How to propagate a tangerine tree at home. How to care for a tangerine tree so that you can harvest sunny fruits on your own windowsill. Preparing the soil for replanting tangerines

A spectacular potted plant - the indoor tangerine - is loved by many gardeners not only for its bright, aromatic fruits that ripen on New Year's Eve, but also for its white flowers, which exude a surprisingly delicate, incredibly pleasant aroma during flowering. Some cultivated varieties of mandarin are capable of blooming all year round. Look at the photo how beautiful the tree looks in the interior of the room. Mandarin is easy to grow and care for; it can be planted and propagated without difficulty even at home. See for yourself.

Biological characteristics and common varieties

Mandarin (Citrus reticulate) belongs to the large group of Citrus fruits. The crop is a tree or shrub, reaching 5 m in nature. Of all citrus fruits, tangerine is the most winter-hardy and productive plant. It can withstand short-term temperature drops to -12-15 degrees. Tangerine trees begin to bear fruit in the second year of planting. Its flowers are slightly smaller than lemon flowers, but have a more piercing, strong aroma. Plants of dwarf varieties not exceeding 40-50 cm are usually grown indoors.

Common varieties include the following:

Mandarin Georgian seedless(Unshiu) is the most common in indoor cultivation due to its large fruits with thin skin and juicy sweet pulp. It practically does not form seeds.
Mandarin Georgian angustifolia– the plant produces smaller fruits. The peel is slightly thicker than that of the Unshiu variety. The pulp is sweet, fine-grained and very juicy.
Mandarin Kovano-Vase– high-yielding, early-ripening variety. It produces a lot of fruit even when grown at home. Able to bear fruit in the first year of planting.

Planting indoor tangerine

The cultivation of tangerine trees began in ancient China, where the orange-yellow fruits were available only to the rich - tangerines. This is probably where the name of the culture came from. Nowadays, dwarf tangerine plants, already with bright fruits on the branches, can be easily purchased in many flower shops.

After purchase, it is recommended to replant the plant in a fresh suitable substrate for citrus fruits with an acidity pH of 5.5-7.0. You can also make up the soil yourself by mixing leaf soil, turf soil, manure humus and river sand in a ratio of 1:1:1:0.5. Take a pot for replanting that is only 2-3 cm larger than the previous one - this will stimulate the tangerine to grow.

Features of growing and caring for tangerines

Indoor tangerine trees are very light-loving. It is recommended to place them no further than 1 m from the window on the east or south side.

Attention! Citrus fruits (and tangerine are no exception) easily get used to the light on one side, so sharp turns and rearrangements from one window sill to another are contraindicated for the tangerine tree. This causes a disturbance in the metabolism of nutrients in the leaves, which leads to heavy leaf fall, and in some cases even to the death of the entire plant.

For development and optimal growth, tangerine will require a temperature of +16-20 degrees in the spring-summer period and +12-15 in winter. In summer and during flowering, carefully monitor the temperature readings near the plant, as overheating threatens the flowers and fruits withering.

Pay special attention to the leaf mass: regularly spray and clean the leaf plates. The flowering and productivity of tangerines directly depends on the condition and number of leaves. Monitor the soil moisture in the pot: it should not dry out completely. Water only with warm, purified or settled water.

Important! All citrus fruits are excellent air purifiers, as they saturate it with a large amount of phytoncides.

Feeding

Fertilizing an adult fruit-bearing tangerine tree begins in the summer and continues until the end of September. Give preference to organic fertilizers - infused and diluted cow manure in a ratio of 1:10. In the spring, before flowering begins, tangerines can be fed 2-3 times with complex fertilizer for citrus fruits.

Reproduction

Indoor tangerine can be propagated in two ways:

rooting of the apical cutting;

Cuttings are carried out at the beginning of summer. For rooting, root stimulating agents are used, since cuttings do not produce roots well.

Vaccination is more effective and successful. Own-rooted lemon cuttings or seedlings of any citrus fruits are used as rootstocks.

