How to grow a tangerine from a stone and care for a tree. Growing a tangerine tree from a stone at home

Few people think that tangerine seed you can grow a fruit-bearing exotic tree. Wonderful citruses will delight with their regular harvest, though not large. To have your tangerine tree on the window, it is not necessary to live in the tropics. The material below will allow you to grow tangerines at home without making mistakes.

Is it possible to grow a tangerine from a stone at home

Recently, tangerines have been successfully grown in greenhouses, winter greenhouses and on windows. Amateur gardeners have learned the intricacies of growing exotic trees Now it's no secret to anyone. Due to doubts about whether it will bear fruit, many do not dare to have an exotic pet on their window.

Growing it from a seed is as easy as shelling pears, but in order to get fruits, you need to follow some recommendations. Benefits of breeding tangerines in an apartment:

• citrus plant by characteristics unpretentious and tenacious;
• neat tree in a pot wonderful decorate the interior;
• wood will delight with abundant foliage and pleasant aroma;
• the owners of the tree note that it helps with depression and loss of strength.
• tangerine, like indoor flowers It does not require special care;
• you can grow it from any purchased tangerine;
• will come from the bone excellent ornamental tree.

To properly germinate the bone, you need to buy several mandarin fruits. Take out the largest seeds from the inside. Small and soft will not work, it is better to throw them away.

For indoor cultivation it is better to choose low-growing species.

If you do not take into account fruiting, for the sake of an evergreen plant on the window, you can plant seeds from any purchased tangerine. For the sake of fragrant fruits - it is recommended to plant the following varieties tangerine:

1. Early citrus cultivar Unshiu it is considered very fruitful and unpretentious. A low-growing tree has a spreading crown with flexible branches. With sufficient care and additional illumination, the tangerine will bear fruit without ceasing.
2. Indoor variety of mandarin Murcott (Murcott) allows you to get sweet, like honey, fruits. The ripening season is summer.
3. Early ripe tree Shiva-mikan (Shiva-mikan) adapts well to room conditions. Blooms profusely and bears fruit. The weight of the fetus can reach 30 grams.
4. Many successfully grow Clementine tangerines on the window. So that it bears fruit and does not grow "wild", it will be necessary to graft a sprig of cultivated citrus.

Early Mandarin Unshiu

Mandarin Shiva-Mikan

Room Mandarin Moorcott

In principle, you can try to plant any tangerine, the question is, will it bear fruit? The answer to this question and many other aspects of growing will be discussed below.

Will an ornamental tree grown from a seed bear fruit?

Experts are unanimous in their opinion that without grafting, a tree will not bear fruit. Let this not scare you, it is not difficult to acquire a cultivated scion, one branch will be enough. Tangerines grown in this way, delight with orange fruits for 3-4 years.

If not vaccinated, tangerines will be small, green and tasteless.

On a well-rooted crown, the scion will quickly take root. Such a plant will cost much less than buying citrus in a flower shop. Many amateur gardeners share branches for breeding different varieties cultivated mandarin.

There are cases when tangerines go on sale with twigs. For the sake of experiment, you can try to graft or root it. There is no need to be afraid of difficulties, there will be no problems with the plant. The effort expended will be rewarded with a fragrant harvest.

Optimal growing conditions

An unpretentious plant requires some conditions for placement and cultivation. By following these requirements, fruiting can be achieved throughout the year. If the tree is properly cared for, it will constantly bloom and bear fruit. Often on the windows you can find tangerines with fruits of different maturity. Conditions to be met:

• stable temperature regime not less +14 degrees;
• the best place in the house unshaded windows from the south side;
• plant sufficient humidity is required, you can achieve it by spraying;
• during the dry period ensure regular watering(it is recommended to put a container with water nearby);
• autumn and winter, the frequency of watering is reduced, loosening of the soil is added;
• fertilize in the spring general purpose fertilizers.

In an adult plant, a crown is formed, excess branches are removed. At abundant flowering in the first year of fruiting, it is better to pinch some of the inflorescences. This is done in order not to burden the young tree. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the mandarin so that there are no diseases on the leaves and drying out.

A lack of moisture can kill the plant, and an overabundance will cause root rot.

How to choose a bone for planting?

The stone is taken from a ripe bright orange color of the fruit. Yellow and green do not fit. To get 2-3 sprouts, you need to collect at least 10 strong seeds. Planting is best done immediately, no need to wait for the bones to dry out and wrinkle. It is preferable to buy tangerines during the natural fruiting season, in autumn or winter.

