Uzbek lemon - differences and growing features

Uzbek lemon, sometimes called Tashkent or Azerbaijani lemon, is a vivid example of a situation where a familiar form surprises with unusual content.

How Uzbek lemons differ from other citrus fruits and how to grow them at home - read in our material.

The history of the origin of Uzbek lemon

Attempts by Soviet scientists to grow lemons under the hot sun of Uzbekistan began back in the late 1930s.

However, the sharply continental climate with frosty (up to -18 - 20ºС) winters did not allow subtropical plants to survive and produce crops.

By 1960, work on the selection of citrus fruits suitable for cultivation in Central Asia was considered unpromising. But the enthusiasm and faith in the success of the scientist-breeder Zainiddin Fakhrutdinov did not allow him to give up on Uzbek lemons.

Creation of the “Tashkent” variety

Experimenting with the frost resistance of citrus, the breeder grafted cuttings of the unpretentious variety "Meyer" onto plants of the variety "Novogruzinsky", successfully grown in Georgian and Abkhazian farms.

Interesting! Citrus "Meyer" is a hybrid of orange and lemon, exported from China by the American agronomist and businessman F. Meyer. In the USSR, the hybrid took root on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Grafting "Meira" onto a wild citrus shrub with trifoliata made it even more cold-resistant and immune to the tristeza virus.

A few years later, the young trees produced their first harvest.The agronomist noticed that on one of the shoots the fruits were brighter and more aromatic, their taste was also noticeably different from the usual lemon one.

This interesting specimen, propagated by Uzbek scientists, is now known as the Tashkent lemon variety.

Description of Uzbek lemon

The Tashkent variety is classified as a dessert and table variety. Delicate fruits easily spoil during transportation. This explains the absence of Uzbek lemons on the shelves of Russian stores.

Crown

The tree is short, 2-2.5 m high. The branches are curved, located almost at right angles to the trunk.

The crown, as a rule, is not trimmed.

Bark

The bark of the trunk and old branches is olive-gray. Young shoots are green in color.

Leaves

The leaves are bright green, medium-sized, narrow, slightly jagged at the edges. The leaf blade is smooth, shiny, without pubescence.

Flowers

The plant blooms profusely. The flowers are medium in size and form inflorescences. The petals have a pinkish tint on the outside.

Blooming tree exudes an intense lemon aroma.

Fruit

The main difference from other citrus fruits is in the fruits.

Lemons are small, oval, weighing no more than 100 grams. The orange peel is thin (0.2 to 0.5 mm), smooth, and oily to the touch.

The pulp is golden yellow, juicy. The taste is sweet and sour, reminiscent of orange.

Distribution and collection season

The main place for growing Uzbek lemon is the Tashkent lemon garden.

Special conditions have been created here for heat-loving trees.

Seedlings are grown in well-fortified trenches 1 meter deep and about 1.5 meters wide. In winter, the trenches are covered with glass frames and, if necessary, insulated with a layer of straw or reeds.

Interesting! At temperatures below zero, lemon trees go into a dormant state and often shed their leaves, so 1 - 2 months without sunlight does no harm.

Similar agricultural technology is suitable for cultivating lemons in the Crimea or Transcaucasia.

In more northern regions, citrus fruits will only grow in a greenhouse.

When are lemons ripe in Uzbekistan?

Grafted trees begin to bear fruit in 2-3 years, seedlings (from seeds) - after 7-8 years.

Lemon blooms in March - April. The fruits grow for 5-6 months and ripen for another 30-35 days.

Harvest usually occurs between October and November.

With the onset of frost, the fruits fall off. At temperatures above zero, lemons can hang on the branches until spring.

How to grow Tashkent lemon at home

Lemon seedlings can be purchased at the lemon garden of the educational and experimental farm of the Ufa Forestry Technical College.

Requirements for growth conditions

Before purchasing a lemon seedling, take care of a suitable place to place it, taking into account the requirements for temperature, humidity and light.

Temperature

Active growth and fruiting occur at 20-22ºС. Lemon, like other citrus fruits, vitally needs a period of rest, which occurs when the temperature drops to 10-14ºС.

Humidity

Lemon is demanding on air humidity. Dry air causes leaves, buds and ovaries to fall off.

Experienced gardeners recommend spraying the crown with water at room temperature up to twice a day, and also placing the plants away from heating appliances. If this is not possible, place a container of water next to the pot or on the surface of the soil for evaporation.

Lighting

Lemon is a short-day plant that reacts painfully to any changes in the degree of illumination.You should not move plants to another place unless necessary.

From October to March, it is useful to illuminate lemon trees with phytolamps for 4-5 hours daily.

Important! It is better to place pots with plants in rooms facing south or southeast.

The soil

To grow lemons, you need neutral, loose soil that allows water and air to pass through well.

