Homemade orange and tangerine tree looks beautiful and spectacular. During its flowering, white fragrant buds are formed. And after a while delicious fruits are formed. If grown in a bonsai style, you can get a real work of art. The article will tell you how the plant looks like, what varieties are suitable for an apartment, how to properly organize care at home.
Orange and mandarin house is flowery evergreen. Belongs to the genus Citrus, the rue family (calamondin). The height is 4-5 meters. The yield varies from 5000 to 7000 fruits per tree. The crown is round and spreading, with a diameter of about 3.5 meters. The bark is light grey. Young shoots are dark green. The leaves are leathery and small in size. They are egg-shaped, pointed at the end. Photos of the tangerine tree can be seen in the specialized literature.
Growing mandarin at home
At home, growing tangerine, kiwi, pomegranate, persimmon is easy. When planted with a stone, the tree begins to bloom and bear fruit after 7-8 years. But such a state can be achieved much faster if, at the age of 4, grafting is performed from a fruit-bearing tree. If you do not want to mess with planting and propagation, it is better to buy a plant in a specialized store or order it online. Usually fruits are formed without artificial pollination.
To get a good harvest, the plant must be properly looked after, fertilized.
From the bone, seeds
Planting a pit is the easiest way to get a tangerine tree at home. But this process is lengthy. In addition, not all varieties form seeds. For landing should buy quality material that has been properly stored, not exposed to direct sunlight, or frozen. Seeds need to be washed and dried. Then they are wrapped in a damp cotton cloth. When the bones increase in size and sprouts begin to hatch, they are planted in a pot with a fertile substrate. As the plant grows, it is transplanted into a larger container. It is better to sow several seeds at once, because the percentage of their germination is average. It is important to consider that fruits grown from the stone are inedible. Therefore, in order to improve palatability are vaccinated. You can watch the video for more details on the process.
Grafting a tangerine seedling
Grafting a tangerine seedling allows you to get bountiful harvest. The procedure is carried out in the period from April to May or in the month of August. It is important to take the best rootstock and cuttings from a fruiting healthy tree. Use biennial or annual branches of grapefruit. Thorns and leaves are cut from the cutting. A plant with a well-developed bark is suitable for a rootstock. The barrel is first wiped from dust and dirt. Then a small T-shaped incision is made on the bark. The bark is removed with a knife and the cutting is inserted into the hole. This area is lubricated garden pitch, wrapped with a cloth, leaving only a kidney on the surface. Grafted homemade mandarin is covered plastic bottle or plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect. After three weeks, the branch should take root.
Cuttings for growing a tangerine tree
Often for growing decorative tree cutting is used. A small branch with a leaf can be bought at a specialty store or cut off from an existing tree. The stalk is planted in a fertile, loose substrate. Then it is plentifully watered and covered with a plastic bottle. After 60 days, the branch will take root, leaves will begin to appear. It is allowed to remove the shelter only when the plant is fully strengthened. Further care consists in timely irrigation, annual transplantation and top dressing.
Crossing mandarin with other citrus fruits
At home, it is easy to get hybrid forms of mandarin. To do this, they cross with other citrus plants. For example, with lemon, orange, grapefruit. When a mandarin is crossed with a North African orange, a clementine is obtained. The tree produces medium-sized or small, orange-red, flattened fruits. To cross, you need to pollinate the flowers of one plant with the pollen of another. The seeds obtained from the fruit are planted in a box with a fertile substrate. To grow such a hybrid, a vaccination is needed. Without this procedure good harvest not achieve. If provide clementine the necessary conditions content, after a few years the tree will begin to bear fruit.
Features of tree care
When keeping mandarin at room temperature, it is important to observe the light and temperature conditions.
In order for the young plant to get stronger, the first three years after planting, all ovaries and flowers are removed. Only in the fourth year the tree is allowed to bear fruit. But since at this age the branches are still weak and thin, it is impossible for more than 6 fruits to form. Every year the plant will be able to produce more and more fruits. It is desirable to tie shoots during fruiting. If care is organized correctly, about 60 tangerines can be collected from one adult tree.
Temperature and lighting
Mandarin is a light and thermophilic plant. Therefore, it should be placed on the east, south or west window. In this case, it is necessary to build shading from the midday sun. V winter time install additional lighting. In summer, the tree is taken out to the veranda or balcony. But to fresh air the plant should be accustomed gradually. The optimum temperature is +25 degrees in summer and +17 degrees in winter. In order for the aged mandarin to bear fruit abundantly, experts recommend cold wintering: keep the pot in a room where the temperature does not exceed +12 degrees.
