Calamondin care. Citrofortunella calamondin or indoor tangerine home care reproduction

Come from home plant calamondin from South-East Asia. The second name of the plant is citrofortunella, because calamondin is a hybrid of mandarin and cancan (fotrunella). Often it is called room tangerine. Calamondin at good care at home bears fruit all year round, its appearance evokes memories of summer, pleases with bright colors. This is a miniature tree with small bright yellow fruits (10-12 g) with a pronounced citrus aroma.

Caring for calamondin and growing a plant at home requires daily attention. In small things, the flower is unpretentious, resistant to dry air, heat in summer, cool air in winter. Under certain conditions, calamondin will bloom all year round, producing bright orange fruit. Despite the fact that the tree is a hybrid of mandarin, its fruits are unpleasant in taste. Care for calamondin at home is proper lighting, frequent watering, drainage, spraying, pruning.

For good growth the plant is transplanted into a permanent pot of a larger diameter. For citrofortunella, a spacious container is needed, since the root system is quite developed. The soil can be purchased at specialized flower shops. Soddy soil with a drainage device is suitable for the plant. Purchased soil is mixed with sand and rotted manure in a ratio of 2:1:1. Drainage up to 3 cm is laid at the bottom, soil is poured. Calamondin in a temporary pot is thoroughly moistened, taken out together with the roots and earth and moved to the prepared soil. Cover the roots with soil, slightly compact at the base of the trunk.

The ideal time for transplantation is February, March. Transplantation is done annually, increasing the diameter of the pot, depending on the degree of flower growth.

Calamondin does not like direct sunlight. Therefore, you should choose a place so that daylight is diffused. The ideal place is north window where sunlight does not reach during the day.

Citrofortunella Care

Calamondin care is required daily, but quite simple. Optimum temperature for indoor tangerine in summer it is considered 22-25 C, in winter 15-18 C. In summer, calamondin is put on the balcony, in winter the plant is based on the windowsill. All year round the flower is provided with full diffused light without direct sunlight. The following activities are held daily:

1. Rotate the pot 1-2 degrees around the axis so that the crown is uniform and beautiful.
2. Spray the crown with a spray bottle. Water must be clean and free of impurities and chlorine.
3. In summer, daily watering is required. warm water, in winter - as the topsoil dries up.

1-2 times a month, the soil in the pot is fertilized with water-soluble fertilizers. For this, special fertilizers for citrus fruits are suitable (see photo):

Nutrients are important not only for the roots, but also for the above-ground part of the plant. Therefore, the fertilizer dissolved in water should be sprayed onto the crown with a spray gun.

The plant can get sick from a lack of minerals, nutrients, strong drafts, insufficient soil drainage and stagnant moisture, extreme heat, cold water irrigation.

Citrofortunella is often attacked by spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies. Care and treatment consists in spraying with special preparations that can be bought in stores for summer residents and gardeners.

Reproduction and formation of homemade mandarin

reproduction homemade tangerine occurs by seeds and cuttings. The survival rate of cuttings at home is low, reproduction in this way requires feeding with phytohormones. Seed germination is good, but the growing process takes long time.

For cuttings choose healthy stems with 4-5 developed dark green leaves. The cut is made in the spring, the cutting is placed in a solution of indolyl-butyric acid (25 mg per 0.5 l of water). Keep in solution for 16 hours. Planted in a container with soil. To do this, prepare a mixture of sand, manure and earth in proportions of 1: 1: 2. The stalk is deepened by 5-7 cm, watered, closed glass jar. The first watering with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.

For the survival of cuttings, it is important to keep warm, protect from drafts.

After 2-3 weeks, the cutting will take root and please with the first leaves. For better rooting at home, it is recommended to use phytohormones.

It takes a long time to grow from seeds at home. Seeds are selected from fresh, not dried fruits, as they quickly lose their germination capacity. Planted in a mixture of peat, river sand and fertile land. Deepen the seeds by 1 cm, water, cover with glass. Warm temperatures of 25-28 C are important for seed germination. After 30-40 days, sprouts appear. After the appearance of the second pair of adult leaves, the sprouts are planted in pots (see photo).

Pruning is important to form the crown and strengthen the main shoots of the plant. The crown is formed spherical, the trunk is freed from shoots and leaves. Pruning is carried out in the spring, removing new shoots.

