harm to the plant.

Pruning and shaping the correct crown of the tree will not only make lemon a decoration for your winter garden, but will also bring an excellent harvest that will delight your whole family, because it will be very pleasant to drink tea with your loved ones, biting with your own grown lemon.

Why grow lemon?

Lemon is considered to be a unique product full of valuable and useful properties. It is difficult to overestimate its benefits. Indeed, it, or rather, lemon juice, contains a very large amount of valuable vitamins and minerals. As for the calorie content, 100 grams of fruit contains only 15 kilocalories. Moreover, this amount of citrus contains 0.8 g of proteins, 0.1 g of fat and 0.4 g of carbohydrates.

The juice obtained from the fruit is a yellowish transparent liquid that has a characteristic aroma. Juice is usually squeezed. It can improve performance and help cope with stress. In particular, these properties can help before exams and business meetings. In general, it will be useful for anyone who needs to increase concentration and improve brain activity. In a word, lemon juice makes a person more self-confident.

Due to the fact that lemon contains a lot of vitamin C, people who consume it may not be afraid of seasonal colds. Moreover, its consumption can prevent the appearance of premature wrinkles. It is noteworthy that one medium lemon contains approximately 25% of the daily value of this vitamin. Due to the regular use of the fruits, spring hypovitaminosis can be prevented.

Lemon pruning: photo Lemon pruning: video

Carrying out subsequent pruning

The first stage of crown formation is most important, it depends on it whether the tree will bear fruit. In the second year of life, lateral branches are formed in the seedling (they are called branches of the first order), there should be 3-4 such shoots, which is why 3-4 buds had to be left during the first pruning. To form the shoots of the third order, pruning is also carried out. Further, the tree itself will form a crown, and will begin to bear fruit after the appearance of branches of the fourth order.

It is customary to use two methods of deletion:

1. partial - shortening of "fattening" branches by 25 cm;
2. complete - this is how most often dead or old branches of a tree, which can cause disease, are destroyed.

Removal of shoots occurs when they interfere with the development of each other. In this case, the strongest shoot is left, and the weak one is cut off.

Advice

If the shoot is strong, but grows vertically, it should be removed, leaving a weaker one, but growing horizontally. At the top of the plant, the shoot growing up is first cut off.

Features of the development of citrus fruits

The growth and development of citrus fruits in nature and on our windowsills is significantly different from other indoor plants. The specificity of development is due to the cyclical nature of the growing season. From spring to autumn, these plants have three development peaks:

First growth, in spring, from about mid-March to June. At this moment, new shoots and leaves grow vigorously. But suddenly the growth stops and the lull (no growth) lasts until the young growth matures.

Ripening of shoots is one of the phases of the growing season, and it consists in preparing the plant for a dormant period. In nature, ripening begins with a significant reduction in growth processes: a decrease in the length of the day, an increase in daily temperature differences, and in cultural cultivation, in addition, when pruning. When ripe in the shoots, the deposition of nutrients increases, the green bark becomes woody, becomes brown and dry, the leaves acquire a darker shade.

Second wave of citrus growth during the month in mid-summer. Again, we observe intensive growth of leaves. In August, it stops again and the maturation of recruits begins.

The third wave of growth usually occurs in the Indian summer - early September and can last until the end of October.

What is noteworthy: often at the end of the growth phase, citruses dry out the apical bud (growth point) at the end of the shoots. Thus, the natural crown formation occurs in nature. Those. thanks to this mechanism, fruit trees have a spreading crown.

I must say that the timing of growth spikes is not strict, they are dictated, first of all, by weather conditions. For example, last year my calamondin began to grow rapidly in mid-March, this year - at the end of February. And an orange in a different room (at lower temperatures) last year - at the end of March, and this year has not yet started. In addition, if the spring is early and sunny, the first growth can be more stormy and long than the second, or vice versa, the spring is cloudy, and the summer is sunny, then the second growth is longer and more productive. Sometimes there are only two growth waves per year, or vice versa, four.

Not in the topic of formation, but to the word about the peaks of growth. During intensive green leaf growth and flowering, citrus fruits will grow a huge number of buds. Sometimes they bloom like our apple trees - all the branches are covered with flowers, then the formation of ovaries begins. But suddenly a part flies around, and after a couple of weeks, flies around again. A significant part of the fruit set, citrus fruits are discarded on the instincts of self-preservation, so that exhaustion does not occur, there are enough nutrients for a new cycle of growth and flowering.

