How to care for calamondine: ways to get aromatic citrus fruits

Citrus calamondine micro - self-pollinating plant, characterized by abundant fruiting. In apartments, a tree is grown to decorate the interior like a standard or bonsai. It is worth looking at the photo of the plant and it becomes clear why it has been so popular lately in indoor floriculture and not only. Calamondine, or Citrofortunella microcarp, is a plant that flower growers have loved very much for delicate flowers and bright fruits, which, by the way, are edible, because calamondine is musky lime, a relative of another bright citrus - calamance. Both fruits are very popular in the Philippines, where they are used to give citrus flavor and aroma to dishes and drinks. So, let's see how to keep it at home, how it is wintering in indoor conditions, why it can fall leaves and much more.

Calamondin was bred by crossing two cultures - fortunella and mandarin. Therefore, it is called citrofortunella or citrus calamondin. Other tree names are more popular among the people - indoor mandarin or golden orange.

Description and characteristics of the plant

Kalamondin belong to the family of root. The natural habitat is Southeast Asia. It grows in the form of a branched shrub or small evergreen tree. In nature, grows up to 7 m, the maximum height of indoor calamondine is 1.5 m. The root system is well developed. Thin, lignified roots completely braid a clump of earth in a pot. The roots and stems of the tree are covered with a light, rough bark of a pale brownish color. Branching begins almost from the base of the stem, shoots are densely leafy. The leaves are small, glossy. A slight bend along the main vein is characteristic. Leaves sit on dense, short petioles.

Young branches closer to May are covered with inflorescences. The buds are snow-white, collected in two or three pieces. The flowers are fragrant, up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Each bud consists of five petals. The flowers are pollinated independently, but you can increase the likelihood of tying the fruit by artificial pollination with a brush. After a month or a half, the tree is covered with small orange fruits similar to tangerines.

Actions after the purchase

Kalamondins, which are already strewn with bright orange fruits, often go on sale. After fruiting, such trees cease to grow, gradually die. To preserve the life of calamondin, you need to help him adapt to new conditions. What should be the care of calamondine after purchase?

• Pot change. Immediately after the purchase, you need to transplant the calamondine into a larger diameter pot. The soil is used nutritious, transplanted by transshipment method. The roots dry up easily, so you need to act quickly.
• Insulation. The tree is quarantined for ten days. Set separately from other plants, protect from the sun, water moderately, do not feed.
• Pest search. Inspect daily for pests. When they are detected, they are sprayed with insecticidal drugs.
• Additional processing. If the tree begins to drop leaves, all flowers and ovaries are torn off, sprayed with Epin.

Calamondine Care: Things to Consider

Calamondine citrus cultivation at home implies the creation of a favorable microclimate, timely top dressing, watering and pruning. The tree is quite hardy, it is not difficult to care for it. Experienced growers recommend adhering to basic requirements.

• Lighting. The light should be bright, but diffused. Try to place calamondin in the east and southeast. It is too dark on the north side, and hot on the south side. In the summer they shade from the sun. In winter they do without shading. On the north side, additional illumination with fluorescent lamps is also organized in summer and winter.
• Temperature. Calamondin loves soft warmth. Normally adapts to room temperature. Ideal conditions in the summer of 22-24 ° C. In winter, the temperature is lowered.
• Watering. In warm seasons, calamondine is watered abundantly up to twice a day. During fruiting, make sure that the soil is moistened evenly. Sometimes it is better to water less often, but very plentifully. Moisture should flow to all the roots. In the fall, watering is gradually reduced. The lower the room temperature, the less often watered. After drying, the surface of the soil wait about three days. In winter, watering is minimized, but drying is not allowed. With a lack of moisture, calamondine leaves curl, dry, flowers and ovaries crumble. Excess moisture leads to rot.
• Humidity. Calamondin is neutral with respect to humidity. Spraying is recommended on hot summer days and in winter during the heating season. Calamondins are not placed near batteries. If the air humidity in the apartment is below 40%, it is necessary to artificially increase it by arranging the water tanks, installing the tub in a pallet with wet sphagnum.
• Hygiene. For hygienic purposes, the tree is periodically bathed under a warm, almost hot shower. The maximum water temperature is 55 ° C. Hot water under pressure well cleans the leaves of accumulated dust, and serves to prevent the appearance of spider mites. The earth in the pot while swimming is covered with polyethylene.
• The soil. Calamondine primer must be nutritious and breathable. Optimum acidity - not higher than pH 6.5. On three parts of the universal soil mixture add one part of vermicompost and the same amount of fine gravel.
• Transfer. Up to three years of age, trees are recommended an annual transplant. Adult Kalamondins are transplanted less often - every two to three years. The best time for transplanting is spring. If the pot has become very cramped, the roots have rotted, salinization is observed or soil acidification can be transplanted at other times of the year. The root system of calamondine is vulnerable, they try not to injure it - they do not destroy the old earthen lump.
• Pot and drain. Choose a pot of equal depth and width. Large drainage holes are made at the bottom. Large claydite is well suited as drainage. It can be replaced with a walnut shell.
• Top dressing. They feed from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. Introduce complex fertilizers. The dose of nitrogen in the composition of the drug should be minimal, potassium and phosphorus - increased. The intervals between dressings - two weeks. Drugs are added to water for irrigation.If calamondin blooms in autumn or winter, the feeding schedule is reviewed. They continue to be introduced at monthly intervals. Strictly adhere to the dosage recommendations from the instructions for each specific drug.
• Pruning. Trimming calamondine (citrofortunella) is a must. It easily tolerates pruning, quickly launches side shoots. As a result of regular pruning, they form a spherical, dense crown, stimulate flowering, fruit setting.

