The lemon tree in the profile

Plant profile:

Systematics

• Botanical name: Citrus limon
• Order: Sapindales
• Family: Diamond family (Rutaceae)
• Genus: Citrus plants (Citrus)

Botanical:

• Habit: Upright, bushy, small tree
• Growth height: 4 to 5 meters, correspondingly smaller in the bucket
• Main flowering time: May to August
• Blossom: Intensely fragrant single flowers
• Flower color: white
• Leaves: Serrated, oblong, pointed oval, juicy green
• Fruits: Edible, yellow berry fruits

Special features:

Lemons are considered valuable natural remedies because of their high vitamin content. Their essential oils also have a soothing effect on insect bites.

origin

The lemon tree originally comes from Asia, where the plant has been cultivated for over a thousand years. It is believed that the lemon tree originated from a cross between the citronate lemon and the bitter orange tree.

Location and substrate

Give the warmth-loving plant a bright, sunny and sheltered place. A south-facing terrace or a temperature-controlled winter garden is ideal. If you would like to integrate the lemon tree as a highlight in a bed, you should bury the plant along with the bucket after the ice saints and bring it back into the house in autumn.

In relation to that The lemon tree is the substrate a little special. Therefore, it is preferable to put it in Citrus earth or high-quality potted plant soil without the addition of peat.

Watering and fertilizing

Water the lemon tree rarely, but then penetratingly. Before you water, do a thumb test: If the top three inches of the soil feel dry, it's time to reach for the watering can. Citrus trees have a high need for calcium. For this reason, use hard water. Since waterlogging leads to the leaves being thrown off, you should throw away any liquid that has collected in the saucer after a few minutes.

From spring to budding, everything is fertilized for two weeks. A special fertilizer for citrus plants that contains a lot of nitrogen and little phosphate is ideal.

Repot

If the planter has become too small, give it to him Citrus trees prefer a new pot in spring. It is important that a dense root ball can form. Therefore, choose a container that is no more than five centimeters larger than the previous one.

Older specimens are no longer placed in a new bucket, only the substrate is exchanged. To do this, carefully carry the soil with a small one Garden shovel until you come across the first thick roots. Then fill the pot with fresh citrus earth.

Diseases and pests

Lemon trees are unfortunately a bit sensitive. They are often of

• Aphids,
• Spider mites,
• Scale insects

haunted. You can fight these successfully with commercially available means.

If the leaves turn yellow, the plant suffers from chlorosis. Over-fertilization can also be the cause of the unsightly color of the leaves. In this case, check the fertilizer doses and preferably supply the lemon tree with special fertilizer in the dosage indicated on the packaging.