You can grow a tangerine from a seed. How to grow tangerines from seeds at home? How to plant a tangerine in a pot correctly

Mandarin is a very popular citrus crop. Nowadays, in specialized stores, you can easily find miniature tangerine trees covered with small fruits for sale. But the price of this exotic is very high and therefore not everyone can afford such a purchase.

But you shouldn’t get upset about this ahead of time; below we will talk in detail about how to grow a real tangerine from a seed yourself. To do this, you just need a well-ripened fruit and a little patience.

Preparing seeds and soil

For sowing, you need to take seeds from well-ripened fruits. They must be planted immediately after removal, without allowing them to dry out. If the seeds are exposed to air for just a few hours, this will significantly reduce their viability. Before sowing, they can be soaked for a day in warm water with the addition of growth stimulants. For example, you can use a drug such as Epin.

Also, some gardeners carry out pre-sowing seed germination. To do this, the swollen bones are laid out on a layer of damp gauze, which is then periodically moistened, preventing it from drying out. If you don’t want to bother with gauze, you can use hydrogel.

The soil for sowing must be light, moisture-absorbing and breathable. For example, for these purposes you can use a substrate intended for growing citrus plants. Its mechanical properties and composition are closest to optimal performance.

Sowing rules

For sowing, you can use any container of suitable volume. They must have drainage holes to drain excess water. Drainage made of expanded clay or small pebbles is placed at their bottom, and only then soil is poured.

Up to a dozen seeds can be planted in each container at once; some of them, most likely, simply will not sprout. In this case, the depth of planting the seeds should be no more than 2 cm. After sowing, the containers are covered with a piece of plastic film and placed in a warm place with a temperature not lower than +25° C. From the moment of sowing until the emergence of seedlings, it usually takes about 1 month.

Seedling care and growing conditions

To grow tangerines from seeds at home, it is not enough to simply sow the seeds and wait for the shoots to appear. If the seedlings are not properly cared for, they will most likely die.

Immediately after germination, the container with seedlings is placed in a warm and bright place. During this period, it is imperative to ensure that the soil in it does not dry out. Mandarin does not tolerate dry soil and dry air.

Therefore, in addition to regular watering, seedlings also require periodic spraying with warm, settled water. To increase the humidity of the surrounding air, you can also place a container of water next to the pot. In winter, the frequency of watering should be reduced to a minimum. At this time, small tangerines do not grow, so they are in a state of rest.

During the period of intensive growth from March to August, seedlings can be fed. For these purposes, it is best to use a special fertilizer for citrus crops.

Attention! All fertilizing must be applied on moist soil. When watering dry soil, the root system can suffer serious burns.

Mandarins grown at home should be carefully transferred into a larger pot once a year in the spring. Moreover, the new capacity should be slightly larger than the previous one.

Like any other citrus crop, the tangerine seed tree is quite demanding in terms of lighting levels. Therefore, a south-oriented window is best suited for its placement. In winter, it is best for the plant to provide additional lighting with fluorescent or phyto lamps.

How to grow fruit-bearing tangerine

A tangerine grown from a seed begins to bear fruit no earlier than 6-10 years of age. To significantly speed up this process, vaccination is used. To carry it out you will need the following:

1. The rootstock, that is, the seedling itself. At the time of grafting, the diameter of its stem must be at least 5 mm.
2. Scion, that is, a branch from a fruiting tangerine. Her age should be no more than 2 years. You can often buy it from a greenhouse or from citrus collectors.
3. A sharp knife, preferably a special budding one. If it is not available, an ordinary small kitchen one will do.
4. Insulating tape.
5. A small amount of garden varnish.

After preparing the necessary equipment, you can begin grafting. The procedure for carrying it out is as follows:

1. A T-shaped cut is made on the rootstock 10 cm from the soil surface. Its length should be about 3 cm vertically and 1 cm horizontally.
2. All leaves are removed from the scion, after which it is carefully inserted into the incision site.
3. The joint is fixed with electrical tape.
4. A suitable size plastic bag is placed over the plant.
5. If the outcome is favorable, after about a month the scion begins to grow. After which the plant must be ventilated periodically.
6. 20-30 days after the start of growth, the main stem of the seedling is cut obliquely at a height of 3 cm from the grafting site.

