Content
Meyer's lemon belongs to the Rutaceae family of the Citrus genus. It is a hybrid obtained in vivo from pomelo, citron and mandarin. It occurs naturally in China, from there it is introduced to the United States and other countries. In the homeland, the tree is classified as decorative, and in America and Russia, the fruits are used in various recipes.
Description of Meyer's lemon variety
Meyer's lemon belongs to undersized trees, the height of which is from 1 to 2 m. With proper and timely pruning, you can form a compact, undersized tree.
The foliage of the Meyer lemon is dense, dark green, with a good sheen. The tree blooms with white (with a slight admixture of purple) flowers, collected in 6-8 pieces per inflorescence. During flowering, Meyer's trees give off a pleasant aroma.
The fruit of the Meyer lemon is rounder than that of the ordinary lemon (shown in the photo). The color of ripe fruits is bright yellow, after ripening an orange tint is visible, the peel is thin, soft, smooth to the touch. The pulp is dark yellow. Meyer's lemons have a sweeter taste than regular lemon fruits, each containing about 10 seeds. The weight of Meyer's lemon fruit ranges from 70 to 150 g and depends on the growing conditions.
The Meyer variety is a remontant variety, therefore fruiting occurs year-round. The first fruits appear not earlier than in the third year of the seedling's life. The tree produces the most flowers in spring. About 3 kg of lemons are harvested per season.
The yield of Meyer's lemon depends on the growing conditions and care. Trees of this variety are considered quite capricious, therefore, with improper care, they can turn yellow or shed most of the foliage.
Fruit ripening is long, after flowering until harvest takes about 8-9 months.
Advantages and disadvantages
In any variety, you can identify positive and negative qualities. Before planting a tree, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the pros and possible cons of the variety, as well as find out what conditions are considered favorable for planting. The advantages of Meyer's lemon include:
- decorativeness. Lemon has a beautiful crown, lush flowering and fragrance, therefore it is often used as a decorative element;
- pleasant sour-sweet taste of fruits with a slightly perceptible bitterness, giving nobility;
- year-round fruiting, allowing the use of fruits in the family's diet constantly.
You can grow a tree in the southern and temperate climatic zone, but most often this variety is used for planting in a greenhouse or apartment.
Of the minuses of the Meyer variety, the following can be noted:
- poor transportability and preservation of fruits;
- exactingness of the tree for lighting, watering and soil quality. With improper care, the tree sheds foliage and reduces flowering, which leads to a decrease in fruiting;
- the likelihood of infection with diseases and insect pests is quite high, which also reduces yields.
Propagation of Meyer's lemon
There are two ways to grow a Meyer lemon: from a seed or from a cutting. The seedling obtained by the first method begins bearing fruit one year later than the tree grown by cuttings.
Another disadvantage of growing from seeds is the possibility of getting wild. When cuttings, a lemon grows, completely inheriting the varietal characteristics.
The seed growing method is as follows:
- pits are removed from the Meyer lemon. It is necessary to remove the seeds carefully so as not to damage them;
- the bones are washed and dried at room temperature;
- a gauze cloth is placed on a plate, folded several times, seeds are laid out on it, covered with a second piece of gauze, moistened with water and removed to a cool place;
- check the moisture content of the fabric, periodically add water to avoid drying out;
- when sprouts appear, the seeds are transplanted into the ground, deepening them by 3-4 cm;
- seedlings are watered once every 48 hours;
- after the height of the seedling reaches 15 cm, it must be transplanted into another container with a larger volume;
- when the thickness of the trunk reaches 8 mm, the lemon is grafted.
Cutting is carried out as follows:
- a stalk is cut from an adult tree, on which there are 5 leaves;
- the cutting is placed in a container filled with a weak solution of manganese for 1 day;
- 3 upper leaves are left on the handle, the rest are cut off;
- prepare a container for planting: a drainage is placed on the bottom, then a special soil mixture for citrus, purchased in a store, is poured, on top of a two-centimeter layer of sand, into which the cutting is planted;
- a glass jar of the required volume (1–1.5 l) is placed on top of the handle;
- a pot with a shank is placed in a room with diffused light; the container should not be placed on the windowsill, since bright sunlight can burn the plant;
- regularly monitor soil moisture, water as needed, avoiding drying out;
- after 10-14 days, the jar, under which the stalk is located, is first removed for a short period, then the time is gradually increased. This allows the seedling to acclimate to indoor conditions.
Propagation of Meyer's lemon by cuttings is the most successful way:
- the tree completely inherits the maternal characteristics;
- fruiting occurs 1 year earlier, i.e. at the age of 3 years.
