Feed the tangerine tree. Growing mandarin: photo

Tangerine trees take root in city apartments more easily than lemon or orange trees. They do not wither when the room temperature drops to +14, and can produce up to 70 juicy and sweet fruits per year. Citruses purify and disinfect the air, protecting the tenants of the apartment from colds and viral diseases, pleasing to the eye with a dense dark green crown and pale white flowers that smell much better than any air freshener.

Rules for buying a tangerine

On the Internet or specialized nurseries, mature fruit-bearing trees are sold, which are enough to bring home, water and feed. Formed citruses will cost a round sum, so it's easier to grow your own tangerine from a sprout or seed.

The first option is less troublesome, but when buying a young tree, you should ask the sellers for a certificate. Some merchants pass off calamondins as tangerines, which smell like citrus and bear fruit, but the orange fruit is completely tasteless. They cheat mainly in markets or supermarkets, because nurseries value their reputation, but even when visiting a specialized center, you should ask employees for documents.

Land preparation

Citrus fruits are intolerant acidic soils containing peat. Land for growing tangerines should be light and nutritious, breathable and retain moisture. To prepare the right soil for young trees, you need to mix 4 components:

  • sheet and soddy soil in equal proportions;
  • coarse-grained river sand, which must be disinfected;
  • humus obtained from cow dung.

The last ingredient can be replaced with compost, which contains at least nutrients. When the mandarin is 3-4 years old, oily clay is added to the soil, which will retain moisture and protect the root system from drying out.

Pour a drainage layer 3-5 cm thick into a pot or tub intended for citrus. Expanded clay, small pebbles or clay shards will do. Use large pebbles that allow air to pass through better and prevent water from stagnating at the bottom.

Do I need to transplant tangerine

Every year, the citrus tree is moved from a smaller pot to a larger one, because a growing tree needs more space. A four-year-old mandarin is recommended to be transplanted immediately into a wooden tub, where he will live and bear fruit for the next 2-3 years.

relocate the plant better in spring when the citrus wakes up and actively develops. First, they make a small dig to check the condition of the root system. If the tangerine is tightly braided with an earthen ball, it is transplanted. If not, change upper layer soil and leave in the old pot until next year.

How to relocate a citrus without injuring it?

  1. Moisten the earth around the edges so that it better lags behind the walls of the pot.
  2. Lightly tap the container with a spatula or hand. This makes it easier to separate the roots with soil from clay or wooden walls.
  3. Take the mandarin by the trunk and take it out along with the ground. It is not necessary to clean the old soil from the plant so as not to damage it.
  4. Prepare in advance new pot with drainage and a layer of earth. Put a tangerine in it, cover it with soil on top.
  5. Tamp the soil, but not much. Water the citrus and put in the sun.

When transplanting a tree, it is impossible to completely cover the root neck with earth. Its upper part should remain on the surface so that the citrus takes root faster.

Reference: The root neck of a mandarin is a line separating the trunk and skeletal roots. In this place, the tree has a small seal, which is half covered with earth.

Lighting

Tangerines need sunlight. The more, the healthier the tree and the juicier the fruit. Adult citruses are placed next to the western or eastern windows. Pots with young trees are placed on the northern windowsill.

Plants also feel good next to southern windows if they have blinds or translucent curtains that scatter light. It is undesirable that direct sunlight falls on citrus leaves. Ultraviolet burns the crown of tangerines and dries out the earth.

In summer, it is useful to take citrus fruits to the balcony or leave them in the garden. The tub is placed under tall spreading trees that will scatter and soften the light. Plants located in the apartment by the window should be closed from the sun at noon, and opened in the evening, closer to 4–5 o'clock.

In winter, tangerines must be illuminated with phytolamps. The duration of daylight hours is 8–12 hours, no less, otherwise the citrus weakens, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. The tree is restored for a long time and is difficult, spending a lot of energy and nutrients, and some specimens cannot cope with the shock and die.

Tip: When using special lamps, the citrus tub needs to be rotated around its own axis from time to time so that all sides of the plant receive approximately the same amount of light.

Temperature and humidity

In the spring, the first buds appear on the tangerine tree, and it is important that the temperature in the room does not fall below +20–25 degrees. When the thermometer drops to +17-15, the citrus is covered with barren flowers that smell good, but do not yield.

In winter, the plant is transferred to a cool room. The temperature in the room is reduced gradually, due to a sharp cold snap, the tree can shed its leaves. The room should be at first +18, after +16–14, and some gardeners lower it to +10. Why keep citrus in a cool room? So that the mandarin has time to relax a bit and gain strength. After a short winter holiday, more buds bloom on the tree, and the fruits become juicier and sweeter.

You need to prepare a tangerine for hibernation after harvesting. In mid-January, the temperature in the room begins to gradually increase so that the citrus “wakes up” and has time to prepare for spring flowering.

The tangerine tree loves heat and moisture, so in the heat it needs to be sprayed twice or thrice a day from a spray bottle. In summer, a bucket or basin of water is left next to the plant to prevent the air from drying out. In winter, it is advised to install special humidifiers or ionizers. If the tub with tangerine is located near the battery or radiator, cover the heater with a damp towel.

The room in which the citrus stands is regularly ventilated. But the tree is moved away from the window, because the mandarin does not tolerate drafts well.