Watering a tangerine tree
In spring and autumn, they irrigate once a day the settled warm water. The irrigation regime must be adjusted so as to prevent waterlogging and drying of the soil so that the mandarin does not shed its leaves. Excess moisture causes rotting of the roots, and its deficiency leads to leaf fall. The tangerine tree prefers high humidity, so regular spraying will be useful. It is important to ensure that during spraying and watering water does not fall on the flowers. Experts advise putting a pot of wood on a pallet with wet expanded clay, pebbles or moss.
Soil requirements and necessary fertilizers
For cultivation homemade tangerine slightly acidic soil should be used. You can buy ready-made soil for citrus fruits in the store or prepare the substrate yourself from soddy and leafy soil, clay, humus and coarse sand. Fertilize begins in June, when the plant enters a phase of active growth. Nutrients are added twice a month. Feed after the irrigation procedure, so as not to burn root system. As fertilizers, it is better to use an infusion of cow dung, yeast. Special formulations for citrus fruits are also suitable. In winter, top dressing is not carried out.
Transplanting a tangerine tree
Transplantation is carried out as the tree grows. For a young plant, this procedure is carried out once a year. Tangerines older than 7 years are transplanted every two years. Use the transfer method. The new pot should be 6 centimeters larger than the previous one. WITH 
once planted in a large container can not be. This is fraught with root rot. Do not repot during flowering. The best time for such an event is the beginning of spring. Feeding should be stopped a few days before the planned transplant date.
For the procedure to be successful, you must adhere to the algorithm of actions:
- Water the tree generously.
- Remove the plant from the old container.
- Place carefully in a new pot.
- Sprinkle with earth.
- Lightly moisten the soil.
Reproduction, pruning, shaping
Mandarin is propagated at home in a generative or vegetative way. The first method involves growing from the bone. The essence of the second is the rooting of branches. When choosing cuttings, you should use a special rooting solution. Then the percentage of survival will increase several times. Both methods take a lot of time. Therefore, some flower growers prefer to buy already grafted indoor tangerine in the store.
Usually home varieties are undersized. If you form the crown correctly, you can create a bonsai tree that will become a real decoration of the room. To make the plant look neat, you need to control the growth of side shoots and tops. To do this, pruning is carried out lowered down and growing inward branches.
Varieties for home growing
For growing tangerines at home, varieties are used that are short and compact. The most popular are Unshiu, tangerines of the Vase group, Shiva-Mikan, Clementine. Unshiu is Japanese variety, which is characterized by unpretentiousness, precocity, good branching. The tree grows up to 1.5 meters. Flowering is plentiful, falls on the spring season. The fruits ripen at the end of November. The tree is resistant to low temperatures.
Kowano-Wase and Miyagawa-Wase are dwarf varieties, whose height varies from 40 to 80 centimeters. Kovano-Vase grows no more than 50 centimeters. Is different abundant flowering. The tree bears fruit in the second year of life, gives orange-yellow fruits of a rounded flattened shape. The advantages include frost resistance and high yield. Miyagawa-Wase is the tallest variety in the Wase group. It is characterized by large fruits that have a smooth thin skin and are pitted. Fruits ripen in September and retain their taste for a long time.
Shiva Mikan is a fast growing, compact variety that produces small but very sweet fruits. Shiva-Mikan tangerines ripen in summer. Often grown in apartments and Clementine - a hybrid of orange and tangerine. The tree enters fruiting in the second year of life. One plant produces about 50 orange-red fruits per year. Fruit contains many seeds.
Potential Growing Problems
If you follow all the rules of care, take into account the characteristics of the variety, there will be no problems when growing a tree. But beginners often make mistakes in the content. citrus plant within a month. Often flower growers notice that the foliage begins to turn yellow, curl and fall off. 
This happens for various reasons:
- The tree is getting old.
- Light deficiency.
- Too dry air.
- The transplant was done incorrectly.
- There are drafts in the apartment.
When the yellowing starts from the bottom of the crown and spreads upward, there is most likely a nitrogen deficiency. If first the young leaves turn yellow and dry, and then the old ones, this means that the tree is deficient in iron. It happens that the leaves begin to fall off for no apparent reason. In this case, resuscitation and top dressing with potassium nitrate should be carried out. If the cancer is cured and the cause of the yellowing of the foliage is eliminated, the tree will quickly recover.
