Lemon mugis an interesting shrub from eastern Australia whose unusual flowers look like brushes for washing bottles. In our climate, the mug can be grown in homes as a potted plant. We explain whatgrowing a pot in a potlooks like and what requirements of this plant must be met. See if it is necessary topruning the mug , how to reproduce this plant and what diseases may pose a threat to mug growing in our homes.
Lemon mug - Callistemon citrinus
Fig. pixabay.com
What does a lemon mug look like?
Lemon mug(Callistemon citrinus, syn. Melaleuca citrina) is a shrub or small tree belonging to the myrtle family. In its natural environment, it can reach up to 12 m in height, but when grown in a pot, it is 10 times smaller. The height of the mugs grown in our homes does not exceed 120 cm.
Leaves of a lemon mugare long, narrow and pointed, quite similar to oleander leaves. After grinding, they smell pleasantly with lemon and it is this property of the leaves that the plant owes the name of "lemon".
The biggest attraction of the mug, however, are its flowers that appear in summer.The flowers of the lemon mugare devoid of petals but have densely packed bright red stamens with yellow heads. The stamens are arranged around the inflorescence, making it look like a bottle brush. The length of the inflorescence can be up to 10 cm.
Lemon mug - cultivation and requirements
A lemon mug requires a bright and well-sunny location.In summer, a few hours a day in full sun will favor this plant's abundant flowering. When the mug has faded, it is worth to place it outside in a sunny place, but sheltered from winds, which will accelerate the lignification of its shoots and guarantee abundant flowering in the next year. The plant must be hidden inside before the cold autumn nights come.
During the growing seasona pint of lemon feels good at the average room temperaturein our apartments. In winter, it requires rest and lowering the temperature. It should be moved to a bright room with an air temperature of 5 to 10 ° C.
Watering a lemon mugshould be regular and quite abundant in spring and summer. However, be careful not to overflow the plants. The soil should be kept slightly moist but not wet.Let the top layer dry between waterings. In winter, during the rest period, water the mug very sparingly, but not allowing the substrate to dry out completely.
Lemon mug - Callistemon citrinus
Fig. © Sylwia, Gosia, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Becausekuflik does not like excess calcium , it should be watered with rainwater or stagnant tap water for at least one day.
Interestingly,kuflik prefers fairly low air humidityand good ventilation. Therefore, unlike many other potted plants, the mug does not require additional air humidification or leaf sprinkling. Sprinkling the leaves of the mug is very harmful to this plant.
In the period from spring to summer, it is also advisable tofertilize the lemon mug , for which it is good to use a multi-component fertilizer for flowering plants, which will be rich in potassium favoring abundant flowering.
Trimming a lemon mugis done right after the plant has flowered. First of all, remove any faded inflorescences. It is also worth shortening all shoots by half. Thanks to this, the mug will retain its compact shape for many years. Without cutting, the stems of the mug will stretch out and lose their leaves from below.
Lemon mug - replanting
In spring, after the end of the winter dormancy, it is advisable totransplant a lemon muginto a larger pot. Every year, the plant is transplanted into a larger pot until the bush is the desired size. Then only the top layer of the substrate is replaced every year.
Ideal soil for growing a mugis a mixture of universal soil with leaf soil and coarse sand, mixed with each other in equal proportions. As a result, we should obtain a fertile, permeable substrate with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. In practice, you can buy ready-made soil for plants with green leaves in a garden shop or florist, which, if necessary, can be loosened by adding coarse sand or garden perlite to it.Remember to create a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot, pouring expanded clay for this purpose.
Lemon mug - Callistemon citrinus
Fig. pixabay.com
Lemon mug - reproduction
The propagation of a lemon mug is possible by sowing seedsSeeds are sown in spring in a light substrate (eg a mixture of soil and sand), which should be sterilized. It is best to buy a special soil for sowing seeds for this purpose. The seedlings appear about 2 weeks after sowing. Remember, however, that the first flowering of the cup will appear only 3-4 years after sowing the seeds.
Kuflika can also be propagated by semi-woody cuttings, which are harvested in early summer. The cuttings, unfortunately, take root very hard. However, thismethod of reproduction of the mugis required in the case of ornamental mug varieties, because those sown from seeds will not retain the characteristics of the mother plant.
Lemon mug - diseases and pests
The lemon mug is a plant that adapts quite wellto the conditions in our apartments, as long as we provide it with a sufficiently sunny position. If the stand is too dark or the wintering temperature is too low, it happens thatkuflik loses leaves
Many people askwhy the puff doesn't bloom . Well, there can be several reasons for the lack of flowers:
- The plant is still too young. Only 3-4 years old plants bloom.
- The mug growing site is too dark. Full sunlight is required for abundant flowering.
- The pint is not allowed to rest. In order for the mug to bloom, it must spend the winter in a bright room at a temperature of 5-10 ° C.
EspeciallyWintering this plant causes many problems in growing a mugIn fact, if we do not have a heated greenhouse or a home conservatory, it is very difficult to find a room with a temperature of 5-10 ° and at the same very bright (it cannot be a garage or a basement, which usually do not have windows or there is little light).
Althoughkuflik tolerates dry air well , remember that in such conditions pests such as: spider mite, scale scales and mealybugs can easily appear.