Common diseases and pests

Most often, the plant is susceptible to late blight, gray rot and scab. For prevention, it is recommended to carry out regular spraying with systemic fungicides.

Among the pests that cause great harm to tangerine trees are scale insects, aphids, spider mites and thrips. To combat them, special natural or chemical insecticides are used.

How to grow tangerines at home: video

Growing tangerine: photo

Mandarin is an evergreen plant that belongs to the Rutaceae family. The specific Latin name of the mandarin is Citrus reticulate. Like orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit, it belongs to the Citrus genus. The life form of this plant is interesting - it can be a shrub or a tree, reaching a height of 5 meters.

Like other representatives of the Citrus genus, tangerines have long been grown in greenhouses, conservatories, and winter gardens. Despite its size, tangerines can be grown at home on a balcony or windowsill. Currently, breeders have developed many varieties of dwarf and low-growing tangerines for home cultivation, the maximum height of which is 0.6-1.1 m. An indoor tangerine may not be a dwarf variety, then the plant needs to be heavily pruned and shaped.

Indoor tangerine is a very spectacular potted plant. And not only because of the bright, fragrant and appetizing orange fruits that can last for several months. Sometimes a plant gives pleasure only by its flowering, because the delicate white flowers of tangerine exude an amazing aroma. In some varieties, flowering begins in the spring and can continue all year round. An indoor mandarin grown as a bonsai is a real work of art.

The fruits of indoor tangerines are set without artificial pollination and usually ripen at the end of the year. Often an indoor tangerine in a pot is bought in a store with fruits already hanging on it. Despite the fact that they are very appetizing, you should not eat them. Indeed, to achieve such a high decorative effect, plants receive high doses of fertilizers. The tangerine has beautiful leathery and corrugated leaves.

Popular tangerine varieties for growing at home

Unshiu– the Japanese variety, the most unpretentious, begins to bear fruit in 3-4 years, in room conditions it grows to 0.8-1.5 m. It branches well. It blooms profusely in spring, producing fruits in late October-November. Pear-shaped fruits lack seeds.
Kowano-Wase, Micha-Wase, Miyagawa-Wase- dwarf tangerines of the Vasya group - suitable for growing on a windowsill, height 40-80 cm. Orange-yellow fruits ripen for the first time in the second year of cultivation, flowering is abundant. Like all dwarf varieties, they do not require crown formation.
Shiva-Mikan– early compact fast-growing variety. The fruits are small, no more than 30 g
Murcot t – the fruits of this compact tangerine variety are very sweet, ripen in summer, and taste very sweet, which is why the name of the variety is translated as “honey.”
Clementine- a hybrid of tangerine and orange, bears fruit at home in the second year. One adult domestic tree produces up to 50 medium-sized, flattened orange-red fruits per year, very fragrant, with shiny skin. Plants of this variety with numerous seeds are called Montreals.

Mandarin: home care

Lighting mandarin at home

The first step in successfully growing indoor tangerine is choosing a place for the plant and its proper lighting.
Indoor tangerines, as well as those grown in open ground, need good lighting with some direct sunlight. When there is insufficient light, the plant slows down its growth, throws out a small number of flowers or does not bloom at all. With a strong lack of light, the leaves of indoor tangerines become faded, new shoots become elongated, thin and painful in appearance. Therefore, it is better to grow the plant on eastern, south-eastern and southern windows, shading them from direct midday rays. In summer, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, gradually accustoming it to the street.
In winter, when daylight hours are short, indoor tangerines should be placed in the brightest place with direct sunlight. But sometimes this is not enough: artificial lighting is needed. For this purpose, an ordinary phytolamp is suitable, which can be screwed into a chandelier or table lamp. It is necessary to transfer the plant to additional lighting gradually. With a sharp change in daylight hours, it can shed its leaves.

Content temperature

The optimal temperature for indoor tangerine in the summer is + 20-25 oC. During the period of budding and flowering, so that the flowers do not fall off, it is better to keep the plant at a temperature slightly below + 20 ° C. In winter, to ensure a relative period of rest, tangerine is kept at + 5 -10 °C. A plant that has rested over the winter will bloom and bear fruit better.