Mandarin is susceptible to such pests:
- Spider mite. It is manifested by the appearance of light small dots on the underside of the sheet.
- Mealy worm. It looks like a white fluffy coating.
- Aphid. These are small insects of a light green color.
- Shchitovka. A sticky syrup-like coating forms on the leaves.
citrus products
Tangerines are considered low-calorie, so they are often used in diet food. Drinks, juices, classic compotes, lemonade are prepared from this fruit. They make Isabella wine and chacha from it, alcohol and grapes. There are also recipes for compotes and pomace from dandelions, apples and plums with alcohol. There are many recipes that allow you to create a real dietary treat from healthy tangerine.
For example, crusts, candied fruits are delicious. To prepare them, soak the crust in water for a day. Then cut it into thin strips. Boil candied fruits in sugar syrup for an hour. Then they are laid out on a baking sheet and left to dry.
In the East, fresh slices of this fruit are added to sweet soups and vegetable salads. Delicious ice cream is obtained from tangerine, milk, condensed milk, sour cream. Mandarin is peeled and mashed with a blender. Add condensed milk and sour cream. Mix everything and pour the mass into a container with a lid. Put in the freezer for 6 hours. Every 40 minutes you need to take out the container and mix the ice cream. It is recommended to serve dessert with fruit syrup.
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Most florists agree that among the abundance of "home" plants, indoor tangerine occupies isolated place. ornamental shrub not only pleases the eye with a bright, cheerful color of leaves and fruits, but also has a beneficial effect on the atmosphere in the home. It has been proven that a delicate, light aroma helps to get rid of headaches, relieves irritation, anxiety, gives a feeling of cheerfulness, improves mood. In addition, growing mandarin at home does not require a lot of effort, and this is also one of the important advantages.
How to turn a tiny bone into a flowering tree?
The simplest and easy way become the owner of a spectacular tangerine tree - buy a ready-made seedling in the store. However, it is much more interesting and, importantly, economically, to grow a tangerine tree from an ordinary stone on your own.
In order for the plant to take root well, you need to take the seeds of ripe, juicy, large fruits. It is desirable that there are more bones (10 -12 pieces, so the chance of the "event" for success will be much higher!
Before planting the seeds in the ground (purchased or "extracted" from personal plot), you need to put them in a humid environment for several days (it is better to wrap them in clean gauze and lightly moisten it with water). During this time, the bones will swell, and tiny sprouts will hatch on them. When this happens, it's time to do the direct planting of the plant in the ground.
Despite the fact that indoor tangerine is unpretentious to the type of soil, experts still recommend approaching this moment responsibly. So, optimal solution will independently prepare a special mixture (if possible), which will include the following components:
- leaf ground - 1 part;
- soddy soil - 3 parts;
- rotted cow dung - 1 part;
- clay;
- sand.
Drainage is laid at the bottom of a clean, dry container (as a rule, small ordinary pebbles or expanded clay act as drainage), after which the pot is filled with a thoroughly mixed composition of the above components. Swollen bones are placed in the ground to a depth of 5-7 cm. It is recommended to place a container with planted seeds in a well.
Direct sunlight should be avoided, as newly emerging, fragile sprouts can simply burn out!
Homemade mandarin - care and feeding
Approximately three weeks after planting in the ground, the first sprouts should appear from the pit of the tangerine tree. From this moment, you can start feeding the plant, since the mineral and organic substances originally contained in the soil are quickly washed out as a result of regular watering. In specialized flower shops, you can easily pick up mixtures for fertilizing and feeding citrus fruits.
Particular attention should be paid to fertilizer spring period when indoor mandarin develops most intensively. Like most indoor plants, the tree must be fertilized in the morning, while the temperature should vary between 18-20 ° C. The composition of the fertilizer may be different, but components such as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen must be present.
In no case should you violate the recipe for the preparation of a nutrient mixture or solution. The manufacturer always indicates on the packaging in what proportions to use a particular product. An irrational approach to feeding mandarin can lead to burns of the stem, leaves, or even the complete death of the plant.
The period of intensive growth of indoor tangerine is the time from March to September. The optimal frequency of feeding is 2 times a week. The plant will surely “thank you” with lush, fragrant flowers and beautiful fruits if the owner combines mineral and organic fertilizers(e.g. rotted cow dung).
