Home generalMaintain citrus plants properly and overwinter

Maintain citrus plants properly and overwinter

  • Care of citrus plants
  • The right plant substrate
  • Appropriate casting
  • overwinter
  • Fertilizing the potted plants
  • Diseases and pests
  • Propagation by seeds and cuttings

Citrus plants belong as a plant genus to the family of the rhododendrons . They are native to the tropical and subtropical part of Asia. These plants are evergreen shrubs and trees that grow between 5 and 10 meters in height. Their round berries are well-known citrus fruits, such as oranges, mandarins or lemons. Citrus plants are mainly cultivated in warm climates, such as the Mediterranean. Their fruits require a long period of maturity, so they are preferably grown in locations where these climatic conditions are met. This is especially true for the so-called citrus belt, which lies between the 20th and 40th parallel, ie north and south of the equator. Those familiar with the botany of citrus plants will be able to cultivate and maintain them successfully in the local regions. If the most important factors such as light, temperature, water and nutrients are taken into account, they will delight hobby gardeners over many years with their magnificent white flowers and edible fruits.

Since the majority of citrus plants are not frost resistant, they are preferably kept in pots on the patio or balcony or as a houseplant. The flowers of these plants consist of five petals and the stamens, in which the pollen are. The ovary is in the middle of the flower and is pollinated either by the wind or by insects with the pollen. This is the end of the glorious flowering time sealed, because now fall off the petals and from the ovary forms the citrus fruit.

Care of citrus plants

Many people assume that citrus plants, because of their tropical origin, are very sensitive to cold and make high demands on their care. If their basic needs are taken into account, it is not that difficult to keep these exotic plants in the private habitat. Here are some of the most important care instructions:

  • bright and sunny location;
  • only after the ice saints into the open air;
  • not too wet ground;
  • preferably no drafts;
  • Keep heat and light in proportion;
  • Indoor plants best on the west or southwest window;
  • turn the plant as planned;
  • check daily the water requirement;
  • Irrigation water should have a hardness of 1 or 2;
  • room-warm rainwater as pouring water well suited;
  • Fertilize citrus plants regularly during growth;
  • Spraying the leaves with diluted algae juice promotes the resistance;
  • Spray seaweed juice every 3 to 4 weeks on the undersides of the leaves;
  • harvest the fruits regularly to relieve the branches;
  • Pruning is usually not required.

In order to prevent a one-sided growth in a houseplant, this is rotated regularly. As part of this care measure, the hobby gardener should be aware that the citrus plants spend a lot of energy to turn their leaves to the light. To keep this energy consumption as low as possible, the plants should be turned faster than they need to align their leaves to the light.

The right plant substrate

If a young citrus plant is purchased, it is already in a suitable substrate. It can remain there until the roots grow out of the drainage holes. Until then, the plant has become accustomed to its new location and can now be repotted. The ideal potting soil for citrus plants is composed of peat, compost and loamy garden soil, which are mixed in equal parts. Some organic fertilizer, such as horn shavings or guano can also be added at will. Citrus plants feel particularly comfortable in a breezy substrate. For this reason, some styrofoam beads or some expanded clay can be mixed in. If it is a large citrus plant, its stability will be improved if the proportion of garden soil is increased slightly. The new planter should not be much larger than the previous one, because otherwise the entire growth force goes into the roots. A drainage layer of small stones or potsherds of 1 cm to 2 cm forms a good base in the vessel. The self-mixed substrate is not filled to the brim. For an attractive, well-kept look, the top layer can consist of pure floral or garden soil. Finally, lightly watered and followed by a few days of rest, so that the citrus plant can grow undisturbed.

Appropriate casting

As a rule, it is sufficient to use simple, somewhat stale tap water to water the citrus plants. Harmful waterlogging is avoided if the planter has drainage holes. If these are missing, the conscientious hobby gardener checks a few minutes after watering whether there is too much water accumulated and removes it if necessary. For a successful care of citrus plants, the timing of the casting plays an important role. If the sun is high in the sky, this is usually not the right time to provide the plants with water. However, when the leaves of the citrus plant curl up slightly, do not wait any longer for watering as this is a clear indication of an advanced water shortage. If you are not sure whether the plant needs water or not, stick your forefinger about 5 cm into the ground. If it feels dry to slightly damp, it is time to water it.

overwinter

As the majority of citrus plants are not frost-resistant, winter hibernation should be established for those who have spent the summer outdoors. Since the larger citrus plants want to rest in winter, they do not like too warm temperatures during this time. Suitable locations for successful wintering are:

  • the conservatory
  • a bright staircase
  • a slightly heated greenhouse
  • a basement room

If a basement room is selected as a winter home for citrus plants, artificial lighting is required for at least 12 hours. Very suitable are fluorescent tubes, which are controlled by a timer. If it comes to a surprising first frosty night, this does not necessarily mean the end of the citrus plant. Some species tolerate up to - 10 ° Celsius for a short time, as long as the root ball does not completely freeze. You should then move as quickly as possible to a cool, frost-free room. The winter garden is only suitable for wintering the potted plants, if it is not used as a living space and heated accordingly. Citrus plants, which are kept as indoor plants, get through the winter in the best way, if they are supplied with sufficient light. There is no need to add fertilizer throughout the winter as the plants will not grow during this time anyway. Moreover, citrus plants need little water if they are to hibernate healthy. It is not uncommon for plants that had to be vigorously potted daily during the summer to need a little water in winter at most once a week.