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How to water and spray tangerines at home

The indoor mandarin, like its wild ancestors, is adapted to withstand dry periods. In extreme cases, the plant will shed its leaves to reduce the amount of liquid that evaporates. A common problem when growing tangerines at home is excessive watering, which leads to the development of fungal diseases.
The amount of water for watering indoor tangerines depends on several factors:
- size of the plant;
- the size of the container in which the tangerine grows;
- ambient temperature;
- length of daylight hours and lighting intensity.
The larger the leaf surface of an indoor tangerine, the greater the evaporation, and the more it needs watering. Temperature also affects the rate of evaporation: the higher it is, the more moisture the plant loses. The length of daylight directly affects the amount of moisture that evaporates. Stomata - formations on the underside of land plants that serve for gas exchange, open during daylight hours.
Watering indoor tangerines should be done in the first half of the day, when the plant has activated its life processes. When the temperature drops, watering is reduced, even stopping for several days during the period when the room temperature is only +12-15 oC. In this case, the tangerine is watered with a small amount of water only to maintain vital functions.
Mandarin at home needs regular spraying of leaves. Very dry air has a bad effect on the plant and is often a prerequisite for its infection with spider mites. If an indoor tangerine is blooming, then you need to make sure that water does not get on its flowers.

How to feed tangerines at home

Full care of tangerines at home is not possible without additional mineral and organic nutrition. The soil in the pot is quickly depleted and washed away when watering, and recreational processes practically do not occur in it, unlike soil in nature.
For fertilizing, you can use soluble or dry fertilizers. In the spring, as daylight hours increase, fertilizing for indoor tangerines is increased. It is in the early spring that vegetative and generative buds begin to develop intensively; at this time, the plant requires additional nutrients.
At home, tangerines are fertilized like all other indoor plants, that is, in the first half of the day. The ambient temperature should be at least + 18-19 degrees.
Soluble fertilizers are often used for fertilizing. You can water the plant with them, and spray its leaves in a weaker concentration. To feed indoor mandarin, any complex mineral fertilizer containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium - the main elements necessary for plants - is suitable.
Fertilizers should be dissolved in soft or settled water at room temperature. The main thing is not to increase the dose. If the instructions say: 1 capful of product per 1 liter of water, do not think that 2 capfuls will make the solution more useful. This will lead to the opposite effect - a chemical burn or toxic poisoning of the plant.
You need to feed tangerines at home during the period of intensive growth (from March to September) 2 times a week. Possibly less often, but not more often.
Dry fertilizers, which are applied to the soil and gradually dissolve, releasing microelements to the soil, must be applied even more carefully. Their advantage is that by adding them in the spring you can forget about fertilizing for a long time. However, they can be quickly used by the plant, and it will be difficult to guess about it. Adding an additional dose of fertilizer will lead to the above-mentioned overdose.
To grow tangerines, organic fertilizers are also needed. To do this, you can dilute infused cow manure in a ratio of 1/10. The best option would be to use organic fertilizer in combination with mineral fertilizers for soil feeding.

Additional care for tangerines at home

To form a lush tangerine tree, pinch the tops of its branches.
Caring for tangerines at home also involves removing dried leaves or elongated branches.
On young flowering plants, the flowers are partially removed so as not to deplete them and to allow several fruits to ripen. For 15-20 leaves of an adult plant, you can leave one ovary. The fewer fruits remain on the tangerine, the larger they will be.
The fruiting branches of indoor mandarin are tied and tied to a support, otherwise they may break due to the weight of the fruit and the plant will not have an attractive appearance.

Among the representatives of the Rutov family, one of the popular fruits is the tangerine. In Latin, the name of this evergreen plant is Citrus reticulate. Mandarin belongs to the group of citrus fruits, which also includes such well-known fruits as orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc. During its development, the plant can take on different shapes - a bush or a tree with a height of 5 m.