Landing rules
A Meyer lemon sapling grown from a cuttings or purchased from a store needs replanting. The best time for this is the last month of winter. In some cases, a transplant may be required at a different time:
- numerous roots are visible from the pot;
- the lemon looks drying out, and a putrid smell is heard from the container;
- the tree does not grow, does not bloom and does not bear fruit.
To help the plant, planting can be done without waiting for the end of winter. If, when examining the contents of the pot, it is revealed that the earthen lump is completely entangled with roots, transplant into a container of larger volume. If the roots are not visible, the seedling is transshipped into a pot with the same volume.
The frequency of transplants depends on the age of the seedling. The first transplant is made to a lemon that has reached the age of two. Three-year-old seedlings are replanted twice a year. A four-year-old tree is transplanted once a year, then the number of transplants is reduced to 1 time in 2 years. Trees that have crossed the ten-year mark are replanted 1 time in 7-9 years.
Soil preparation consists in mixing several components:
- 2 parts of sod land;
- 1 part sand;
- 1 part of humus;
- 1 piece of land from deciduous forest.
You can purchase a special citrus rooting mixture at the store. It contains peat, limestone, sand, mineral and organic additives, and a growth stimulant.
Landing Algorithm:
- In a container of suitable volume (the height of the seedling and its root system are estimated), drainage is poured with a layer of 3 cm.
- Pour a nutritious soil mixture on top.
- The seedling is placed in the center of the pot and all the cracks between the roots and walls are covered.
- The earth is well compacted with hands or a spatula.
- It is necessary to ensure that the root collar is level with the ground; it is not recommended to deepen and raise it too much.
- The seedling is watered.
Meyer's lemon care
Proper care is the key to good yield for any tree. In order for the seedling to please with flowers and a green crown, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the issue of creating a cozy microclimate. In addition, correct trimming will help create a decorative crown. Watering and fertilizing affects the overall health of the Meyer seedling and the level of fruiting.
Crown formation and sanitary pruning
Meyer's lemon, used as an ornamental plant, needs crown formation. Pruning is carried out as follows:
- the seedling is shortened to 20 cm, while several buds should remain on top;
- shoots emerging from the buds are used as skeletal shoots. The four most beautiful ones are left, located symmetrically on the trunk, and the rest are removed;
- the length of the skeletal branches should be 25 cm, the extra centimeters are cut off;
- the resulting branches of the second order are shortened to 10 cm;
- the third row of shoots is cut to 5 cm.
After that, sanitary pruning is periodically carried out, aimed at removing broken and diseased branches, yellowed leaves.
Frequency of watering and feeding
Water Meyer's lemon in two ways: root and foliar. In the hot period, not only the soil is watered, but also the crown is sprayed daily, and in autumn and winter, the amount of watering is reduced to 1-2 times a week. Too dry air in the room can lead to yellowing of the foliage, therefore, in addition to spraying the crown, air humidification is used. For this, containers with water are installed on heating radiators.
Care must be taken that the soil in the pot does not dry out, otherwise the lemon tree may die.
Top dressing is necessary for a seedling in the period from March to November, that is, during the period of active flowering and ripening of fruits. In winter, fertilization is stopped.
For feeding, complex mineral compositions (nitrogen, potassium-phosphate) are used. They are brought in twice a month.
Once a quarter, the soil is additionally watered with compounds containing boron, iron, zinc, manganese, and copper.
Environmental requirements
Meyer's lemon needs good lighting. The duration of daylight hours should be at least 12 hours, therefore, if there is a lack of daylight, additional lamps are turned on. Lack of light adversely affects the state of the foliage; in the shade, the lemon sheds its leaves and may die.
Meyer's lemon tree does not like drafts and sudden changes in temperature. It is not recommended to take the tree outside in winter; it should not be kept in an unheated room either.
The comfortable temperature for Meyer's lemon in summer is +20 ° C, in winter - in the range from +12 to +15 ° C. If the plant is outdoors in summer, it is necessary to provide shading from the scorching rays of the sun.
Lemon Meyer's pests and diseases
Improper care of Meyer's seedling leads to the fact that the tree is sick:
- lightening, yellowing of the leaves indicates a lack of nutrients or sunlight;
- shedding of foliage is associated with insufficient moisture in the soil, therefore, urgently water the ground and spray the crown.
A spider mite can harm a Meyer's indoor seedling, so if a spider web is found, the lemon is sent to the shower.
The appearance of dots on the leaves can be associated with scale insects; a mixture of kerosene and liquid soap (1: 2) is used to combat them.
To protect against pests, an aqueous solution of karbofos and keltan is used. 0.5 l will require 1 g of each substance.
Conclusion
Meyer's lemon is a perennial tree with a compact crown that can be grown outdoors or in an apartment.Lemon fruits of this variety are suitable for human consumption.