A bright, uplifting plant will be a real decoration of a winter window sill in an apartment or house, if you provide it with proper daily care.

A piece of the sun on the windowsill - this is how the graceful evergreen calamondin tree seems to many flower growers. Growing this green pet at home has some features. Knowing them, you will not only acquire a plant with a spreading crown and fancy flowers, but also get a bright hybrid with juicy fruits. So, for all citrus lovers - interesting information, facts and tricks of care.

Let's get to know each other a little closer! This compact tree or shrub differs from other flowering plants in its small bright green leaves and glossy surface. Even at the slightest touch, the shoots reproduce a fresh citrus aroma. Citrofortunella - this is another name for this bright representative of the rue family. He came to us from the countries of Southeast Asia and firmly secured the honorary title of "golden orange".

Calamondin - evergreen obtained by hybridization of mandarin and kumquat. The first buds in the form of small white flowers appear on it 3–5 years after planting. After about 6 months, they are replaced by small tangerines, bringing warmth, light and indescribable delight into the house. With proper care, they will appear throughout the year, raising the mood and evoking memories of a sunny summer.

Interestingly, on the branches of calamondin, both bright orange, ripened fruits and blossoming buds along with emerging green "oranges" can simultaneously be accommodated. Very often, many novice flower growers are interested in whether they can be eaten. Yes, the fruits of calamondin are edible, but they cannot be called especially tasty. Its fragrant, sweet rind is combined with bitter-sour, slightly astringent flesh.

Features of growth and development

A few words about the "Asian Mandarin"! This evergreen, standard tree in nature grows to a height of 5 m. In a home flower garden, it reaches a maximum of a meter. Citrus calamondin is a fast-growing shrub with a lush crown. Thanks to its elegant appearance, abundant flowering and fruiting, he has earned the title of guest of honor in many greenhouses, winter gardens, offices and home flower beds.

Interesting! Freshly ripened calamondin fruits contain a huge amount of useful substances. But it's important to be careful here. Oversaturation of the body with vitamin C threatens with severe allergic reactions. Therefore, it is advisable to add pieces of this hybrid to tea, make jam or candied fruits from it.

In the wild, calamondin lives for an incredibly long time and 50–100 years is not the limit for it. In normal home environment it is also developing rapidly, however, it is important to follow the norms and rules of qualified care. This indoor citrus feels great on the balcony, loggia and easily tolerates dry air.

For the first time, calamondin blooms in May-June with small flowers that look like stars. At home, this process continues uninterrupted. Such flowering does not weaken the plant at all. The fruits that have appeared are firmly attached to the branches, pleasing with brightness and beauty for a long time. Overripe tangerines become friable and lose flavor, although they decorative properties are saved.

Comfortable conditions for the growth of calamondin in a home flower garden

Caring for calamondin at home does not involve any special permutations and hassle. It is enough to show a little attention (provide sufficient humidity, air temperature, drainage, pruning), and the plant will respond with lush greenery and year-round fruiting.

Lighting

Calamondin is shade-loving, so an overabundance sunlight destructive for him. The leaves installed on the southern windowsill lose their brightness, elasticity and gradually die off. The optimal place for a hybrid is west or east in the warm season and north in winter period. In summer, calamondin is darkened and taken out into the fresh air. However, here it is important to observe the measure. Constantly and smoothly turning the crown towards the sun, you can achieve uniform growth at home. tangerine tree.

Important! Calamondin is prone to disease, so any drafts and sudden changes in temperature are completely excluded. It is not necessary to open the window near him. A sharp breath of wind and movement of cold masses will stress the growing hybrid.

Temperature regime

Calamondin is a heat-loving perennial that easily adapts to heat, cold and any home conditions. Despite this, the place for the pot is chosen very carefully and the following parameters are taken into account. Suitable air temperature at home is 18-25°C in summer and 13-18°C in winter. Please note that even a slight decrease in these values ​​​​by a few divisions increases the flowering and fruiting rates. In this way, the growing conditions of Calamondin are as close as possible to the natural microclimate.

Humidity conditions

Calamondin is a moisture-loving green handsome man, requiring periodic spraying with soft, well-settled water. Excessively dry air affects the condition of its foliage: the shoots begin to wither and dry out. You can correct the situation by installing vessels with water, aquariums, fountains next to the plant.

