Lemon is a common fruit, its flesh is sweet and sour, rich in vitamin C, has the effect of beautifying the skin, refreshing the mind, and quenching thirst. Lemon is also an elegant ornamental plant, with its beautiful shape, green leaves, white flowers, and golden fruits, exuding a fresh aroma. Have you ever wanted to plant a pot of lemon trees at home to appreciate its beauty and taste its fruits?In fact, it is not difficult to grow lemons in pots, as long as you master some simple cultivation methods and precautions, you can make your lemon tree thrive and bear fruit. Below, we will introduce five tips for potted lemons, so that you can easily grow lemon fruits full of aroma.
The first step in growing a potted lemon is to choose the right pot and soil. The root system of lemon trees has high requirements for water, nutrients and soil, so choose a pot with good air permeability, good drainage and moderate capacity, preferably a purple sand pot or a tile pot. The size of the pot should be determined according to the size of the lemon seedlings, generally between 10-30 cm, not too large or too small, so as not to affect the growth of the root system. There should be drainage holes at the bottom of the pot so that excess water can be drained in time to prevent water accumulation from causing root rot.
In terms of soil, it is necessary to choose permeable and breathable, water and fertilizer retention, and slightly acidic culture soil, which can be mixed with sandy soil, garden soil and humus soil in a ratio of 3:3:4, or you can buy special lemon tree soil in the market. The pH of the soil should be 55-6.5. If the soil is too alkaline, ferrous sulfate can be added to the fertilizer solution to prepare a slightly acidic nutrient solution. Some organic fertilizers, such as bone meal, chicken manure, cow manure, etc., should be added to the soil as base fertilizer to provide sufficient nutrients for lemon trees.
The second step in potting lemons is to provide plenty of light and temperature. Lemons are light-loving plants and need plenty of sunlight to grow well, so place your lemon tree in a sunny area, preferably on a windowsill or balcony facing south or east. Ensure at least 6-8 hours of light every day, if the light is insufficient, the leaves of the lemon tree will turn yellow, the branches will become thinner, and the flowering and fruiting will be affected. However, it is also important to avoid excessive sunlight, especially in the middle of summer, and to provide proper shade to prevent sunburn from lemon trees.
In terms of temperature, the best growing temperature for lemon trees is 23-29 degrees Celsius, if the temperature is too high or too low, it will affect the growth of lemon trees. In summer, it is necessary to pay attention to heatstroke prevention and cooling, if the temperature exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, the lemon tree will stop growing, and even the phenomenon of falling leaves, flowers and fruits will appear. In winter, it is necessary to pay attention to heat preservation and cold protection, if the temperature is lower than -2 degrees Celsius, the lemon tree will be frost damaged, the leaves will wither, the branches will break, and in severe cases, it will lead to death. Therefore, in winter, the lemon tree should be moved indoors and placed in a warm and bright place to avoid exposure to the sun and cold winds.
The third step in potting lemons is to water and fertilize them properly. Lemon trees need more water to grow and develop, but too much water can easily lead to root rot. Therefore, watering should be done at the right time and in the right amount, depending on the moisture of the soil and the change of seasons. Generally speaking, spring is the time for lemon trees to sprout their leaves and their buds to bloom, so it is necessary to water appropriately to keep the soil moist and not too dry or too wet. Summer is the time when lemon trees are growing vigorously and need more water, so you should water them frequently, but you should also pay attention to drainage to prevent water accumulation. Autumn is the time when the lemon tree grows and the fruit grows rapidly, so it is necessary to have sufficient water, but it is also necessary to control the amount of water to prevent the fruit from splitting. Winter is the time when the flower buds of the lemon tree are differentiated, so it is necessary to reduce watering, keep the soil dry, and promote the formation of flower buds.
In terms of fertilization, lemon trees prefer fertilizer, in addition to potting, changing pots when applying sufficient base fertilizer, the growing period should also adhere to the principle of thin fertilizer diligently, every 10-15 days to apply liquid fertilizer, you can use fully fermented cake fertilizer water or commercially available lemon tree special fertilizer. Before the lemon tree blooms and after the fruit hangs, it is necessary to top dressing many times, apply multi-element flower fertilizer once a month, and spray flower nutrient solution every half month to ensure that the fruit is not easy to fall off and the color is bright.
