Tangerine care at home
Relatively frost-resistant varieties of mandarin (nevertheless, it is a subtropical culture) withstand frosts down to -7– -12 ˚С. Skeletal branches are further damaged.
In the photo, tangerine trees growing in the garden and grown at home.
Planting material, planting
A tangerine purchased in a nursery or a store will delight you with delicious small fruits in the near future. But a tangerine tree grown by your own hands will delight you much more. There are several ways to plant a plant that will bear fruit with good care.
Growing a tangerine tree from a seed
The most affordable way: it's not a problem to remove the bone from the fetus. Germinates for about a month, while the substrate should not dry out. At first it grows very slowly. It is good to germinate in a special gel.
It makes sense to first plant in a relatively small pot, if it develops well, then transplanting is not a problem in the future. Do not expect exactly the same fruits as the original: this is possible only with vegetative propagation.
Growing from cuttings
Mandarin has poor rooting. To increase it, you can cover it on top, for example, with a cut-off plastic bottle or glass jar. This will increase the moisture in the air near the cutting. The substrate must not dry out! It is convenient to treat the stalk itself with hiberiline before planting; there is a stimulant in any garden store.
Another little trick: before planting, the cut of the cutting must be updated under water. This trimming prevents air from clogging the conductive bundles.
Grafting on other citrus fruits
Most often, an orange seedling is used as a stock. Grafting is done by budding, the requirements are the same as for any garden trees. That is: during a slight lag of the bark from the wood (usually in June); without touching the cambium with your fingers (the smallest particles of fat from the fingers reduce engraftment); with careful wrapping of the site of inoculation with a strip of polyethylene - to avoid drying out. In the spring and autumn they are grafted into the cleft.
Cambium (a thin strip of dividing cells between bark and wood) scion and scion must match!
In the absence of the skill, you should first fill your hand on any other culture or just branches. The operation requires thoroughness. Just information: with a perfect vaccination, a pear on a willow takes root, as the saying goes. True, then it dries up, so you won't wait for the fruits.
When grafted or grown from a cuttings, the varietal characteristics are fully preserved: the properties of the mother plant are exactly the same as a tangerine tree grown at home. The care between a tangerine tree grafted onto a rootstock and a tangerine tree grown from a bone at home differs little. The only difference is in the removal of shoots from the stock and protection at first from breaking off: with physical impact, it can break at the site of vaccination.
Tangerine care at home
By following all the recommendations described, you will enjoy the beautiful appearance of your plant, its fragrant flowering and sweet fruits.
Fertilizer
It is clear that when growing in a container, all the substances needed by the plant come from a small volume of soil. There they cannot be in sufficient quantity, therefore regular feeding is required. The easiest way is to use a complex fertilizer solution. It is convenient to water with diluted 1:10 mullein. The larger the container, the easier it is to ensure proper development: the greater the supply of nutrients in the soil.
If a specific element is missing (signs of a lack of various elements appear in different ways), it is this element that needs to be added. In winter, during dormancy, we fertilize with half the rate or do not fertilize at all. In addition, we fertilize in the summer during the fruit filling. Top dressing at this time increases the sugar content and reduces the bitterness in the fruit.
Dormant period
Mandarin does not shed its leaves, they stay on the tree for four years. Therefore, "peace" is not absolute: the tree is as if dormant. But this period is important, in its absence there will be no fruit. Therefore, in winter, you need to keep at a temperature of 8-12 ˚С and a reduced watering... Frequently encountered recommendations to supplement the lighting at this time with special lamps ... although the day is short in winter, and even less light gets into the apartment, at rest its tangerine is enough. Excessive fussing around the bush usually does not justify itself.
Watering
The soil should not dry out, even at rest. But stagnant water is also harmful to the roots. To get out of such a controversial situation, it is good to put a layer of shards, gravel or other large materials on the bottom of the container when landing. Then it is easier to keep the soil moist, but not too wet. Excess water flows down, where it is less harmful to the roots. And yet it is, the soil does not dry out completely. Better to water with settled water: there is no harmful temperature difference; chlorine, harmful to the plant, evaporates.
Transfer
This is still a tree, it begins to bear fruit only for 4-5 years and grows for many more years. You can't put it in a huge container right away - it looks stupid, it takes up a lot of space disproportionate to the size of the sprout. And when there is not enough space for root growth, they are not able to provide the plant. Therefore, you will have to replant many times, as soon as the roots are entwined with a clod of earth. The work is carried out carefully, in order to avoid unnecessary injury and breakage of roots, it is worth watering abundantly before transplanting.
Lighting
Mandarin loves a lot of light, the easiest way is to place it near the south window - you don't have to add additional lighting. If we take out the bush in the garden for the summer, then in the first days only for a few hours. Or at first we put it in the shade, for example, under a large fruit tree. By the way, in the summer, in the heat, it is also worth shading, at least during the hottest hours. And to reduce the evaporation of water from the container, put mulch on the surface.
Pollination
This is quite simple: not required. Self-fertile culture.
Caring for tangerine trees at home brings joy to the touch of a small miracle ... Greens and fruits, the aroma of citrus that fills the apartment against the backdrop of bad weather outside the window pleases the soul and amuses the heart.