Watering

When caring for calamondin at home, it is important to prevent the soil from drying out. For irrigation, only boiled or filtered water is used. This cleaning method reduces the content of toxic impurities and alkalis to zero. In the cold season, the number of irrigations is reduced by 2 times and the number of sprayings is increased in direct proportion. Thus, they balance the humidity indicators at home and bring them to stable values.

Young calamondin requires a much larger amount of watering, which cannot be said about adult specimens. As a sprayer, it is advisable to use a spray gun with good pressure. During the flowering period, the buds should be protected in every possible way from contact with water, so spraying them is highly discouraged.

top dressing

To make calamondin feel at home no worse than in nature, and growing season passed easily and painlessly, it is important to compensate for the cost of its energy by regular fertilization. In summer, top dressing is carried out 3 times a month, in the winter months - 1 time. To do this, use complex fertilizers or self-diluted ammonium nitrate(5 g of powder is mixed with 2 g of calcium and 1 liter of water is added).

Attention! It is desirable to apply top dressing to moist soil, which will speed up the process of assimilation of nutrients by indoor citrus.

The soil

Soddy soil, manure and sand in a ratio of 2/1/1 are chosen as an earthen substrate. The bottom of the pot is covered with a layer of drainage 2-3 cm thick. Calamondin transplantation in an apartment is carried out annually, with the onset of spring, or at least 1 time in 3 years.

reproduction

The tangerine tree is easy to propagate by cuttings or grafting. In the first case, a part of the stem is cut off from an adult calamondin and lowered for 10 hours into a solution with heteroauxin. Then rooted in the prepared ground and covered with a glass jar. As new shoots appear, the calamondin cap is removed. The second option involves grafting the offspring to any seedling.

Diseases and pests

There is nothing more annoying than seeing a tree grown with your own hands withering or damaged by fungi and pests. What do unpleasant metamorphoses with a plant testify to and how to identify the causes by external signs?

1. Calamondin leaves fall or fruits are absent - a serious error in care (lack of minerals, temperature changes, constant drafts, excess moisture).
2. Completely blackened crown - fungal infection. being treated mechanically(ugly spots are removed from the plates).
3. The foliage turned yellow and twisted - a lack of ultraviolet radiation, a deficiency of magnesium in the soil. Feed, choose another place in the house for calamondin.

In addition, improper care of calamondin in normal household conditions can provoke the appearance of pests. Aphid, whitefly, scale insect, spider mite appear as often as diseases. To destroy, adult insects and larvae, damaged areas are treated special composition. Then the surviving shoots are covered with cellophane and the pot is moved to a shaded place.

These are all the rules that all beginner growers should know. They will help you navigate the care of calamondin and achieve excellent results. Good luck!

For many reasons, calamondin is one of the most sought after citrus plants. effective appearance, abundant flowering and fruiting, unforgettable aroma - what this hybrid of kumquat and tangerine tree, otherwise called citrofortunella, can boast of. Caring for calamondin at home is not particularly difficult.

Calamondin - a hybrid of kumquat and tangerine tree

Features of adaptation

A citrus grower, having bought Citrofortunella in a flower shop, must pay attention to several significant moments, accounting for which will allow the tree to adapt to new conditions.

Calamondin does not tolerate a change of scenery, often reacting to it by dropping leaves. To avoid this, the owner of the plant needs to follow the recommendations.

1. For several days, it is desirable to keep citrofortunella in greenhouse conditions: put it on a tree plastic bag, tightly tying it on the trunk. Remove once a day for airing.
2. If a recently purchased calamondin sheds leaves in a new place, then you need to check it root system, get rid of rotten areas. Replant the plant with soil replacement.
3. The first 10 days from the date of purchase, keep citrofortunella at some distance from other plants, observing quarantine.

If the adaptation of calamondin after the purchase goes poorly, and it sheds all the leaves, then you should not immediately get rid of it. The plant can be saved by cutting off the remaining fruits and shortening some of its branches. It is necessary to spray the tree with a nutrient solution and / or a remedy for diseases and pests, depending on the situation.

Location and lighting

Calamondin, like other citrus fruits (lemon, orange, etc.), prefers bright lighting, but negatively perceives direct sunlight. It is better to place a pot with a plant near windows facing east or west, having previously hung them with a transparent curtain. The owner of citrofortunella should take into account some recommendations.