Optimal soil mixture for citrus fruits:

• 45% turf;
• 25% humus;
• 25% leaf soil;
• 5% washed river sand.

Before planting, the soil must be disinfected with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or by calcination in the oven at 100-150ºC.

Planting and care

Optimal time for landings indoor lemon - February or early March.

Rooted cuttings are planted in small containers with a diameter of 7-8 cm with drainage holes. When roots appear from the drainage hole, the plant transplanted in a dish with a diameter 3-4 cm larger.

Adult plants are replanted every 2-3 years, each time increasing the diameter of the container by 10-20 cm.

Crown formation

The top of a one-year-old seedling is pinched after 6 leaves at a height of approximately 20 cm.

After a year, 4-5 of the grown shoots are left, spaced evenly around the perimeter. They are pinched after the 5th leaf. Next, 2-3 shoots are left on each branch, pinching them off if they grow too much.

Watering

Moderately moist soil is most favorable for lemon.

For irrigation, use settled tap water or water from natural sources: melt, rain or well.

Slow, deep watering is preferred until moisture comes out of the drainage holes. The next irrigation is carried out when the top layer of soil dries to a depth of 1-2 cm.

It is better to water the lemon in the early morning or evening.

Top dressing

Each period of growth requires its own set of nutrients.

Liquid fertilizers are used for indoor lemons. They are applied to slightly moist soil in the amount of usual watering.

During the period of active growth (early spring), use one of the nitrogen fertilizers:

• 30 g of ammonium nitrate is dissolved in 1 liter of water, before use the resulting concentrate is diluted in a ratio of 1:10;
• cow manure is poured with water in a ratio of 1:1 and left for 14 days; before use, 10 parts of water are added to 1 part of slurry;
• chicken manure is infused with water for 2 weeks, the resulting fertilizer is diluted with water 1:20.

Fertilizing is carried out every 2 weeks until flowering begins. The application of nitrogen fertilizers is resumed when the ovaries reach a size of 15-20 mm.

During the period of flowering and ovary formation, potassium and phosphorus are especially important.

It is better to use potassium sulfate as a potassium fertilizer, since the chloride ions present in the more common potassium chloride are harmful to citrus fruits.

The preparation for root feeding is prepared by dissolving 1.5-2 g of the substance in 1 liter of water. Treatments are carried out every 10 days.

The soil is enriched with phosphorus using superphosphates: 6 g of simple or 3 g of double superphosphate are dissolved in 1 liter of hot water.

Fertilizing with phosphate fertilizers is carried out every two weeks.

During the growth and ripening of fruits, plants are fertilized once every 14 days, alternating nitrogen, potassium and phosphate preparations.

Important! To maintain the balance of microelements, foliar feeding with complex microfertilizers (Uniflor micro, Micom-citrus and others) is used 1-2 times during the growing season.

During the dormant period, plants do not need large amounts of nutrients. Basic fertilizers are applied once every 35-40 days in quantities half as large as during the active period.

Diseases and pests

Most often, indoor lemons are affected by aphids, thrips, spider mites, scale insects, and mealybugs.

Inspect the plants regularly; if pests are found, immediately take measures to destroy them.

Depending on the type of pest, the chemical preparations Aklelic, Aktara, Fitoverm, Intavir, Decis and others are effective.

For minor infections, folk remedies will help:

• 5% solution of laundry soap;
• infusion of 50 g tobacco to 1 water;
• infusion of a head of garlic in 0.5 liters of water.

Lemon diseases

Fungal diseases are common: anthracnose, scab, powdery mildew. For treatment, fungicides “Fitosporin”, “Kuprozan”, and copper oxychloride are used.

Lemons also suffer from dangerous infections, such as gommosis. Wounds on the tree bark are treated with a 3% solution of copper sulfate until the signs of the disease disappear.

Common viruses: tristeza, leaf mosaic, xylopsorosis. For these diseases leaf apparatus is affected and bark. There are no treatments for viral infections. Therefore, if the presence of a virus is suspected, the plant is immediately quarantined. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the specimen is destroyed.

Conclusion

Uzbek lemon has a bright orange peel and an unusual sweet and sour taste. Bred by Tashkent scientists, the hybrid became widespread only in Central Asia. In Russia, it is cultivated in the Ufa Limonarium, where you can purchase seedlings for home cultivation.

Uzbek lemon in care generally no different from other citrus fruits.For active growth and fruiting, light, well-drained soil, constant light throughout the growing season, and moderate watering with sufficient fertilizing are required. Timely inspection for pests and signs of disease will help maintain plant health.

Even if you fail to achieve fruiting, the Tashkent lemon will be a successful addition to your collection of indoor plants due to its highly decorative crown and unusual fragrant flowers.