Indoor tangerine

In recent years, growing tangerines in artificial conditions has become widespread, using devices such as greenhouses, conservatories and winter gardens. If you wish, you can grow this evergreen plant at home on your balcony or windowsill. Today, a large number of varieties of dwarf and low-growing tangerines have been created, which are ideal for these purposes, because when they reach the full phase of vegetative development, they have a height of no more than 0.6-1.1 m. If tangerines of ordinary varieties are grown at home, then in relation it requires pruning and shaping of the bush.

A tangerine grown in a pot can please any owner. Moreover, this is manifested not only in the formation of bright, appetizing orange fruits, which can remain on the plant for several months. Many owners note the beautiful flowering of tangerine, because when the branches of the plant are covered with white flowers, they begin to emit amazing aroma. There are certain varieties of tangerines that begin to bloom from spring until late autumn. A true masterpiece is the tangerine, grown using the bonsai technique.

One of the advantages of indoor tangerine is that artificial pollination is not required for the formation of its fruits. The moment of their ripening occurs, as a rule, at the end of the year. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can buy an already mature plant in a pot with fruits. Although they look very appetizing, it is not recommended to use them for food. Still, such tangerines are largely decorative, because to grow them, fertilizers are added to the soil in large quantities. Gives additional attractiveness to the plant leathery and corrugated leaves.

Varieties for growing at home

Before growing tangerine at home, you must first decide on a suitable variety.

Mandarin: home care

In order for home-grown tangerines to give you tasty and beautiful fruits, you need to properly find a place for it and take care of creating optimal lighting.

Lighting

The presence of good lighting is one of the determining conditions that must be met regardless of the growing conditions of the tangerine. Tangerines grow best when exposed to a small amount of direct sunlight. If the plant does not have enough lighting, this will affect its growth, the number of flowers formed will be small, and in some cases the plant will not be able to enter the flowering phase at all.

Also, a lack of lighting affects the leaves, which take on a faded appearance; the emerging shoots begin to thin out, acquiring painful condition. For this reason, it is advisable to choose windows facing the east, southeast or south as a place to grow tangerines. At the same time, he needs to provide artificial shade from the midday sun. With the onset of summer, the decorative tangerine can be placed on the balcony for a while, helping it adapt to natural conditions.

The tangerine tree is cared for somewhat differently in winter, when the length of daylight hours is reduced. For plants, it is necessary to choose the most illuminated area that receives direct sunlight. However, this does not always provide sufficient lighting. In this case, you have to use artificial lighting. You can make up for the lack of lighting with a regular phytolamp, which is connected to a chandelier or table lamp. You should start adding light to the plants little by little. If the duration of daylight hours is immediately increased sharply, this can lead to plants shedding leaves.

Content temperature

For normal growth, decorative tangerines must be provided with temperatures in the range plus 20-25 degrees Celsius. When the tangerine enters the flowering phase, it is advisable to maintain the temperature at a level of up to 20 degrees to avoid the flowers falling off. In winter, plants need to create conditions for less active growth, so the optimal temperature for it will be in the range of 5-10 degrees. This regime allows the plant to accumulate enough strength over the winter to actively enter the flowering and fruiting phase with the onset of spring.

How to water and spray tangerines at home?

A tangerine tree grown on a windowsill has the ability, borrowed from its wild ancestors, to withstand long periods of drought. If the plant does not receive moisture for too long, this will lead to shedding of leaves, which will reduce the volume of evaporated liquid. Owners who decide to grow indoor tangerines have great difficulties with watering. It is necessary to choose the right water consumption rate, since with high humidity there is a danger of developing fungal diseases.

To correctly calculate the volume of water for watering a tangerine tree, the following factors must be taken into account:

plant size;
volume of container used for growing tangerine;
ambient temperature;
length of daylight and lighting intensity.