1. In case of insufficient lighting in the summer, the tree can be taken out to the balcony or loggia. The main thing is not to allow direct sunlight to enter (the only exceptions can be morning and evening hours).
2. If the windows of the room in which calamondin is grown face north, the plant needs to be provided with additional lighting. The duration of the procedure is determined taking into account the total duration of daylight hours (at least 12 hours).
3. In order for the crown of the tree to be slender and symmetrical, it is recommended to rotate the calamondin pot by 1 mm daily.

By observing the above rules, the citrus grower can provide the plant with comfortable conditions content that does not differ in lack of lighting and contributes to the full development of the tree.

If the leaves of Citrofortunella noticeably increase in size and partially fall off, then this indicates a lack of light, and in situations where they become pale or discolored, we can talk about an excess of light.

Temperature regime

Talking about how to care for calamondin, it should be noted the choice of the optimal temperature.

1. Citrofortunella prefers moderate heat without sudden changes, these are conditions close to natural environment her habitat.
2. The optimal summer temperature for calamondin is from 20 to 25 ° C, and in winter - no more than 18 ° C.
3. In the case of the presented citrus plant, drafts are unacceptable (this rule is relevant for any representative of the genus in question - lemon, bergamot, etc.).

Watering rules

In a natural, subtropical habitat, calamondin citrus does not face a lack of moisture; in an apartment, it needs to provide the same conditions.

Regular drying of the soil in the pot and dry air in the room cause the plant to weaken and even die. Watering rules:

1. Water intended for calamondin should be soft and clean. For this reason, it is recommended to defend or pass through a filter.
2. A characteristic sign indicating the need for watering a tree is the drying of the soil by about 2 cm.
3. Citrofortunella roots should be in a moist substrate. Overwatering the plant is contraindicated, because it often leads to the development of putrefactive processes.
4. To maintain the optimal moisture level of calamondin leaves, they should be sprayed daily with a spray bottle.
5. From September to October and from March to April, watering the tree should be done with less frequency - the cooler, the less often.
6. When the pan is filled with water, it must be drained to avoid the appearance of fungus and negate the likelihood of rotting of the root system of the plant.

Application of fertilizers

Citrofortunella needs to be fed during flowering. Fertilizers are needed to accelerate development. Recommendations from experienced citrus growers:

1. From March to October, it should be fed weekly, and in winter - 4 times less often.
2. Citrofortunella is most rationally fertilized with those complex mixtures that are designed specifically for citrus plants - tangerines, lemons and other related species.
3. If the owner of calamondin does not have the opportunity to buy the formulations mentioned above, he can purchase others suitable for any flowering indoor plants.
4. Alternate top dressing with the application of mineral and organic fertilizers.

Plant transplant

At home, calamondin can grow up to one and a half meters in height, a pot small size it will not suit him and vice versa: for the first time, small plants need a pot of the appropriate size. Other transfer rules:

1. When transferring a tree to a new container, it is not recommended to destroy the earthen ball. It is desirable that it be preserved so that the roots of the plant do not suffer, and adaptation takes place without any difficulty.
2. Laying drainage (3 cm) is carried out over the entire surface of the bottom of the pot.
3. While the tree is young, it should be replanted annually in February or March. Then only once every 2-3 years.
4. If citrofortunella blooms or bears fruit, then it is better to wait a little while transferring it to a new pot in order to avoid falling flowers or fruits.

If calamondin bears fruit, do not transplant it

Calamondin is suitable for a mixture of soddy soil, sand and rotted manure in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Alternative Solution- a combination of 90% peat soil and 10% sand. The key condition is the choice of a composition with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction (pH from 5.5 to 6.5).

Pruning calamondin

To give the crown correct form and stimulating the growth of young shoots, regular pruning is desirable. The most suitable time for this is the end of February or the beginning of March; in summer, only the removal of excess and protruding branches is allowed. It is also worth adding that:

• the height of the trunk, sufficient to form a beautiful spherical silhouette of a tree, is 25 cm;
• skeletal branches should be on top;
• it is necessary to form branches of a higher order;
• in order to avoid infection, the places of cuts are sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

After the citrus grower reaches the branches of the 4th order, he can consider the task completed: the crown of the tree will take on a standard shape, and the flowering of the plant will begin without delay.