The main rules for caring for a tangerine tree
All plants love care and attention, and mandarin is no exception. How to care for indoor tangerine so that the tree is healthy, strong and beautiful? Professional florists distinguish several main points in the rules of care:
- Partial removal of flowers on a young plant. This is done in order not to deplete the tree in the process of intensive growth. Let only a few flowers remain on the stem, but later they will turn out to be beautiful, large fruits.
- Timely removal of stretched twigs and dried leaves.
- Pinching the tops of branches. This is necessary for the tree to form a lush, dense crown.
When fruits are tied on the branches of a tree, it is recommended to tie the stem and twigs of the plant to a support.
What can pose a threat to the tangerine tree?
Good care is sometimes not enough for a long "life" of citrus fruits, in no case should such a threat as pests be ignored. Small, almost invisible red spider mites, citrus whiteflies or scale insects can cause great harm to a plant. In order to prevent the death of a tangerine tree, it is necessary, at the slightest suspicion of pests, to wipe all the leaves with special solutions (Fitoverm, Aktellik, etc.). A few procedures are enough, and all unwanted "guests" will disappear.
What varieties are suitable for growing at home?
Among the most popular varieties of tangerine tree, ideal for home growing, the following can be distinguished:
- Shiva Mikan
- Unshiu
- Clementine
- marcotte
Each of these varieties has its own specifics, but in any case, the owner of the plant will be provided with spectacular flowers with a pronounced aroma and sweet, ripe fruits.
How to grow a tangerine from a stone at home - video
Many people grow tangerines at home not only for fruit, but also because of the beautiful flowering of the tree and the pleasant aroma of flowers.
For some representatives of citrus, very difficult care is necessary, and special conditions for its successful growth. Mandarin is not one of them. It is quite unpretentious and hardy plant.
There are two ways to grow citrus:
1. Buy a seedling of a fruit-bearing tree in a flower shop.
2. Self-grow from a stone obtained from purchased fruits.
Decorative tangerines
tangerine tree belongs to the rue family, the foliage is evergreen, the leaf cover changes every few years, the flowers are white in color with a pleasant aroma.
People who have indoor tangerines prefer to grow them themselves from seeds. But in this case, only decorative look which will look nice in general interior. Trees may either not bear fruit at all, or produce small tasteless fruits.
Gardeners always graft citrus fruits for a tasty harvest. At home, you can do the same if you really want to get your own tangerines.
The place for the plant is best taken in the south room, where there is most of the sunlight. In the presence of poisonous plants, they will need to be moved to another room, because tangerines do not like such a neighborhood.
Basics of growing ornamental mandarin
First of all, you need to take a few tangerine seeds and soak them in a damp cloth for several days. large quantity moisture should be avoided, the fabric should be slightly damp, and as it dries, it is enough to add water.
Even if you want to grow one tree, then you need to take 8-12 seeds for insurance. Some may not germinate, some will die from possible diseases, some will not survive the grafting process if one is carried out.
How to plant in the ground
Peat is not suitable for tangerines, such soil often turns sour, almost does not hold moisture, and there is no nutrients. To create citrus ideal conditions it is best to prepare the earth mixture with your own hands:
1. three parts - soddy soil.
2. one piece - sheet soil.
3. one piece - organic fertilizer.
4. one piece - river sand.
5. a small piece of clay.
If it is not possible to make the earth on your own, then it is recommended to purchase soil with a neutral composition in the store or add ash and organic fertilizers to ordinary soil.
The bottom of the container that will be used for planting should be placed with pebbles to improve drainage or expanded clay.
Caring for decorative mandarin
After the first sprouts appear, it is necessary to apply organic and mineral top dressing to the ground, this should be done once every 14 days. Fertilizers should be applied after watering the plants.
Transplant citrus it is recommended once a year in the spring, while trying to keep the layer of earth that has stuck to the root system. Upon reaching the age of eight, the tree will need to be transplanted once every couple of years.
Mandarins need sunlight, so the best place for the plant will be placing it on the windowsill in the south room. V winter months need to follow temperature regime, it should not go down +15. Citrus needs weekly spraying, it is a moisture-loving species. You can put a bowl of water next to it.
On hot summer days, tangerines need to be watered: morning, afternoon and evening, during the winter months, as the soil in the pot dries out.
Pest control
Red spider mite, citrus whitefly, scale insects - pests of which are very difficult to see, but their presence can lead to the death of young citrus fruits.
It is necessary to carefully examine the plants for the possible presence of a tiny web in order to begin treatment at the first sign.
The stores sell special preparations for pest control. Solutions need to rinse all the leaves on both sides. The procedure must be repeated several times, every 7 days.