Attention! After removing the main shoot of the rootstock, the cut remains and must be covered with garden varnish.

From the article above, we learned how to germinate a tangerine seed and how to then get a full-fledged fruit-bearing tree from it. But sometimes during the growing process, tangerine is attacked by various pests or affected by diseases.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands never get bored!

Content

Among the abundance of plants, the indoor tangerine, according to many florists, occupies a special place. The ornamental bush pleases with its cheerful and bright colors of fruits and leaves. The leaves are leathery and wide. It is believed that a light and subtle aroma can help get rid of headaches, relieve anxiety, irritation, give a feeling of vigor and improve mood. Find out how to grow a tangerine tree, which is a citrus plant.

How to grow tangerine at home

If you are planning to grow a tangerine tree at home, check out two ways to solve this problem. On farms, citrus fruit trees are produced by grafting. If you want to enjoy juicy tangerines, you can perform this procedure yourself. At home, you can prepare seeds and grow a tangerine tree from them, remembering to follow all the rules of care. The easiest way is to buy a ready-made seedling.

Buying a ready-made seedling

If you decide to grow a homemade tangerine at home, buy a ready-made seedling from a specialized online store of garden crops or a fruit nursery. Plants that have a closed root system are often sold, i.e. immediately in an earthen coma or pot, packed in a bag. In the first case, a mandatory transplant into a container will be required. If you are looking for a more economical option, then it is best to use the second method, i.e. growing a citrus tree from a ripe fruit seed.

Growing tangerine from seed

This method of growing an ornamental citrus tree at home can bring some moral satisfaction. Although, this will take an order of magnitude longer than buying and replanting a ready-made seedling. To sprout, you will need to select a few seeds from the juicy, sweet and ripe fruits to increase your chances of success. Pre-soak the selected seeds in warm water. To do this, place them between 2-3 layers of gauze and place them on a saucer.

As the gauze dries, be sure to keep it moist for several days until the bones swell. If you don’t have the opportunity to wait several days, then try soaking ordinary seeds in water for 2-3 hours, adding a few drops of Epin, which is a growth stimulant. As soon as the first shoots hatch, you can plant the bush in the ground. In general, any novice florist can correctly prepare the seeds of this exotic plant.

Land for tangerine tree

Prepare a pot or regular seedling box and fill it with a layer of soil to transplant the hatched seeds into. Despite the fact that indoor mandarin is unpretentious in relation to the soil, experts still strongly recommend taking this point seriously. It is best to use a mixture consisting of:

• 1 part leaf soil;
• 3 parts turf soil;
• 1 part rotted cow manure;
• clay;
• sand.

How to plant a tangerine in a pot correctly

To grow decorative tangerines, do not use peat, which often turns sour, dries quickly and does not have any special nutritional properties. This component is available in almost all those mixtures that can be bought in specialized stores. Don't forget about the drainage layer. Place expanded clay or small ordinary pebbles on the bottom of a dry container, then fill the pot with the composition of the above components. Then place the swollen seeds into the soil to a depth of 5-7 cm. The pot with the planted seeds should be placed in a well-lit place.

Soil drainage

To form a lush and bright bush, you will need to pay attention to the drainage of the container in which it will grow. As already mentioned, place crushed stone, small pebbles and expanded clay on the bottom of the pot, but if you don’t have any of the above on hand, then use fragments of ceramic dishes. Before planting the tangerine and laying the soil, be sure to thoroughly rinse the drainage. In general, it is necessary to ensure that excess liquid from the soil is drained into the pan. Thanks to this, effective prevention of fluid stagnation and root rot is carried out.