Reproduction of citrofortunella

Caring for calamondin at home includes its reproduction, carried out by cuttings or growing a tree from a stone. The first option involves the implementation of a sequence of actions:

1. The stalk from the top of the crown, which has healthy leaves and several buds, is cut off and treated with a growth stimulator (for example, root).
2. The future tree is planted in the ground at the level of the petiole of the lower leaf.
3. The stalk is covered with a plastic bag, plastic bottle with a cut neck or a glass jar (this step allows you to ensure a greenhouse level of humidity).
4. Airing the greenhouse is carried out regularly for 25-30 minutes a day.

If all the conditions necessary for germination are met, then the roots appear after 4 weeks from the moment the cutting is planted in the ground.

Reproduction by seeds involves planting seeds in a small container, and regular feeding compounds that stimulate its growth.

Diseases and pests

The cause of the disease can be:

• abundant watering, leading to rotting of the roots;
• unsuitable temperature and / or drafts, due to which the plant sheds leaves;
• deficiency of fertilizers, leading to the fall of fertilized ovaries.

In order to reduce the likelihood of such troubles to a minimum, it is enough to follow the tips for caring for citrofortunella, listed in detail earlier.

Pests affecting this citrus:

• spider mite;
• scab;
• whitefly.

Against them, special insecticide chemicals (Aktellik) are used, not forgetting the exact dosage indicated in the instructions.

Calamondin is an exotic fruit obtained by crossing mandarin with fortunella, so it has another name - citrofortunella.

Sometimes it is called indoor tangerine, golden orange. Calamondin belongs to the rue family, is widespread and popular in Southeast Asia.

General information

Citrus calamondin is an evergreen small tree about 1 m high with bright yellow-orange edible fruits. In the usual habitat, the height of the tree can reach 5 meters. Many amateur flower growers would like to see this beautiful plant in their greenhouse.

Calamondin care does not require much time and high costs. This plant propagates by seeds and cuttings. Since calamondin is considered a houseplant, it tolerates winter well in ordinary apartment, greenhouse. Being at home, it bears fruit for a long time. IN summer period calamandine feels great on the balcony.

The beginning of the flowering period of citrofortunella falls, as a rule, at the end of spring and continues throughout the summer, the flowers are in the form of elegant white stars with a pleasant aroma. The flowering process can be observed even in the presence of fruits.

To ensure guaranteed fruiting of the golden tangerine, pollination of flowers is best done manually using a soft brush. Fruits can form even on small plants, tree height 25cm.

The fruits have a bitter-sour taste and aromatic smell, they contain a lot of seeds, the peel tastes sweet.

Calamondin home care

Most often, imported calamondins are on sale, grown in special conditions using special technologies.

The roots may contain capsules with special hormones. If, after acquiring a citrus in a store, its leaves begin to fall off, you must immediately start transplanting it. Examine the roots, remove rotting roots, transplant into a new pot.

No need to be upset if calamondin sheds leaves, the plant can still be saved. You just need to remove individual branches, cut off all the fruits, as they take strength from the plant.

Spray daily with a nutrient solution, use prophylactic agents to protect indoor plants from diseases and pests. Soon, citrus calamondin will again delight with young shoots.

Any indoor plant requires constant attention. Regular care of calamondin provides not only certain types of feeding, watering, transplanting and reproduction, but also maintaining a certain temperature, humidity, and light.

The plant is hard to adapt to new living conditions. Microclimate flower shop usually different from home. Therefore, sometimes after buying calamondin and moving it to a house, apartment, leaf fall is observed.

To eliminate this unfavorable factor and increase the humidity to 95-100%, it is necessary to put a plastic bag on the plant, fixing it on the trunk. The bag is opened daily for ventilation.

The room in which citrofortunella is located should be warm and bright enough; in winter, you can additionally use a lamp. In summer, it is necessary to protect the plant from direct sunlight.

To avoid falling flowers during flowering and fruiting, calamondin cannot be actively moved, rotated, rearranged. To form a symmetrical crown, the tree must be rotated very carefully and literally 1 mm per day.

Despite the fact that Citrofortunella is a heat-loving plant (optimal temperature is +18 +20°C), wintering must be cold in order for the plant to bear fruit.

In winter, the air temperature in the room should be maintained between +12 and +15°C, although it can withstand a significant drop in temperature down to +4 degrees. In hot weather, watering should be plentiful and moderate in the cool period.