In the rest of the year, it is more likely to get low-quality seedlings of hybrids. The quality of the bones can be checked with water.. Heavy seeds will sink, hollow ones will float on top. Thanks to the selection of high-quality seed, the seedlings will be strong and stable. Weak seeds may die over time.

landing conditions

The conditions may seem complicated, but these are just subtleties that need to be observed. In the future, everything will be much easier, the main thing is to do everything right. Prepared bones must undergo some preparation before they fall into the ground..

1. Seeds must be disinfected from the effects of fungi, a solution of hydrogen peroxide. The ratio of peroxide and water is 1:10. It is enough to dip the bones in the solution and remove.
2. Next, take a saucer or any other container, cover it soft cloth. Wrap seeds in it. Dampen the cloth well. Keep it moist every day. It is not necessary to pour heavily with water, the seeds will rot from an excess of moisture.
3. If the germination process seems tedious, you can immediately sow the seeds in moist soil. In case the seeds do not sprout, this option will not work.

1. In a few days the seeds will sprout. At this point, it will be necessary to prepare the ground for their landing. It is better to give preference to light non-acidic soil. You can buy ready-made soil composition or cook it yourself. For 1 part of sand, take 2 parts of earth and humus. The land taken in the forest belt is well suited.
2. Pick up a small pot. Put the bones in there. Planting depth 1-2 cm. Weak shoots can always be removed. Strong - transplant.
3. Some practice growing seedlings in disposable cups. This method has the right to life, but it is better to take peat or flower pots. Moisture evaporates worse in a glass.
4. Water according to soil requirements, it must always be moist.
5. loosen the soil until the plant is well rooted, it is not necessary.
6. In order for mandarin seedlings to grow rapidly, it is necessary provide additional lighting. This is especially true in winter, when natural light won't be enough.

By the number of shoots, you can judge how high quality the bones were. When planting 10 seeds, normal germination is 3-5 seedlings. Some of the seedlings may die in the process of growing up. Natural selection will allow you to get strong sprouts.

How to care for a young seedling

Care consists in regular watering and spraying the leaves. To prevent the leaves from hurting, do not spray them with tap water. Let her stay at least one night. It is good to have a special watering can in which settled water will be. So that the roots do not rot, you can add a little potassium permanganate to the water.

As a prophylaxis against aphids and midges, around the plant should be placed onion peel. E if the pests are wound up, the seedling is washed with water infused with garlic, laundry soap or salt. Midges can live on the surface of the soil. It will need to be loosened.

houseplant grafting

In order for a citrus tree to bear fruit, it is necessary to graft a cutting from a varietal mandarin. Sections are made with a disinfected sharp instrument. At the time of grafting, the young tree should be as thick as a pencil. There are many ways to vaccinate, choose the most convenient option:

• T-graft using a shallow incision under the bark;
• acute angle grafting, the cut is attached to the cut on the tree;
• V-cut a wild game is made in the center, a branch is inserted inside.

You need to graft quickly and accurately. The vaccination site is tightly bandaged and covered garden pitch . To ensure after scion comfortable conditions plant, you can cover it with a transparent bag or glass jar. You can use growth promoters.

Rooted and grafted tree, being on south side with sufficient watering and fertilization, it will delight with an abundance of tangerines. Having enlisted tips on growing, you can safely proceed to planting. As experience shows, it turns out that everyone can grow a tangerine from a stone.

Growing a tangerine from a stone is a task that even a beginner can handle. Plant seeds, wait for germination and watch how a beautiful tangerine tree grows with spherical crown is an exciting process. It is grown on the windowsill as ornamental plant, forming a compact crown. It decorates a winter garden or an insulated loggia. Caring for him is not difficult, and if you have patience and make a little effort, the mandarin will delight you with fragrant fruits.

Choosing seeds

Cultivation of mandarin will be successful if high-quality seed material is used for this.

In order to collect seeds for germination, you need to choose the most ripe tangerine. Brightly colored fruits without damage and spoilage are most suitable. The pulp should be juicy, with no signs of wilting, and the film on the slices is tender, not overdried.

If for food we prefer tangerines without seeds, then for reproduction it is better to have as many of them as possible. In citrus fruits, not all seeds have good germination, so several seeds should be taken at once for germination.

