Many gardeners dream of having citrus trees in the house that bear delicious fruit. But to get a good harvest it’s not enough just to plant a tangerine seed and grow a tree. In order for the fruits to be large and sweet, it is necessary to plant the plant. Information on how to plant mandarins, on the rules for preparing stock and scion, care and crown formation will be of interest to all gardeners.
Description and breeding methods
Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) is the most popular and common culture in Asia, especially in Japan and China. A low (up to 3.5 m) branching tree, according to the botanical classification, belongs to the Rutov family. It has leathery lanceolate leaves that grow on branches for almost 4 years. A feature of the structure of mandarin leaves is the presence of small wings on the cuttings. The tree blooms with fragrant white flowers, large in size.
Propagation of mandarin is possible in two ways: from the stone and vegetatively. To obtain a plant from a seed, it is planted in fertile soil, and within a month small sprouts appear. However, the tree grows very slowly, and fruiting can occur only after 4-7 years, and the fruits will most likely be acidic and tasteless (wild). Therefore, you should know how to plant mandarin from the stone in order to stimulate the development and high-quality fruiting of the culture.
Bone growing
To plant mandarin, it is necessary to purchase well-ripened fruits, from which the largest bones are taken. It is better to take a dozen, put it in a bag of gauze or cloth and moisten with water to swell.
When the seeds hatch, you need to make a pot. For drainage, small pebbles, shards or nutshells are placed in it. Ready to buy when you need to select non-acidic, without peat content. For cooking at home, they take humus, forest soil and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1.
In a pot filled with soil mixtures, seeds are planted to a depth of 4 cm and put in a warm place, periodically moistening the earth. A transplant in a large capacity is done when at least 5 young leaves appear.
Mandarin tree care
The most important components for the successful growth of the tree, necessary even before the mandarins are grafted, are heat, light and moisture. The optimum temperature should be maintained not lower than +20 ° , the lighting duration should be at least 12 hours (the use of phytolamps is recommended). An important rule of quality growth is maintaining the necessary soil and air humidity, as well as regularly wiping the leaves with a wet towel and spraying. For this, only boiled or filtered water is taken. It is strictly forbidden to allow the soil to dry out, but in winter, watering can be slightly reduced.
In the first year of the tree's life, pruning is necessary for the correct formation of the skeleton: overgrown lateral branches leave only strong ones, the rest are removed. Pruning is best done in early February, before the end of the dormant period. In older plants, pinching of the upper branches is done, old ones are removed. During the summer, too long shoots can be shortened.
Vaccination preparation
You should be aware that following the recommendations on how to plant mandarin at home will help to make the procedure high-quality, which will accelerate the growth of the tree and approximate the timing of obtaining fruits. However, for this it is necessary to first prepare the planting material.
Some recommendations and preparatory steps:
- all homemade citrus fruits should be planted in April, when the phase of active growth begins for the plant, which will contribute to better engraftment of the material;
- another suitable period for planting tangerines is August, when the tree reaches the peak of its strength;
- it is necessary to prepare the scion and stock, tools and materials (a knife, a garden var, insulating tape or adhesive tape) in advance: the scion is a branch taken from an already fruiting plant, and the root will be a grown mandarin seedling obtained from seed;
- the vaccine is not given to too young plants (less than 2 years) that have a trunk diameter of less than 6 mm (pencil thickness).
Selection of stock and scion
To the question of whether it is possible to inoculate tangerine with tangerine, the answer is only positive, but this option is the least suitable. This is due to the slow growth of the tree and its weak root system. As a stock, you can use the indoor tree of lemon, grapefruit or orange, the latter being valued more for its drought-resistant properties. Mandarin grafted on lemon grows better, thanks to a more developed root system, as on grapefruit. The best option for stock is considered to be a pomelo, but in our climate it is rarely grown.