Where to place a flower pot with a shoot

Caring for a tangerine at home requires a competent approach; the location of the tree, which will delight you with its beautiful leaves and flowers, is of particular importance. The period of flowering and growth activity will depend on the conditions created. Indoor plants need bright and good lighting. When daylight hours become shorter, add artificial light. Do not make a sudden transition, because... the plant can shed its young leaves.

How to care for a tangerine tree

An actively growing and beautiful tangerine tree is the result of systematic and proper care. For an indoor ornamental plant, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions with a certain temperature and humidity level. We should also not forget about the peculiarities of watering, because... in a difficult situation, a bush can shed its foliage to reduce the amount of moisture evaporating from the surface. When the branches begin to bear fruit, they need to be tied to a support. We should not forget about possible pests and diseases.

Air temperature and humidity

The best temperature regime for a tangerine seedling is a temperature of +15-18 degrees in the warm season and +12 degrees in the winter. In hotter weather, the plant begins to bear fruit and bloom worse - buds and ovaries form weakly at this time. At the same time, it is important to avoid sudden changes in temperature, but in order for the plant to become stronger, it must be hardened, i.e. help him adapt to changes in lighting and temperature. To do this, in the spring during the day, briefly take the plant out onto a closed veranda or balcony.

Air humidity is also very important for tangerines. On hot, dry days and in winter, when heating dries out the air in the room, you need to frequently spray the ornamental plant - sometimes up to three times a day. You can place a bowl of water or some other air humidifier on the windowsill, for example, an imitation of a fountain or waterfall. When the bush begins to bloom, spray carefully to avoid moisture getting on the flowers and buds. It is better to replace this procedure with regular wiping of the leaves.

Illumination

Without enough light, a decorative indoor tangerine will not grow large. The easiest way is to place the container with the plant on the windowsill of the southern part of the house, but this is fraught with burns to the leaves. A more acceptable option is the side of the eastern or south-eastern windows. If the south side turns out to be the only possible choice, then in spring and summer you will have to shade the plant. In winter, the south window will be the best place for the seedling. When daylight hours shorten, add artificial lighting using special phytolamps.

How to water indoor tangerine

The tree needs regular and frequent watering. In hot weather, water 2-3 times a day. In the winter, if good moisture is maintained, watering twice a week will be sufficient. It is better to first pour water for this procedure into a container, for example, a bottle, so that it has time to settle and warm up to room temperature.

With a short-term lack of moisture, the tangerine tree will not die, but it may shed some or all of its leaves. Fresh greenery will no longer appear in “bald” places, so try to avoid unexpected leaf fall. Leaves will appear only on new branches. Frequently transfusing the plant with water will not be beneficial either, because... this will lead to the appearance of fungal diseases.

How to feed a tangerine tree at home

The entire growing season, i.e. from April to September, the tree needs feeding. Every week it must be fertilized with organic or mineral fertilizers, which can be alternated. This is especially necessary for mature trees growing in cramped containers, without replanting or renewing the soil. One week the plant can be watered with a solution of liquid mullein, and a week later it can be treated with a complex garden fertilizer specially designed for citrus trees. Before fertilizing, you should water the soil.

Mineral mixtures based on potassium phosphorus and nitrogen

In a specialized garden store you can purchase a ready-made composition for citrus fruits. Make sure that the solution includes minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. It is recommended to fertilize in the first half of the day. The temperature of the solution should not be less than +20 degrees. Follow the recommended recipe for preparing the nutrient solution exactly. The rule here is that it is better not to top up than to overfill. Excessive concentration or excess fertilizer can lead to burns of the stem or leaves and even death of the plant.

Organic fertilizers

The tangerine tree can be fed with both mineral and organic fertilizers, and it is best to alternate them. To prepare a natural nutritional composition, you will need cow manure or bird droppings. Dilute part of the dry component in 10-12 parts of water, leave the resulting composition for 2 to 4 days, then add in small portions. Be sure to moisten the soil before doing this.