Mandarin can be plucked from a fruiting tree, bought in a store or on the market. For growing at home, the variety does not matter. In mandarin, as well as in other citrus fruits, when propagated by seeds, varietal characteristics mother plant are not transmitted.

The extracted seeds should be carefully examined and small, deformed and too light compared to others should be discarded.

The seeds should be planted immediately after extraction from the fetus, it is not recommended to dry them.

Preparation for disembarkation

To speed up the germination of mandarin seeds, they must be placed in a warm, moist environment, which is easy to create at home. This will require:

• flat container (plate, container with low sides);
• natural material that absorbs moisture and retains it for a long time;
• spray.

For germination, a paper towel, cotton cloth, gauze is suitable. If there are few seeds, you can use a cotton pad.

An absorbent cloth is placed at the bottom of the container and irrigated abundantly. warm water from a spray bottle. The bones are placed on it at a certain distance from each other. Cover with a second layer of cloth, which is also moistened. Excess water from the bottom of the container is carefully drained. The container is placed in a warm place, bright lighting not needed at this stage.

Further care is to keep the seeds constantly moist.

• It's important not to overdo it. If there is a lot of water at the bottom of the container, then the bones will rot.
• If the fabric dries out, the seeds will not sprout. When dried, the germination of citrus fruits is unlikely.

If it is not possible to constantly control the moisture content of the seeds, the container can be covered from above. cling film. It should make several holes for ventilation. This method is temporary, because air must be supplied to the seeds.

After 3-5 days, the bones will swell and hatch. Only germinated seeds are transplanted.

Soil preparation

You will need any wide bowl in which you can plant several seeds at once. There should be a hole at the bottom to drain excess water.

A drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles or pieces of foam is laid at the bottom.

Particular attention should be paid to soil preparation. The composition of the soil for citrus fruits should not include peat. Acidic earth depresses the tangerine tree, it slows down in growth and gets sick.

At home, you can prepare the land mixture yourself. Mix:

• 2 parts of garden land;
• 1 part large river sand, which should be pre-washed;
• 1 part compost or manure.

For disinfection, the prepared mixture should be steamed, heated in the oven or spilled with a solution of light pink potassium permanganate.

Can buy ready ground. Specialized stores sell special soil for citrus fruits. For planting mandarin, you can use a universal composition with neutral acidity, not lower than 6.0 PH.

Planting seeds

Prepared bowls with soil are sprayed with water, the earth is loosened shallowly and deepenings are made no more than 1 cm.

Sprouted seeds are placed in recesses, the distance between them should be 2-3 cm. Sprinkle with earth on top and spray again.

The bowl is covered with cling film on top, pulling it. A distance of at least 2 cm should remain between the shelter and the soil. Small holes are pierced in the film for ventilation.

Care during this period is to keep the soil moist. It is necessary to ensure that mold does not appear on the surface. If this happens, it is necessary to carry out ventilation, carefully remove upper layer land and spray with "Fitosporin". If necessary, the soil is poured.

Citrus seeds germinate for a long time, from 20 to 35 days, and not together.

Important!
Shelter from the film is removed when the first seedling appears.

The bowl is transferred to a sunny windowsill. It is desirable that the sun illuminates the tangerine in the morning. At home the best place the east window, southeast and south are considered. On the south window in the midday heat, the plant is shaded.

Before transplanting, care consists of watering as the soil dries, loosening and spraying. In hot weather, spray several times a day. While wetting the leaves, the sun should not fall on them, otherwise a sunburn is possible.

Transplantation is carried out when 4-5 leaves appear on the seedling.

Transplanting seedlings and further care activities

During transplantation, all seedlings are dug up and culled. For further cultivation leave only the strongest and most developed, especially if citrus grafting is planned and seedlings will be used for stock.

The bowls should not be too large, the soil is used the same as for seed germination. After transplanting, each seedling is watered, and 15 minutes after watering, a root growth stimulator is added. The appearance of a new leaf means that the plant has taken root.

In the first year, care includes:

• soil moisture control, timely watering with warm water;
• maintaining air humidity - for this you need to regularly spray the foliage, put a container with water near the tree;
• loosening the soil;
• top dressing complex fertilizer which is best absorbed in liquid form.

Special care for tangerine trees is needed in winter time. They do not tolerate air dried by heating devices. With such a microclimate, a pest such as a spider mite may appear on citrus fruits.

You can enhance moisturizing if you place the bowl on the tray on which it is poured thick layer pebbles. Water should be added to them as they evaporate. A good option for maintaining humidity is an electric humidifier.