When I saw this sight for the first time, I almost made a terrible mistake. The fact is that the massive flying around of the ovaries - they are poured like peas, immediately raises the idea that, probably, the plant does not have enough water. We must water! But waterlogging is destructive for citrus fruits - this is certain death. And if you do not know the physiology, you can destroy the plant, trying to stop the shedding of flowers and ovaries by watering. Therefore, first, check the soil in the depth of the pot, whether it is dry enough.

Well, now let's move on to the formation.

Trimming scheme

The tree pruning scheme is as follows.

1. In the first year, only the trunk is trimmed, this will contribute to the formation of side shoots. If this is not done, the lemon will begin to grow upward and will be an unattractive "stick". Plant height should be 25-30 cm from the ground.
2. In the second year, the lateral branches are pruned. It is necessary to strive to actively grow and develop 3 new shoots. If only one grows, it should be removed completely in order to stimulate the growth of others. This process is called breaking.
3. Next, the branches of the third order are trimmed.
4. The formation of the crown is completed by pruning the branches of the fifth order, after which the tree can be given the opportunity to bear fruit.

The main task is to give the crown a fan-shaped look.

Advice

If any of the young shoots grows vertically, you can not cut it off, but give it the right direction, carefully wrapping it with wire and fixing it in the required position.

Formation of a standard tree

Depending on the height of the trunk (trunk), trees can be:

• high-stem - stem height reaches 30 cm
• medium-standard - height up to 20 cm
• low-stem - stem height 10 - 15 cm

To form a low-stemmed lemon, grapefruit, lime or any other citrus fruit, after the young plant reaches a height of 15-20 cm, before the start of its next growth (late February - early March), the top is cut off, leaving 4-7 leaves. After that, 4–6 shoots will begin to develop from the lateral buds.Of these, you need to leave only 3-4 shoots going in different directions (shoots of the first order). When these lateral branches have completely finished their growth, their tops are also cut off, leaving 3-5 buds on each of them in the leaf axils. The last bud should not look inside the crown, but outward. Twigs will start growing again from the lateral buds (shoots of the second order).

Difficulties

There are some difficulties in pruning lemons.

• Often, only one shoot begins to actively form at the pruning site, while it is necessary to achieve the development of three or four. In this case, it is completely removed (broken) under the base, sometimes this procedure has to be repeated several times.
• The so-called tops may appear, growing vertically upwards and unable to bear fruit. Their growth rate is much higher than that of fruit branches. The easiest way to deal with them is to delete them. Some professionals use a 25 cm undercut.

It should be remembered that pruning a lemon tree must be carried out carefully, the result is very difficult to fix.

Instructions

Since lemon is cut mainly in order to form a crown, they do it according to certain instructions and rules in order to achieve the desired result. An indoor lemon tree should have the required number of skeletal main branches, overgrown shoots and a large number of small fruit branches.

Lighting is very important for a lemon, so it is necessary to prune the plant so that its leaves can receive the maximum amount of sunlight.

For the formation and correct pruning of the crown, there are the following rules:

• you should start pruning a young tree only after it has grown to a height of at least 20 cm;
• for trimming, the stem should be 10-15 cm in height, and in the case of a cuttings plant, you can do without it at all;
• you should take into account the needs of lemon in nutrients, light and other biological characteristics. Otherwise, cutting the crown will only allow you to get an ornamental tree that will not bear fruit.

Lemon pruning scheme

Also, this process will be shown more clearly in the video posted in the article below.

Branching features and its effect on pruning

Also, in order to properly cut a lemon, you need to know the features of its branching, which are as follows:

• seedlings or lemon eyepiece at the beginning of growth form only one single vertical shoot, which is referred to the first order;
• in the second year (or at the end of the first year), lateral shoots are formed, which are also referred to the first order. They must be left in the amount of 4 pieces;
• in the future, on the side shoots of the first order, the formation of shoots of the second order will occur, and so on;
• after the formation of lateral shoots of the fourth order, the onset of the first fruiting is possible.

An adult and already fruiting lemon tree has several branches that begin to bear fruit already in the first year, while others continue to grow and begin to bear fruit only after a year. It is also possible to form new shoots with only one apical flower. Sometimes the so-called vertically growing "fatty" and non-fruiting branches are formed. In such a situation, there are two possible ways to get rid of such unwanted "fatty" shoots:

• complete removal;
• shortening by 25 cm and their transformation into normal fruit branches.

