A special place among indoor plants is occupied by fruit crops, and the most common among them are numerous representatives of the genus Citrus. They are better than many other fruit crops adapted to room conditions: they grow quickly, form well, bloom profusely and bear fruit.
A citrus plant looks especially impressive, on which flowers and fruits are simultaneously present in varying degrees of ripeness.
The homeland of citruses is China, Japan, East India, Australia, where they are represented by evergreen trees (3 to 12 m high) or shrubs with thorns and dense leaves rich in essential oil.
citrus flowers
Citruses bloom twice a year with medium-sized, but fragrant white or pink flowers. From citrus flowers, fruits of various shapes, colors and tastes, rich in vitamins and microelements, are formed.
Types of citrus houseplants
Citron (Citrus medica Citron) – is, along with two other ancient species, mandarin and pomelo, the progenitor of modern citrus.
Currently, a very interesting variety “Buddha’s Hand” can be found in room culture. Citron fruits have a lot of zest and very little pulp.
Mandarin, or mesh citrus, unshiu (Citrus reticulate var. Unshiu) is the earliest ripening species with abundant fruiting. In tub culture grows up to 1.5 m.
This type of citrus indoor plant has a spherical crown with slightly drooping branches without thorns, dark green leaves of an oval-elongated shape; white, very fragrant flowers are arranged in pairs or small groups in the axils of the leaves. The fruits are medium-sized, pear-shaped, orange or orange-red, with an easily detached peel and juicy sweet pulp without seeds.
All types of indoor citrus plants are grown in the winter garden or as tub plants. Miniature citrofortunella will feel great on a sunny windowsill.
Fortunella, or kumquat, “golden orange” (Fortunella margarita) – looks like a miniature orange. Fruits of the extended form with a sweetish skin. Variegata has striped green-white or green-yellow leaves.
Calamondin, or Citrofortunella (Calamondin) is a hybrid of mandarin and Fortunella. This type of indoor citrus is more of an ornamental than an edible plant.
It has compact dimensions (up to 1 m tall), glossy dark green oval-pointed leaves and numerous small (up to 4 cm in diameter), round, yellow-orange fruits, bitter in taste and with a large number of seeds.
Photo of homemade lemon flowers
Homemade lemon (Citrus limon) is the most common species in room culture. This is an evergreen, undersized (up to 1.5 m), sprawling tree with thin but strong gray or reddish-purple shoots, long spines (there are varieties without spines) and large emerald leaves, wide oval with a pointed end. Each leaf lives for about 3 years.
The development of not only the plant itself, but also individual fruits, directly depends on their quantity and condition, since at least 10 healthy, actively functioning leaves are necessary for the ripening of one lemon.
Homemade lemon flowers, as seen in the photo, are medium-sized, white or cream, arranged singly, in pairs or in small brushes.
They may not be visible behind the abundant foliage, but the characteristic gentle and quite intense aroma will not allow you to miss this wonderful period. Indoor lemons can bloom 2-3 times a year, and fruit ripening lasts several months, so on the same plant you can often see both fragrant flowers and fruits in varying degrees of ripening – from bright green to sunny yellow.
There are quite a few varieties bred specifically for room culture, including domestic selection.
Our photo gallery contains photos of homemade lemon flowers of the most common varieties:
Lemon “Ponderosa” – unpretentious, but large variety with tasty, very large fruits with bumpy yellow peel; there are few fruits, but the plant can bloom up to 4 times a year, bears fruit from 6-7 years;
Lemon “Pavlovsky” – one of the oldest Russian varieties, medium-sized with large tasty fruits, bears fruit in the third year;
Lemon variety “Meyer1” – compact and productive, the fruits are very juicy, slightly bitter, with a thin orange-yellow skin, begins to bear fruit in the third year.
Care for indoor citrus fruits at home
The secret of successful citrus cultivation is to provide them with relative rest in winter (in a bright, well-ventilated room at a temperature of +4.+8 ° C with moderate watering) and maximum illumination in summer (it is better to take it out into the open air, sunny, protected from drafts).
Heat-loving oranges need higher winter temperatures (+13…+ 18 °C). Watering in the summer is also moderate, without overdrying the earthy coma and without stagnant water. To form a beautiful crown of citrus fruits, when leaving at home, pruning and pinching are performed – after the appearance of 3-4 leaves, pinch the growth point. The same method will also contribute to the acceleration of fruiting throughout the year.
During the period of active growth, plants are fed once every two weeks, if possible, alternating mineral fertilizers with organic ones. Transplantation is carried out by transshipment in the spring: young plants – annually, at the age of 4-5 years – once every 2 years, older than five years – once every 3 years. Citruses reproduce well both by semi-lignified cuttings and seeds. With the seed method of reproduction, fruiting occurs later than with cuttings.