Rules for caring for homemade tangerine

To ensure that your tangerine tree is as bright and pleasing to the eye as in the photo of one of the gardening magazines, attach special importance to caring for it. Many of the rules listed above for a plant seedling also apply to a grown tree. Additionally, it is necessary to periodically trim the branches and pinch the tips of the shoots. In addition, remove all dried twigs, leaves and shoots from the tree. Such measures will help to form a compact tangerine with a lush and dense crown. We should not forget about the need for replanting.

Partial removal of flowers

To avoid unnecessary stress on the tree in the first years of fruiting, it is recommended to pinch the flowers. Leave only a few flowers on the trunk of the tangerine tree. In this way, you can achieve fragrant and large fruits without depleting the plant itself. Let there be only a few beautiful and fragrant flowers on the stem of the plant, but later you will enjoy beautiful and large fruits.

Pinching the tops of branches

As the tree grows, it is necessary to periodically pinch the tips of the shoots. This is necessary for the tree to form a thick and lush crown. If formed correctly, it will turn into a real decoration of the room. This can be achieved by controlling the growth of the apex and shoots, which must be removed from time to time, i.e. pinch. When each new sprout appears, pinch the top to form 5-6 leaves. It is also necessary to get rid of tops (strong shoots) that grow quickly from the very root.

Removing stretched branches and dried leaves

Remove elongated branches and dried leaves in a timely manner so that your exotic tree grows truly lush and fruit-bearing. Often they try to grow homemade tangerine as a dwarf tree. For this purpose, remove the growing tips of the shoots to the desired length. As a result, your efforts will not be in vain - you will get tasty fruits with thin skin that easily separates from the pulp.

Why does the tangerine shed its leaves?

If the basic rules of care are not followed, the tangerine tree may develop diseases. Don't ignore the threat that different pests can pose. These include red spider mites, scale insects, and citrus whiteflies. Dropping leaves does not always indicate the presence of a disease, because... This can also happen during a period of relative rest on cold days.

What to do

If pests are the cause of the shedding of leaves, then wipe all the leaves of the tree with special solutions. A few procedures are enough to get rid of all the unwanted “guests”. Yellowing foliage may be a signal that the plant is lacking minerals. During nitrogen deficiency, yellowing begins from the lower leaves. In addition, tangerine can react this way to the lack of the required amount of moisture or lack of light. Move the plant to a well-lit place and remember to water regularly.

Methods for propagating a tangerine tree

The most economical way to get a tangerine seedling is to grow it from a seed. This approach will take a lot of time and patience. If there is already a tree and you want to get offspring from it, then choose one of the following methods:

• Reproduction by layering, which are well-formed tree branches. Select a branch from an adult tangerine that is at least 4 mm thick and long enough to bend the branch and pin it to the ground. There is no need to separate the branch from the bush, just cover it with earth. The top will protrude on the surface of the soil. Keep the digging area moist. When the cuttings form new roots, separate the branch from the mother plant.
• Reproduction is carried out by cuttings. For this, so-called air layering is used - the cuttings take root “in weight”. An adult shoot is cut in a circle, cutting off the bark about 1 cm wide, after which the wound is treated and wrapped with sphagnum moss and polyethylene (loosely). The resulting “pupa” must be kept moist until roots form – it will take several months.

How to replant a tangerine at home

The plant begins to need replanting when the container becomes crowded. For young tangerines, this procedure should be carried out annually, and for trees over 7 years old – once every two years. Do not replant the plant during flowering; it is better to do this in early spring. The new pot should be several centimeters larger in diameter than the previous one. The root collar should not be deepened during transplantation, because The bark may be damaged. The excess bud is crushed and then moved to a new container with drainage and soil.

Pest Control

Pest control is of particular importance when caring for a tangerine tree. Citrus fruits are more susceptible to them. This is due to the fact that they have a very attractive aroma. More details about how to fight:

• Aphid. If there are few insects, wash the stem and leaves with a solution of laundry soap.
• Leaves damaged by aphids can be treated with a decoction of wormwood or nettle.
• A good way to combat aphids is garlic water.
• To combat spider mites at home, use garlic water, laundry soap, and tobacco dust. Create a spray mixture based on them.

