How to plant a tangerine seed at home. We grow mandarin from the stone at home
Room tangerine is very effective potted 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. Indoor mandarin, grown in the form of bonsai, is a real work of art.
1. To plant a tangerine, you will need seeds, or rather seeds, which can be “obtained” by purchasing several ripe tangerines in the store. For the success of the event, it is better that there are more seeds (at least 5-10), since not everyone will be able to germinate.
3. The optimal soil for planting will be special soil for citrus fruits bought at a flower shop, but in principle, any light mixture is suitable for tangerines. For example, if you mix equal parts soddy and leafy soil, completely rotted manure humus and compost, your tangerine will surely like it. A peat-based mixture is neither worth making nor buying. Don't forget the need for drainage.
For sprouts to sprout, a tangerine needs quite for a long time, the first noticeable shoots appear only after two to three weeks, and sometimes even a whole month.
4. Mandarin generally grows very slowly, and sometimes it also stops growing. But if you do not lose hope and enthusiasm and give him necessary care, it will grow into a beautiful tree that pleases your eye.
5. Of course, the tangerine is an unpretentious tree in maintenance (not only among citrus fruits, but also among all other plants), but it still requires compliance with certain rules of care. Most important condition for him - abundance sunlight. Light-loving mandarin requires intensive lighting 12 hours a day all year round.
6. Mandarin is also very sensitive to humidity. In summer it needs to be watered abundantly, but just do not fill it, and in winter watering should be reduced, but make sure that the soil does not dry out. In addition, daily tangerine leaves should be sprayed with filtered or boiled clean water to compensate for the dryness of the air, you can even place a small one near the tangerine indoor fountain to further humidify the air.
7. As you grow tangerine tree need to be transplanted into a larger pot. It is best to do this in late winter - early spring. You need to take a pot with a diameter of 3-5 cm larger than the previous one. The tangerine tree is transplanted by the transshipment method, preserving the old earthen ball as much as possible so as not to damage root system plants.
8. A few weeks after transplanting, the tree should begin a period of active growth. Such periods will be repeated several times during the spring-summer season. During this period, once a week or two, you need to feed the tangerine with mineral and organic fertilizers. You can use sleeping tea leaves as a fertilizer, which you need to dig into the soil.
9. Home-grown tangerines grow only up to 1.5 m and are miniature trees that fit perfectly into any interior, even without fruits. And when a tree is strewn with fragrant flowers, and then with bright fruits, it becomes a universal center of attraction, giving beauty and causing sighs of admiration.
Cultivation of citrus family plants in your home is more than advisable. And here the main thing is not the crop itself, which not everyone succeeds in growing at home. The attractiveness of growing tangerines is that the aroma in the room exuded by a tree (fresh greens) will be unique, and the air will literally be saturated with useful trace elements.
This business is somewhat troublesome, requires a lot of labor, specific knowledge, but the result is worth it. Yes, and the children will remember for a long time the day when they picked the first juicy fruit from the tree that grew before their eyes.
Just like that, immersing a bone in a pot of earth and waiting for the harvest, doing nothing else, is a hopeless occupation. Yes, the sprout hatches under favorable home conditions. But, as practice shows, after a while it begins to fade and, in the end, dies. The difficulty is that mandarin develops rather slowly.
Perhaps this is the only difficulty. In all other respects, agrotechnical measures are not much different from those that are carried out during the cultivation of many other plants. True, there are a number of nuances, but if you know how to grow a tangerine in a pot, then it is quite possible at home to get not only a strong tree from a bone, but also fruits on it.
Capacity
A small plastic cup is enough for planting a bone. In the process of growth, the plant will still have to be replanted repeatedly, as it develops. In terms of convenience in caring for a tangerine, it is advisable to use a small flowerpot. This dish has drainage holes, pallet, so it is completely ready for planting the bone.
Do not forget that the area of growth of mandarin is the southern regions. At home, creating an optimal microclimate for him is not always possible. Various accidents - a heating failure, a cloudy sky (and this is illumination), and so on, and there are no owners at home - lead to the fact that not all the bones will sprout. And if they do appear, they may not survive. Of course, everything can be automated, even artificial irrigation can be organized “by the clock”. But how convenient it is at home (especially in a city apartment) and justified from an economic point of view is a big question.