Secrets

In order for the formation of the crown of a home lemon to be successful, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations of experienced flower growers.

• After pruning, be sure to process the cuts with a garden varnish. However, if very thin branches were removed, then there is no need for such processing.
• Annual pruning of the tree will help to form a beautiful crown of a homemade lemon: all weak shoots are removed, as well as those that grow in a vertical direction.
• In working shoots, it is necessary to pinch the top so that fruits begin to form on them. This should be done after the appearance of 6-7 leaves.

Often there is a need to correct the crown of an already mature tree growing in a pot. In this case, pruning should be carried out in April or early May - at the time when shoots begin to grow. The formation of the crown of an adult plant is done primarily for an aesthetic purpose, in order to make it attractive. It is also very important to remove dead and diseased branches.

Advice

It is necessary to cut tops as soon as they appear, throughout the year.

If your indoor tree is old, pruning regularly will help rejuvenate it. After shortening the old branches, new shoots will begin to develop more actively.

Required tools

Before proceeding with the operation, it is better to prepare and disinfect the instruments in advance.

Opt for garden shears, pruning shears, or a sharp budding knife.

The important components of the process are the means for treating the open wound of the plant (garden pitch, tree resin, paint on natural linseed oil).

Removing flowers

If the goal of growing indoor lemon is to produce fruit, then removing excess flowers will allow you to control the process. With the help of this procedure, it is possible to ensure that the forces of the tree will be directed to the full development of the ovaries from the remaining flowers.

The number of buds to be kept depends on the age of the young tree.

• If the lemon is three years old, remove half of the buds, then leave 2-3 fruits.
• For a 4-5-year-old tree, the number of fruits is increased to 7.
• When the lemon has reached 6-7 years old, you can leave up to 10 fruits.

It is necessary to remove the weakest flowers. If a whole branch does not bloom well, you can cut it off completely.

Advice

The more barren flowers and weak flowers are cut off, the more ovaries will remain on the branches and, accordingly, the richer the harvest will be.

How to cut homemade lemon step by step

Keep the pruning shears at a 45 degree angle when cutting a branch.

In a lemon growing indoors, the shoots are pruned according to the following rules:

1. The main shoot is shortened when it reaches a length of 18-23 centimeters (usually this happens already in the first year of life). This promotes more active branching of the plant.
2. In the future, 3 to 4 strong shoots are left on the bush, evenly scattered along the crown of the shoot. These will be first-order branches. When they reach 15-20 centimeters, they are pinched, removing 1-2 upper underdeveloped kidneys.
3. On each branch of the first order, two shoots of the second order are left (they are pinched in the same way as described above).
4. On the branches of the second order, from 3 to 5 branches of the third order appear, and later an increment of the fourth, last, order is formed.

This completes the formative pruning of the lemon - on the branches of the fourth order, the fruits usually begin to set.

Fruit-bearing shoots are cut off to ¾ of their length immediately after harvesting.

Young lemons less than 10 years old can grow so-called fattening branches. As a rule, they are formed from the main shoot or from the branches of the first order. It is easy to distinguish them from normal shoots - they grow much faster and have large, oily leaves.

If the crown of a plant of normal density, then it is better to get rid of such shoots right away. But with weak branching, shorten them by 60-70% of their length.

And with each pruning of a lemon, be sure to get rid of growing inward, sick, damaged and shrunken twigs.

In order for the crown of a homemade lemon to develop more evenly, it must be rotated about a quarter weekly around its axis.

Rejuvenation

When the lemon tree is 15-20 years old, you can rejuvenate it by pruning.This will not only improve the appearance of the plant, but will also increase fruiting.

Pruning is carried out in the spring, all branches are cut to the 4th-5th order, this stimulates the growth of dormant buds and the subsequent emergence of young shoots. After this procedure, the plant must be transplanted into a new pot, carefully shortening the root system by about 30%. It is very important not to touch the roots inside the earthen coma.

The process of forming the crown of a young tree is quite long and can take up to 4 years. However, after completing it once, in subsequent years it will be enough to slightly prune the shoots so that the lemon does not lose its attractive appearance.

What kind of care does a lemon need after the procedure?

After pruning, the lemon is poured abundantly with warm water. You can also apply complex mineral fertilizing to help the tree recover faster. You can add them immediately after formation or after a while.