Video

You can grow a tree using seedlings or planting a seed. If problems can arise with a seedling, then you definitely won’t have them with seeds. You can go to any store near your home and buy tangerines. In its tender and juicy pulp you will definitely find a couple of seeds from which you can grow a tangerine at home.

But, like any plant, this tree requires special treatment. Growing a plant from a seed has its own special secrets.

Preparing seeds

Those who have ever tried to germinate seeds know that it is better if the seeds are soaked before doing so. To do this, the bones can be placed in a damp cloth made of natural fibers and left alone for 2-3 days, placed at home in a warm place. Just make sure that the fabric always remains damp and wet it periodically. In a few days, roots will begin to appear.

You just need to avoid excess moisture; the seeds should not float in water! It is better to germinate up to 10 pieces or more at once, because it will not be possible to germinate everything at once; some of them will die even before rooting. Then choose the strongest and healthiest plant grown at home.

If you are not confident that you can monitor the moisture content of the fabric, go to a specialty store and buy a special hydrogel. It will not only create optimal humidity, but will also nourish the already sprouted sprout. The main thing is to immerse the seeds in the middle of the gel, and not just scatter them on the surface.

Soil preparation

When choosing soil for your tree, immediately stop using peat; this soil dries out too quickly, and there are few nutrients in it. The ideal soil would be one you make yourself; for this you will need the following:

• Forest soil – 2 parts;
• Humus - 2 parts;
• Sand – 1 part.

But, if you don’t have the opportunity to mix the ingredients yourself, you can buy soil with a neutral pH at the store. For example, a mixture of “Rose” or “Veriohumus”; there is also a special mixture for growing citrus fruits, but it is not always possible to find it.

How to plant a seed

When the seed has swelled, sprouted and a root has sprouted, it’s time to plant it at home. If you don’t know what a grown seed looks like, it’s better to look at the photo to avoid making mistakes.

A small pot or flowerpot with a volume of more than four liters is suitable for planting. Before filling the soil, fill the bottom with drainage. This can be small pebbles, nut shells, expanded clay, etc. Then we fill the flowerpot with earth, leaving about 6 cm from the top edge. We place seeds on the ground, preferably several at a time, and fill them with another four centimeters of earth.

It is best to place the pot with seeds in a warm place, ideally on the south side and be sure to monitor the condition of the soil. The soil should be moist, but not wet. And the temperature is not lower than 20 °C. Remember, you have a guest at home from warm, southern countries who requires special care.

What needs to be done for active growth

The planting has taken place, but you need to wait two to three weeks before the plants themselves become noticeable. In general, tangerine is a rather slow-growing tree. It may stop growing for several months. But if you give it everything it needs at home, then after several years your eyes will be pleased with the beautiful tree.

In order for growth and development to proceed correctly, you need to take into account factors such as temperature and lighting, watering and fertilizing, replanting and more.

Lighting

Lighting has important benefits for growth. It requires abundant sunlight at least 12 hours a day all year round. But at the same time, in spring and summer, during the hottest hours, when direct sunlight falls, the tree needs to be shaded. Temperature - do not allow the temperature at home to drop; where the tangerine grows, it should not be lower than +13. But the plant doesn’t care about temperatures of +40 °C or higher, as long as there is sufficient humidity.

Spraying

This plant loves moisture very much. Dry soil and air can cause death. Therefore, if the air in the apartment is dry, care includes spraying the leaves and stems with a spray bottle and wiping with a dust cloth.

A monthly shower procedure has beneficial properties.

Watering

You need to water your tangerine at home when the layer of soil on top dries out. Just take a lump and rub between your fingers. The soil crumbles when pressed - it’s time to water. But overwatering will cause the roots to rot.