The author strongly advises not to be limited to planting seeds in only one flowerpot. It is advisable to prepare 2 - 3 containers, and arrange them in suitable places, but in different parts Houses. This ensures that one tree will definitely grow strong and in due time will please with juicy, tasty fruits.
The minimum depth of the container is 10 cm.
The soil
The first feature of the mandarin is that it needs moist soil, and neutral in terms of acidity. This means that there should be no peat in it. It is definitely not worth using old, dried-up soil (there are often unused stocks in the house when transplanting flowers), especially without knowing its characteristics. Therefore, either purchase or cook with your own hands.
What to consider?
- When buying land in a flower shop, you need to focus on a neutral soil mixture. Its pH value is from 6.5 to 7.
- Self-preparation involves mixing certain components (in fractional parts) - humus and the so-called forest land, taken, for example, in planting (2 each) + coarse sand, river (1).
The soil should be “light”, that is, capable of passing both water and air. Therefore, the use of conventional building (fine) sand is not recommended. In conditions of oxygen and moisture deficiency, a sprout from a seed is unlikely to hatch.
Bones
The best seeds are hybrid varieties. These are more common on sale, but it is not a fact that they will be bought.
How to distinguish? There are practically no varietal seeds in mandarin fruits - only a few pieces.
What is the difference? Hybrids grow much more intensively - hatch faster, sprout, bloom. In addition, they tolerate vaccination less painfully and are more resistant to changes in external conditions. First of all, temperature changes, which is very important for a mandarin.
For placement in the ground, all the bones are carefully sorted out. Small, deformed, flat, with dark patches (or tips) - such planting material subject to rejection. All the rest, to accelerate germination, should be placed in a humid environment. Just not in a bowl of water. It is enough to wrap the bones in a napkin, gauze, slightly moisten and leave in a warm place.
For example, on the windowsill above the heating radiator. It is only necessary to ensure that the material is constantly wet. Exposure of the bones in such conditions for two to three days. The expediency of their landing in the ground is judged by appearance. If the seed is swollen, and even more so, a sprout has hatched - it's time.
Another thing is when everything is ready for planting, and there are fresh fruits in the house. In this case, the mandarin stone can be planted immediately.
Planting seeds
- At the bottom of the tank, as in the cultivation of any plant, a layer of drainage is laid. You don't need to invent anything. Expanded clay granules of various fractions are sold in flower shops, and a bag costs literally a penny. One is quite enough for 2 - 3 flowerpots.
- Above - prepared soil. The height of the backfill is selected on the basis that the stone deepens by about 3.5 - 4 cm. Plus, at least two more from it to the drainage, for the normal development of the roots.
- It remains only to place planting material in the soil. It is advisable to pierce the soil with a finger at an equal interval, and holes are formed in which the seeds are laid. After that, they are sprinkled with earth, and it is leveled on the surface of the flowerpot.
What is it for?
- Not the fact that all seeds will give strong sprouts.
- It is almost impossible to get a fruit of the same variety from a stone. Therefore, tangerines are recommended to be grafted. Since the result cannot be guessed in advance, and even in the absence of experience, at home it is better to conduct an experiment on several shoots. Even if some of them die, trees will still grow from the rest.
- Pots with pits are placed in a place favorable for tangerines. Conditions - no drafts, temperature not lower than +20, good lighting.
Before the first shoots appear above the ground, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the soil, preventing it from drying out.
What to consider - it is impossible to artificially initiate the germination of mandarin seeds. The first shoots can equally probabilities to appear in 8 days and a couple of weeks. We'll have to wait, constantly adjusting the moisture content of the soil. Those who create greenhouse conditions for the plant, the greenhouse effect, are making a big mistake. Then it will still be necessary to “accustom” the sprouts to the microclimate of the room in which they will continue to develop. And this is additional complexity. Therefore, it is worth being patient and not rushing things.
Mandarin Care
Watering
All the same. The soil must be constantly moistened. Irrigation is best done with a spray bottle, as the leaves need to be cleaned of dust. Especially when they are still small. Wiping each leaf individually is both difficult and dangerous - it is easy to damage.
If there is no one in the house for a long time, then it is advisable to put some dishes filled with water next to the tangerines. Its evaporation will naturally humidify the air, which will have a beneficial effect on the development of the plant.
What to consider
As soon as the tangerine has blossomed, its watering regimen and conditions of detention change.
- Irrigation is done much less frequently as it dries up. upper layer.