Calamondin fertilizer

To feed calamondin, you can use any complex fertilizer with trace elements for citrus fruits. Since the plant bears fruit constantly, therefore, top dressing must be applied throughout the year.

The most effective is liquid outside the root top dressing. In order not to spoil the surface of the leaves, it is better to spray the nutrient solution under them.

Calamondin diseases and pests

Calamondin, like any vegetation, needs protection from pests. Its main pests are scale insects and false scale insects, spider mites, whiteflies, and aphids. When they are found, the plant must be treated using a preparation designed to destroy this type of pest.

The treatment is repeated several times (2-3 times) with the interval specified in the instructions for the drug. Then covering the citrus calamondin polyethylene film, package, put it on the windowsill away from direct sunlight.

It must be remembered that both when treating a plant for diseases and pests, and when spraying it with a nutrient solution, it has to be moved from one place to another.

Therefore, based on personal experience, flower growers recommend making a small landmark (mark) on the flowerpot in order to remember the constant position of the pot on the windowsill. After necessary procedures the plant returns to its usual place, and the flowerpot is set to the light according to the marked mark.

Calamondin transplant

Transplanting citrofortunella is best in a pot large sizes, because, despite the small tree, calamondin has a large and branched root system.

As planting soil the following mixture is used (2 parts of sod land + 1 part of rotted manure + 1 part of sand). During the month, the plant is not fertilized, since this planting mixture contains a sufficient amount of nutrients.

Calamondin propagation by cuttings

The breeding process is long and complex. It will take many years to grow calamondin from seeds and get the first fruits.

Planting material from cuttings takes root in a loose substrate in greenhouse conditions with mandatory lower heating. The optimum temperature for the appearance of roots is +23 + 25 ᵒС, therefore it is preferable to carry out cuttings of a plant in early summer, when the air is warmed up to the required temperature and sufficient daylight hours. Even despite the observance of these conditions, not all cuttings take root. On the this stage the use of phytohormones is recommended.

Citrus calamondins (citrofortunella) are Exotic fruits that can be grown at home. They usually grow up to 40-45 centimeters tall in a one liter pot, so this standard plant is great for a small space. These trees are hardy, adapt to the cold and can withstand temperatures as low as -6°C. They are hybrids of the mandarin and the kumquat (yellow-orange tropical fruit).

Calamondin is perfectly adapted for growing at home.

Calamondin trees are grown throughout South Asia, Malaysia, India and the Philippines, where their sap is used. These citrus fruits were introduced from China to the US around 1900. In the US, they are used primarily for decorative purposes. Since the 1960s, potted calamondin citrus trees have been shipped from South Florida to other states. North America for growing as houseplants.

Description of Calamondin

Calamondin trees are small, dense evergreens, from 90 centimeters to 1.2 meters in height. The woody stem of this dwarf citrus tree is densely covered with oval, glossy green leaves. You can expect an abundance of flowers and fruits after the second year of growth of Calamondin.

On the branches of growing citrus trees there are small thorns, on which white, star-shaped flowers with a pleasant aroma appear in summer. Over time, these flowers become small orange fruits (2.5–5 cm in diameter) resembling a tangerine crossed with a lemon. Fruits ripen slowly, their color changes from dark green to bright orange.

The segmented fruits are seedless and very acidic. But do not rush to collect fruit. They can hang on a tree for a long time without falling off or spoiling, so you can enjoy their beauty for several months.

Citrofortunella is one of the hardiest citrus varieties. The fruits of this plant appear in the spring months and can be stored until winter. These fruits can be used to make drinks in the same way that lemons or limes are used. They also make marmalade, jellies and cakes. You can use them instead of lemons recipes, since both fruits are the same in their acidity.

Calamondins are used in cooking instead of lemons.

How to grow calamondin

This hardy ornamental evergreen citrus makes a great addition to the home garden, which is why many gardeners wonder how to care for calamondin at home. If you live in a cold climate region, then this specimen is one of the few citrus trees you can grow outside. Calamondin trees can grow even in the shade. They are drought tolerant but need to be watered anyway to avoid damaging stress.

Calamondins propagate through seed sowing or by rooting thin cuttings in spring period or denser cuttings in summer. They can also be bud-grafted to the stem. Flowers do not require cross pollination and will produce fruit at the age of two years, continuing to bear them almost all year round.