Tap water is absolutely unsuitable for citrus plants, as it contains chlorine and metal salts. Such water will not bring any benefit to the plant, and will even cause spots on the leaves and disrupt metabolic processes in the shoot, which will negatively affect cultivation. It is better to pour water from a hot tap, let it sit for at least a day, and it will be suitable for watering.

If you live in your own home, then it is better to take water from a well or stream, letting it warm up to room temperature. But it is better not to use rainwater, it now contains too many various chemical impurities and all the beneficial properties in it have disappeared.

In winter, it is better to water the tree with water heated to a temperature of at least +30 °C. In the summer, it’s easier to put the water on the window and the sun will decide the heating issue for you.

Top dressing

With the appearance of the first leaves, you can already start fertilizing and do this twice a month, with both organic and mineral fertilizers. There are also fertilizers for citrus fruits on sale. Fertilizing is done the next day after watering, otherwise the roots will get burned. When the plant takes the form of a tree, fertilizing is carried out only in the spring and autumn. And in winter, the beneficial properties of feeding are lost, as the plant rests.

Transfer

As the tree grows, it needs to be transplanted into a larger pot once a year. Choose a new one with a diameter 3 cm larger than the previous one. The best time for transplantation is February-March. Replanting is carried out by transshipment, keeping the old clod of earth and adding fresh soil on the sides. After two weeks, the plant always begins a period of growth activation; at this time it is better to feed the tree.

Pest and disease control

For a plant that was grown at home, the enemies are gnawing and sucking pests, as well as viruses and fungi. The most common are spider mites, aphids, scale insects, thrips, etc. Care involves destroying them. Use natural biological products that have beneficial properties - an infusion of onion peels or garlic.

The appearance of a thrips fly at home is the first sign of wet soil; constantly loosen the soil and allow the top layer to dry.

But infection of a tangerine grown from a seed with scale insects or spider mites can lead to the death of the plant. If you notice the finest cobwebs on the stems and leaves, make sure that this is not the work of a spider and urgently treat it with special preparations, for example, Actellik, but others will also work. But strictly follow the instructions for the drug.

You can also use folk remedies - mix laundry soap and tobacco dust in the following proportions - 10 grams, add 1 tbsp to the solution. spoons filled with a glass of water and infused for 6 days. The resulting solution should be sprayed on the plant 3 times, with an interval of 6 days.

Grafting and the tangerine bears fruit

After about eight years, the grown tree will bloom and bear fruit. Only the fruits turn out beautiful and green, but not very tasty, very sour.

If you want to grow the same fruits as in the store, then you cannot do without grafting. To do this, you need to buy a cutting of the desired variety or look for a fruit-bearing plant you know. The grafting operation must be performed with a sterile instrument, but it is up to you to decide which incision is best. Look at the photo and choose the best one for your plant.

But remember that you need to vaccinate clearly and quickly, thinking through everything in advance. Caring for the junction consists of treating it with garden varnish and bandaging it.

A tangerine grown at home can reach a height of up to 1.5 m. When it blooms or bears fruit, you always want to capture it in a photo, because the tree simply attracts the eye with its beauty.

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Who doesn’t love New Year, because there are many traditions associated with this holiday. And one of them is the presence of tangerines on the festive table. Many people love these tasty and aromatic fruits, but you can enjoy them to the fullest in winter. But how I want to prolong this sweet world.

And this is not at all difficult to do, because you can grow this fruit at home in an indoor pot by sowing an ordinary seed taken from an eaten fruit into the ground. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the technology of planting and growing tangerines indoors.

Having taken all the advice into account, in just a few months you will be able to enjoy the flowering, and then fruiting, of your tree.

For planting tangerines you will need seeds, or rather seeds, which you can “obtain” by purchasing several ripe tangerines in the store. For the success of the event, it is better to have more seeds (at least 5-10), since not all will be able to germinate.

Next, it is necessary for the seeds to hatch or swell. To do this, the bones need to be wrapped in gauze and lightly moistened with water for several days. Optimal soil For planting, you will need special soil for citrus fruits purchased at a flower shop, but in principle any light mixture is suitable for tangerines.