As the leaf surface of a houseplant increases, amount of moisture evaporated Therefore, such plants need to be provided with moisture in a larger volume. In addition, the rate of evaporation depends on the ambient temperature: as it increases, plants begin to release more moisture. Also, the volume of liquid evaporated depends on the length of daylight hours. Throughout the day, the tangerine tree has open stomata, which are formations located below the ground part, which are necessary for gas exchange.

The most suitable time for watering indoor plants is the first half of the day, since this is the time of day when plant activity peaks. Particular attention should be paid to the ambient temperature: as it decreases, the frequency of watering is reduced. In some cases, it is enough to water the tangerine once every few days if the temperature remains stable. within + 12… +15 degrees Celsius. In such conditions, plants only need a small amount of moisture to maintain their vital functions.

One of the recommended procedures that has a positive effect on the development of the tangerine tree is spraying the leaves. In conditions of low air humidity, the tangerine begins to feel uncomfortable, which may result in the risk of the plant becoming infected with spider mites. Therefore, during flowering, it is necessary to avoid getting moisture on the flowers.

How to feed tangerines at home?

In order for the tangerine tree not only to grow well, but also to bear fruit, it requires care, which includes the application of mineral and organic fertilizers. Since a container of soil, which contains an extremely small amount of useful elements, is used for cultivation, all these elements are washed away when watering. Good food for tangerines can be: soluble or dry fertilizers.

You can start feeding indoor plants already in the first days of spring, when the length of daylight hours begins to increase. Moreover, the first portions should be small, which must be increased over time. This point needs to be given special attention, since it is in early spring that the active development of vegetative and generative buds occurs.

For their normal formation, the tangerine tree needs to be provided with additional nutrients. When growing plants indoors, fertilizers are applied according to the same scheme as for other indoor plants. Mandarin oranges should be fed in the first half of the day. The recommended ambient temperature for this procedure is no higher than + 18… +19 degrees.

Conclusion

Mandarin is an exotic plant for our country, but many owners have long learned to grow it at home. Many people are attracted to these evergreen plants not only by their orange-red fruits, but also fragrant aroma, which comes from flowers. Growing decorative tangerine indoors is not as difficult a task as it might seem at first glance. The main thing that needs to be taken care of is to create optimal conditions for normal growth and development. With proper care, very soon the tangerine will delight you with bright and beautiful fruits.

Many people, at least once in their lives, have tried to stick a tangerine or other fruit seed into the ground, in the hope that a fruit-bearing tree would soon grow in a flower pot. The task is difficult and overwhelming, mainly due to a lack of knowledge on cultivation, and then there is no need to talk about proper care.

But it turns out that if you approach the matter correctly, without relying on “maybe”, then, for example, anyone can grow a tangerine tree in an apartment, even those who are not a skilled gardener. The main thing is patience, the ability to care and the desire to achieve what you want!

As is the case with other citrus crops, there are two possible ways to grow a tangerine tree - purchasing a seedling from a specialized store, or growing a tree yourself from a seed. The second path is more interesting and exciting (if you have the habit of caring for plantings), and if everything works out, then in a couple of years you will be filled with pride that your homemade tangerine not only smells fragrant, but also bears fruit!

It’s worth starting the process of growing at home by extracting seed material.

The procedure is expected to be as follows:

Extraction and preparation of seed material
Preparing the container
Preparing the land for planting
Waiting for shoots
Preventive measures against diseases and pests

So, let's start moving through the list from the very beginning. It is worth starting the process of growing at home by obtaining seed material - several tangerine seeds, preferably 5-6, since not all of them can sprout. To do this, purchase ripe tangerines from your nearest store, which are stored in appropriate conditions (not in the refrigerator, not in direct sunlight), from which you remove the seeds necessary for this stage. Rinse the “extracted” seed thoroughly and place it on a flat, open surface to dry. After the seeds have dried, you need to start preparing them for planting.

