I bought my first citrus eight years ago. The rest are around 5 years old.
Citrus propagation
Since the seedlings bear fruit very late or not at all, I only chose grafted trees. Thanks to this, I have fruit from the very beginning.
I grew one of my citrus from a cuttings, which I picked by removing the top of a branch from a fruiting, grafted tree. Then I rooted this 10-centimeter fragment in water. We must remember that the cuttings create roots at a temperature of about 25 ° C, so we should not put them immediately on the windowsill.
Citrus stand
Citrus trees prefer sunny positions, but not necessarily southern ones. They are adversely affected by strong gusts of wind, so they absolutely must stand in quiet places.
Citrus fertilization
I feed my plants with fertilizer intended for citrus according to the manufacturer's recommendations, but you can also use preparations for balcony plants containing iron. The lack of this element is one of the causes of chlorosis, which is manifested by yellowing of the leaves. For three months, when the days are the shortest (November-January), I do not fertilize.
Citrus irrigation
Citrus must have proper drainage, because they do not like too wet ground, and even less stand in water. In high season, I water them once a day, and less often when the weather is rainy. In winter, when the plants are resting, I water them up once a week. I use tap water, but after standing. Usually I water them in the evening and when I'm done I fill the watering can for the next time.
Citrus wintering
My trees spend the winter at home. They must be at a temperature of 5-15 ° C, i.e. they cannot be placed in the immediate vicinity of the radiator. The room should also be quite bright, so a dark basement or a shed is definitely not suitable for this purpose.
Citrus on the terrace
I take my citrus on the terrace after May 15th, i.e. after the so-called "Cold Zoska". If it happens that the temperature is high outside, I cover the trees with non-woven fabric or cover them with an umbrella. Then the strong sun will not burn unhardened plants. You can also place the potsin partial shade, e.g. in a gazebo. For the first two weeks, I keep citruses outside during the day, and hide them in my apartment at night. After this time, they are immune enough to stay outside all summer long and do not need to be protected from the sun.
Flowering and fruiting citrus
The flowers of these exotic plants smell very intensely and pleasantly. Lemons only have a few fruits. On the other hand, mandarins, calamonds and miniature oranges yield a whole lot of them. In fact, throughout the season, you can admire flowers, greenand ripe fruit on one tree at the same time. They are edible, but they are very acidic - after all, our climate is very different from that in the south.
However, if the plants have overgrown, we can try to fry the fruit for jam. When used for sandwiches or desserts, it tastes best under a citrus tree.
Anna Suta