- in winter optimum temperature+12, which rises to 18 by spring. After the formation of buds, it is gradually (already by summer) brought to 22 - 24.
- In the process of flowering mandarin with moisture, you should be extremely careful. Water should not get on the buds. Therefore, spraying is not done; only watering the soil at the bottom of the stem.
Lighting
As with any indoor plant, the emphasis is on uniformity. Otherwise, the tangerine will begin to develop incorrectly, that is, its crown will turn out to be “one-sided”. This must be monitored by regularly turning the flowerpot. But not much, at a time by about 10 - 150. And no more than with a frequency of 10 days. The fifth feature is that he reacts negatively to sudden changes in position.
IN winter time, as well as on cloudy days, it is desirable to organize natural lighting. Here it is worth considering that in the southern regions the sun is above the horizon for quite a long time - at least 18 hours. From this it is worth proceeding, determining the length of daylight hours for a "home" tangerine.
Transfer
Since several bones are placed in a flowerpot at once, they will definitely have to be “settlement”. When? This is the third feature of the mandarin - it, like most citrus fruits, does not have cotyledon leaves. As soon as four of them are formed, you can start transplanting. This also allows you to choose the strongest, healthiest shoots, from which you really get a strong, fruitful tree. All other shoots are discarded.
What to consider
- While the tangerine is small, it is advisable to replant it annually. From the age of 8 years - no more than once every 2 years. But if the tree bears fruit, then after three, no less. At the same time, it is recommended to increase the diameter of the flowerpot not as usual, by 1 - 1.5 cm, but immediately by 5 or 6 (with a margin).
- It is not advisable to place the plant in a pot larger than required. This is fraught, firstly, with the risk of waterlogging the earth, and secondly, with the lack of color. As a result, there will be no fruit.
- Some citrus fruits are characterized by "multi-germ" (fourth feature). This means that 1 seed can give 2 shoots. In this case, if one is weak, it should be pinned. If both sprouts are strong, then their root system is divided (this is easy to do), and they sit down.
- The primary attention when changing the flowerpot is the root collar of the mandarin shoot. You can't deepen it.
- Old trees that are already bearing fruit should not be replanted. Naturally, if the capacity is of sufficient size. Here the technology is different. The top layer of soil is removed (by 3-4 cm) and fresh soil is loaded. This is quite enough at home.
crown formation
This will take at least 4 years. In some cases, the tangerine itself begins to branch. In such a situation, it is better not to touch it, but only to observe the peculiarity of development. If obtaining fruits is the main purpose of growing it, then you need to know that twigs give them, starting from the 4th or 5th levels. For trees that were planted only for decoration and improving the microclimate, all this does not matter - the crown is formed at its own discretion.
Another thing is to grow it not just from a seed, but also with fruits. The first pinching is carried out when the bush reaches a height of 35 ± 5 cm. The mandarin immediately reacts, giving offshoots (future branches) of the 1st level. And so - in order. All shoots are cut off after the 4th (5th) leaf; at the same time, weak ones and those that develop non-standardly (inside the crown, downward, sharply to the side) are removed. As it grows, the number of branches on its trunk will gradually increase. It remains only to monitor their length, timely cutting off overgrown ones.
There is another way. Young branches of the lower (1st) level are fixed in a position close to horizontal. This is realized, for example, with the help of a fishing line (thin nylon thread, twine), which is tied up at the edge of the shoot, and the other end is attached to the side of the flowerpot.
Fertilization
For young mandarin shoots, taking into account their annual transplantation (naturally, into fresh soil), top dressing is not practiced. For mature trees, it is done from early spring to late autumn. But in winter period- it is forbidden.
What to feed
- Shop preparations, for citrus fruits. The order of application, dosage - all this is indicated on the package.
- Prepare your own nutritional formulas.
Recipe 1 - mullein infusion (10%).
Recipe 2 - 20% chicken manure solution.
Feeding specifics:
- Fertilizers are applied at intervals of about 2 times a month.
- If the tangerine is planned to be transplanted, then 5 days before this, top dressing is not done.
- After being placed in another container, fertilizer can be applied only after a couple of weeks.
Helpful information
- First fruits, proper organization care, will appear no earlier than in 5 years. It should be taken into account and not complain about the fact that a mistake was made in something. Cultivating a mandarin requires a certain amount of patience.
