Propagation of lemon by cuttings - instructions

Many people dream of having a lemon tree at home. Even those who are far from gardening. After all, the plant has such a wonderful appearance. And everyone knows about the benefits of its fruits, saturated with vitamins. You can buy not only a fruiting lemon, but also a decorative one. With its beauty, it will delight your eyes.

Now many varieties have been bred, especially for home conditions. So the problem of choice disappears. If you make some effort, then you can breed citrus fruits yourself. There are several ways to do this. We will take a closer look at lemon propagation by cuttings.

You can propagate a plant by sticking the seed of its fruit into the ground. But then you will have to wait for the harvest for several years. Not the fact that he will appear at all. The most optimal way is grafting.

Breeding period

The strongest, healthiest trees are obtained by preparing cuttings in early spring. Then the rest period ends. It becomes necessary to form a crown. Many new superfluous shoots appear. However, experienced gardeners carry out lemon breeding all year round. For beginners, in addition to March-April, the end of summer is also suitable. We need to wait for the heat to subside.

Training

Choosing a cutting

An adult, mature lemon branch is taken. Thickness 4-5 mm. Thinner or thicker is not recommended. Thin shoots will develop poorly. Thick - poorly rooted. Cut the cuttings with an average length of 10 centimeters. They use a pruner, a sharp knife. It is advisable to wipe the tools with a disinfectant solution. Each clothespin must have at least 4 buds. The lower cut angle is 45 degrees. Upper - 1 cm above the kidney, perpendicular to the trunk.

The leaves at the bottom of the cutting are removed. Above - shorten 1/3. So the scion keeps sap flow. This promotes rapid root formation. It is better not to use shoots completely without leaves.

Rooting prerequisites

For lemon propagation by cuttings to be successful, a suitable room temperature is necessary. Optimal - 20-25 degrees Celsius. Additional heating is needed in winter.

The lighting must be adequate. Diffused sunlight works best. Use artificial lighting if necessary. Keep the shoot away from direct sunlight. From heating appliances as well. The southeast window sill is the best location for the plant.

The most important condition for the further successful reproduction of lemon is humidity. In cuttings, it is much higher than in mature trees. Approximately 95%. The walls of the greenhouse, or even better, the leaves should be wet. Spray with warm water.

How to prepare a greenhouse

Plastic transparent bottles are usually used. Volume 2 liters for 3-4 grafts. Cut off the top and bottom of the crockery. Hole the bottom so that the water can drain. Fill the lower part with wet sand (preferably river sand). Put the soil on top. (Leave a couple of centimeters at the edge). The ratio is 1: 1. Any small earthenware dish that is covered with a transparent jar or polyethylene is suitable for a greenhouse.

Landing technique

How to root a stalk

Powder the bottom sections of the steam with wood ash powder to avoid decay. In order for the plant to reproduce better, the cut is still powdered with a root growth stimulator. It is called heteroauxin.

2-3 centimeters of the clothespin are deepened into the ground. Sprinkle abundantly with lukewarm water.Then its excess is drained. At this stage, watering is completed while rooting occurs.

Further, the shoots are sprayed. Cover with the top of the bottle. An illuminated place is selected, excluding direct sunlight.

After 3-4 weeks, the lower cut releases the callus (growth). Later, roots appear just above the build-up. They are large, white, fragile. Therefore, when planting, care must be taken, otherwise they can be broken.

How to plant a cutting

Do not immediately remove the plant from the greenhouse. It will be a lot of stress for him. It is necessary to accustom to the usual room climate gradually. Open the greenhouse for several days in a row. Initially 3-5 minutes will be sufficient. Increase the time gradually. Add a few minutes daily. Do this for a couple of weeks. Then the cover can be removed completely.

The lemon grows quite large. However, the first crockery should be small. A half-liter ceramic pot is ideal... The bottom of the container is perforated for better drainage of excess water. With a constantly wet sump, the reaction of the soil will become acidic, and the roots of the tree will quickly begin to rot.

It so happens that the clothespin blooms even in the greenhouse. It's OK. The root system will grow more slowly.

To successfully propagate a plant, you need high-quality soil. Ideal - 1 part sand plus 1 part moss. Fertilizers are placed on top. If there is no sphagnum, you can replace it with peat.

We cover the bottom of the pot with drainage: expanded clay, wood ash, pieces of coal, small clay shards. The next layer is nutritious. Its composition is as follows: 1 part of coniferous land, 1 part of turf, 1/6 of sand. Third layer: a mixture of sphagnum and sand. It is in this layer that the rooted cuttings must be placed. All soil is moist. Spray.

You can take a simpler soil. 1 part regular garden soil plus ¼ part horse manure. It will take about a year for the tree to grow stronger and gain strength. Then it is transplanted into a more spacious container, up to 5 centimeters more than the previous one.

Citrus, propagated by cuttings, is called own-rooted. After 3-4 years, it will bloom, and then the first fruits will appear. If you want to propagate with a bone, then the fruits will have to wait about 6 years.

Care after breeding

Lighting, temperature, humidity

Citrus fruits love light. The southeast side of the house would be perfect. Choose a permanent place for your pet. He does not tolerate frequent movements. The only exception is taking the pot out to the balcony. This can be done in spring, when it is warm (from +15 degrees).

While the plant is small, the windowsill will do. Blinds provide comfortable diffused sunlight. It must be illuminated for at least 12 hours daily. Therefore, use additional lighting in winter. Ideal - phytolamps. Look in the store for the light of the fruit display.

The optimum temperature is 18-27 degrees Celsius. In hot weather, shade the tree, provide coolness. Otherwise, it may die. In winter, even more coolness is needed (+ 12-15 degrees). This stimulates normal reproduction as well as fruiting. However, sudden changes in temperature should be avoided.

With the growth of lemon, the air humidity drops to 60-70%. Spray it, also the air around it, when it's hot. It is desirable 2 times daily.

Top dressing

The plant will not multiply without feeding. Both organic and mineral fertilizers are used. They alternate. Contribute once in 7-10 days. Organic is horse, cow or chicken droppings. Inorganic fertilizers can be purchased ready-made at the flower shop. Only you should know exactly the variety of your lemon, the name, the age.

Video "Propagation of lemon by cuttings"

You can learn more about how to propagate lemon by cuttings from the video.