If you have acquired a homemade lemon tree, then you need to know how to properly care for it in order to provide optimal conditions for its development. Lemon bloom can occur several times a year, it is by this indicator that you can determine the correct care for the plant.
In Russia, home-breeding of citrus fruits is more than three hundred years old, because the first lemons were imported into the Russian Empire during the reign of Tsar Peter I.
Lemon Blossom
Lemon is essentially an evergreen that blooms several times a year. Flowers have a very pleasant smell, and the number of petals is limited to 5 pieces. Bright yellow fruits originate mainly on branches that are not lower than the fourth level. Fruits appear on short branches - pods.
A ripe fruit can remain on the branches of the plant for two years, first changing color to green, then back to yellow-golden. Indoor lemon trees, unlike ground ones, have a thin peel. Despite the fact that these lemons have less seed, they are much more aromatic. When properly cared for, indoor lemon trees will bloom and delight you just as much as the trees in your garden.
How to properly care for lemon at home
Caring for an indoor lemon tree has several differences from caring for a tree from the garden. One of the differences is the flowering time. Most indoor lemon trees flower and bear fruit throughout the year. This is especially true for lemons such as Mayer and Lisbon. But if, for example, you grow a lemon of the Eureka variety in a mild seaside climate, then it can also bloom and bear fruit all year round.
Lemon flowers, usually of both sexes, are located alone, in pairs or in small clusters, they are quite large: 4-5 cm in diameter. The bud development period lasts 5-6 weeks, after which the flowering period begins: 7-9 weeks. The period of growth and development of fruits from the ovary (falling of the petals) to the beginning of ripening in indoor conditions during the period of spring flowering can last up to 230 days.
In summer, there is better lighting and optimal air temperature, so the term for fruit development can be reduced to 180-200 days. If in the first year of life a young, recently grafted tree “throws out” flowers, they must be picked before they bloom. This will allow the young plant to conserve its strength and preserve them for further proper development.
At the second flowering, the buds are no longer removed. Often, the tree itself decides how many fruits it can "feed" and how many "extra" flowers it needs to shed. It is recommended to allow a lemon to bloom if it has at least 20 full healthy leaves.
Every time a lemon tree is in bloom, you need to pay serious attention to watering. Lack of water can cause flowers to fall off. A potted lemon tree needs watering when the topsoil is 3 to 5 centimeters deep. It is necessary that the soil in the pot is constantly well moistened.