Young trees quickly recover after pruning on their own. The same cannot be said for old trees after rejuvenating pruning. Immediately after the procedure, the tree is fed with mineral fertilizers. Application of dressings after pruning is carried out more often. Along with mineral fertilizers, organic matter can also be applied.

Main steps

The procedure for pruning lemon at home for beginner growers is conventionally divided into 2 stages.

Initial stage

For the first time, a lemon tree is pruned in the first or second year of life. This is done so that indoor citrus does not stretch out and bear fruit. The right time is February.

Subsequent stage

The second and subsequent pruning of homemade lemon involves crown formation and includes:

• partial pruning of overly actively developing branches that take up most of the food,
• complete removal of dead and old branches that provoke the appearance of diseases,
• pruning shoots that prevent each other from developing due to their dense location, leaving the strongest shoot.

Strong shoots growing vertically are removed, leaving less strong ones, but developing in a horizontal direction, which will ensure proportional crown growth both in breadth and in length. On the lemon crown, the growing shoot is cut off.

Description of the culture and the best varieties

Lemon is a Mediterranean guest but was born in India. From there, the beautiful tree got to the countries of America and Africa. In the southern regions, whole groves of these picturesque trees can be found everywhere. Not found in the wild. Citrina pulp is saturated with acids, vitamins and microelements:

• citric acid - the main constituent of citrus;
• pectins, flavonoids, phytoncides, essential oils - concentrated in the peel, as well as in the pulp;
• vitamins C, B, D, PP;
• ascorbic acid, tocopherol, riboflavin and others;
• trace elements - iron, boron, copper, fluorine, zinc, manganese and others.

For growing at home, only specially bred dwarf varieties are suitable, well leafy and abundantly fruiting. To grow a real lemon tree on the windowsill, you can go in three ways:

1. Buy a sapling in the agricultural sector.
2. Plant a seed in a pot.
3. Root a stalk from another adult plant.

The easiest way is to go the first way, the more difficult - the second. But in any case, care is required for the grown lemon.

For successful farming at home, you can choose one of the popular varieties.

Variety name Description Photo

Tips for beginners

For amateur lemonologists, there are tips that will help to optimally and efficiently trim, and will also help to avoid many mistakes.

For beginners to maintain a homemade lemon tree, experts give the following tips:

• during the formation and pruning of the crown, the yield should be normalized by removing the flowers. Excess flowers only drain the tree. After several abundant fruitful years, the plant may dry out;
• anti-aging pruning should be carried out with a decrease in annual growth. It is carried out only in conjunction with feeding;
• instead of pruning, it is better to pinch, since it does not drain the lemon's capabilities so much;
• carefully monitor the formation of "fatty" branches and promptly suppress their development;
• it is best not to allow the plant to bear fruit during the period of crown formation, since then the yield will be much higher than if the tree bears fruit during this period. Flowering is especially dangerous in the first year, since it can significantly deplete the lemon, and in the future it will give a low and low-quality yield. The complete death of the lemon is even possible;
• it is best to form a flat crown near a tree;
• pruning should be done only as a last resort and where it is really needed. With its help, you can improve the branching and form a regular and beautiful crown;
• short pruning is carried out if it is necessary to form strong new shoots, and long pruning is carried out if it is necessary to form fruit buds.

With proper pruning, you can form a beautiful crown, as well as improve the yield of the tree, and you will always have fresh lemons for your tea!

Why is homemade lemon shedding fruit?

Sometimes the lemon itself begins to shed small fruits. There may be several reasons. This is improper watering, and non-observance of the temperature regime, and the movement of the plant to another place.

During flowering and fruiting of a lemon, it is important to balance the temperature of the soil in the pot with the temperature in the room. To do this, you need to lift it off the floor to a small hill. As a rule, in our houses and apartments the difference in temperature in the area of ​​the floor and above is 5-8 degrees. This is often one of the reasons why a lemon can shed its fruit.

Alexey SOKOLOV

How to feed lemon?

Lemon can bloom and bear fruit in the 2-3rd year. Indoor lemon care is:

• timely watering;
• regular spraying;
• competent feeding.

Once a month, after watering, add a dose of nitrogen fertilizer dissolved in water (urea or ammonium nitrate - 2 g per 1 liter of water) into the soil. This is especially true for poor soil organic matter. Nitrogen gives strength to plants, during the spring and summer a powerful leaf apparatus is formed, with which the tree safely transfers all the hardships of winter. Can be watered with diluted slurry of low concentration (1:30).