- It often happens that the tree does not give color. The reasons may be very different. And not necessarily caused by non-compliance with any rules. There is only one solution - to force the mandarin to give color. One way is to “press” the stem into the ground. This disrupts the natural movement of nutrient juices, the root system gives a "signal" to the tangerine, which initiates the formation of buds. In practice, this is implemented simply.
Option 1 - next to the stem, a peg is immersed in the soil, the bottom of the tree is wrapped with a strong thread (wire) and is attracted to such an impromptu pile. After 5 - 6 months, this design is removed, and the damaged area is “cured” by coating with garden pitch (50 rubles a cylinder, in any store for summer residents). But such technology is possible only on condition that the tangerine is already at least 2 years old and its branches have grown at 4-5 levels.
Option 2 - vaccination. Much more complicated, but if desired, it is quite possible to implement. A tree (graft) is grown from the seed. When the thickness of the stem reaches 5 - 6 mm (commensurate with a pencil), it is necessary to find a segment of the shoot (or a hatched bud) from a varietal plant.
Further, in the lower part of the rootstock stem (at a height of about 50 - 60 mm from the ground level), a T-shaped incision (25 x 1) is made. But only in the bark, without damaging the wood. The edges of the “skin” are carefully folded over, the kidney is placed in the resulting space (so that the petiole looks out), and everything is returned to its original position. It remains to smear the “wound” with garden pitch, “bandage” (for example, with adhesive tape), and place the flowerpot with tangerine in a plastic bag (to create a greenhouse effect).
How to determine the result? It will become clear in three weeks. The yellowed petiole of the leaf fell off - it turned out to be grafted; if it turned black, the experiment failed. We will have to carry it out again, and preferably on a different rootstock. Therefore, they are usually grown at least three.
The grafted tangerine is also gradually accustomed to local conditions - regular airing (with a gradual increase in duration). As soon as the kidney shoots, the stem is cut off. A little higher than it (by 5 - 7 mm), obliquely (the wound is also treated with var). After that, you can remove the bandage and put the flowerpot in the room along with other plants.
- Mandarin usually regulates the number of buds on the branches by itself. However, this should be controlled. Their surplus (as well as the number of fruits) adversely affects the yield. If they are located too densely, you need to remove some of them forcibly. Optimal quantity- 1 tangerine per 15 (at least) leaves.
- Cracking of fruits is a sign of exceeding the norm of nitrogen content in the soil or a violation of the regularity of watering.
There are enough drugs to deal with them - both store-bought and prepared on their own, according to recipes. The peculiarity of the mandarin (another one) is that simple spraying does not help him. Regardless of the “medicine” used, it is imperative to carry out a “bath” procedure. That is, literally wash the tree where it is convenient to install a flowerpot (depending on its size) - in a basin, sink, bathroom.
Conclusion. Just planning to start breeding this citrus representative at home, this question need to be carefully studied.
Most of those who are fond of floriculture tried to grow or lemon in childhood. And often even received tender sprouts. But not everyone can grow at least a small tree. Often its leaves turn yellow and fall off. How to care for a tangerine so that it grows and even bears fruit at home?
Together with oranges, grapefruits and their hybrids, mandarins are citrus fruits. They are distinguished by a soft fragrant skin and a segmental structure of the fruit. This is an evergreen plant.
Now varieties are bred for growing in an apartment or greenhouse.
They form a low dense bush of a spherical shape. Mandarin leaves are elliptical, dense, leathery. Each of them lives for 4 years, and then falls off. Flowers are white, fragrant.
The fruits are known for all taste and appearance. They are smaller than oranges, contain less acids, and more water. The color varies from orange to reddish. You can get them in our conditions only if you follow the rules of care. But even without fruits, the tangerine tree looks beautiful and will serve as a decoration for the house.
Tangerines are grown from seeds or by grafting. But you can enjoy homemade tangerines only 7 years after planting the seeds. The first fruits will be completely tasteless and non-aromatic.
To get a crop in the third year, you need to buy a grafted plant or graft yourself. Growing mandarin at home can be exciting process for the whole family. Start by sowing seeds.
Features of growing mandarin from seeds:
- Tangerines, like other citrus fruits, do not like acidic soil. It should not contain peat, which is included in most types of earth mixtures. It dries quickly, and with increased watering it often turns sour. Therefore, it is not easy to choose soil for mandarin in the store. You can take the soil of neutral acidity. To prepare it yourself, mix: leafy earth 2 hours, humus 2 hours, sod land 2 or 3 hours and sand 1 hour.