For example, if you mix turf and leaf soil, completely rotted manure humus and compost in equal parts, your tangerine will probably like it. A peat-based mixture is not worth making or buying. Don't forget about the need for drainage. It takes quite a long time for tangerines to sprout; the first noticeable shoots appear only after two to three weeks, and sometimes even a whole month.

Mandarins generally grow very slowly., and sometimes it also stops growth. But if you do not lose hope and enthusiasm and provide it with the necessary care, it will grow into a beautiful tree that pleases your eyes.

Certainly, tangerine is an unpretentious tree(not only among citrus fruits, but also among all other plants), but it still requires compliance with certain rules of care. The most important condition for it is an abundance of sunlight.

The light-loving tangerine requires intense lighting 12 hours a day all year round. Mandarin is also very sensitive to humidity. In summer, it needs to be watered abundantly, but just not overwatered, and in winter, watering should be reduced, but make sure that the soil does not dry out.

In addition, tangerine leaves should be sprayed daily with filtered or boiled clean water to compensate for dry air; you can even place a small indoor fountain near the tangerine so that it additionally humidifies the air.

As the tangerine tree grows needs to be replanted into a larger pot. It is best to do this in late winter - early spring.

You need to take a pot with a diameter 3-5 cm larger than the previous one. The tangerine tree is replanted using the transshipment method, preserving the old earthen ball as much as possible, so as not to damage the root system of the plant.

A few weeks after transplanting, the tree should begin to period of active growth. Such periods will be repeated several times during the spring-summer season.

During this period, you need to feed the tangerine with mineral and organic fertilizers once a week or two. You can use dried tea leaves as fertilizer, which you need to dig into the soil.

Tangerines grown at home grow only up to 1.5 m and are miniature trees that fit perfectly into any interior, even without fruit.

And when a tree is strewn with fragrant flowers and then colorful fruits, it becomes a universal center of attraction, giving beauty and causing sighs of admiration.

Vaccination required tangerine in order to get fruit from it. It is possible that the tangerine will bear fruit without grafting, but this will not happen very soon. In addition, the fruits will be small and sour. With the help of grafting, you can accelerate the onset of fruiting and achieve higher quality tangerine fruits. The best time to graft a tangerine is April or the very beginning of May.

At this time, the plant experiences the most active sap flow. But nothing bad will happen if you decide to plant a tangerine in August. This is no less favorable time for grafting this plant. How to properly graft a tangerine? It is best to graft a tangerine tree onto seedlings of other citrus plants. Moreover, the grafting process itself must occur quickly, carefully and in clean conditions.

To begin, prepare everything you need: a scion with wood that has matured enough, a scion from a cultivated fruit-bearing citrus plant, a garden varnish, an elastic tape and a special budding knife. At a height of approximately 7 cm from the ground, thoroughly wipe the plant, remove all dust and dirt from it.

Then, using a clean budding knife (which should be very sharp), make a cut in the bark in the shape of the letter T. Try not to touch the wood, otherwise all the work will be in vain. The top of the cut should be about 1 cm and the bottom 2.5 cm.

Lubricate the cut made with garden varnish and carefully wrap the area with adhesive tape. Only the petiole with a leaf on it should remain on the surface. When your plant is already grafted, place it in a small greenhouse, which you can easily make yourself from a large plastic bag or special film for greenhouses. But you shouldn’t leave the plant in the greenhouse all the time.

Periodically open the film to ventilate the tree. When two to three weeks have passed after you have grafted the tangerine tree, you can judge by its appearance how successful the grafting was. If the petiole has dried to the shield and turned black, you have done something wrong and the grafting should be repeated. And if the petiole turns yellow and can be easily separated from the tree trunk, your grafting was successful.

Once the scion has budded and is well established, you can remove the adhesive tape. She is no longer needed. After about three weeks, a young shoot will begin to sprout from the swollen bud. At this time you will need to trim the rootstock trunk at a height of about 5 mm above the base. The cut should be oblique. The cut itself should be treated with garden varnish.

