At the beginning of the last century, an American naturalist, traveling through China, discovered a small lemon tree, which the locals grew in pots. This plant was called Chinese lemon or lemon Meyer. There is still no consensus on the origin of this plant. Some scientists believe that this is a hybrid of orange and lemon, while others suggest that this lemon appeared as a result of popular selection.
Soon, we began to grow lemon Meyer in the room conditions along with other traditional varieties. Meyer's roomy lemon is very convenient for growing in small apartments, as this is a small, compact, well-leafy plant.
Leaves of Meyer's lemon are small, dark green. Small white or with a violet hue, the flowers are collected in clusters. Juicy, not very sour fruits of small round shape, have a peculiar taste. The thin shiny skin of the Chinese lemon is bright yellow or even orange. The description of the chemical composition of Meyer's lemon says that the nutritional value of these fruits is slightly lower compared to other lemons.
Lemon Meyer - care
The yield of Chinese lemon is quite high. A distinctive feature of lemon is the formation of buds not only on old branches, but also on shoots this year. Therefore, some of the buds should be removed, not allowing the depletion of the plant.
Meyer's lemon has no clearly expressed period of rest. Simultaneously, on branches you can see green buds, and white flowers, and bright fruits. Fruit-bearing plant begins 3-4 years after it was planted in a pot.
As a rule, it is not difficult to take care of Meyer's lemon. The plant is very fond of the sun, so it is better to keep it for a year in a bright room. In summer, you can take lemon to fresh air. The optimum temperature in winter is about + 10 ° C.
In summer, the lemon should be watered abundantly, but in the winter it needs moderate watering. Take care that the excess moisture does not stagnate in the pot. Excellent development of Chinese lemon in moist air. To do this, plant leaves should be regularly sprayed with standing room water.
During the growth period, the plant needs top dressing with a complex mineral fertilizer about once every two weeks. In autumn all the feeding should be stopped.
Lemon Meyer Transplantation
Transplant a lemon before the age of five should be every year, and then - once in 3-4 years. The soil for the plant should be neutral, for example, a mixture of equal amounts of foliage, turf and humus. It is not bad to add to this mixture fine charcoal and river sand. It is important to make a good drainage: pieces of brick or expanded clay, and over pour a layer of coarse sand.
It should be remembered that it is impossible to transplant a young lemon into a very large container, since the root system of the plant will not fill the entire pot, and the land will begin to turn sour with unused moisture. Therefore, each new container for Meyer's lemon transplant should be only 5 cm larger than the previous one. Moreover, the root neck of the plant does not recur while transplanting.
In the spring, it is necessary to remove from the plant all broken, diseased and otplodonosivshie twigs.
Diseases of Meyer Lemon at home
On the Chinese lemon, pests such as
If the plant lacks light or nutrition, its leaves become lighter. It may happen that the lemon of Meyer has discarded all the leaves. This indicates that the plant is experiencing an acute lack of moisture. It should be sprayed more often, and the soil in the pot should not be allowed to dry out. With insufficient humidity, lemon leaves can turn brown.
Look after your lemon, and the plant will please you with tasty and healthy fruits.