The recommendations of experienced gardeners indicate that the stock should be grown in the same conditions or in the same room in which it will grow further, which is a guarantee of stable development and fruiting. That is, if the plant is a greenhouse, then transferring it to the apartment after vaccination will negatively affect the development of the tree.
For the scion (which will be grafted onto the future tangerine), a branch from a varietal tree is taken, necessarily one that has already produced fruit. It should have 2 kidneys. Only 1 scion can be grafted onto each rootstock rootstock. If you plant two of them, then only the strongest will survive.
Vaccination Procedure
Recommendations on how to properly plant mandarin are provided step by step:
- the scion stalk is cut from a healthy tree with a sharp disinfected knife;
- all leaves and thorns are removed; 1 bud of tangerine should remain on the branch;
- completely remove the entire crown of the tree from the rootstock, otherwise it will not allow the scion to grow;
- the stock plant should have a trunk with developed bark, at a distance of 7-10 cm from the soil it should be wiped with a wet cloth, removing dust and dirt;
- with a sharp knife, an incision is made in the bark in the form of the letter "T" (it is better not to touch the wood) 2.5 x 1 cm in size (top and bottom);
- all operations must be done quickly, without touching the slices with your hands;
- the tip of the budding knife pushes the bark, and a stalk is inserted into the hole;
- then this place is covered with bark, covered with var, and tape or tape is wound on top so that the kidney remains outside;
- the grafted plant is placed in a greenhouse made of a bag or a plastic bottle, which must be ventilated daily so that moisture does not accumulate.
As a rule, after 12-20 days, by the appearance of the cuttings, the success of the operation will be visible: if it turned black or withered, it means that it did not take root, if it turned yellow, then everything worked out. Then you can first loosen the bandage, then remove it. This will be a positive answer to the question of whether mandarin is grafted and whether the procedure will be successful.
When a green shoot gradually begins to grow from the kidney, the trunk of the rootstock tree must be cut from above the grafting site by 10 cm, treated with garden var. A young shoot is best tied to a support or stick, which will help him quickly grow.
Grafted Tree Care
Many gardeners are interested in how to plant mandarin so that it bears fruit successfully. However, it is not enough to make a quality vaccination; subsequent care for the young tree and its proper fertilizer are of great importance.
Watering is carried out only with standing water at room temperature. To maintain humidity in the room, it is necessary to spray the tree and the air around it 2-3 times a day. You can also use a pan with constantly poured water.
Active seedling growth occurs in the period from March to October, and in these months the plant needs constant care and feeding, which must be done every 2 weeks. Both mineral and organic fertilizers are used, monthly the tree is watered with a solution of manganese (light pink) or iron sulfate.
Transplantation of a mandarin tree is done annually until it reaches 7-8 years of age, usually in the spring. After the tree grows to 8 years, a transplant is done every 2 years.
Crown formation
After the mandarins are grafted on the tree, it is necessary to adhere to some rules every year, allowing you to correctly form its crown. Moreover, this must be done only before the first flowering of the plant begins. It is not recommended to allow the appearance of flowers until the branches of the 5th order are formed, otherwise the vegetation cycle of the plant will slow down.
If a tree grows in one shoot, then it must be cut so that 5-6 buds remain below, from which branches of the first order will continue to grow. Among them, leave those that are directed in different directions. After their growth, 4-5 buds are left on each branch, from which branches of the second order will subsequently grow.
Next, pruning is done, forming branches of the 3rd and 4th orders, after which the main skeleton of the plant is considered ready. The tree is suitable for flowering and fruiting.
Diseases and Pests
The following pests may appear on citrus trees: mealybug, red spider mite, citrus whitefly, varieties of scale insects, etc.
With a lack of water or waterlogging of the soil, spots may appear on the leaves, which is why they begin to fall off. To solve the problem, you need to adjust the rules for the care and watering of the plant.
If you follow all the recommendations and a quality vaccination, the mandarin tree will annually delight its owner with delicious and ripe fruits.