Sometimes a tangerine can suddenly drop most of its leaves. This happens if the care is carried out incorrectly or the plant has experienced stress (draft, rearrangement to another place, a sharp change in lighting). After a while, the leaves will grow back. In order to avoid repeated dropping of foliage, you should reconsider your plant care and create more suitable conditions for the mandarin.

Will there be fruit on a tangerine?

Fruiting can be achieved in two ways:

1. grafting a cutting taken from a fruiting mandarin;
2. changing the microclimate in winter. The air temperature should be lowered to 12 ° C, watering should be reduced, but at the same time the soil should not be allowed to dry out. To extend the daylight hours, additional lighting is needed. In the spring, when the air temperature rises to 15-18 ° C, it is likely that the mandarin will bloom.

It is not difficult to grow a tangerine from a stone, it is more difficult to achieve its fruiting. But even without fruits, a tangerine tree is a wonderful decoration for your home that does not require special care.

Growing a tangerine from a stone at home is really very simple. It is enough not to throw out those bones that are found in fruits. Collect them (at least 5-7 pieces, because not all the seeds will sprout) and start!

How to germinate a mandarin seed?

To make the bones hatch, wrap them in several layers of gauze or thin layer cotton wool (suitable, for example, ordinary cosmetic cotton pads). As they dry, moisten them with settled water. room temperature.

As soon as a sprout appears from the stone, it can be planted in the ground. Almost any land that is sold in a flower shop or hypermarket department is suitable for growing mandarin at home (unless you should choose a peat-based mixture).

Mandarin grows slowly, so the first green sprouts should be expected 2-4 weeks after planting a hatched seed.

How to care for a mandarin at home?

Some complex care behind a tangerine tree is not needed. It is enough to water it with settled water at room temperature as needed, however, since the mandarin is a southern plant, it will wither in the shade. Place the plant on a well-lit window sill.

If the air in your room is dry, additionally spray tangerine clean water. An alternative to spraying can be an indoor fountain or humidifier.

As the tree grows, transplant it into a larger pot ( best time- the beginning of spring), trying to treat the roots of the plant as carefully as possible.

For top dressing, you can use organic and mineral fertilizers.

Mandarin - evergreen, which belongs to the Rutov family. The specific Latin name of the mandarin is Citrus reticulate. Like orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, it belongs to the genus Citrus. interesting life form of this plant - it can be a shrub and a tree reaching a height of 5 meters.

Like other representatives of the genus Citrus, mandarin has long been grown in greenhouses, greenhouses, winter gardens. Despite its size, mandarin at home can be grown on a balcony or on a windowsill. Currently, breeders have bred many varieties of dwarf and undersized tangerines for home growing, the maximum height of which is 0.6-1.1 m. Indoor mandarin may not belong to dwarf varieties, then the plant needs to be severely cut and shaped.

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.

The fruits of indoor mandarin are tied without artificial pollination, usually ripen at the end of the year. Often indoor tangerine in a pot is bought in a store with fruits already hanging on it. Despite the fact that they are very appetizing, they should not be eaten. Indeed, in order to achieve such a high decorative effect plants receive high doses of fertilizers. Leathery and corrugated leaves are beautiful in mandarin.

Popular mandarin varieties for growing at home

Unshiu – Japanese variety, the most unpretentious, begins to bear fruit for 3-4 years, grows up to 0.8-1.5 m in room conditions. It branches well. It blooms profusely in spring, forms fruits in late October-November. Pear-shaped fruits do not have seeds.
Kowano-Wase, Miha-Wase, Miyagawa-Wase- dwarf tangerines of the Vasya group - suitable for growing on a windowsill, height 40-80 cm. Orange-yellow fruits ripen for the first time in the second year of cultivation, abundant flowering. Like all dwarf varieties do not need to form a crown.
Shiva Mikan- early compact fast-growing variety. Fruits are small, not more than 30 g
Murcot t - the fruits of this compact mandarin variety are very sweet, ripen in summer, taste very sweet, which is why the name of the variety is translated as "honey".
Clementine- a hybrid of mandarin and orange, bears fruit at home in the second year. One adult domestic tree per year produces up to 50 medium flattened orange-red fruits, very fragrant, with a shiny skin. Plants of this variety with numerous seeds are called monrealis.