Relatively frost-resistant varieties of mandarin (yet it is a subtropical culture) can withstand frosts down to -7–-12 ˚С. Further damaged skeletal branches.
Therefore, the northernmost edge of the range barely captures the southern edge of the territory. former Union: Black Sea coast, Azerbaijan, Georgia. But you can grow a tangerine tree from a stone at home. At the same time, it is no longer so important at what latitudes you live: a blizzard, if it rages outside the window, is not a hindrance.
The photo shows tangerine trees growing in the garden and grown at home.
Planting material, planting
A tangerine purchased at a nursery or store will delight you with delicious small fruits in the near future. Here are just hand-grown tangerine tree will please you much more. There are several ways to plant a plant that will bear fruit with good care.
Growing a tangerine tree from a stone
Most affordable way: no problem to remove the bone from the fruit. It 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, transplanting in the future is not a problem. Do not expect exactly the same fruits as the original: this is only possible with vegetative propagation.
Growing from cuttings
Mandarin has poor rooting. To increase it, you can cover it from above, for example, with a cut plastic bottle or glass jar. This will increase the humidity of the air next to the cutting. The substrate must not dry out! It is convenient to treat the cutting itself with giberilin before planting; the stimulant is available in any garden store. 
Another little trick: before planting, the cut of the cutting must be updated under water. This trimming prevents blockage of the conductive bundles by air.
Grafting on other citrus fruits
Most often, an orange seedling is used as a stock. The vaccination 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 fingers (the smallest particles of fat from the fingers reduce survival); with careful wrapping of the grafting site with a strip of polyethylene - to avoid drying out. In spring and autumn, they are grafted into a split.
The cambium (a thin strip of dividing cells between the bark and wood) of the scion and scion must match!
In the absence of a skill, you should first get your hand on any other culture or just branches. The operation requires meticulous care. Just information: with a perfectly done vaccination, a pear on a willow takes root, as in the saying. True, then it dries up, so you will not wait for the fruits.
When grafted or grown from a cutting, varietal characteristics are completely preserved: the properties of the mother plant exactly repeat the home-grown tangerine tree. 
Care between rootstock grafted and seed grown at home tangerine tree differs little. The difference is only in the removal of shoots from the rootstock and protection from breaking off at first: under physical impact, it can break at the grafting site.
Mandarin care at home
Fertilizer
It is clear that when growing in a container, everything needed by the plant substances come from a small volume of soil. There may not be enough of them, so regular feeding is required. The easiest way is a solution of complex fertilizer. It is convenient to water with a 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 deficiency of different elements manifest themselves in different ways), that is what should be added. In winter, during dormancy, we fertilize with half the norm or do not fertilize at all. We additionally fertilize in the summer during the pouring of fruits. Top dressing at this time increases sugar content and reduces bitterness in fruits.
rest period
Mandarin does not drop leaves, they stay on the tree for four years. Therefore, “peace” is not absolute: the tree seems to be dozing. But this period is important, in its absence there will be no fruits. Therefore, in winter it is necessary to withstand at a temperature of 8-12 ˚С and reduced. Frequent recommendations to illuminate at this time with special lamps ... although in winter the day is short, and even less light enters the apartment, when it is at rest, it is enough for a tangerine. Extra fuss around the bush usually does not justify itself.
Watering
The soil should not dry out, even at rest. But stagnant water is harmful to the roots. To get out of such a contradictory situation, it is good to put a layer of shards, gravel or other large materials. Then it is easier to keep the soil moist, but not too wet. excess water flows down, where it does not harm the roots. And yet it is there, the soil will not dry out completely. It is better to water with settled water: there is no harmful temperature difference; chlorine evaporates, damaging the plant.
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 immediately plant it in a huge container - it looks stupid, it takes up a lot of space disproportionately to the size of the sprout. And if there is not enough space for the growth of the roots, they are not able to provide the plant. Therefore, you will have to replant many times, as soon as the roots braid a clod of earth. The work is carried out carefully, in order to avoid unnecessary injury and breakage of the 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 light it up. If for the summer we take the bush into the garden, then in the first days only for a few hours. Or at first we put 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
It's quite simple with this: it is not required. Self fertile culture.
Caring for tangerine trees at home is a joy to touch little miracle… Greens and fruits, the aroma of citrus fruits filling the apartment against the backdrop of bad weather outside the window pleases the soul and gladdens the heart.
Citrus grafting technique - video