Watering citrus

When the earth in a tub of tangerine dries up, spider mites may appear on the plant. The soil should always be slightly moist, but not wet, so in summer the tree is watered daily, and in winter it is reduced to 2-3 times a week.

The soil should be tested with a finger, and if it seems crumbly and too dry, add a little water. Before watering, look into the pan. The accumulated liquid indicates that there is too much water, and the tree does not have time to absorb it. Watering must be stopped before the pallet dries, otherwise root system will start to rot or fungus will appear.

Use only purified melt or rain water. The liquid is defended for 3-4 days in a large saucepan or plastic bucket, and then passed through a kitchen filter. You can not water the mandarin with water just from the tap, because heavy impurities and salts settle in the soil, oppressing the plant.

The amount of liquid depends on the size of the tree and the air temperature. The hotter the room, the more moisture evaporates. If a small tangerine needs 0.5–1 l, then an adult tree will need three to four.

Water must be heated to + 35-40 degrees. How to check the temperature of a liquid without a thermometer? Dip your finger into it. Should be nice, but not hot.

Pour water onto the root, trying not to let droplets fall on the leaves and trunk. Moisten the crown separately from the sprayer so that the liquid is distributed evenly. During the flowering period, make sure that water does not fall on the buds. If a few drops fall on green or ripe fruits, it's okay.

It is better to water the tree in the morning. Water helps the plant wake up and starts metabolic processes.

Fertilizer

In winter, the mandarin does not need to be fed, but from April to September-October, when the buds open and the fruits ripen, the tree needs to be fertilized. Apply nutrients twice a month. Buy complex fertilizers containing:

  • phosphorus;
  • nitrogen;
  • potassium.

You can find suitable fertilizers in flower shops. Recommended to stay at:

  • Uniflor-bud during the flowering period;
  • Kemira-lux;
  • Uniflor-growth during fruit ripening.

Mineral fertilizers alternate with organic ones. Natural nutrient solutions are prepared from cow dung or bird droppings. Part of the dry matter is diluted in 10-12 parts of water, infused for 2-4 days, and then added in small portions.

The soil is moistened before fertilization. When using chemicals, it is important to follow the instructions. If you increase the dosage, you can burn the roots of the mandarin or poison the tree. Citrus leaves are also treated with a weak solution. Mineral fertilizers should not fall on the fruit.

In the spring, before flowering, the tree is pruned. Remove dry and thin branches, tear off yellowed leaves. Garden shears must be sharpened and disinfected before pruning. Treat the sections with wood resin so that they heal faster.

It is easy to form an oval crown in a mandarin. It is enough to pinch the tops of the branches and cut off the extra shoots that are not able to bear fruit, and only pull nutrients from the tree.

When the plant blooms for the first time, only 10-15 buds should be left. The rest are carefully cut so that they do not deplete the young tree. The older the tangerine becomes, the more ovaries you can leave.

Install one or more wooden supports in the tub, to which branches with fruits are tied. Large fruits are attracted to the ground, and the tangerine may break or split into several pieces.

Citrus should be bathed monthly. Cover the pot and the ground with plastic wrap and take the plant to the bath. The leaves are first moistened and then lathered. You can gently rub them with a soft cloth to remove dust and cobwebs. Turn on weak pressure and wash off the soap suds. The water must be room temperature or a little warmer.

It remains to blot the leaves and branches with a dry towel. Let the tangerine stand in the bathroom until completely dry, and then you can return it to its old place and remove the film.

Caring for a citrus tree is no more difficult than caring for an apple tree in the garden or an orchid growing on a windowsill. A lot of light, a little water and fertilizer - and the tangerine will stretch out, covered with dark green leaves and delicate buds. In summer, citrus will delight with a rich aroma, and in winter it will thank you with sweet and healthy fruits that are associated with the New Year and magic.

Video: how to grow a tangerine from a stone

Mandarin - evergreen, which belongs to the Rutov family. The specific Latin name of the mandarin is Citrus reticulate. Like orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, it belongs to the genus Citrus. The life form of this plant is interesting - it can be a shrub and a tree, reaching a height of 5 meters.

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room tangerine
Like other representatives of the genus Citrus, mandarin has long been grown in greenhouses, greenhouses, winter gardens. Despite its size, mandarin at home can be grown on a balcony or on a windowsill. Currently, breeders have bred many varieties of dwarf and undersized tangerines for home growing, maximum height which are 0.6-1.1 m. Indoor tangerine may not belong to dwarf varieties, then the plant needs to be severely cut and shaped.

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Indoor tangerine is a very effective pot plant. And not only because of the bright, fragrant and appetizing orange fruits that can be stored on it for several months. Sometimes the plant gives pleasure only by its flowering, because the delicate white flowers of the mandarin exude an amazing aroma. In some varieties, flowering begins in spring and may continue all year round. room tangerine, grown as a bonsai, is a true work of art.

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Indoor mandarin fruits tied without artificial pollination, usually ripen at the end of the year. Often, indoor tangerine in a pot is bought in a store with fruits already hanging on it. Despite the fact that they are very appetizing, they should not be eaten. Indeed, in order to achieve such a high decorative effect plants receive high doses of fertilizers. Leathery and corrugated leaves are beautiful in mandarin.