- The resulting mixture should be loose, well breathable. If there are no components, add a glass of ash, a handful of superphosphate and a kilogram to ordinary garden soil. A small amount of clay will help the mixture retain moisture.
- The stones are harvested from ripe and intact fruits. Take about a dozen of them to choose the strongest plant. It is advisable to germinate the seeds before planting. To do this, they are placed in wet gauze and kept for several days. Make sure that they do not dry out, but they can not be filled with water.
- In order not to constantly monitor, you can put the seeds in a special hydrogel bought at a flower shop. It retains moisture and creates comfortable conditions for seeds. It is even easier to plant the seeds unsprouted. In this case, they will germinate a little later.
- Prepare the dishes. It can be individual cups, flower pots or general box. A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom. It can be made from coarse sand, fine expanded clay, crushed stone or charcoal.
- Seeds are sown at 3 cm. Watered, covered with a jar or polyethylene. Set up in a warm place. There should be no poisonous plants nearby (for example, oleander).
When sprouts appear on the surface of the soil, the dishes are transferred to the light, but not under direct rays. The temperature in the room should be around 20°C. Periodically water the soil in pots, maintain high humidity. Irrigation is carried out with water, which has been settled for at least 3 days before.
When the plants reach a height of 10 cm, they are transplanted into 4 liter pots. The soil is prepared in the same way as when planting seeds. Transplantation is carried out by transshipment, after moistening the soil in a pot. In this case, the root system is practically not damaged.
A few days after the transplant, keep the tangerine in a shaded place. Then set in the sun, but protect the leaves from exposure to scorching rays. Subsequent transplants are carried out once a year according to the same principle. The best time for this is the end of February or the beginning of March.
When the tree reaches the age of 8 years, it is transplanted in a year.
How to properly care for a tangerine tree:
- For successful growth tangerine tree needs constant temperature regime. Minimum temperature 14°C.
- The main problem when growing a tangerine tree is dry indoor air due to heating appliances. Therefore, every day the plant must be sprayed from a spray bottle with heated water. You can install a humidifier next to the tree. Decorate the interior and increase the humidity of the mini-fountain, which is located near the mandarin. Expanded clay pallets filled with water will increase the humidity of the air.
- Daylight hours for the successful growth of a tangerine tree must be at least 12 hours. If it is not enough, it is illuminated with fluorescent lamps or a specially designed Reflux lamp.
- Water regularly and frequently in spring and summer. In autumn and winter, the number and volume of watering is reduced. Water only when the soil dries out.
- They begin to feed the tangerine tree 2 weeks after the sprouts appear from the ground. Use specially designed for feeding citrus fertilizer, which is bought in flower shops. It can be: "", "Sudarushka". They are added at 2 g per liter of water. You can use concentrate horse manure Flumb. It is diluted in a ratio of 1:60. Fertilizer can only be applied to moist soil. Watering dry soil can burn the roots. Fertilizers are not applied in autumn and winter.
Mandarin grafting: terms and rules
The tangerine tree is beautiful with its leaves. But many want to get the fruits of it. To do this, the plant must be grafted from an adult fruit-bearing tree. Best timing for this: April, May and August. Then the period of sap flow passes.
Plant grafting features:
- A plant is grafted with a trunk diameter of 6 mm. It can be not only tangerine, but also orange or grapefruit. They acquire a scion, part of a one- or two-year-old branch of a fruit-bearing tree, or a fresh eye. It can be purchased at some flower shops.
- Prepare a special budding knife. It will help to make a smooth and accurate cut. An elastic tape is prepared, for example, a narrow medical plaster and. All instruments are sterilized, the vaccination is carried out clean.
- At a height of 10 cm from the ground, a cut is made in the form of the letter T with a knife. Leaves are removed from the handle, the kidney is cut off along with a small shield of bark. Inserted into the incision so that the cut part fits snugly against the cambium.
- Tape to the trunk. Places where it does not fit snugly are covered with garden pitch. From above, the bush is covered with a jar or film.
In a month, the rootstock will begin to sprout. They begin to open the jar, airing the plant. Gradually increase the time it spends without shelter. After 3 weeks, when it becomes clear that the bud has taken root, the trunk of the grafted tree is cut off a little higher than the grafting site. Cover the cut with garden pitch. If the kidney is dry, do not cut off the top, repeat the operation again. Establish a support that will help the grafted tree grow upright.