Fertilizing the potted plants

The majority of citrus plants are kept in the local areas as bucket or indoor plants. Thus, they are literally isolated from the normal ecological cycle in which, for example, garden plants are located, which have access to the soil organisms. The addition of fertilizer compensates for this supply gap in potted plants, because the nutrients contained in the substrate are used up over time. Even citrus plants - unlike humans - can survive for months without nutrients; but eventually they will perish due to deficiency symptoms. But it does not have to be an expensive specialty fertilizer that is used in citrus plants. It should contain as essential ingredients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and also a little calcium, iron, magnesium and sulfur. Of course, fertilizer can also be made for bucket and house plants; However, this alone is not worthwhile from a financial point of view.

Diseases and pests

If a citrus plant does not grow and grow as desired, it may be due to care errors, disease or pests. Rolled leaves indicate a drastic water shortage that is quickly resolved. As the shoots become softer and weaker, the citrus plant needs more light, less water and is too warm. Once these three weak points have been resolved, it is advisable to completely remove the affected shoots, as they will not recover. Yellow to white leaves can have different causes. This may be due to a nutrient deficiency that is treated with fertilizer. Too wet a substrate can also cause unwanted discoloration of the leaves. Citrus plants are also prone to fungal diseases . If individual parts of a plant suddenly wither, this is usually due to the illness Fusarium, which is treated with a spray from the specialist shop. If there is a black coating on the leaves, Russtau struck, which is triggered by lice. The leaves should be thoroughly cleaned immediately and then sprayed with a soft soap solution of 1 tablespoon of soft soap and 1 liter of water. While overwintering the citrus plants, they are often susceptible to spider mites, especially when the air is particularly dry. If there are small silvery spots on the leaves or even the first spider webs, the affected leaves should be removed and the plant should be treated with a rape seed oil based pesticide.

Propagation by seeds and cuttings

Basically, it is possible to increase its citrus plants by seeds of the fruits. The advantage is that they are then more vigorous and robust than the purchased and processed plants. The disadvantage lies in the often years of waiting time until the self-grown citrus plants bloom. Limes bloom in ideal conditions after only 2 years, lemons with a little luck after 3 to 5 years and oranges not infrequently after 7 years. In addition, self-bred seedlings carry numerous thorns that have been bred away from the grafted, purchased varieties. Therefore, most hobby gardeners refrain from the plan to propagate seeds. A whole series of citrus plants can be propagated by cuttings. In this case, a 10 cm long shoot is cut off from a plant that is currently bearing fruit. This cuttings comes in a peat-sand mixture and is covered with a plastic wrap, which is fixed with a rubber band. This creates a high level of humidity that nearly matches the tropical conditions. Since the rooting can take a lot of time, the patience of the hobby gardener is also put to the test in this variant of propagation.

Successful care and successful wintering do not require extensive specialist knowledge
It is a traditional prejudice that the attitude of citrus plants is only for specialists with special skills. It certainly also plays into this, that due to the tropical origin most people assume that these plants in the latitudes do not grow and thrive here. However, if you take care of some care instructions and have the right accommodation for the winter, as a hobby gardener you can enjoy these remarkable plants for many years. As potted plants they beautify terrace and balcony throughout the summer. As houseplants, they delight humans throughout the year and, with a bit of luck, also deliver quite tasty fruits.

Tips for quick readers:

  • Citrus plants are suitable as bucket and indoor plants.
  • They only come outside after the ice saints.
  • The location should be bright and sunny.
  • During the growth phase, citrus plants need plenty of water.
  • As irrigation stale tap water is suitable.
  • Rolled leaves indicate lack of water.
  • The plant substrate is preferably nutrient-rich and airy.
  • Simple liquid fertilizer replenishes used nutrients.
  • Turn houseplants regularly at the window.
  • Harvest fruits in time to relieve the branches.
  • If necessary, citrus plants tolerate a short frost time.
  • Winter quarters should be bright and not too warm.
  • During hibernation do not give fertilizer and only a little water.
  • The plants are susceptible to fungal diseases.
  • If the citrus plants overwinter regularly inspect for spider mites.
  • Propagation with seeds or cuttings requires a lot of patience.
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