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Popular mandarin varieties for growing at home
Unshiu - Japanese variety, the most unpretentious, begins to bear fruit for 3-4 years, in room conditions grows up to 0.8-1.5 m. It branches well. It blooms profusely in spring, forms fruits in late October-November. Pear-shaped fruits do not have seeds.
Kowano-Wase, Miha-Wase, Miyagawa-Wase - dwarf tangerines Vasya groups - suitable for growing on a windowsill, height 40-80 cm. Orange-yellow fruits ripen for the first time in the second year of cultivation, flowering is plentiful. Like all dwarf varieties, they do not need crown formation.
Shiva Mikan is an early compact fast growing variety. Fruits are small, not more than 30 g
Murcott- the fruits of this compact mandarin variety are very sweet, ripen in summer, taste very sweet, which is why the name of the variety is translated as "honey".
Clementine- a hybrid of mandarin and orange, bears fruit at home in the second year. One adult domestic tree per year produces up to 50 medium flattened orange-red fruits, very fragrant, with a shiny skin. Plants of this variety with numerous seeds are called monrealis.

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Mandarin care at home
Tangerine lighting at home
First step in successful cultivation indoor tangerine - choosing a place for a plant and its proper lighting.
Indoor mandarin, as well as grown in open ground, needs good lighting with some direct sunlight. At insufficient lighting the plant slows down growth, throws out a small number of flowers or does not bloom at all. With a strong lack of light, the leaves of indoor tangerine become faded, new shoots are elongated, thin and painful in appearance. Therefore, it is better to grow a plant on the eastern, southeastern and southern windows, shading from midday direct rays. In summer, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, gradually accustoming it to the street.
V winter period, with a short daylight hours, indoor mandarin should be placed in the most illuminated place with direct sunlight. But sometimes this is not enough: you need artificial lighting. For this purpose, an ordinary fitolamp is suitable, which can be screwed into a chandelier or table lamp. It is necessary to transfer the plant to supplementary lighting gradually. With a sharp change in the length of daylight hours, it can shed its leaves.

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Content temperature
The optimum temperature for indoor tangerine in the summer is + 20-25 ° C. During the period of budding and flowering, so that the flowers do not fall off, it is better to keep the plant at a temperature slightly below + 20 ° C. In winter, to ensure a relative dormant period, tangerines are kept at + 5 -10 ° C. A plant that has rested over the winter will flower and bear fruit better.

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How to water and spray tangerine at home
Room tangerine, like his wild ancestors adapted to withstand dry spells. In a pinch, the plant will shed its leaves to reduce the amount of liquid that evaporates. A common problem when growing tangerines at home is excessive watering, which leads to the development of fungal diseases.
The amount of water for watering indoor mandarin depends on several factors:
- the size of the plant;
- the size of the container in which the tangerine grows;
- ambient temperature;
- duration of daylight hours and light intensity.
The larger the surface of the leaves of indoor mandarin, the stronger the evaporation, and the more it needs to be watered. The temperature also affects the rate of evaporation: the higher it is, the more the plant loses moisture. The length of daylight directly affects the amount of moisture that evaporates. Stomata - formations on the underside of terrestrial plants that serve for gas exchange open during daylight hours.
Watering indoor tangerine should be carried out in the morning, when the plant has activated its vital processes. When the temperature drops, watering is reduced, up to stopping for several days during the period when the temperature in the room is only + 12-15 ° C. In this case, the tangerine is watered with a small amount of water, only to maintain life.
Mandarin at home needs regular spraying of leaves. Strongly dry air has a bad effect on the plant and is often a prerequisite for its infestation with spider mites. If indoor tangerine blooms, then you need to make sure that water does not fall on its flowers.

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How to feed mandarin at home
A complete care for a mandarin at home is not possible without additional mineral and organic top dressing. The soil in a pot depletes quickly enough and is washed out during watering, and recreational processes practically do not occur in it, unlike the soil in nature.
For top dressing, you can use soluble or dry fertilizers. In the spring, with an increase in daylight hours, top dressing for indoor mandarin is increased. It is in the early spring period that vegetative and generative buds begin to develop intensively, at which time the plant requires additional nutrients.
At home, mandarin is fertilized, like everyone else. houseplants, that is, in the morning. The ambient temperature should be at least + 18-19 degrees.
Soluble fertilizers are often used for top dressing. They can water the plant, and in a weaker concentration spray its leaves. Any complex mineral fertilizer containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, the main elements needed by plants, is suitable for feeding indoor tangerine.
Dissolve fertilizers in soft or settled water at room temperature. The main thing is not to increase the dose. If the instructions say: 1 cap of the product per 1 liter of water, do not think that 2 caps will make the solution more useful. This will lead to the opposite effect - a chemical burn or toxic poisoning of the plant.
You need to feed mandarin at home during the period of intensive growth (from March to September) 2 times a week. Maybe less often, but not more often.
Dry fertilizers, which are applied to the soil and gradually dissolve, giving the soil trace elements, must be applied even more carefully. Their advantage is that by making them in the spring you can for a long time forget about feeding. However, they can be quickly used by the plant, and it will be difficult to guess about it. The introduction of an additional dose of fertilizer will lead to the above overdose.
Mandarin cultivation also requires organic fertilizers. To do this, you can dilute infused cow dung in the proportion of 1/10. The best option would be to use organic fertilizer in combination with mineral fertilizers for ground dressing.