Tangerines are often affected by pests common to most indoor plants:
- False shield - brown oval insects covered with a strong shell. They secrete a sticky substance that closes the pores of the plant.
- Spider mites are small spiders that wrap a thin web around the plant. Pest excretions prevent him from breathing.
- Citrus whitefly is a butterfly up to 3 mm long, whose wings are covered with a white wax coating.
- Aphids are small black or green insects that gather in groups on young shoots and leaves. Allocate a sticky coating, drink plant juices.
All these insects are almost invisible to the eye. They are passed on from other houseplants. They feed on their juices, multiply rapidly. As a result, the leaves lose their attractive appearance, then fall off. After that, the whole tree dies.
More information can be found in the video:
To prevent this, constantly inspect the plant. You can even use a magnifying glass. When pests are found, they must be destroyed immediately. The spider mite is afraid of water, so the bush is washed in the shower, after covering the soil with plastic wrap.
Many pests are afraid of infusions of tobacco, garlic, onion peel.
If there are many pests, and they cannot be destroyed folk remedies, you need to use biological preparations:
- Fitoverm
- Actellik
They are not harmful to humans as chemicals, but you need to use them according to the instructions. It is better not to spray with the working substance, but to wash the leaves and stems with it. Especially actively wash the lower part of the leaves, where pests mainly gather. Processing is carried out 3 times with an interval of a week.
If on the surface of the soil appeared small midges, this may indicate severe waterlogging. Their larvae can live in the ground, which damage the root system. To destroy them, the soil is loosened and treated with Grom 2. Growing a tangerine tree at home is not difficult. With constant care and attention, you can enjoy delicious fragrant fruits a few years after planting.
To plant a tangerine, you will need seeds, or rather seeds, which can be “obtained” by purchasing several ripe tangerines in the store.
For the success of the event, it is better that there are more seeds (at least 5-10), since not everyone will be able to germinate.
Next, it is necessary that the bones hatch or swell. To do this, the bones must be wrapped in gauze and lightly moistened with water for several days. The optimal soil for planting will be special earth for citrus fruits bought at a flower shop, but in principle, any light mixture is suitable for tangerines.
For example, if you mix equal parts soddy and leafy soil, completely rotted manure humus and compost, your tangerine will surely like it. A peat-based mixture is neither worth making nor buying. Don't forget the need for drainage. Mandarin needs a rather long time to sprout, the first noticeable shoots appear only after two to three weeks, and sometimes even a whole month.
Mandarin generally grows very slowly, and sometimes it also stops growing. But if you do not lose hope and enthusiasm and provide him with the necessary care, he will grow into a beautiful tree that pleases your eye.
Certainly, tangerine undemanding tree(not only among citrus fruits, but also among all other plants), but it still requires compliance with some rules of care. The most important condition for him is an abundance of sunlight. Light-loving mandarin requires intensive lighting 12 hours a day all year round.
Mandarin is also very sensitive to humidity. In summer it needs to be watered abundantly, but just do not fill it, and in winter watering should be reduced, but make sure that the soil does not dry out. In addition, tangerine leaves should be sprayed daily with filtered or boiled clean water to compensate for the dryness of the air, you can even place a small indoor fountain near the tangerine to further humidify the air.
As the tangerine tree grows, it needs to be transplanted into a larger pot.. It is best to do this in late winter - early spring. You need to take a pot with a diameter of 3-5 cm larger than the previous one. The tangerine tree is transplanted by transshipment, preserving the old earthen ball as much as possible so as not to damage the root system of the plant.
A few weeks after transplanting, the tree should begin a period of active growth. Such periods will be repeated several times during the spring-summer season. During this period, you need to feed the mandarin with mineral and organic fertilizers once a week or two. You can use sleeping tea leaves as a fertilizer, which you need to dig into the soil.
Home-grown tangerines grow only up to 1.5 m and are miniature trees that fit perfectly into any interior, even without fruits. And when a tree is strewn with fragrant flowers, and then with bright fruits, it becomes a universal center of attraction, giving beauty and causing sighs of admiration.
Vaccination is required for a mandarin in order to get fruits from it. It is possible that mandarin will bear fruit without vaccination, but this will not happen very soon. In addition, the fruits will be small and sour. With the help of grafting, you can achieve an acceleration of the onset of fruiting and better tangerine fruits. The best time for grafting a tangerine is April or the very beginning of May. At this time, the plant has the most active sap flow. But nothing bad will happen if you decide to graft a tangerine in August. It's no less auspicious time for grafting this plant.
