How to grow mandarin from seed at home?

Today, flower shops offer any exotic plants for home cultivation, among which a special place is occupied by a tangerine tree. The cost of a mature tree with fruits and many shiny leaves is quite high, so not everyone is able to purchase it. But do not despair, because there is a way to grow mandarin from seed independently and without much difficulty.

Characterization of homemade tangerine tree

Homemade mandarin belongs to the Rutov family. The plant is distinguished by endurance and unpretentiousness in care. Evergreen leaves change every four years. Beautiful branches, shiny foliage and white flowers with a pleasant smell - not all that a home tree can offer. With proper and patient care, mandarin will also delight with fragrant fruits.

The plant propagates vegetatively or using seeds. In home floriculture, the most common fruit tree is grown from seeds. But in most cases, beginners get a beautiful plant that is not able to form fruits. Everything is natural, because in the conditions of a greenhouse mandarin is forced to bear fruit by grafting, therefore, when growing a house, do not forget about this procedure.

Rules for growing mandarin from stone

An exotic tree requires proper care, which should be followed when grown at home. It is not at all difficult to create a suitable microclimate, so even beginner growers can grow it.

Selection, seed preparation

For a positive result, several bones should be taken at once. This will significantly increase the chances of successful germination of planting material. Seeds are best chosen from ripe fruits without any damage. The selected bones should not be irregular in shape, with dark tips or too thin, as if dried. First, the seeds should swell and hatch.

You can use the following pre-training options:

1. The bones are wrapped in wet gauze or a thin cloth and left for several days. At this time, make sure that the gauze remains wet all the time.
2. A hydrogel is perfect for swelling, which will provide the bones with the necessary moisture.

If it is not possible to pre-prepare the seeds, then you can immediately place them in the ground. Sprouts will hatch, but much later than after swelling.

Soil preparation

Acidic and dry soil does not fit the plant. The mixture should be without adding peat, which is part of most purchased substrates.

It is advisable to prepare the soil with your own hands from the following components:

• two parts of sheet land;
• two parts of humus;
• one piece of sand.

Such a soil mixture perfectly passes air and moisture. If there is no way to prepare the substrate, then you can buy ready-made soil mix for roses or citrus fruits.

Landing

Soaked seeds are planted in a box for seedlings or in small containers with drainage holes. The bottom of the selected container must be covered with a layer of high-quality drainage (pebbles, perlite, expanded clay or shards).

In the prepared soil, seeds are placed 4 cm deep and sprinkled with soil. The box is covered with a film, cellophane or glass on top to create greenhouse conditions. The container is transferred to a warm and bright place. Three weeks after planting, you can expect the first sprouts.

Frequency of watering seeds

Watering the planted seeds should be as the top layer of the substrate dries. For irrigation, it is best to use settled water at room temperature. Since the seeds are in the greenhouse, the moisture lingers longer in the soil. That is why it is important not to fill the planting material, watering should be moderate.

What conditions do young sprouts need?

Three weeks after planting, young sprouts appear. With their appearance, organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil twice a month. To avoid burning the roots, top dressing is applied only after preliminary watering.

With the advent of sprouts, the box is transferred to a bright place, but without direct sunlight. The optimum room temperature with seedlings is 20 --С. Watering should be as necessary and do not allow the soil to dry out.

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Transplanting seedlings

A distinctive feature of citrus fruits is the active development of the root system. Until the roots fill the pot, the seedling will not grow up. Each plant must be planted in a separate container to avoid tangling of roots. Fortified seedlings are transplanted into pots, the volume of which should be at least 4 liters. The procedure is carried out by transshipment so as not to damage the delicate roots.

After transplantation, the plant is transferred to a permanent place of residence. It is best to put a flowerpot on the southern windowsill.