In no case should you fertilize with microelements. Unlike other plants, lemon has no hairs on the roots. Mycorrhiza fungi play their role. They seem to stick to the roots of the lemon, and through them the whole plant is nourished. Mycorrhiza themselves feed on organic matter, for example, humus. They decompose it, forming valuable substances, which they feed themselves first, and then feed the lemon. Trace elements kill mycorrhiza, thus, the tree is depleted and will soon die.Excessive nitrogen nutrition is not for lemon. The tree can grow with a strong crown to the detriment of fruiting.

Plum: planting and care, pruning and grafting, diseases and pests, description of varieties

Starting from the second year, in addition to nitrogen, it is necessary to use phosphorus and potassium. Superphosphate can be scattered over the ground and will slowly but surely feed the plant. Phosphorus promotes abundant flowering and fruiting. The flowering period of the lemon tree is spring, autumn. Single buds appear throughout the year. Fruiting period: after flowering, a fruit is formed that will grow and gain strength for 9 months. This can happen at any time. After harvesting in the spring, it is necessary to feed with urea (or saltpeter) and superphosphate. If the crop was harvested in the fall, you cannot feed it, since the plant goes into dormancy and excess nutrition will only weaken it. Transfer top dressing to February.

How to shape the crown by pinching

You can form a lemon crown not only by pruning, but also by pinching. You need to pinch the shoot when it has reached the desired length, but not later. Therefore, pinching the lemon crown should be gradually formed throughout the year.

The first pruning is also replaced with a pinch when the trunk of a young tree reaches a height of 20-25 cm.

After that, the tip of the shoot, together with the upper leaves, is pinched. Further, when shoots of level 1 appear on the trunk, they are also pinched, and precisely when their length becomes 1-2 cm more than the generally accepted norm, namely, a length of 25 cm.

Then, gradually, during the growth of shoots, they need to be pinched. This is how the crown of the lemon tree is formed without pruning. This is better for a tree, since the pinching takes place gradually by 1-2 shoots, so the damage to the plant is insignificant.

What should you trim first?

Deciduous fruit trees need to be pruned to improve fruitfulness, reduce the likelihood of underdeveloped or overly heavy fruit, and increase aeration and light availability evenly throughout the crown. As with other fruit trees, pruning the lemon on time will promote healthier fruit. The question is, exactly how to prune a lemon tree, and when is the best time to prune a lemon tree?

How to prune a lemon at home in a beginner pot? Pruning lemon leaves will produce larger, healthier fruits and the plant will grow stronger, thus making the branches less likely to break under the weight of the future harvest. Citrus can produce fruit all over the tree, even on small branches from the main trunk, including in shaded areas. Therefore, it is not necessary to set as its goal to a large extent "lighten" it, it is easier to periodically turn the pot towards the sunny side. However, lemon trees still need to be pruned.

In young trees, any deformed shoots and any weakened branches must be cut out. You can easily pinch the lemon at home - this will allow the fruit to tie at the very tips of the branches. Mature trees will start to release what are called seedlings growing from the root. It is also recommended to trim it first. Any dead (dry or rotten) twigs should also be removed first to prevent any disease from developing. Growing branches will also not benefit the tree and must be pruned.

Diseases and pests

Indoor lemon is susceptible to viral, bacterial, fungal infections, and pests settle on it.

Name of disease / pest Signs Causes Treatment

We process the vine on the eve of winter

What is the difference between pinching and trimming

Pinching and pruning lemons are different methods of shaping the crown of a tree. They are almost identical, but there is a fundamental difference between them. Pinching indoor lemon is the same pruning, but its purpose is only to destroy the growth point.

Pinching is carried out with nail scissors, if the branches are not thick, and with a sharp pruner, if the branches are thick.

Pruning a lemon involves not only destroying the growth point of the shoot, but also shortening it. You can cut any shoot to any length. The remainder of the shoot should put out side branches and bloom after a while.

Pinching differs from pruning only in the level at which the shoot can be cut. If you need to shorten 2/3, 1/3 is pruning. Pinching allows you to do with only a slight decrease in green mass.