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Additional care for mandarin at home
To form a lush tangerine tree, pinch the tops of its branches.
Caring for a tangerine at home also consists in removing dried leaves or stretched twigs.
On the young flowering plants partially remove the flowers so as not to deplete them and allow several fruits to ripen. For 15-20 leaves of an adult plant, one ovary can be left. The fewer fruits left on the tangerine, the larger they will be.
The fruit-bearing branches of indoor mandarin are tied, tied to a support, otherwise they may break due to the severity of the fruit, and the plant will not have an attractive appearance.

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Diseases and pests
Mandarin at home can be affected by scale insects, red spider mites and mealybugs. Spraying the plant with a soapy solution (2 tbsp. L) will help from the scale insect. liquid soap, you can "Fary", for 3 liters of water). It is better to pre-clean pests by hand. After keeping the solution on the leaves for half an hour, it is washed off warm water. In case of damage by a spider mite, the pest is collected manually, after which the leaves and twigs are wiped with a cotton swab moistened cold water or alcohol, then sprayed with a two-day infusion of garlic or onions (crush 200 g and pour warm boiled water). Against the mealybug, removing the pest with a cotton swab and 3 times spraying with infusion of garlic (1 time in 7 days), or rubbing with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol (can be replaced with calendula tincture) will also help. With persistent damage by any pest, they resort to potent chemicals, which are used according to the instructions.
With improper watering, mandarin leaves become stained and fall off. To prevent or eliminate the problem, follow the rules for watering citrus plants.

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Mandarin transplant at home
Proper care of a mandarin at home involves a plant transplant. Usually transplantation is carried out if the plant, in our case room tangerine, cramped in a pot. As a rule, young indoor tangerine plants are transplanted annually, plants older than 7 years - once every 2 years. For transplanting, use a special soil mixture for citrus fruits or make it yourself from soddy soil (50%) and leaf, humus and sand, taken in equal parts.
For transplanting indoor tangerine, choose a pot with diameters 5–8 cm larger than the previous one. It is forbidden small plant plant immediately in a large pot: this often leads to rotting of the roots. In addition, it is neither aesthetic nor practical.
Mandarin at home, as in nature, prefers a light substrate with low acidity. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the transplant tank - this is the prevention of stagnant water and root rot. As a drainage, you can use: expanded clay, small stones, fragments of ceramic dishes, pieces of foam.
Transplantation of indoor mandarin can not be carried out during the flowering of the plant. It is better to do this in the spring at the beginning of the awakening of the plant from a relative dormant period.
You can not feed the plant 2-3 days before transplanting, and also use fertilizers within 12-14 days after transplanting.
After transplanting, indoor tangerine is lightly watered so that the soil settles down. After 30-40 minutes, if necessary, a substrate is added to the pot and watered again.

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Reproduction of indoor tangerine
Mandarin at home can be propagated in two ways:
- vegetative (rooting of twigs);
- generative (growing from the stone).
For rooting cuttings, it is better to use a rooter - the percentage of survival will be 3-4 times higher. To do this, cuttings with 2-3 leaves are dipped in a rooter and planted in moist soil, covered with a film or a cut plastic bottle on top, be sure to leave ventilation holes in them. Cuttings take root within a few months.
Growing mandarin at home from the stone is the most long way reproduction, especially since some varieties almost do not form seeds. In addition, indoor tangerine grown in this way will need to be grafted, otherwise it will not bloom. For rootstock better fit indoor lemon or grapefruit grown at home from a seed.
Since both methods of propagating indoor mandarin take too much time, more often amateur flower growers buy already grafted indoor tangerine in shops.

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Proper cultivation of a tangerine tree and shrub at home. Ways to grow and propagate a citrus tree at home.

Mandarin is a shrub that is evergreen all year round. It comes from the fruit family and the genus - citrus. The form of life is a shrub, in the form of a tree.

Mandarin home is subject to a plant in greenhouse and home conditions: window sill, balcony, greenhouse. Breeders brought out a huge variety of this plant. Such a tangerine is an effective spectacle in a pot.

Photo: tangerine tree at home

Homemade mandarin has very tasty and fragrant fruits, they grow on the tree for more than two months. Such a plant attracts and gives pleasure, both with its flowering and the unsurpassed smell of its own flower.

Mandarin in the form of a bonsai is a rare and skillful work. Mandarin fruits grow without pollination, the maturity stage occurs at the end of the year.
The most famous and beloved varieties for growing tangerines in the house include:

  • Shiva is a mikan. An early and fast growing species
  • Mirkot is a compact variety, with sweet fruits that ripen in summer
  • Winshiu - unpretentious plant from Japanese variety, branches well and bears fruit already in the third year
  • Clementine - the variety bears fruit in the second year, at home. Refers to a hybrid of mandarin and orange. The fruits have a shiny skin, are slightly flattened, and their number per harvest reaches five dozen.

How to plant a tangerine at home?

Ancient China was the first to cultivate tangerines. Today, such a plant can be purchased in flower shops.