To do this, the seed must be soaked for better germination: it is better to take a clean, damp cotton cloth, wrap the tangerine seeds in it and leave them for a couple of days. There is no need to fill the fabric with seeds with water, but you need to make sure that the fabric is constantly wet - completely drying it out is unacceptable, as this will ruin the whole thing. For those who do not want to deal with fabric and constantly monitor the state of its moisture, experienced gardeners advise purchasing a hydrogel (possibly called aqua soil, eco-soil), which will allow you to carry out the desired process without hassle. The hydrogel will replace wet cloth/gauze: by mixing the powder in the required proportion with water and placing the seeds inside the resulting jelly, you will not need to worry about the seed drying out at home for several days.

Video about how to grow a tangerine from a seed

While the seeds are swelling and hatching, they do not need any more care than described above, and therefore it is time to start preparing the container and soil. Let's start with containers: at the first stage, you can take a container of any size, up to a plastic cup. In the future, the grown seedling will need to be grown in a pot with a volume of about 4 liters. Before filling with soil, drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot (or any other container you have prepared). Let it be small pebbles, crushed walnut shells.

Now let's decide on the land. Like the “wild” one, homemade tangerine does not like acidic soils, so if you purchase the substrate at a specialized point of sale, you need to make sure that the soil is peat-free. If you prepare the soil for planting yourself, then some light mixture that allows air to pass through well, for example, a mixture of turf, leaf soil and sand, is best.

After everything is prepared, and the seeds have hatched and sprouts have already appeared, you can proceed directly to planting. Selected grains must be placed in grooves 3-4 cm deep and sprinkled with earth. Water the soil well, but try not to overwater. After this, we remove the pots with plantings in a dark, warm place. As a rule, tangerines even in natural conditions take quite a long time to sprout, so do not be alarmed or despair because there are no sprouts for a long time; as a rule, they appear 3-4 weeks after planting. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that the soil in the container is moist, but not waterlogged.

Water the soil well, but try not to overwater

After the sprouts have appeared, it is necessary to move the pot to a bright, but again warm place. Mandarin is a heat-loving plant, and for its good growth and development, the ambient temperature must be at least 200C.

First of all, as noted above, tangerine grows only in suitable temperature conditions. If the pot with sprouts is placed in a cool place (below 20 -22 0C), the plant will stop growing and may soon die completely.

After each watering, it is strictly necessary to care for the tangerine: loosen the soil

Secondly, you must remember that the citrus tree is moisture-loving. In the summer, care includes mandatory watering, which should be done several times a day (depending on temperature and humidity conditions). In winter, watering is done less frequently - about 3 times a week, as the soil in the pot dries out. In addition, the leaves of the tree must be sprayed generously every day, and a container of water must be placed next to the pot. All these measures are necessary to ensure sufficient humidity, which is vital for the tangerine tree, since under natural conditions it, as a rule, does not lack moisture. The water must be filtered and settled, at room temperature. However, you can’t overwater the plant either. After each watering, it is strictly necessary to care for the tangerine: loosen the soil and, if necessary, apply fertilizer.

Thirdly, some gardeners who have had a citrus tree growing in artificial conditions for several years advise replanting the plant annually in the spring. Moreover, this must be done extremely carefully, trying not to touch the soil around the roots. After the tree reaches eight years of age, replanting can be done once or twice a year. Such home care will not only allow the tree to grow better, but from a certain point will also affect the qualitative and quantitative indicators of tangerine yield.

Fourthly, feeding the tree with mineral and organic fertilizers is mandatory when growing citrus fruits at home. Balanced fertilizers are best purchased at a specialty store. The most frequent feeding should be done when the plant has its first leaves. The frequency of fertilizing in the summer is once every 14 days, with the onset of autumn once a month.

Video about tangerine tree

Pest and disease control.

Citrus trees grown at home can be seriously damaged by flies, aphids, and red mites. Therefore, mandatory care should include a weekly visual inspection of all parts of the plant, from the trunk and root part to the leaves and shoots.

As soon as you notice pests, you must immediately take a number of measures aimed at saving the tree. If you notice pests in time, then you won’t need strong “chemistry”. It will be enough to prepare a solution from onion peels or garlic, and use it to thoroughly rinse the entire plant - leaves and trunk. Don’t be lazy, wash everything carefully and thoroughly, since spraying will not give the desired results. Instead of homemade infusions prepared yourself, you can buy a biological product “green soap” in a specialized store, which will help cope with pests.