Photo

Next, you can see a photo of a lemon:

Transfer

The first can be done after buying a young seedling in a pot, but first it must stand in quarantine for a week away from other plants. During this time, you will make sure that the lemon is healthy and not infected with spider mites. When deciding whether a transplant is needed, inspect the soil - are the roots visible, are they protruding from the drainage hole, is the pot visually small. If the question of transplanting is resolved positively, wet the soil, tilt the pot and, holding by the stem, very carefully pull out the plant with a lump of earth. Examine the lump - the roots should not stick out of it. If it smells like rot, gently free the root system above your pelvis. It can be immersed in warm water and cleaned of the earth in it.

Fertilizing, feeding ...

Lemon, like the rest of the plants in your home, needs support and needs to be fed periodically.

Young lemon trees do not need additional stimulation; lemons that have reached 3-4 years of age need to be fertilized.

Pictured is a lemon tree

You can purchase specialized mixtures of organic fertilizers, or you can use folk methods:

• For abundant fruiting, sometimes ordinary watering is replaced with an infusion of eggshells. But you should not get carried away with this method, so as not to reduce the acidity of the soil with an excess of calcium.
• If the plant develops normally, has a healthy appearance and pleases with flowering, fertilization can be abandoned.
• During the growing season, it is worth feeding the lemon twice with superphosphate (for 1 liter of 50 grams of fertilizer).
• Ammonium nitrate is highly recommended for improving growth. It is taken in the proportion of 30 grams per liter of water. Watering with such fertilizer can be carried out monthly.
• Water your lemon periodically with a 7-day infusion of horse manure, diluted tenfold.
• Lemon needs microelements for normal development: magnesium, phosphorus, nitrogen and others. To compensate for their deficiency, you can use the Citrus mixture fertilizer once a quarter. 2-3 grams of this fertilizer is diluted in a liter of water and used instead of the main watering.

Pruning and replanting indoor lemon

Young lemon trees should be transplanted at least once a year.

Instances older than 3 years - with a frequency of 2-3 years. However, the need for a transplant may arise "unscheduled", for example, due to illness or deterioration of the lemon condition.

In the photo, a lemon transplant

It is recommended to transplant in early spring or in autumn before the onset of a cold snap.

1. The soil around the trunk is watered abundantly so that it softens, then the tree is carefully removed. In this case, extreme caution must be exercised so as not to disturb the earthen ball and not to hurt the root system.
2. If you find damaged roots, cut them off with a sharp knife or blade.
3. For transplanting, take a capacity 30-50% larger than the previous one. Too big, like too small a pot, slows down growth. Give preference to a cone-shaped container.
4. Place the crock at the bottom of the pot on the drain hole so that its convex side is on top. Then a layer of drainage (small pebbles, pebbles), a thin layer of dry manure and an earthen mixture are laid.
5. Closer to the center of the pot, a tree is installed along with a lump of earth. Slowly start filling the container with soil between the lump and the walls of the pot. You can lightly press down on the laid soil, but there is no need to tamp it tightly.

Lemon pruning is done in order to form a beautiful crown and improve fruiting.

At a tree height of 20-25 cm from the ground, pinch the stem, making it possible to develop lateral branches. Please note that the first fruits appear on the branches of the 4th-5th order (rows from the bottom) and until they are formed, there is no need to wait for the fruits.

Vertically grown branches should be pruned without mercy.

To form the correct shape, the flower pot must be carefully turned relative to the sun every 10 days. Gardeners sometimes improve the crown using copper wire - they fix individual branches with it, giving them the desired direction of growth.

Photo of a lemon cut

The formation of the crown is also carried out at the moments of picking fruits. Ripe lemon is cut not only with a stalk, but also with a section of the branch itself with 1-2 internodes. This stimulates the growth of the branch.

Regulation of fruiting indoor lemons

Fruiting indoor lemons entirely depends on the correct formation of the crown. The fact is that in lemons that have entered the season of fruiting, the growth of shoots slows down, since a lot of nutrients are spent on the formation of buds and ripening of fruits.

To avoid stunted growth and development of lemons, fruiting should not be allowed until crown formation is complete. This is especially true for the Meyer variety, in which the buds can appear on the branches of the order, and even during the rooting of the cuttings.

For the correct development of indoor lemon, it is recommended to remove it on a profusely flowering three-year-old tree half buds, and after the formation of ovaries, leave only freely to bloom and bear fruit, allow the summer plant, provided that the plant is in good condition.

Do not leave many ovaries on a young, not fully grown lemon tree. The fruits can form and ripen safely, but the plant itself will suffer.