Young tree care

A tangerine tree loves high humidity, so you need to water and spray it regularly. To carry out these procedures, well-maintained water should be taken (at least three days). For additional moisturizing, they often put containers with wet expanded clay or peat near the flowerpot. On summer days, watered up to three times a day, and in winter - as the soil dries.

How to plant mandarin at home?

It will begin to bear fruit four or five years later. In order for mandarin to produce tasty fruits, it must be grafted, otherwise the fruits will grow “wild” and completely tasteless. This should be done carefully under sterile conditions. You can plant the plant during active sap flow - in April and August. For the procedure you need to prepare:

• home tree (which is called "stock") with a trunk thickness of at least 6 mm;
• grafted graft (graft). The graft should be young (up to two years) and freshly cut;
• preparation for healing sections (garden var);
• special knife for grafting and scotch tape.

The instrument must be sterilized, and then proceed to the procedure step by step:

1. Spikes and foliage are removed from the scion, and an incision is made in the shape of the letter “T” on the trunk (at about 10 cm).
2. Very carefully cut a thin layer of wood with a kidney from the scion and immediately insert it into a T-shaped incision.
3. The place of the cut is tightly wrapped with tape, securely pressing the scion to the stock.
4. For a month, the vaccine is kept under the package to create greenhouse conditions.
5. After a month, the movement of the juice will end, therefore, to guarantee success, it is advisable to do several more such procedures on the same day.

After the germination of the sprout, the adhesive tape is removed, and the sprouts are gradually accustomed to the microclimate of the room, regularly removing the warming bag. A month later, when the sprout begins to actively develop, the old rootstock trunk is cut.Trimming should be oblique, 0.3 cm above the shoot. To avoid large losses of juice, the cut should be treated with garden var. A new support is made a small support for vertical growth.

Pest and Disease Control

At room conditions, the tree is often exposed to disease and suffers from harmful insects. The most common pests are:

• aphid;
• citrus whitefly;
• scale shield;
• spider mite.

These small insects feed on the sap of the tree, which causes depletion and even death of the plant. Like most indoor flowers, tangerine requires regular inspection, because pests often hide on the inside of the leaf. If a spider line or insects appeared on the tree, you must immediately take measures:

1. The plant is taken to the bathroom and washed thoroughly under a warm shower. Almost all parasites are afraid of water.
2. In an apartment, it is better to use folk remedies for treatment. To do this, you can make a tincture of the husks of garlic or onions. You can wash the aerial part with a soap solution.
3. With severe damage, mandarin is treated in several doses with special insecticides (Actelik, Aktara, Fitoverm).

Problems with the plant can occur as a result of improper care. For example, with constant waterlogging of the soil on the surface, you can notice small flies. To get rid of the unwanted inhabitants of the flowerpot, you need to reduce the frequency of watering, loosen the soil and sprinkle it with Thunder-2.

High humidity can trigger the appearance of a fungal disease - anthracnose. The aerial part is covered with pale green spots, which later acquire a dark color. For treatment, the affected parts should be cut, and the tree should be treated with fungicide according to the instructions. For prevention, it is recommended several times a season to spray the leafy part with Bordeaux liquid (1%).

It is impossible to determine the presence of the disease by the leaves, because they are affected by the fungus in the last turn, when the trunk or branch has already died. Before treatment, the cause of the disease must be eliminated, among which may be:

• lack of phosphorus and potassium with excessive amounts of nitrogen in the soil;
• poor drainage or lack thereof;
• strong deepening of the seedling;
• mechanical damage, which became the "open window" for infection.

In addition to eliminating these causes, the wound on the trunk should be cleaned and disinfected. For this, a 3% solution of copper sulfate is suitable. After this, the damage site is treated with garden var. The procedure must be carried out until the tangerine is completely recovered. If the treatment does not give positive results, the plant is completely destroyed.

Common Growing Questions

Growing tangerine at home is quite simple. But to get a citrus crop, you still need to work hard. After a successful grafting, mandarin will surely please you with tasty and healthy fruits.