  • If the purchase of a plant occurred in such a store, it is better to transplant it immediately. To do this, buy a substrate specifically for citrus fruits, where the acidity is 5.5 -7. It is also possible to make your own soil. To do this, it is necessary to mix soddy and leafy soil with manure humus and river sand, where the proportion looks like this - 1:1:1:0.5
  • Look carefully at the pot in which the plant was brought from the store, its next place of residence should be no more than three centimeters more than the previous one. All these actions will actively stimulate the mandarin to grow.

One of the first actions belongs to the choice of the place of residence of the mandarin in your apartment.

  • Proper lighting is one of the most important guarantees of your pet's growth. This rule also applies if the tangerine is planted in open ground in a country house or greenhouse. Direct sunlight should fall on the plant, but without much persistence. Sunlight will give the leaves juiciness and greenness, the lack will only lead to fading and thin new shoots.
  • The window on which the tangerine will be grown should be located on the east or southeast side. If the growing season is summer, it is necessary to gradually accustom the plant to direct rays, sometimes take it out to the balcony or street
  • If the time of the initial cultivation is winter, put the mandarin in the most illuminated place, if there is not enough light, get artificial lighting. It is possible to use a photo light bulb for this purpose.
  • The optimal temperature regime for indoor tangerine remains + 25 degrees, if the period of budding and flowering passes, save temperature regime around twenty degrees
  • The rest mode in winter is observed at the level of five, ten degrees. A plant that has had a great rest in winter will be much better at producing fruits and flowers.

Tangerine from the bone - a reality

When growing a tangerine from a stone, it will require attention and patience from you only at the first stage, then this culture is easy to care for. Prepare a habitat for the plant. Which excludes the presence of a variety of poisonous neighbors.

The south room without a neighborhood would be ideal. We take material for planting from store tangerines. The number of seeds should be as large as possible, since most of the following sprouts will die from the disease and will not survive the grafting stage. Growing tangerines from seeds takes place in several ways:

  • We take a piece of gauze of a small size, irrigate with water, wrap the bones. Water should be kept to a minimum to avoid bone rot. Experienced specialists suggest using a potassium permanganate solution for this process to disinfect seeds
  • To avoid problems with gauze, it is possible to purchase a hydrogel in a specialized store. Its feature is its excellent ability to retain moisture. It looks like a certain mass in which tangerine bones are aged for spitting and the appearance of sprouts

It is possible to plant the seed immediately, in open ground. Most growers do it this way. If you have extensive experience in growing plants and flowers, you can easily make sure that the bud does not dry out. The leaves will hatch here later than all types of cultivation, but the sprout will be very strong

Care for indoor tangerine at home

When you saw the first sprouts of your pet, you need to start feeding the next two weeks. It must be carried out with the help of specialized organic and mineral fertilizers. Care consists in watering and irrigating the sprout and the constant addition of fertilizers.

Spraying tangerine should occur every week to maintain high humidity tangerine. It is also possible to keep a dish filled with water next to the tree. Especially when the summer is hot, the plant needs moisture. In winter, watering should be carried out two to three times a week, depending on the drying.

Top dressing of the plant - tangerine should be carried out in the period April-September, especially if it is a fruit-bearing citrus. This will ensure the sweet taste of the fruit.

How to plant mandarin at home?



Photo: tangerine plant

Full-fledged, delicious mandarin fruits can only be obtained as a result proper care and vaccinations. The start of vaccination falls on May-August. Since sap flow at this time is especially active.

The effectiveness of the result after inoculation depends on your ability to accurately and quickly carry out the appropriate procedures. Prepare in advance for the tangerine grafting stage:

  • A plant grown from seed, the trunk of which is at least six millimeters thick
  • A cutting from a fruit-bearing plant, the branch of which is at least two years old
  • garden knife
  • Elastic band
  • Var garden

For grafting, make an incision at a height of ten centimeters, where the stem of the stock is. It should look like the letter T, on the horizontal - see -4 cm vertically. The scion is prepared by removing thorns and leaf blades. Very meticulously cut off the kidney and insert it into the incision, with a small layer of wood.

Where the vaccination was carried out, wrap with tape. Put the tangerine in a plastic bag or jar. Only after a month you will burn to determine the degree of success of the vaccination. It is better to take several seedlings for grafting, because only half of them will bring success.

Accustom the plant by gradually removing the jar for grafting, then the new shoot will strengthen and begin to grow. Cover the location of the escape with garden pitch.

If you follow the rules for growing and fertilizing mandarin, the leaves of the plant will be forever green. The leaves will turn yellow as a result of improper behavior with the pet. Don't overdo it with chemical fertilizers. If the tangerine is not properly grown, it will become covered with spots, the leaves will fall off.

How to transplant mandarin at home?

  • Proper plant care includes plant transplantation. Such an event is held if the tangerine has become cramped in a pot. early plants and the young are transplanted every year
  • Tangerine trees over the age of seven years are transplanted every two years. To transplant a plant, you need to take a pot with a diameter of more than five centimeters from the present, so that the roots do not rot. The substrate should be selected with a slight acidity, the bottom of the pot should be laid out with expanded clay, pieces of foam
  • The transplant process itself is carried out not during the flowering of the plant, but in the spring, during the awakening of the tangerine. Soil laying takes place with the help of irrigation, after transplantation. Do not use fertilizer two weeks after transplanting, and four days before transplanting

Reproduction of home tangerine



Photo: tangerine at home

Reproduction of a tangerine plant occurs in two ways: grafting onto a stock and rooting an apical cutting. This process is carried out at the very beginning summer period. Be sure to use root-forming agents that will stimulate growth. Grafting is the most efficient and successful method of reproduction.