How to plant a tangerine? It is best to graft a tangerine tree on seedlings of other citrus plants. Moreover, the vaccination process itself should take place quickly, accurately and in clean conditions. To get started, prepare everything you need: a graft with wood that has matured enough, a graft from a cultivated fruit-bearing citrus plant, garden variety, elastic tape and a special budding knife.
At a height of approximately 7 cm from the ground, carefully wipe the plant, remove all dust and dirt from it. Then, with a clean budding knife (which should be very sharp), make a T-shaped incision in the bark. Try not to touch the wood, otherwise all the work will be in vain. The top of the incision should be about 1 cm and the bottom 2.5 cm.
Next, we press the bark with the tip of a knife, and insert the “peephole” into the hole, while holding it by the petiole leaf. Then we cover this leaflet with bark, pressing lightly with a budding knife. Lubricate the cut made with garden pitch and carefully wrap this place with adhesive tape. Only the petiole with a leaf on it should remain on the surface.
When your plant is already grafted, place it in a small greenhouse, which is quite possible to make yourself from a large plastic bag or a special film for greenhouses. But, you should not leave the plant in the greenhouse all the time. Periodically open the film so that the tree is ventilated. When two or three weeks have passed after you have grafted a tangerine tree, you can judge by appearance how successful the grafting was. If the petiole is stuck to the shield and turned black, you did something wrong, and the vaccination should be repeated. And if the petiole has turned yellow, and it can be easily separated from the trunk of the tree, your grafting was successful.
After the bud sprouts on the scion and it takes root well, you can remove adhesive tape. She is no longer needed. After about three weeks, a young shoot will begin to sprout from a swollen bud. At this time, you will need to cut the stem of the rootstock about 5mm above the base. The cut should be oblique. The cut itself must be treated with garden pitch.
There is nothing complicated in growing a tangerine from a seedling purchased in a store, because we are talking about a grafted fruit-bearing tree. And if there is no opportunity to spend money on seedlings, then the only way out is cultivation tangerine from the bone at home. What will be required for this? Just a few seeds extracted from ordinary fruits.
Within a few years after planting, you will be proud of a slender tree with shiny and very beautiful leaves. The characteristic aroma of citrus will be felt throughout the house, making your home seem even more comfortable.
The tangerine tree itself is a member of the rue family. The shape of the plant is spherical, the leaves are evergreen (change every four years), and the flowers are white. The tree can reproduce both vegetatively and by seeds.
On a note! Many houses have indoor tangerine, which was grown from seeds, but this is usually ornamental plant. It does not bear fruit or has small and inedible fruits, but only improves the interior of the room.
If we talk about farms, then citrus crops are grown by grafting to obtain tasty fruits. You can also perform a similar operation if you wish to feast on juicy tangerines. But if you just want to try growing a citrus tree with your own hands, you can definitely do it! To get started, swipe preliminary training: release the window sill of the window that "looks" to the south, rearrange poisonous plants to another place (such crops are not the best neighbors for a mandarin). Then follow the instructions below.
Stage one. Seed preparation
Anyone who has ever grown seedlings knows very well that the seeds must swell before planting. To this end, take a few prepared seeds (you can buy them, but choose seeds without defects and rot) and soak them in cheesecloth for a couple of days (as shown in the image below). Make sure that there is not too much water - the gauze should be only slightly damp, in the future, just add a little more liquid as you go.
If you plan to grow just one tree, then soak somewhere around 12-15 seeds anyway. The fact is that not everyone will germinate, some will die from diseases, in addition, many will become a “victim” of the first plant grafting.
Instead of gauze, you can use hydrogel - you can buy it at the nearest specialized store. Experienced gardeners and professional landscape designers actively use it, because hydrogel is an excellent protection against heat.
On a note! Figuratively speaking, a hydrogel is a kind of analogue drip irrigation, but you will not add it to the soil, but use it instead of gauze (the substance retains moisture perfectly).
Try to keep the seeds inside the hydrogel all the time - so they will not dry out.
Stage two. Landing in the soil
Seeds that have already "hatched" must be planted in a seedling box or an ordinary pot. It is worth noting that some do not wait for the seeds to swell, but immediately begin planting in the ground. Here sprouts are formed later, but outwardly they look no worse than those that grow from soaked seeds.