Mandarin: home care

Tangerine lighting at home

First step in successful cultivation indoor tangerine - choosing a place for a plant and its proper lighting.
Mandarin room, as well as grown in open field, necessary good lighting with some direct sunlight. In low light, the plant slows down growth, throws out a small number of flowers or does not bloom at all. With a strong lack of light, the leaves of indoor tangerine become faded, new shoots are elongated, thin and painful in appearance. Therefore, it is better to grow a plant on the eastern, southeastern and southern windows, shading from midday direct rays. In summer, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, gradually accustoming it to the street.
AT winter period, with a short daylight hours, indoor mandarin should be placed in the most illuminated place with direct sunlight. But sometimes this is not enough: you need artificial lighting. For this purpose, an ordinary fitolamp is suitable, which can be screwed into a chandelier or table lamp. It is necessary to transfer the plant to supplementary lighting gradually. With a sharp change in the length of daylight hours, it can shed its leaves.

Content temperature

The optimum temperature for indoor tangerine in the summer is + 20-25 ° C. During the period of budding and flowering, so that the flowers do not fall off, it is better to keep the plant at a temperature slightly below + 20 ° C. In winter, to ensure a relative dormant period, tangerines are kept at + 5 -10 ° C. A plant that has rested over the winter will flower and bear fruit better.

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How to water and spray tangerine at home

Indoor mandarin, like its wild ancestors, is adapted to endure dry periods. AT last resort, the plant will shed its leaves to reduce the amount of liquid that evaporates. A common problem when growing mandarin at home is excessive watering, which leads to the development of fungal diseases.
The amount of water for watering indoor mandarin depends on several factors:
- the size of the plant;
- the size of the container in which the tangerine grows;
- ambient temperature;
- duration of daylight hours and light intensity.
The larger the surface of the leaves of an indoor tangerine, the stronger the evaporation, and the more it needs to be watered. The temperature also affects the rate of evaporation: the higher it is, the more the plant loses moisture. The length of daylight directly affects the amount of moisture that evaporates. Stomata - formations on the underside of terrestrial plants that serve for gas exchange, open during daylight hours.
Watering indoor tangerine should be carried out in the morning, when the plant has activated life processes. When the temperature drops, watering is reduced, up to stopping for several days during the period when the temperature in the room is only + 12-15 ° C. In this case, the tangerine is watered with a small amount of water, only to maintain life.
Mandarin at home needs regular spraying of the leaves. Strongly dry air has a bad effect on the plant and is often a prerequisite for its infection. spider mite. If indoor tangerine blooms, then you need to make sure that water does not fall on its flowers.

How to feed mandarin at home

A complete care for a mandarin at home is not possible without additional mineral and organic top dressing. The soil in a pot is quickly depleted and washed out during watering, and recreational processes practically do not occur in it, unlike the soil in nature.
For top dressing, you can use soluble or dry fertilizers. In the spring, with an increase in daylight hours, top dressing for indoor mandarin is increased. It is in the early spring period that vegetative and generative buds begin to develop intensively, at which time the plant requires additional nutrients.
At home, mandarin is fertilized, like everyone else. houseplants, that is, in the morning. Ambient temperature it should be at least + 18-19 degrees.
Soluble fertilizers are often used for top dressing. They can water the plant, and in a weaker concentration spray its leaves. For feeding indoor tangerine, any complex mineral fertilizer containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium - the main elements necessary for plants.
Dissolve fertilizers in soft or settled water at room temperature. The main thing is not to increase the dose. If the instructions say: 1 cap of the product per 1 liter of water, do not think that 2 caps will make the solution more useful. This will lead to the opposite effect - a chemical burn or toxic poisoning of the plant.
You need to feed mandarin at home during the period of intensive growth (from March to September) 2 times a week. Maybe less often, but not more often.
Dry fertilizers, which are applied to the soil and gradually dissolve, giving the soil trace elements, must be applied even more carefully. Their advantage is that by making them in the spring you can for a long time forget about feeding. However, they can be quickly used by the plant, and it will be difficult to guess about it. The introduction of an additional dose of fertilizer will lead to the above overdose.
Mandarin cultivation also requires organic fertilizers. To do this, you can dilute infused cow dung in a ratio of 1/10. The best option will use organic fertilizer in combination with mineral for soil top dressing.

