How to care for citron at home

Citron is a rare plant that belongs to the citrus family. In Europe, he came before our era. Mention of this plant can be found in the works of ancient Greek scientists and researchers. It is bred in many countries, but not in industrial quantities.

It is noteworthy that such a plant as citron, has not found wide application in the food industry. Only a few housewives have in their stock recipes for using it in cooking.

Citron at home is interesting to grow lovers of the exotic. An elegant tree with bizarre fruits will impress fans of curiosities.

Description and characteristics of citron

In nature, citron is a small shrub or tree up to three meters high.The branches have spines of 4-6 cm each. The leaves are oval in shape, oblong, with petioles.

It blooms with white single flowers with a reddish tinge. Its fruits are one of the largest among citrus fruits, their length reaches 15-45 cm. In diameter - up to 30 cm. Fruits are oblong, yellow, less often - orange.

What is the difference between citron and lemon?

Lemon does not grow in the wild state. It is a cultivated hybrid of citron. The lemon tree differs from the citron tree in height - it can reach eight meters. The leaves are brighter and their smell is richer than that of citron.

Citron fruits are much larger than lemon. Citron fruit has a thick peel, in lemon it is thinner and smoother. Most citron fruits have a pronounced ribbed surface.

Necessary conditions for growing citron

Before you start growing citron, you need to know that this is the most heat-loving plant of all citrus fruits. In room conditions, it grows to 1-1.5 meters. Therefore, you need to choose a bright and warm place where the citron will grow and, possibly, will give fruit.

Where is the best place to put citron in the room?

It should be a spacious, well-lit and warm place. Citron in the room can be placed on the windowsill, avoiding the north side. In summer, the sun shines.

In autumn and winter, on the contrary, additional lighting will be needed so that the duration of daylight hours for citron is at least 10 hours per day.

Ordinary fluorescent lamps or phytolamps, which can be purchased at garden stores, are suitable for additional lighting.

Temperature and humidity for growing

Since citron is a heat-loving plant, the temperature during its cultivation should be maintained within 25-35 degrees in spring and summer, in autumn and winter - no more than 10-15 degrees.

Such temperature conditions are necessary for growing any citrus plant, such as lemon or citron. They provide normal flowering and fruiting.

Humidity should be at 50%. To do this, a pot of citron in the warm period is placed in a pan with water. Spray the leaves every morning and evening.

Once a season, the crown should be washed with warm water. Before washing, the soil is covered with polyethylene or other moisture-resistant material to protect it from washing out the soil.

How to plant citron at home

Citron can only be grown with the help of a cutting, there are few seeds in its fruits, and they are in an immature state, whereas lemon has no such problems. Lemon is easier to be seeded with seeds than citron, but knowing how to plant citron correctly, you will have no difficulty in breeding it.

The stalk is harvested in spring, cutting off a one-year branch with a knife. Length - 10-15 cm. Stalk is freed from leaves, leaving 2-4 shoots at the top.

Requirements for growing soil

For normal growth of citron planting cutting should be carried out in a special soil for citrus, purchased in the store. You can prepare the mixture, independently mixing two parts of sand, one part of humus and one part of black soil. Place a drain on the bottom of the pot to prevent stagnant water. Before planting, wash the cuttings with boiling water for disinfection. After the ground cools, you need to make a hole 2 cm deep and plant a cutting in it. Put the sprout in a bright place with a temperature of 20-25 degrees. To create greenhouse conditions, at the edges, attach a cone to the pot and wrap it with polyethylene, leaving a small hole at the top for moistening and airing the germ.

After 1-2 months, white roots will begin to appear on the handle, this will be a sign that it is time to transplant the plant into large pots. Transplantation is carried out in the same soil as during the initial planting, it is necessary to put drainage on the bottom.

Propagation of citron graft

Citron in room conditions can be propagated by grafting the cutting to any other citrus. The advantages of vaccination are that plants grow faster and, when properly grafted, begin to bloom after 2-3 years. Citron can be grafted in two ways: by budding (grafting by the eye) and copulating (grafting by cutting).

For indoor cultivation, a graft cutting method is appropriate.Graft 2-3-year-old cuttings grown at home, the thickness of the trunks should not exceed 10 mm. Cuttings pruned 5-8 cm in height, removing all thorns and leaves, leaving only the kidneys. On the bark of the stock, a neat incision is made of a length of 1-2 cm. The bark is gently moved apart with a knife, the cutting is inserted vertically, along the section on the stock The vaccination site is tightly wrapped with tape or cotton cloth. Open cut areas need to be treated with garden pitch.

For better development, the cutting can be covered with a glass jar or a greenhouse made of polyethylene.

Features care for citron at home

When growing citron it is worth knowing that it needs care and proper care. It is necessary to follow the plant all the time. Regularly and timely water, pick up top dressing of the soil and cut it in time.

Watering

In summer, citron must be watered regularly, twice a day. In the fall and spring they water as the topsoil dries. If the upper lumps of soil do not stick to hands and crumble, then citron should be watered. In winter, watering is reduced, since citron is at rest, its growth and development are slowed down during this period. Water should be distilled water at room temperature. If possible, use rainwater or water from natural reservoirs, also settled at room temperature. This water does not contain in its composition chlorine and heavy metals that are harmful to any citrus plants.

Fertilizer

Citron, like any citrus, needs regular fertilizer.

Citrus fruits are fertilized at least once a week during the plant growth period - from early March to late October. During the winter period it does not need top dressing. Fertilizers must contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, they can be bought in garden stores. Well suited superphosphate or double superphosphate. At home, you can cook fertilizer from horse or cow manure. To do this, dilute one part of the manure with ten parts of water.

A good option would be to add hardwood ash to the upper layers of the soil. Ash is also diluted with water, then it is poured over the soil in a pot.

Pruning

Cut the citron is optional. Pruning room citrus, such as lemon, citron or orange, is carried out to give the tree a certain shape and size.

The method of forming a tree in citron is simple: the central shoot is fixed at a height of 15-20 cm. Of the lateral branches, 2-5 branches are evenly spaced on opposite sides. This is called the foreground branches.

On each branch of the first plan leave 2-3 branches of the second plan. On the branches of the second plan - 2-6 branches of the third plan, on which the branches of the fourth plan begin to grow. This can be considered the end of the formation of a tree, on these branches and flowering and fruiting citrus begins. The main purpose of pruning is to grow the plant in bulk, and not just pulled up.

Major diseases and pests of citron

The main diseases of citron are associated with caring for them.Yellowed and fallen leaves - insufficient watering or the amount of fertilizer. The leaves wilted and twisted - an excess of water in the soil or extra fertilizers that spoiled the root system.

Citron pests rarely attack, but can be brought in from other plants.

• Fungal infections spoil the leaves and fruits, forming warts on them. To combat them, it is necessary to spray the plant Bordeaux mixture or fungicides.
• Viruses infect the bark of the trunk, it begins to flake off. In this case, you should immediately remove the dead bark and treat the infected place with garden pitch.
• Pests for citron are scale, mite and mealybug. At the very beginning of the lesion, they form a white sticky plaque on the leaves. In the future, these leaves dry out and fall off. If plaque is detected, citron should immediately be separated from other plants. Wash all leaves with insecticides, for example "Aktellik".

With proper cultivation and regular care for citron, it is a grown-up plant that will delight you with its appearance. And its fruits will serve as a reward for the enclosed works.