- one of the most favorite treats on New Year's Eve. The aroma of citrus lifts your spirits, gives the body many beneficial microelements and delights with a pleasant, sweet taste. It is possible to grow a “homemade” tangerine. Moreover, it's simple. The plant will decorate the interior of the room and refresh the air with delicate floral and citrus notes.

A small citrus tree was specially bred for growing in greenhouses, winter gardens and rooms. A beautiful ornamental plant can not only brighten up the decor of a room, but also bear fruit. The process of growing a tangerine is very interesting, and what pride appears after the first taste of a sweet fruit grown independently! Growing conditions, planting and caring for citrus - all this can be found in useful material for the grower.

Mandarin orange originally grew wild in China. In nature, it reaches a height of 4 to 5 m and grows as a lush tree. Citrus leaves are bright green, juicy and glossy. Interestingly, the plant changes its crown only once every four years. The plant blooms with white inflorescences in May. Tangerine begins to bear fruit at 4-5 years of age. The fruits are round in shape, slightly flattened in the center, bright orange or yellow in color, ripen in October. The peel is easily removed, thin or compacted, depending on the variety and type.

The tangerine tree belongs to the mulberry family and has many species and varieties.

The house plant belongs to the group called "satsumas". They are usually grown indoors. This is a frost-resistant tree, reaching a height of no more than 2 m. It begins to bear fruit at 3-4 years of age, the fruits are sweet or moderately sweet, depending on the variety in this group. Many gardeners grow tangerines from seeds they get from store-bought fruit. But such seeds are not able to produce sweet and tasty fruits in the future. Fruits from the store are tangerines from the “tangerine” or “noble” group, which cannot be grown at home; they need a good climate and a lot of space.

To grow tangerines at home, it is advisable to find seed material from the satsum group and a variety intended for growing indoors. This way you won’t have to bother with grafting tangerine or a noble species planted and grown from a “store-bought” seed. Having understood the intricacies of citrus, you can decide which tangerine to grow at home.

Whatever type of tangerine the gardener chooses to grow, it is necessary to comply with the conditions under which the plant will feel comfortable. For successful development, you need to choose a good place and provide the tangerine with lighting, humidity and select.

Lighting and air temperature:

Citrus fruits love bright areas with a lot of diffused sunlight. Twelve-hour daylight is a necessary condition for a tangerine.
At home, choose windows facing south. You can also place the seeds on the windowsill, and protect the already grown sprouts from sunburn - place the pot a little away from the window.
In winter, keep your distance from radiators. Do not expose the tangerine to dry air or currents coming from batteries. It is more advisable to choose a place near the wall of the room, not far from the window, but at a sufficient distance from the radiators. Lighting plays an important role in growing a plant; it should not be ignored.
The air temperature in the room should not fall below 15° in winter and below 18° in summer. Varieties of the "satsuma", "tangerine" and "noble" group can withstand temperature changes down to -7°.

Citrus loves nutritious soils rich in microelements. Moreover, for seeds you need one mixture, and when transplanting adult plants - another.

The main condition is good drainage and nutritional content of the soil.

For seeds and their germination, a substrate is prepared from turf soil, sand, humus and leaf soil. Ratio 2:1:1:1. Peat cannot be added to the soil; it acidifies the soil. For a tree aged one year or more, a substrate is prepared from turf, humus, sand, clay and leaf soil. Ratio 3:1:1:1:1. If there is no clay available, no problem. This is not a mandatory component of the substrate. Having properly prepared the soil, you can safely plant seeds or replant an already mature tree.

It is very important to provide the plant with sufficient air humidity. This condition is quite difficult to implement at home, especially if the heating system is equipped with conventional radiators. Experienced plant growers place containers of water next to pots of tangerines, and in winter they place wet towels on the radiators. A prerequisite is a regular sprinkling procedure - this will maintain high air humidity and prevent the citrus from drying out. As often as possible, you just need to spray water into the air in the room where the tangerine is located.