With the growth of indoor lemon, the number of fruits left increases gradually. In a well-developed 6-7-year-old tree, the flowering and the number of ovaries can be left unregulated: the "extra" ones will fall off by themselves. Remember, the later the extra ovaries fall off, the more nutrients the plant loses in vain and the worse it develops. Extra flowers are cut off at the bud stage, taking into account the norm: 1 fruit on ripe leaves.

In winter and under unfavorable conditions in a room where a lemon tree grows, flowers are sometimes formed in very large quantities, and they are small, inconspicuous and barren. Such massive flowering indicates the poor condition of the plant.

Correct formation of the lemon crown makes it possible to bear fruit annually and give excellent yields - up to 40 or more fruits from one adult tree.

Creation of optimal lighting, temperature and humidity conditions

How to take care of lemon in an ordinary city apartment, when there is no heating, then windows to the north, then the air is too dry for citrus? You will have to provide the tree with comfortable conditions for growth and development.

The first thing that matters to a lemon is light.

Homemade lemon photo

For the arrangement of the pots, it is better to choose southeast windows with moderate lighting, if, of course, you are lucky and you have them. But what if your whole alternative is the north or south side.

On the northern windows, the lemon will noticeably lack light, so you will have to use fluorescent lamps, extending the daylight hours for the plant up to 12 hours. This is especially true for the winter period.

There is always plenty of light on the south side of the house, and even a surplus for lemon. Therefore, at midday it is necessary to shade your citrus, saving it from the destructive effects of direct sunlight, which can leave real burns on the leaves.

Lemon is a native of the Pacific tropics, so it is not surprising that the tree is demanding on the thermal regime.

In the spring, during the budding period, the room temperature should be 14 - 16 degrees. A high degree contributes to the drying out and shedding of the buds, and a low degree slows down or even stops this process. During the rest period, room temperature is sufficient up to 26 degrees. If possible, transfer your pet to the glassed-in balcony for the summer. Fresh air will benefit the lemon and the question of how to care for the lemon will not be so acute. However, you should be wary of both sudden temperature changes and drafts. As a true southerner, indoor lemon requires meticulous care.

Common problems with growing potted lemon trees

Extra branches

Here's how to shape a lemon crown. No matter how well you take care of your lemon tree, a potted plant needs more attention than an outdoor one. Most importantly, given the diminutive size, you will need to keep an eye on the spaces between the branches. Otherwise, you just never see the bright yellow fruit.

Lemon trees growing in containers are more prone to ejecting new shoots directly from a root club that is partially above ground level. They are superfluous and turn the plant into a bush, not a tree.Also, most of the strength, energy and nutrients simply do not reach the already formed branches, which should bear fruit. If you see ovaries of such shoots growing from the root, cut them off immediately.

Cold and drought

Another problem with potted lemon trees is that they are more vulnerable to cold and drought - this is not the time to start pruning the lemon. A lemon grown on a windowsill has its own individual hardiness zone, which is an order of magnitude lower than for standard street plants. As mentioned earlier, letting the potted soil dry completely will cause irreparable damage to the tree. While a lemon tree in the ground can fully tolerate mild frost and cold without any consequences, a potted specimen will simply die.

Rejuvenating old plants

Old trees with small growth should be rejuvenated. For this, weak branches are cut very shortly in order to provoke the growth of new shoots. Rejuvenating pruning and proper comprehensive care extend the fruiting period of the plant for many years.

Growing lemon and caring for the crown, especially the initial stage of its formation, requires certain knowledge and skills from gardeners, so it was a mistake to think that growing a decorative lemon is a very simple matter. Lemon does not like the lazy and will have to look after not only the crown. Lemon will need top dressing, watering and much more for its successful growth and development. We will talk about this in the following articles.

Believe that your difficulties with leaving will recede into the background as soon as you see the first fruits - fragrant little lemons. You will be proud to grow lemons yourself.

It's no secret that most indoor plant lovers dream of growing a lemon tree at home. True, many are afraid of the difficulty in caring for him. A tropical plant lemon in indoor conditions and in the hands of an inexperienced grower can hurt, shed foliage or, conversely, "fatten", refuse to bloom.

The owner needs to learn to understand the wishes of his green pet, creating the most comfortable conditions for him, and know how to care for a lemon at home. Pruning is vital to him. If you want not only to grow a tree, but also to get fruits, you will have to work hard. In order for the plant to look well-groomed and neat, it is necessary to properly prune to give a decorative shape to its crown. We will discuss the features of this procedure in this article.