First, choose the right soil.
Ideally, you need to take a special soil mixture for citrus crops sold in flower shops. Although what kind of soil will be used for cultivation does not play a special role. honors homemade tangerine it is considered, first of all, its unpretentiousness, so you can use almost any mixture - for example, from turf and leafy soil. It can also be a neutral nutrient soil ("Rose", "Biohumus", etc.). The main thing is not to use peat, because it quickly sours and dries out, and nutrients it has quite a bit.
You can also make your own soil mixture for growing homemade citrus crops - for this, mix the following ingredients in the indicated proportions:
- one part sand;
- three pieces of turf;
- one part of humus;
- one part of leafy soil;
- some clay.
Pour the bottom of the prepared container drainage, which you can use as:
- small stones;
- fine fraction expanded clay;
- brick fight.
On top of the drainage, pour the finished soil mixture into which you place the mandarin seeds. The first leaves should appear within three weeks after planting.
Stage three. Further care
At first, the mandarin practically does not need any care, but later, when the first sprouts form, you have to start feeding the plants. You can do this using any fertilizer - not only organic, but also inorganic. They are sold, again, in any flower shop. Although it is better to give preference special formulations designed to nourish citrus plants.
As for other aspects of care, they are presented in the form of a table.
Table. Features of caring for mandarin
| Procedure | Brief description, instruction |
|---|---|
| Transplant every year, and better in spring time. Try not to damage the integrity of the soil near the roots. Once the tree is eight years old, you can switch to repotting every two years. |
| It is quite obvious that mandarin is a sun-loving plant, so it should be grown on a windowsill located with south side at home (where most of the sun rays). In winter, make sure that the air temperature in the house is at least 14 degrees. |
| The plant described in the article needs high humidity, so water it abundantly every day using water room temperature. In addition, spray the plant weekly with a spray bottle. Additionally, you can put some open container of water next to the tangerine. |
| These include, first of all, citrus whiteflies and spider mites. To protect against them, use special preparations (for example, Actellik), washing the leaves with them. |
Separately, it is worth talking about the rules for fertilizing, which are common for both young seedlings and citrus fruits. Apply fertilizer immediately after watering, giving Special attention this process from April to the end of summer. Any experienced gardener will say that if you carefully care for citrus fruits during this period, the fruits will grow sweeter.
Video - Features of growing homemade mandarin
Features of growing a fruiting mandarin
If you grow a tangerine from a stone, then it begins to bear fruit six to seven years after planting. As noted earlier, the first fruits (and they are also called wild) will not have the taste characteristic of citrus crops. Is it possible to somehow speed up the fruiting?
It is possible, but to obtain juicy and tasty fruits, it is necessary to plant a tangerine tree. best time for vaccination, the period from April to August is considered, that is, the time of sap flow. If everything is done quickly and cleanly, then you are guaranteed to get a positive result.
First prepare everything you need - during the vaccination process you will need:
- rootstock (a tree you have grown with a trunk thickness of at least 0.6 centimeters - somewhere like a pencil);
- scion (eye or stalk cut from a branch of a fruiting plant - it is important that its age does not exceed two years);
- special knife for budding;
- garden pitch;
- elastic band.
The further algorithm of actions should look as follows.
Step one. On the stem of the scion, about 10 cm high, make a T-shaped incision.
Step two. Insert a pre-prepared graft into the incision.
Step three. Wrap the injection site carefully with elastic tape.
Step Four. Then cover the plant with a PET bag or glass jar- this is necessary in order to provide the required microclimate.
Step five. After the kidney sprouts, start "accustoming" it to fresh air. To do this, remove the package / jar from it every day, gradually extending the ventilation time.
Split Grafting Technique
Step Six. After about a month, when the shoot gets stronger, remove the elastic winding and cut the rootstock layer obliquely, about three centimeters from the scion. Without fail, cover the cut with a garden pitch.
step seven. Place a stick in the pot - so the plant "learns" to grow vertically. Actually, that's all.
With the help of this simple instruction, you can grow a fruit-bearing tangerine tree at home, which will not only complement the atmosphere in the apartment / house, but also give a characteristic pleasant aroma. It is possible that you will fail the first time, but you will gain valuable experience that will definitely come in handy for subsequent attempts!
Video - How to plant citrus plants