Pruning homemade tangerine

Pruning is done for improved crown formation desired shape to stimulate fruiting. When the tree grows, the loss of compactness and attractiveness disappears.

The process is carried out on young plants, using a sharp knife and secateurs. Branches from the first to the third order are subject to pruning. The fourth should not be touched, as they bear fruit and flowers.

Video: How to grow a tangerine at home?

Video: How to plant a citrus tree?

Many flower growers dream of acquiring an indoor tangerine with fragrant flowers and delicious fruits. But for fear of not coping with the care of the plant, they do not dare to take this step.

However, you can grow successfully fruit tree at home and make a good harvest. It is only necessary to strictly observe the rules for keeping the plant.

What do we know about the famous mandarin

Mandarin or in Latin Citrus reticulate is a member of the genus citrus from the rue family.

motherland evergreen fruit tree is northern India, where mandarin as a cultivated plant began to be grown many centuries before our era.

Later, it began to be cultivated in China and Japan, and early 19th century was introduced to Spain, Italy, Algeria and other countries of the southern and western Mediterranean.

In ancient China, only wealthy officials could afford this fruit tree, which is why they began to be called "tangerines".

In vivo fruit tree grows up to 4 meters in height. Its small, elliptical leathery leaves are dark green in color.

Matte white mandarin flowers exude a pleasant aroma and capable of self-pollination. After dropping the petals on the tree, ovaries appear - future fruits, which in six months turn into tangerines loved by everyone, reaching up to 60 mm in diameter.

Mandarin successfully grown even in room conditions. It is valued by flower growers not only for useful fruits but also as an ornamental plant.

Some types of trees can bloom all year round. Particularly impressive it looks during the fruiting period, when its crown is strewn with bright orange fruits.

Through the efforts of breeders, many dwarf varieties mandarin for growing at home. Here are just a few of them:

  • Winshiu (Citrus unshiu)- the most famous seedless species, growing up to 1.5 meters in height. Begins to bear fruit after 3 or 4 years.
  • ForgedVasya(Citrus Unschiu Marc. cv.Kowano-Vase)- early ripe dwarf mandarin up to 80 cm in height. Flowering continues all year round. Begins to bear fruit in two years. The fruits can stay on the bush for up to several months.
  • Honey (Murcott)- a rare variety in the form compact bush with very sweet fruits.
  • Shiva Mikan (Citrus leiocarpa Hort var. Shiva-mikan Tanaca)- dwarf tree juicy fruits up to 30 g in weight. It grows quickly, blooms profusely and bears fruit well.
  • Clementine (Citrus clementina)- an early ripe hybrid of mandarin and orange. It bears fruit in the second year. One tree per year can produce up to 50 orange fruits of a flattened shape.

Features of caring for indoor tangerine

An important point in the content of mandarin in room conditions - this is the observance of temperature and light conditions.

Also should know that a tangerine grown from a stone brings inedible fruits called "wild" or does not bear fruit at all.

To get a tree with delicious tangerines from such a plant, you need graft a seedling, grown from a stone, on a cutting of a fruit-bearing tree.

Mandarin, unlike other citrus fruits, unable to propagate by cuttings. However, in flower shops, as a rule, already grafted fruit-bearing trees are sold.

In crown formation dwarf tangerines dont need. It is only necessary to remove dried or strongly elongated branches in time.

Lighting and temperature conditions

Mandarin loves warmth and light. Place a plant the best thing on the south, west or east window, but with shading from the midday sun. In winter, the tree will need additional lighting.

In the summer, it is advisable to place the plant on a balcony or veranda in places protected from the wind. TO fresh air indoor tangerine should be taught gradually..

Optimum temperature for a plant in summer - about 25 ° C, but not higher. It is better not to overheat the tree, otherwise its flowers may wither and crumble.

spring during the appearance of buds recommended temperature is 16 to 18 °C. For abundant fruiting, mandarin needs a cold winter. For the winter, you need to place it in a bright, cool room with a temperature of 10 to 12 ° C.

Watering and humidity

From spring to autumn, you need to water the mandarin abundantly once a day with warm, settled water. It is important to prevent both drought and waterlogging of the soil.

From an excess of moisture, the roots of a plant can rot, and from a lack of water, leaves can fall off. During the winter, the plant should be watered, waiting for drying the top layer of the earth.

Mandarin needs high humidity. Regular spraying is very important for the plant.

In this case, you need to ensure that water does not fall on the flowers. It is useful to put a container with a tree on a pallet with wet moss, pebbles or expanded clay.

Soil composition and transplant

tree prefers slightly acidic soil. Suitable ready soil for citrus fruits or a self-prepared mixture of the following components:

  • 1 part of humus;
  • 1 part of leaf land;
  • 3 parts of sod land;
  • 1 part coarse sand;
  • some clay.