Mandarin from the seed: planting rules

Tangerine seeds are the most common plant method. You can always get it from purchased fruit or purchase it at a garden store. Seedlings are bought less often. The process of growing an exotic fruit from a seed is very interesting. It's always nice to know that the resulting fruit was grown "from scratch" - from a seed.

Planting the seed:

The available seed material must first be prepared. To do this, the bones are placed in damp gauze for several days. should swell and hatch a little. This way they will sprout faster, in 3-4 weeks, and not in the prescribed 5-6. Mandarin takes a long time to grow. Therefore, be patient from the very beginning.
Place a drainage layer in a flowerpot or any other container. It can be expanded clay, broken brick or pebbles.
Then the pot is filled with substrate for young plants (see above).
Plant the seed shallowly - to a depth of 1-2 cm.
Cover the container with film to create a greenhouse climate.
The container with seeds can be placed on the windowsill.

The air temperature must be at least 15°. The soil must be periodically moistened, but not flooded. Remove condensation from the film so that the young sprouts are not affected by the fungus. Initially, the seeds soaked in gauze will sprout in 3-4 weeks.

Caring for the plant is simple and requires minimal effort, mainly associated with watering and fertilizing. Mandarin will not cause any trouble if all growing conditions were initially met and provided.

In the summer, citrus should be watered and sprinkled frequently. The earthen clod must not be allowed to dry out.
Make sure the soil is evenly moistened but not waterlogged.
Use only settled, warm water. You can’t take it straight from the tap. All sediments that are invariably present in the water will settle in the soil. This adversely affects the health of the plant and the nutritional value of the soil.
Sprinkling procedures are also carried out with warm, settled water. In the hot season, the plant is sprayed 1-2 times a day so that direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves.
In winter, watering and sprinkling are reduced by 2-3 times.
Feeding:
In spring, it is necessary to add and to the soil. The first feeding is carried out after 5-6 full-fledged leaves have formed on the sprout. It is better to give preference to mineral complexes for citrus fruits. Well-rotted humus is added from organic matter.
In autumn, fertilizing is reduced.
In winter it is better to avoid them.

It is important to apply fertilizer before - May-June and before the fruits ripen - September. Always observe moderation and adhere to the gardener’s golden rule: in the spring, apply fertilizers with nitrogen compounds, and closer to autumn with phosphorus-potassium compounds.

Every year, in the spring, the young tree needs to be transplanted into a larger pot.

After 8 years of life, the tangerine is replanted once every 2-3 years. The method is transshipment of an earthen clod. Fresh substrate is distributed in a circle into a free space along the diameter of the pot. Young plants should be moved from one flowerpot to another with extreme caution, since the tangerine root system is very fragile. Many gardeners give it to a young tree so that the fruits are sweet and tasty. However, if the variety and group are selected correctly, this procedure is not necessary. Basically, it is provided if the seeds were taken from a purchased fruit of an unknown variety and group.

At home, tangerines are more often affected by spider mites, scale insects or mealy worms. Pests are removed with cotton wool, and the plant is treated either with plant solutions or with insecticides of chemical origin. Solutions can be prepared from soap shavings, as well. As for chemicals, “Fitoverm” or “Aktellika” will help here. Remember that the use of chemicals is justified in case of severe damage to the plant, which rarely happens at home.

Pests attack tangerines more often when the room is hot and there is low air humidity.

If done incorrectly, the leaves of the tree become stained and fall off. Therefore, it is very important to water the citrus tree in a timely manner, but not to waterlog the soil. Otherwise, the mandarin no longer has enemies or diseases.

Growing an indoor tangerine at home is easy if you follow the rules and the tree has enough light and moisture. At the 3-4th year of life of the exotic, the first tasty fruits will appear - the pride of the grower. Good luck growing your tangerine!

More information can be found in the video: