How and what to feed lemon at home

Growing a lemon tree at home is not difficult. A beautiful exotic plant will not only decorate the interior, it will saturate the air in the room with phytoncides and give a fragrant fruit rich in vitamins for tea. But in order for the lemon to develop and bear fruit, it must be fed.

Why does lemon need fertilizing

At home, hybrid varieties are usually grown, specially created by breeders for growth and development on a windowsill or in a warm, well-lit room. The root system of a medium-sized tree is about 40 times smaller than that of greenhouse lemons. Therefore, for normal growth and fruiting, the lemon must receive nutrients from the outside, and not periodically, but regularly.

Lemon branches can simultaneously have flowers, ovaries, unripe and ripe fruits. That is, the root system must provide the tree with a huge amount of nutrients. Otherwise, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the tops of the shoots dry up, the fruits become small, rough, often fall off in an immature state.

How to fertilize lemon at home

Since the root of the lemon is not very large, it should not be overloaded with fertilizers. Lemon loves frequent, but not plentiful watering and feeding. INDuring spring-summer fruiting and active growth, approximately from early March to mid-autumn, plants must be fertilized once every 2 weeks, and the rest of the time - once a month. More precisely, the frequency and amount of feeding must be decided independently, depending on the state of the plant, its size and the number of fruits on it.

While observing the fertilizing regime for citrus trees, it is important to remember that you cannot overfeed them. An excess of fertilizers no less negatively affects the condition of plants - growth slows down, flowers fall off, fruiting stops.

What fertilizers are needed for citrus trees

How to determine exactly whether lemon needs nutrition at the present time, and what substances does it lack in order for it to grow healthy and bring good harvests? It turns out that this is not difficult to do - you need to carefully observe the leaves, lateral shoots and fruits. If the leaves turn yellow, warp, lose their shine and gloss, the tops of the shoots dry up, flowers and unripe fruits fall off, it means that the plant is starving.

The most basic substances that a lemon needs are phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium. In addition to them, iron, sulfur, copper, magnesium, zinc and boron should be added occasionally. Nitrogen should be twice as much as phosphorus and potassium.

How does the deficiency of each of the substances affect lemon?

Nitrogen - contributes to the full growth and development of the plant, respectively, its lack leads to growth retardation, depression. Yellow spots appear on old leaves, and then they completely turn yellow, young leaves become pale green in color, the fruits are very small, the yield is low.

Phosphorus. Its deficiency leads to metabolic disorders, the leaves become dull, lose their gloss, the fruits - rough, very dense, ugly in shape.

Potassium - also one of the most important trace elements; lack of potassium salts leads to an abnormal increase in leaf size and the appearance of a very pronounced folding. The plant greatly inhibits growth, during flowering leaves fall off, as there is not enough nutrition, the yield is low, the fruits are small, the peel on them is very thin. With increased soil moisture, sticky dew appears on the leaves.

Iron... The lack of this element leads to the development of chlorosis - the leaves gradually turn pale, dark streaks appear on them, the fruits also turn pale, their growth slows down, and fall off in an immature state. The upper parts of the shoots do not receive nutrition at all and dry up.

Sulfur, manganese, boron, calcium, copper - the absence of these microelements affects the condition of young leaves and shoots, yield and fruit quality. Lack of calcium - the leaves curl up and fall down, the tops of young shoots are discolored.

Strongly pronounced vein pattern on pale leaves - lack of manganese. Long-term lack of copper in the diet leads to constant wilting of the upper part of the crown. Due to the lack of boron, the leaves begin to curl, turn pale, watery spots appear on some, the veins crack and dry out. Dark spots and resin clumps appear on lemon fruits.

Sources of nutrients during the period of active growth and fruiting

Lemon is an evergreen tree that grows throughout its life, which is why the plant requires constant regular feeding. Indoor lemon usually reacts very well to all types of mineral and organic fertilizers, but they should not be applied at the same time in any case, as this can harm the plant more than help.

It is recommended to alternate the introduction of organic matter and minerals, according to the appearance of the tree, determining which element is required at the moment.

As already mentioned, the active period of development and growth of the lemon tree falls on March - September. At this time, the branches have everything - from flowers to ripe fruits. Therefore, complex fertilizers will be the most relevant during this period. It is better for novice gardeners to buy ready-made dosed complex fertilizing and follow the instructions for applying them to the soil exactly.

In addition, at home, you can very easily fertilize lemon with available tools:

• nitrogen sources - silt or crushed quinoa leaves; they replace the topsoil in pots with lemon; if you prefer nitrate, then you need to water the plant with a 0.5% solution;
• phosphorus - an excellent source is carpentry (bone glue); Mix 2 g of glue with 1 liter of water and boil for 30 minutes, cool, pour over a lemon, after half an hour, loosen the soil well; it is good to add superphosphate to the slurry during fermentation (50g per 10l) and then feed with this solution;
• calcium + phosphorus + potassium - ordinary wood ash serves as a full-fledged fertilizer for citrus fruits, the norm is 1 tbsp. spoon for 1 liter of water;
• tea leaves and coffee grounds contain many useful trace elements - magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, iron; of course, their number is not enough to properly nourish the tree, but as an auxiliary feeding it is quite suitable, you just need to be careful not to start black midges;
• not a strong solution of potassium permanganate at the same time nourishes the plant and disinfects the soil, only they need to be watered at night, since in sunlight the solution quickly turns pale and loses its strength;
• organic fertilizers - manure, chicken or pigeon droppings, which must be diluted with water, fermented for 10 days, and then add water, bringing to a low concentration, and water the plants; it is necessary to take into account that fresh manure is healthier, since it is enriched with nitrogen as a result of fermentation.

Of course, you can buy specially balanced complex fertilizers for citrus crops - it will be easier for beginners to monitor the health of pets.

Blood water after washing meat, fish or poultry or infusion of weeds (any weed grass is poured with water and infused for 10 days) - this is a ready-made balanced fertilizer saturated with all useful substances.

Optimal fertilization pattern

So, if you want to grow a healthy tree and get stable yields, you will have to take care of lemon all year round, observing the necessary frequency of dressings:

• March - once every 10 days, water with slurry (100g per 1l) + 5g superphosphate per 1l of water;
• April - 3 dressings - superphosphate (5g x 1l), potassium sulfate (3g), a complex of trace elements (1g x 1l);
• May - urea (1.5 g), superphosphate (5 g), complex fertilizer (1 g);
• June - urea (1.5 g), potassium sulfate (3 g), superphosphate (5 g);
• July - chicken or pigeon droppings (slurry 40g of dry matter per 1 liter of water), boric acid (0.2g x1l - foliar feeding), slurry;
• August - potassium permanganate (0.2% solution), a complex of trace elements;
• September - February - once a month for 1 g of complex fertilizers with microelements.

It is your business to choose fertilizers or improvised means, the main thing is to feed the lemon on time, monitor its health, do not overdo it with "useful substances", and your pet will respond with a harvest of fruits rich in vitamins.

How to feed lemon?

It is necessary to feed a lemon growing at home, since only in this case its normal development, flowering and further fruiting is guaranteed.

The need for organic and mineral components is constantly felt by the tree - this is due to the limited space of the pot.

However, it is important to know in what proportions to apply fertilizers and which compositions to use, so as not to harm the culture and not destroy even a strong specimen.

We will tell you how to feed lemon at home.

Essential substances for lemon and signs of their deficiency

At home, the development of lemon takes place in a rather limited space. In the wild, it has 30 times more soil mixture and about the same times more root system. Therefore, it is the indoor plant that needs additional feeding and fertilization.

Home-grown lemons need additional feeding.

Determining the lack of nutrients is quite simple, since the plant itself shows its owner that something is wrong with it.

There are several signs of a lack of micronutrients:

1. Phosphorus. Lack of phosphorus manifests itself in poor or absent fruiting and flowering. The plant may begin to ache, its leaves fall and turn black, fruits of an unusual shape appear.
2. Nitrogen. Significant growth retardation, underdeveloped shoots, pallor of leaves - all these are signs of nitrogen starvation of homemade lemon.
3. Calcium. Insufficient calcium intake has a detrimental effect on the root system, it stops growing, and the gardening process slows down. Signs such as the dying off of the tops on young shoots, the absence of their growth can also be observed.
4. Potassium. With a lack of this element in the plant, the leaves begin to lighten gradually. Chlorosis develops first along the edges of the foliage, then passes to the interveinal space. In this situation, fruits can also suffer, which not only ripen for a long time, but also become soft, not having time to fully "fill".
5. Iron. Iron deficiency chlorosis negatively affects the condition of the lemon foliage. First, many white spots appear on it, then the leaves begin to die off and fall off.

With a lack of minerals, the lemon starts to hurt.

Signs of a nutritional deficiency

Nitrogen. The lack of this mineral is reflected in the discoloration of the leaves (becomes faded) and growth arrest. This is especially noticeable in the spring, when the plant comes out of dormancy and begins to actively develop.

Phosphorus. With a lack of phosphorus, it will be difficult for a lemon tree to give a full harvest. The plant can bloom profusely, but not give a single ovary. With an acute deficiency of the mineral, even the foliage rapidly turns black and falls off.

Potassium. The lack of potassium is given by the weakening of the plant, soft fruits, their long ripening. The leaves change color, especially at the edges, then the decolorization process covers the whole plant. If you do not take action in time, all the foliage will fall off.

Calcium. Deficiency of this mineral blocks the development of the root system. Nutrients begin to flow in an incomplete volume. In this case, the dying off of the upper shoots of the citrus also occurs.

In addition to the lack of nutrients, the lemon tree is often deficient in micronutrients. This is expressed in the appearance of light specks on the leaves. The latter fall off over time.

Folk remedies for feeding

Many citrus growers are interested in how you can feed lemon at home, in addition to purchased fertilizers. If there is no desire or opportunity to use purchased dressings, you can use folk remedies. They have been in use for many years and have proven to be effective as a top dressing for lemon.

Folk remedies used to feed lemon:

• quinoa, which is crushed
• wood ash. It serves as a source of phosphorus and potassium. Recharge here is carried out with a solution prepared from 1 teaspoon of ash diluted in 1 liter of water
• pond silt (nitrogen source)
• bone glue. It is a source of phosphorus. First, the glue (2 kg) is diluted in a liter of water. Then the solution is boiled to a liquid state. Only then can the plant be watered with the resulting infusion. An hour after top dressing, the soil in the pot is loosened
• used welding. It contains many of the components that lemon needs to bloom flowers: magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, etc. However, their concentration is not enough to consider the brew as a complete fertilizer.

Lemon can also be fed with coffee grounds. It contains nitrogen, magnesium and potassium. It must be remembered that coffee or tea should be well dried before use. Otherwise, they can become moldy, which will attract gnats and other insects to the pot.

Sugar can be used as a top dressing for citrus fruits. However, it is introduced exclusively at the stage of active growth or in the presence of weakened specimens. The plant gets glucose from sugar, which serves as a source of energy. Granulated sugar can be scattered over the ground before watering. Also, it can be immediately dissolved in water, which will be irrigated.

Plain eggshells can be a source of calcium for the lemon tree. It is crushed, mixed with starch, and then scattered over the surface of the earth. In addition, the shell can be poured with boiled water and left in this form for 2-3 days, so that the solution is infused. After that, just water the lemon.

Some growers use aquarium water as a top dressing. It contains a lot of vermicompost. No additional manipulation is required with this water.

You can find the following unusual feeding:

• watering a tree with milk
• burying a fish head in a pot
• watering the plant with water left over from washing the meat
• using water infused with banana peels.

However, the disadvantage of using such folk remedies is an unpleasant smell. The dressings described above are organic. And she, as you know, exudes an unpleasant aroma when rotting. Also, the use of these folk remedies is fraught with the appearance of mice in the house.

Citrus growers can use all of the above options for fertilizing both as the main fertilizer and as an additional fertilizer when making ready-made preparations purchased in the store.

A few more tips for fertilizing the soil

Use powdered quinoa leaves.

Many flower growers use tea leaves, pouring it into a pot with a plant. It is rich in a number of trace elements.

During fruit set, water the soil with castor oil emulsion (1 tablespoon per liter of water).

Since separate feeding of lemon requires experience and knowledge, you can use ready-made solutions. Liquid fertilizer for citrus fruits "Lemon" has proven itself very well. It contains the nutritional ingredients necessary for the plant.

Alternate spraying the plant with water with microelements, about 2 times a month - Uniflor micro concentrate (1 g - liter of water) or a weak solution of traditional potassium permanganate (1 g - 10 l of water).

In autumn and winter, the plants "sleep" and feeding should be done less often. Homemade lemon is fed no more than 1 time per month. But if the winter is warm and the plant continues to bloom, bear fruit, fertilizers are required 2 times more.

Lemon growing at home, like its natural counterpart, needs peace in winter. If possible, move the tree to a cool room (+12 - +15 degrees C). If the tree remains warm for the winter, it needs to be additionally illuminated, 8-10 hours a day.

It is also necessary to increase the humidity of the air. Do a cool leaf shower regularly, pour warm water, insulate the surface of the pot.

You can use a transparent film on the window where the plant stands.

Fertilization schedule

The process of feeding a houseplant is practically the same as fertilizing a garden tree. But since the root system of homemade lemon is much smaller, you need to add nutrients in small doses. Overfeeding must be avoided, it will slow down growth and make it impossible to set fruit.

In spring and summer, lemon is fed weekly, in winter, the interval increases to a month.

Consider how to fertilize lemon at home by months (below in parentheses - the amount of fertilizer per liter of water):

February. This month, horse manure infusion (100 g) and superphosphate (5 g) are used as fertilizers.