Young tangerines are transplanted annually in early spring before active growth begins. pot bottom definitely need provide a layer of drainage 3-4 cm thick in the form of broken bricks or expanded clay. Fruiting tangerines are recommended to be transplanted every 2 or 3 years.

The transplant should be transshipment method so as not to damage the roots of the plant. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the root neck of the tree is at the same level as in the previous container.

top dressing

At the beginning of June in a period of rapid growth you can start fertilizing the tangerine twice a month. This should be done after watering, so as not to burn the roots.

It is most preferable to feed the fruiting tree with infusion cow dung in a ratio of 1:10 or a special fertilizer for citrus fruits. In winter, feeding the plant is not required.

Flowering and fruiting

Plant throughout the year goes through two phases active growth. The tree enters the first phase in March or April, and the second phase - in August or September. To give young plant get stronger, it is desirable to remove flowers and ovaries for the first three years.

For the fourth year you can let the tree bear fruit, but not more than 6 tangerines at a time, partially removing the ovaries, since the branches of the plant at this age are still thin and weak.

Regulate fruiting tangerine can be done with a simple calculation- for 15 leaves of a tree there should be 1 fruit.

Growing up, the tangerine will be able to bear more and more fragrant fruits. During fruiting branches with ripening tangerines it is desirable to tie up so that they do not break off from the weight of the fruit.

With proper care during the year, one adult tree can be harvested up to 60 fruits.

Reproduction of mandarin

Indoor tangerine can be propagated at home in two ways: by seeds and by grafting.

Reproduction by seeds

tangerine seeds soak for several days in a damp cloth or hydrogel. Next, the swollen seeds are planted in the soil, consisting of the components listed above, or in ready mix for roses.

It is important that in the soil for mandarin seedlings there was no peat, which dries very quickly and often turns sour.

Three weeks after sowing the seeds, the first shoots can be expected. However, young tangerines grown from seeds in room conditions develop only as an ornamental crop. To grow from such a tree a full-fledged tangerine with real delicious fruits, need to graft him.

Reproduction by grafting

Vaccination is carried out during the period of active sap flow - in April or early May, but it is also possible in August. It is necessary to take care of the stock and scion in advance.

Rootstock- this is a young tangerine grown from a stone with a trunk thickness equal to the diameter of a pencil - about 6 mm. scion- a kidney (eye) together with a leaf petiole, taken from a fresh cutting of a fruiting mandarin.

At a height of about 7 cm from the ground, an incision is made on the bark of the stock trunk, so as not to hurt the wood. in the shape of the letter "T". The size of the incision along the upper horizontal is 1 cm, and in height - 2.5 cm.

Knife-tip bark gently folds back to the sides, and the kidney, held by the petiole, is inserted into the resulting opening. The inserted "eye" is tightly pressed against the corners of the bark.

grafted plant placed in a "greenhouse" in the form of a large plastic bag. The transplanted kidney usually heals within 3 weeks.

The success of the grafting is evidenced by the easily separating yellowed petiole of the leaf. If the petiole turns black and withered, then "eye" did not take root.

Sprouted bud begin accustom to air, gradually increasing the ventilation time of the "greenhouse". A month after the shoot sprouts from the bud, the rootstock trunk is cut obliquely above the shoot at a height of 5 mm.

The cut is processed with garden pitch, and the bandage is removed. A stick is installed in the pot, to which a young shoot is tied for vertical growth and correct formation crowns.

Pests

Dangerous pests of mandarin are spider mites and scale insects.

For pest prevention wash the tangerine with soapy water once a month. To do this, it is necessary to cover the soil in the pot with a film, wrap the trunk with a cloth and treat the tangerine crown with cotton wool moistened with strong soapy foam.

In the case of spider mites, a solution of tobacco powder is used and laundry soap. To make it, you need to pour 1 tbsp of tobacco dust with a glass of boiling water and leave for 6 days, and then add 10 g of soap to the solution.

Also proved to be excellent garlic infusion - chopped head of garlic is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 2 days. Each of the solutions is filtered and applied three times for spraying with an interval of 6 days.

When shielding, it is necessary to resort to water-oil emulsions. Very important for the time of processing, cover the ground with a film, and wrap the stem of the plant with gauze, folding it into several layers.

Frequent problems

Very often, when growing mandarin at home, flower growers face a number of problems: yellowing, curling and falling leaves, total loss leaves and falling flowers.

Why do indoor tangerine leaves turn yellow?

Most often tree leaves turn yellow from lack of nitrogen and iron. To replenish the amount of nitrogen in the soil, it is recommended to feed the tangerine organic fertilizers.

With iron deficiency, the plant develops chlorosis, which causes its leaves to become light yellow in color. For the prevention of chlorosis once a month, the tree is treated with iron chelate.

Sometimes the leaves turn yellow in insufficient light or due to too small a pot. The problem is solved by transplanting the mandarin into a new, more spacious pot or by adjusting the light regime.

Another reason for yellowing leaves may be spider mite attack. The pest control method is described above.

Indoor tangerine - leaves fall

The tree may fall leaves because the air is too dry. This can happen in winter heating season and hot summers. You need to spray the plant more often.

Another cause of leaf fall may be the fact that the root neck of the tree is too deep into the ground, or the tangerine grows in a very large pot. It is necessary to transplant the plant according to all the rules.