The fourth step of potted lemons is to shape and prune and thin the flowers and fruits. The branches of the lemon tree grow quickly, so in order to maintain the beautiful shape of the tree, it is necessary to prune it regularly. Generally, when changing pots in spring, it is necessary to cut off the inner branches, diseased branches and leaves, and long branches of the lemon tree to keep the canopy ventilated and transparent. In summer, on the branches without melons and fruits, the overly long tips should be cut off to promote the differentiation of side branches and increase the density of the canopy. In autumn, on the branches with melons and fruits, cut off the overly long tops to reduce the burden on the branches and prevent the fruits from drooping. In winter, after the flower buds are differentiated, cut off the overly dense flower branches and keep a certain spacing to avoid the flowers squeezing each other.
Flower thinning and fruit thinning refers to appropriately reducing the number of flowers and fruits according to the tree potential and fruit size after the lemon tree blooms and bears fruit, so that the lemon tree can balance growth and fruiting and improve the quality of the fruit. Generally speaking, lemon trees produce a large number of flowers every year, but not every flower can bear fruit, some flowers will fall naturally, some flowers will be attacked by pests or diseases, and some flowers will wither due to lack of water or fertilizer. Therefore, after the lemon tree blooms, check the condition of the flowers in time, cut off the flowers that have fallen, damaged or withered, and keep the healthy flowers. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to controlling the number of flowers, and it is best not to have more than 10 flowers on each branch, so as not to consume too many nutrients and affect the development of fruits.
The fruit of the lemon tree generally ripens 3-4 months after flowering, but the fruit of the lemon tree can be kept on the tree for a long time and will not rot as easily as other fruits. Therefore, after the lemon tree bears fruit, pick the ripe fruit in time, or cut the ripe fruit and store it in a cool and ventilated place, so as not to occupy the nutrients on the tree and affect the growth of new fruits. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the number of fruits, and it is best not to exceed 5 fruits on each branch, so as not to cause branch breakage due to excessive weight, or affect the size and quality of the fruit.
The fifth step in growing a potted lemon is to control pests, diseases and other problems. During the growth of lemon trees, they may encounter some pests and diseases, such as yellowing of leaves, split skin of fruits, wilting of branches, etc., which will affect the growth and fruiting of lemon trees, and even endanger the life of lemon trees. Therefore, it is necessary to detect and deal with these problems in time to maintain the health of the lemon tree.
Common pests and diseases of lemon trees are: aphids, whiteflies, mites, scale insects, citrus leaf mineral moths, citrus cankers, citrus huanglongbing, etc. These pests and diseases can suck the sap of lemon trees, causing yellowing of leaves, wilting branches, and deformation of fruits. The control methods are: in the growth period of lemon trees, spray insecticides or fungicides every 10-15 days, such as dichlorvos, dimethoate, chlorothalonil, etc., pay attention to spraying stems, leaves and fruits to avoid residues on the peel. During the flowering period of lemon trees, reduce or stop spraying so as not to affect pollination and fruiting. During the fruiting period of lemon trees, it is necessary to observe the condition of the fruit and cut off the damaged fruit in time to prevent infection. At the same time, it is necessary to keep the lemon tree ventilated and light, remove weeds and fallen leaves, and prevent the breeding of pests and diseases.
Other common problems in lemon trees are: fruit splitting, fruit blackening, etc. The causes and solutions to these problems are:
Fruit peeling: It is generally caused by excessive changes in moisture and temperature, such as sudden heavy rain after a dry period, or a sudden low temperature after a high temperature period, resulting in an imbalance of pressure inside and outside the fruit, resulting in a cracked peel. The solution is: during the fruiting period of lemon trees, it is necessary to keep the soil moist and avoid being too dry or too wet, especially in the dry period, to water in time to prevent the soil from drying out. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to shading and cooling, avoid too strong sunlight or too high temperature, especially in the high temperature period, to properly shade to prevent sunburn of fruits.
Fruit blackening: It is generally caused by iron deficiency, which leads to the obstruction of pigment synthesis in the fruit, resulting in the darkening of the peel and affecting the appearance and quality of the fruit. The solution is: in the growth period of lemon trees, it is necessary to properly apply iron-containing fertilizers, such as ferrous sulfate, iron chelated fertilizer, etc., once a month, each time with 0Spray the stems, leaves, and fruits with a 1% solution to promote the coloration of the fruits. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain the slightly acidic nature of the soil to avoid the soil being too alkaline and affecting the absorption of iron.
The above are the five tips for planting potted lemons, if you follow these methods and take good care of your lemon tree, you can grow fragrant lemon fruits at home, which can both beautify the environment and enjoy the fruit, why not?Come and try it and I wish you success!
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