Many people have probably seen indoor tangerines in their friends’ apartments. There are also those who dream of growing this tree at home, but they are stopped by a lack of knowledge and experience. In fact, there is no need to be afraid. A tangerine tree can live peacefully in a modern apartment.

Grow tangerines from seeds at home

Not many people know that tangerines are grown from a simple seed. To start, take a few tangerine seeds and soak them in a clean cloth. Just wrap the seeds in cloth and add water. Do not use too much water; the fabric should only be slightly damp. Then, as it dries, simply add liquid little by little.

Even if you want to grow just one tree, take about 10 seeds: many of them will die during the growth process. When the seeds swell and hatch, plant them in the ground. Prepare the soil for growing tangerine as follows:

• 3 shares of turf soil;
• 1 share of humus;
• 1 share of leaf soil;
• 1 share of sand;
• a small amount of .

If you can’t make your own soil, then buy a neutral one, for example, called “Vericohumus” or “Rose”. Don't forget to add drainage to the pot. In about three weeks the first shoots will emerge.

How to care for homemade tangerine

For the successful growth of tangerine, it is important to choose the right place and type of lighting. For this tree, good illumination with a sufficient amount of direct sunlight falling on the tree is important. If there is not enough lighting, then the plant will have very few flowers or it will not bloom at all. With a constant lack of light, thin stems form on the tree, it becomes faded and sickly.

Considering these points, place the pot with the tree on the east, south or southeast side. At the same time, during those hours when direct sunlight falls on the windows, the tree needs to be shaded. In the summer, take the tangerine out to the balcony and gradually accustom it to the outdoor air. When daylight hours are shortened, place the tangerine on the brightest side under the direct rays of the sun. If even these hours are not enough for the plant to develop well, use artificial lighting. It can be made from an ordinary phytolamp, which needs to be inserted into a table lamp. Organize lighting for the plant gradually so that the plant does not lose its leaves due to a sudden change in daylight hours.

The temperature regime for tangerine should be as follows: in summer, grow the plant at temperatures up to 25 degrees. On the days when buds appear, reduce the temperature to 20 degrees, and in winter keep the tree at a temperature no higher than 10 degrees so that it can rest and begin to bloom and bear fruit with renewed vigor the next year.

Many gardeners unknowingly overwater the plant. To prevent this from happening, follow a few rules:

• Water the tree only in the morning hours, when it awakens its life processes.
• In winter, water the plant not every day, but only to maintain life in it.

The tangerine needs regular spraying to prevent it from becoming infected with spider mites due to too dry air. Just be careful and do not allow moisture to get on the flowers of the tree.

For full growth, tangerines need feeding. Indeed, unlike natural soil, recreational processes do not occur in potted soil, and it is very quickly depleted. Use dry or soluble fertilizers as top dressing. It is especially necessary to feed tangerines in the spring, when the active growing season begins.

Buy fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to feed your plants. Dissolve them in water and water or spray it. Keep the room temperature no higher than 19 degrees. To dilute the fertilizer, use only settled water at room temperature. Fertilize twice a week.

Mandarin oranges naturally begin to bear fruit after five years. But in order for the fruits to be tasty and sweet, it must be grafted.

Do it like this:

• On the plant you have grown, make a cut in the shape of the letter T at a height of about 10 cm. Insert a bud cut from a fruiting branch into the cut. Wrap this area well with tape.
• Then cover the tree with a jar to create the right microclimate.
• In about a month you will be able to evaluate the result of the scion. Not all scions will take root. That is why several plants are needed so that at least a couple of them survive.
• When you see that everything went well, begin to gradually accustom the plant to room air.
• A month later, when the new shoot begins to actively grow, cut the trunk of the main plant slightly above the scion diagonally. Coat the cut with garden varnish.
• To make the tree grow vertically, place a stick under it and continue caring for it as usual.