Seed and vegetative propagation

Kalamondin is propagated by seeds and cuttings. The first method is slow and laborious. The second is simpler. Each of them has its own characteristics.

Bone growing

Features. Growing calamondine from bone is a long and laborious process. Theoretically, calamondin will begin to bear fruit in six years, but in practice ten years pass before the first flowering. Calamondine seeds lose their germination very quickly, so they need to be planted immediately after harvest. The fruit is left on the tree until the last - it must be fully ripened.

Action algorithm

1. Prepare a nutritious soil mixture. It is composed of fertile land, sand and peat.
2. Pour the soil into a container, spread the seeds on the surface, sprinkle them with a 1-2 cm layer of soil.
3. The soil is well moistened with a spray bottle, the container is covered with a film. Keep in a warm, sufficiently lit place. The optimum temperature for seed germination is 25–28 ° С.
4. After emergence, the film is removed. Dive at the stage of two real leaves in separate pots.

Cuttings

Features. Calamondin can be propagated by cuttings. Cuttings are cut in early spring from strong, healthy branches. The easiest way to root the apical cuttings with three to four internodes, fully ripened leaves.

Action algorithm

1. Cuttings are cut, the slice is dried for an hour.
2. The lower part of the handle is treated with a solution of phytohormone, placed in light soil. Buried in the soil to the bottom sheet.
3. The container with the handle is covered with a jar. Maintain a temperature of about 24-28 ° C.
4. Every day, shelter for half an hour is removed, as necessary, moisten the soil.

How to vaccinate

Features. If calamondine is planted correctly, it will be more tolerant of drought and will develop a good root system. Most often, it is grafted onto orange seedlings. You can vaccinate at any time from March to the end of summer. During the period of active growth, the grafts take root well and start growing.

Action algorithm

1. The bottom leaves and branches are removed from the rootstock, cut at the selected height.
2. The stock is vertically incised to a depth of about 2 cm. The bark is separated from the wood.
3. Choose the right branch for the scion. A cut is made on the underside of the cut.
4. A stalk is placed in a vertical section, clamped and wrapped with insulating tape.
5. The junction is tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.
6. After a month, you can remove the polyethylene, after two - the insulation tape.

Common pests

Despite the spicy smell, pests do not bypass the calamondine.Florists have to deal with most pests. The most common insects are collected in a table.

Table - Calamondine Pests

Frequent diseases

Diseases are more rare than pests. Their development is usually triggered by inappropriate conditions for the content of calamondine. Three diseases represent the greatest danger. Their symptoms and treatment are described in the table.

Table - Calamondine Diseases

Growing problems

Judging by the reviews of flower growers, improper care more often affects the decorativeness of a tree than diseases and pests. The table summarizes the main problems of cultivation and possible causes.

Table - Calamondine growing problems

Since caring for calamondin is not very difficult, it is quite realistic to achieve not only flowering, but also stable fruiting. A compact tree with a rounded crown, decorative leaves, strewn with bright orange fruits, looks very elegant.