Description of different varieties of lemon and the rules of their breeding

Lemon - not the most frequent plant in our latitudes. But still quite a few gardeners and homeowners try to breed it.To achieve success, they should know the specifics of each variety and the scheme of cultivation of plants.

To grow a lemon in room conditions in our country began about 300 years ago. A perennial tree can actively bloom, but in most cases the flowers are subtle and completely or almost completely covered with leaves. More importantly, the room is filled with an unusual flavor. Foliage is clearly visible even when the lemon does not bloom. Moreover, the beauty of the leaves is observed in wild plants.

Admittedly, growing lemons at home is not easy. A prerequisite for success is a vast space with high-quality lighting. Attention to the plant requires more than in other cases. At the same time, lemon is ahead of other cultures in terms of endurance and cultivation period. The oldest trees can grow up to 150 cm in a room, however, if there is an opportunity to put them in large rooms, one can achieve twice as much height.

The duration of the development of one leaf reaches 2-3 years, the development of the bud lasts about 30-40 days. After that, the actual flowering takes at least 7 weeks. The gap between the appearance of the ovary and the initial stage of maturation in the room reaches 230 days. If the lemon grows in a more favorable environment, the gap may be reduced to 180-200 days.

Geometrically, lemon fruits look like an oval or egg. As a result of long-term observations of wild and cultivated plants, it was found that the full formation of a separate fruit requires at least 9-10 developed leaves to participate in photosynthesis. This is the solution to their abundance. Fruit care focuses on reducing the risk of leaf shedding. Fully mature fruits are distinguished by an intense golden color of the skin, which indicates the presence of a significant amount of carotenoids.

Ripened fruits do not fall down, are able to grow even the next year. But increasing the size results in a proportional reduction in quality:

• thickening of the skin;
• drying out the pulp;
• reducing the acidity of the juice.

Normally developing lemons give flowers and fruits year-round, because each plant can have ripe fruits, early ovaries, flowers, and even unopened buds. The time to reach maturity of the fruit is largely determined by the period of flowering and the formation of ovaries. If lemon blooms in summer, the fruits ripen on average 30-60 days earlier than when they bloom in spring. In the presence of gardeners have a number of techniques to adjust the time of formation of flowers. But it is important to remember that all these methods, under too frequent or too long use, undermine the vital activity of the plant.

With proper care, prevention of infection by diseases and invasions of pests, the duration of the existence of a lemon tree reaches 35-45 years. If the foreground is the formation of foliage and shoots, a temperature of about 17 degrees is required. But the formation and further development of the fruit is better at + 20 ... 22 degrees. It is extremely bad if there is a prolonged heat, especially aggravated by moisture. Great harm brings a situation in which the earth is much colder than air.

"Novogruzinsky" variety has another name - "Novo-Athos". The culture was selected from wild varieties N. M. Murri, a former employee of the Sukhum experimental station. On the territory of Georgia, this variety is the best in fertility and in fruit characteristics. Trees are characterized by strong growth and have a sprawling graceful crown. Its height in the room can reach 1.5-2 m, the plant has many thorns.

Variety belongs to the remontant group, decorated with large flowers. The outer side of the petals on these colors has a purple tide.The fruits have almost no seeds and look extremely aesthetically pleasing. Usually the weight of the fruit is 0.12 kg. The pulp is distinguished by juiciness and tenderness, it pleases the most radical gourmets.

"Pavlovsky" room lemon has the same height, namely: 150-200 cm, the crown has a rounded configuration, and the diameter is 1 m. It is easy to distinguish old branches by gray color with a green tint. The spikes are relatively small, the length of the leaves does not exceed 160 mm. There are different types of foliage configuration:

• oval;
• oblong structure;
• rounding.

The Pavlov variety is distinguished by its minimal whimsicalness; it is difficult to even name a less capricious variety. This type of indoor lemons effectively grows even on the western and north-western windows. Every year, the plant is able to give 20-40 fruits, the mass of which varies from 0.12 to 0.15 kg. Individual lemon plants can produce fruits with a weight of up to 0.5 kg. Peel is allowed to use on a par with the pulp.

Inside a lemon under this name, 5-10 seeds are most often found, in some cases up to 20. Very many fruits, in general, do not contain seeds. Fruiting begins at 3 or 4 cultivation season. Resistance to dry air is very good, but still spray the crown is justified. Recommended humidity ranges from 60 to 80%; Placing on the southern window-sill is worse than on the eastern one, because it threatens with the appearance of burns.

One of the best varieties for growing on free land is called "Meyer" or "Chinese." And also it is well suited for vaccination and for growing on its roots in the conditions of the house. The height does not exceed 100-150 cm. The crown can be formed very easily, the spines are relatively few. Judging by the descriptions, "Meyer" is both remontant and precocious, gives a powerful harvest: under favorable conditions, up to 4 fees per year.

Sour taste is not too concentrated, the mass of the fruit does not exceed 0.15 kg. The appearance of buds is possible exclusively on fresh shoots of each year. Flowering takes place sooner than on other lemons, mostly in March and April. The size of the flowers is small (maximum 40 mm), but their fragrance is at a decent level. Perhaps the arrangement of flowers one by one or buds (groups of 2-6 pieces).