Calamondin bears fruit all year round

What you need for boarding

1. Big pot.
2. A mixture of purchased ground soils.
3. Organic supplements or slow release fertilizers.
4. Insecticide (optional).
5. Secateurs.

Hint: place flower pot onto a tray with wheels or into a trolley for easy movement. This acquisition will facilitate the care of the tree.

Calamondin prefers large pots

Caring for calamondin trees at home

Although calamondin trees can be grown indoors, they are best suited for growing outdoors in partial shade or full sun. Caring for citrofortunella is to fulfill the following conditions:

1. Light. Provide the tree with as much sunlight as possible throughout the year (at least 4 hours of direct sunlight each day). Rotate the plant a quarter of a turn every week because it will grow rapidly towards the light source and its trunk will twist. In warmer months, it is better to take the tree out to open space to give him room to grow.
2. Temperature. The most suitable temperature is 18-24 °C. In winter, this tree can withstand a minimum of 10°C, but any temperature below 12°C will adversely affect the growth of the tree.
3. Watering. It is impossible to flood the plant too much, so that the roots do not rot. Before watering, the soil should dry to a depth of 2.5 centimeters.
4. Humidity. In a place where citrus grows, there should be moderate humidity. Dry air causes flowers to drop. Place the container or flower pot on a tray of damp pebbles to increase the humidity.
5. The soil. For calamondin, any good mixture of earth is suitable, you can buy it ready-made or mix it yourself by buying soil different kind. Use a soil mix designed for potted plants and not the soil from the garden.
6. Fertilizer. The best and most suitable for citrofortunella is organic fertilizer from fruit trees. It contains everything nutrients necessary for the healthy growth of citrus roots, and promotes the growth of the tree and its fruits. When fertilizing calamondin during the winter, use a single-use, water-soluble fertilizer approximately every five weeks. Then in early spring add a slow release fertilizer and continue to fully fertilize the soil with a water soluble fertilizer every month during the growing season.
7. Purity. Make sure that the leaves are not covered with dust. This prevents infestation by mites or other pests. Check the tree's foliage regularly for them. When they appear, treat the leaves chemicals by following the directions on the package. But this must be done before the leaves begin to fall. Important Note: If you plan on eating fruit, be very careful when spraying pesticides to avoid poisoning them. Reapply natural organic insecticides whenever possible to prevent the introduction of new pests.
8. Reproduction. Take stem cuttings at the beginning of summer. With a sharp knife or blade, cut off 10 centimeters of stem with at least 2-3 leaf nodes without flowers or fruit. Dip the end of the trimmings into the hormone powder for the soak before inserting it into the wet mixture. Then put in a plastic bag to maintain moisture. The cutting planted in the substrate will begin to grow in about 6-8 weeks, developing roots and buds.
9. Collection of fruits. Harvest the fruits by cutting them with scissors so as not to damage the stem. Fruits are best eaten shortly after harvest or kept cold as they rot quickly at high temperatures.

Compared to others citrus trees Calamondin is easy to care for. Observe necessary rules growing this plant, and citrofortunella will bear fruit and bloom all year round.

Calamondin loves constant but moderate humidity.

Citrofortunella bears fruit at the age of two. Pay attention to the age of the plant when you buy it. You can buy annual seedlings for cheap, but once purchased, it will take a lot longer for you to enjoy the ripe fruit.

When the plant grows in spring, it is necessary to shorten it so that it does not become too large. Pruning long branches in spring will encourage new branches to grow just below the cut. Dried or diseased branches should be removed. Cut the stems at an angle just above the leaf node (where the leaf attaches to the stem).

Repot young trees every 2-3 years. Plants will not bloom if there is not enough space for them. At first, it is worth growing calamondins in small containers. Use a pot of about 15 cm until the plants are three or four years old. And then transplant them into a 20 cm container. Always use a pot with a drainage hole to prevent root rot.

For fruiting, the plant must be pollinated. Calamondin trees that are grown indoors must be handled by hand.

Use a small, dry brush to fertilize each flower. Move the brush around the center of each flower, moving from one flower to another. This is how you transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers, just like bees do.

If you moved the plant indoors for the winter, then after warming, put it on open air not immediately possible. Take the citrus outside at night for about a month. And when calamondin adapts to the temperature, you can leave it for fresh air all day. Remember that in any room additional light and the moisture you can provide will be good for your tree.