The best fertilizers for a tangerine tree at home
Mandarin is an evergreen citrus tree. With proper care, it can produce a harvest of delicious fruits even at home. We will tell you further about how to care for this plant and how to feed the tangerine tree at home.
Rules for caring for homemade tangerine
tangerine tree in indoor conditions it forms a compact flowering tree. A healthy tangerine has a decorative function in the interior, and during the flowering period it intensively releases aromatic substances.
Optimal conditions
Tangerines are demanding of light and warmth. Budding, flowering and setting of tangerines occur at an average temperature of +15...+18°C. In winter, the culture is kept in a bright and cold room at a temperature of +12...+13°C. Mandarin does not tolerate the absence of a change of seasons and stops bearing fruit. Therefore, the pot with the tree must be placed in a cool room.
The tree responds well to bright, diffused light near an eastern or western window. It is also allowed to keep tangerine on the north side. In summer, the sprout is shaded from aggressive sunlight, which causes leaf burn. To do this, the bush is wrapped in damp gauze or waxed paper is glued to the window.
To increase daylight hours in winter, fluorescent lamps are installed above the pot. The optimal length of daylight for citrus fruits in winter is 8-9 hours.
Watering
Summer and spring plant Water generously daily with warm water. In winter, the amount of watering is reduced to 1-2 times a week, irrigated only with warm water. Overdrying of the earthen coma in winter leads to the falling of leaves and fruits and even the death of the plant.
Attention! Citrus fruits die from excess moisture in winter, so watering is reduced from October.
Mandarin is sensitive to air humidity, so regular spraying from a spray bottle has a good effect on the state of the vegetative system. Plants kept in rooms with central heating are sprayed daily.
Placing a wide bowl of water next to the radiator helps regulate air humidity.
Trimming
Mandarin needs in crown molding, because in the wild the plant reaches 4-5 m in height. Having reached a height of 45-50 cm, the seedling often branches independently. Pinching helps stimulate the formation of first-order side shoots.
After 4-5 leaves the next year, all shoots are pinched again to stimulate the formation of shoots of the 4-5th order, on which fruiting occurs.
If desired, the tangerine crown can be given a round, oval, or teardrop shape.
Transfer
Until the age of three, trees are replanted annually, then every 2-3 years. Transplantation is carried out in mid-March, before the onset of active vegetation processes.
The plant is buried so that the root collar is at ground level. The root ball is transferred carefully, because the tangerine may die due to damage to the root system.
When replanting an adult plant, each time choose a pot with a diameter 4-5 cm larger than the previous one, for free growth and development of roots.
Attention! You should not transplant a tangerine into a pot that is too large.Under such conditions, the root system does not have time to form a dense earthen ball, which leads to acidification of the soil and death of the sprout.
The soil
The best soil for a tree a light peat substrate for citrus fruits or a universal earthen mixture is considered. Young and mature plants require different quality soil compositions.
Prepare the soil yourself as follows:
- for the first planting: 2 parts of turf, 1 part of leaf soil, 1 part of humus and 1 part of sand;
- for adult plants: 3 parts turf, 1 part leaf, 1 part humus, 1 part sand and 0.5 parts clay.
The bottom of a pot for citrus trees is always filled with drainage 1-3 cm high (depending on the age of the plant). Trees older than 7 years are not replanted, but the top layer of 1/3 of the pot is renewed annually.
How to feed homemade tangerines
Housewives strive to feed indoor tangerines for sweetness in the phase of flowering, fruiting and ovary formation. Next, we will tell you what is the best way to fertilize homemade tangerines.
Mineral mixtures based on phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen
At certain periods of life, citrus fruits need different types of nutrients:
- The lack of nitrogen is compensated for in early April, a month after transplantation, using the ready-made Compo preparation.
- During the flowering and fruiting phase, tangerine needs a large amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. The best option is the concentrated composition “Master” for citrus fruits.
- Before the onset of winter dormancy, tangerine is watered once. To do this, boil 100 g of small sea fish for about 40-45 minutes in 1 liter of water, cool, and filter. Pour into the pot in small portions over half an hour.
Fertilizer for tangerines is applied the next day after watering, while the soil is sufficiently moist.Otherwise, the risk of burning the delicate root system increases.
Organic fertilizers
At the beginning of summer, organic fertilizers are preferable - infused cow manure, bird or rabbit droppings diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10.
It is useful to embed 2-3 tbsp into the ground once a year. l. sleeping tea leaf. The mass is deepened into the pot by 5-6 cm and covered with a layer of new soil.
Spraying
To spray citrus fruits, growth stimulants “Stimovit”, “Epin”, “Gumat” are used in a proportion of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of warm water. The bush is irrigated with a spray bottle once every two weeks early in the morning.
Conclusion
The tangerine tree is an unpretentious ornamental plant with a long period of flowering and fruiting. In order for it to please its appearance longer and hurt less, it is regularly fed with preparations for citrus fruits and the soil is renewed.