Fruit maturity comes in 8-9 months. It is recommended to remove slightly immature fruit. Homemade lemon trees of this species are required to withstand in winter at temperatures of maximum +12 degrees. Failure to comply with this rule may disrupt the formation of ovaries. Of great importance is the systematic watering, as well as spraying crowns. It is advisable to prefer Western or Eastern windows, as well as to prevent drafts.

Lemon "Jubilee" was created by Uzbek breeders, is considered one of the minimally demanding varieties. The already well-known Novogruzinsky, which was crossed with the Tashkent, served as the botanical primary source for breeding. Fruits differ in considerable size, their mass sometimes reaches 0.6 kg. The peel of a large thickness, also the advantage of the variety is a powerful flowering. At this point, the tree is almost completely hidden behind white flowers that have a purple hue.

Most colors are not found alone, but in groups of 14-16 pieces. The survival rate in the conditions of room culture meets the highest expectations. The plant adapts well, and even in a dry atmosphere with a lack of watering fruits are formed.

Speaking of rarity, it is impossible to ignore such a variety as “Genoa”, which grows into trees about 1 m high. The plant is characterized by a large crown density, spikes are found only occasionally. The taste is exceptionally pleasant, the flesh is tender, even the skin can be eaten. The average fruit weight is 0.11 kg. The lemon from the stalk blooms on the 4th season; For Genoa, the intensity of insolation is critical.

Strict adherence to the standards of care allows you to develop enormous yields. Already from young saplings, up to 50 pieces of lemons are removed, and a powerful tree can produce up to 180 fruits.

A feature of the variety "Lisbon" is its foliage, which is large, dense and wide at the same time. Other characteristics are:

• an abundance of thorns;
• pleasant taste of the fruit;
• lack of pits;
• thin edible peel;
• weight 0.12-0.15 kg;
• excellent resistance to hot, cool weather and even drought.

The backlight should be bright, but at the same time scattered: a lemon does not perceive active insolation poorly. Sometimes already in the third year of growth, he begins to yield. Seasonal fee reaches 60 pieces.

If you need a record fertile citrus type, the furthest from the wild ancestor, you should pay attention to the "Maikop" variety. As an adult, he easily gives up to 300 lemons per year, and if the tree survives to old age by its standards, this figure doubles.

Extremely rarely, “Maykopsky” grows to more than 200 cm. The first subspecies of the plant is formed with little to no stambling and is distinguished by a dense crown, gathered in florets of 3-5 flowers each. The plant overwinters excellently in houses and in the conditions of a room in an apartment. The second subspecies gives strong branches, directed almost vertically upwards, and also forms a symmetrical crown.

The most original type of lemon is the “Hand of Buddha”. This variety has a more decorative function than a practical role. But the fruits can not be underestimated: their length reaches 0.4 m. The main part of the fruit is a thick peel, the proportion of pulp is relatively small. But still can be used to form a baked lemon zest.

“Citrofortunella”, strictly speaking, is not a lemon at all, but a representative of the family of rutovy, a kinkan hybrid with mandarin. The size of fruits in a diameter reaches 40 mm, they differ in bitter taste. Flowering in any situation occurs in the summer. But the full care allows you to stretch it for a whole year. In the summer, watering is done twice a day, in the winter - once every three days; drying of a clod of the earth, and excessive moistening are unacceptable.

It is appropriate to complete the review on the variety "New Zealand", which is beloved by gardeners who grow citrus crops. The tree grows in the wild to 4 m, in a cultural economy much less. But still considered a very tall and strong plant. What is important, for this reason, "New Zealand" lemon gives only very tasteless fruit, differing in return with an excellent aesthetic appearance. The plant will survive in open ground temperatures up to -5 degrees, but when grown in a closed way is much less hardy.

The variety is considered intermediate between real lemon and citron, that is, it is a hybrid of two types. Garden soil mixed with humus or specially selected soil sets from stores are used for cultivation. Notch around the root should not be, leaving it contributes to rotting root complex. The variety is sun-loving, but relatively calm and relives a short day. The best temperature for the development of +17 degrees.

You can multiply a lemon at home:

• air lay;
• seed method;
• cuttings.

The use of seeds usually leads to wait for fruiting for at least 10 years. But grafting a tree with a kidney with a bark covered wood part makes it possible to reduce the expectation many times.

Water for irrigation of lemon seedlings should have a temperature of 2-3 degrees higher than the air in the room. An overly cold liquid contributes to root rot.Tap water can be used only as a last resort, even if it is left to stand for 24 hours. Melt water is best, river or well water is somewhat worse, collected rain is acceptable. Spraying can be of great benefit, preventing the lemon from drying out and the loss of leaves.

Top dressing with a solution of mineral mixtures (2 g per 1 l) is made:

• in the spring;
• in the fall;
• summer.

Guided when choosing varieties of lemon and their cultivation should not only descriptions, but also reviews of other consumers. And you should give preference to reviews of those who have experience in similar environmental conditions. If the lemon does not bloom, often the cause is a weakness of watering or its insufficiency.

On the conditions of growing lemons varieties "Pavlovsky" and "Meier" at home, see the following video.