Additional care for mandarin at home

To form a lush tangerine tree, pinch the tops of its branches.
Caring for a tangerine at home also consists in removing dried leaves or stretched twigs.
On the young flowering plants partially remove the flowers so as not to deplete them and allow several fruits to ripen. For 15-20 leaves of an adult plant, one ovary can be left. How fewer fruits remains on the tangerine, the larger they will be.
The fruit-bearing branches of indoor mandarin are tied, tied to a support, otherwise they may break due to the severity of the fruit, and the plant will not have an attractive appearance.

Diseases and pests

Mandarin at home can be affected by scale insects, red spider mites and mealybugs. Spraying the plant with a soapy solution (2 tbsp. L) will help from the scale insect. liquid soap, you can "Fary", for 3 liters of water). It is better to pre-clean pests by hand. After keeping the solution on the leaves for half an hour, it is washed off with warm water. In case of damage by a spider mite, the pest is collected manually, after which the leaves and twigs are wiped with a cotton swab moistened cold water or alcohol, then sprayed with a two-day infusion of garlic or onions (crush 200 g and pour warm boiled water). Against mealybug removal of the pest with a cotton swab and 3-fold spraying with infusion of garlic (1 time in 7 days), or rubbing with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol (can be replaced with tincture of calendula) will also help. With persistent damage by any pest, they resort to potent chemicals, which are used according to the instructions.
With improper watering, mandarin leaves become stained and fall off. To prevent or eliminate the problem, follow the rules for watering citrus plants.

Mandarin transplant at home

Proper care of a mandarin at home involves a plant transplant. Usually, a transplant is carried out if the plant, in our case, indoor tangerine, is cramped in a pot. As a rule, young indoor tangerine plants are transplanted annually, plants older than 7 years - once every 2 years. For transplantation, a special soil mixture for citrus fruits or make it up themselves from sod land (50%) and leaf, humus and sand, taken in equal parts.
For transplanting indoor tangerine, choose a pot with diameters 5–8 cm larger than the previous one. It is forbidden small plant plant immediately in a large pot: this often leads to rotting of the roots. In addition, it is neither aesthetic nor practical.
Mandarin at home, as in nature, prefers a light substrate with low acidity. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the transplant tank - this is the prevention of stagnant water and root rot. As a drainage, you can use: expanded clay, small stones, fragments of ceramic dishes, pieces of foam.
Transplantation of indoor mandarin can not be carried out during the flowering of the plant. It is better to do this in the spring at the beginning of the awakening of the plant from a relative dormant period.
You can not feed the plant 2-3 days before transplanting, and also use fertilizers within 12-14 days after transplanting.
After transplanting, indoor tangerine is lightly watered so that the soil settles down. After 30-40 minutes, if necessary, a substrate is added to the pot and watered again.

Video: propagation of indoor tangerine by cuttings, rooting

Reproduction of indoor tangerine

Mandarin at home can be propagated in two ways:
- vegetative (rooting of twigs);
- generative (growing from the stone).
For rooting cuttings, it is better to use a rooter - the percentage of survival will be 3-4 times higher. To do this, cuttings with 2-3 leaves are dipped in a rooter and planted in moist soil, covered with a film or cut from above. plastic bottle Be sure to leave holes in them for ventilation. Cuttings take root within a few months.
Growing mandarin at home from the stone is the longest method of reproduction, especially since some varieties almost do not form seeds. In addition, indoor tangerine grown in this way will need to be grafted, otherwise it will not bloom. For rootstock better fit indoor lemon or grapefruit grown at home from a seed.
Since both methods of propagating indoor tangerine take too much time, more often amateur flower growers buy already grafted indoor tangerine in stores.

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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 children will remember for a long time the day when they plucked the first juicy fruit from a 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. Everything else agrotechnical measures not much different from those that are carried out in 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. Such dishes have drainage holes, a pallet, so they are completely ready for planting a 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 at home. 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 the vaccine less painfully and are more resistant to changes. 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

1. 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. AT flower shops expanded clay granules of various fractions are sold, and a bag costs literally a penny. One is quite enough for 2 - 3 flowerpots.

1. 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.

1. 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 appear with equal probability 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. Her vapors will become 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 the top layer dries up.
• 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, as well as on cloudy days, it is desirable to organize natural lighting. It is worth considering here that in 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 germs are strong, then their root system separates (this is easy to do), and they sit down.
• The primary attention when changing the flowerpot is the root neck 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 the winter, you can't.

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.

Useful information

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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. The optimal amount is 1 mandarin per 15 (at least) leaves.

1. 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. Only when planning to start breeding this representative of citrus fruits at home, this issue needs to be carefully studied.