Sometimes leaves fall due to lack of potassium in the soil. In this case, you should feed the plant with potassium nitrate. Also, leaf fall can begin with excessive watering, poor lighting and drafts.

Anyway the problem is solved through proper care.

Indoor tangerine has lost all foliage - what to do?

Mandarin can shed all the leaves if exhausted and in dire need of a period of rest. A well-deserved rest is necessary for a tree from mid-autumn to the end of February.

At this time, the tangerine must be transferred to cool place with temperatures up to 12 °C, reduce watering to avoid drought in the soil, and stop top dressing. With the beginning of spring the tree will come to life. Other causes of abundant leaf fall are described above.

Other possible problems

There may be other problems with improper care of the mandarin:

  • Castings dry and crumble- Drought or waterlogging of the soil.
  • Flowers are falling- too dry air.
  • Leaves are curling- insufficient watering.

Needless to say, caring for a room tangerine has its own difficulties and peculiarities. However, the joy of harvesting fruits and the opportunity to admire the beauty of an exotic tree at home worth every effort.

Exotic plants can be a real decoration of the house. Of course, growing them on your own from seeds is not at all easy, but you can buy an already grown seedling of such a tree or flower and just organize the right balanced care for it. So, homemade citrus fruits are very popular among amateurs: tangerines and oranges, as well as laurels, etc. And growing them in an ordinary apartment is not so difficult. Today we will talk about how to care for a homemade tangerine in a pot.

So, indoor mandarin is a representative of the rue family, an evergreen plant that grows successfully in greenhouses and various winter gardens. Although this tree can reach a fairly large size, it is quite possible to grow it on a windowsill. In addition, on sale now you can find dwarf and undersized tangerines, the height of which does not exceed sixty centimeters - one meter.

How to care for tangerine at home?

Optimum lighting

In order for this exotic tree to feel good, readers of "Popular about Health" need to organize the right lighting for it - good enough, but with a minimum amount of direct sunlight. If the plant feels a lack of light, it may practically not bloom, and with a strong lack of lighting, its leaves will become pale, the shoots will begin to stretch and weaken. So it is best to place a pot with a plant on the windowsill of an east or southeast window; when growing on the south side, it is advisable to organize a shading for a pet from direct sunlight. In the hot season, it is quite possible to take the tree out into the street, but to accustom it to open space costs gradually.

In the cold, it is extremely important to place a pot of tangerine in the most illuminated place, and it is even better to organize additional lighting for it.

Optimal temperature performance

It is best to grow indoor tangerine in the summer at a temperature of twenty to twenty-five degrees. At the stage of budding, as well as during the flowering period, it is desirable to slightly reduce the temperature of the content - up to twenty degrees or even slightly lower. At higher temperatures, the tree may drop flowers or buds. In cold weather, in order to organize a period of small rest for the pet, it is worth lowering the temperature of the content to five to ten degrees. If the tree has the opportunity to rest during the winter, it will bloom and bear fruit much better.

How to water homemade tangerine?

Indoor tangerines at home are quite resistant to a lack of life-giving moisture. They successfully tolerate a lack of watering, and in case of severe drought, they can only shed their leaves. Quite often, such plants suffer from excessive moisture, which can lead to the development of fungal diseases.

So it’s worth watering the tree only after the soil in the pot dries out a little. It is advisable to carry out this manipulation in the morning. During the period of temperature decrease (in winter), watering is reduced, performing it only to maintain life.

Humidity

For all their drought resistance, indoor tangerines really do not like dry air. Therefore, they should be systematically sprayed. With a lack of environmental humidity, plants can suffer from spider mites. But during the flowering period, it is extremely important to ensure that water droplets do not fall on the mandarin flowers.

top dressing

In order to exotic trees looked attractive and remained healthy, it is necessary to feed them. After all, the soil in the pot is depleted quite quickly. For top dressing, it is worth using soluble fertilizers, they can be used for both irrigation and spraying, but in the second case, the concentration should be very weak. From fertilizers, you can use any complex mixtures that have in their composition the main particles needed by plants, they are represented by phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.

Top dressing of tangerines is carried out, starting in March and ending in September, once every two weeks. In autumn, it is worth carrying out such manipulations less often - once a month.
Experienced flower growers it is also recommended to organize indoor tangerines fertilizing with organic fertilizers. In this case, it is necessary to dilute well-infused cow dung, adhering to a ratio of 1:10.

Transfer

Young trees need to be replanted annually, and adults - with an interval of two years. For transplanting, it is best to purchase a special soil designed for citrus fruits. It is advisable to move the plant into a pot, the diameter of which is no more than five centimeters larger than before. The organization of a sufficiently good drainage layer in the new container also plays an extremely important role.

The best time for transplanting mandarin - early spring, when the period of active vegetation is just beginning. A couple of days before this procedure, it is worth abandoning the use of fertilizers. Feeding is not carried out for two weeks after transplantation. At the end of this procedure, you need to water the tree, and after half an hour add soil (if necessary) and water again.

Additional Information

In order to get a lush tree in a pot in a home flower garden, indoor tangerine needs to pinch the branches. It is also worth periodically removing dried leaves, stretched twigs and extra flowers. For every fifteen leaves, no more than one ovary should be left. And when fruiting, the branches must be tied to a support so that they do not break.