Lemon watering rules at home
Proper watering of lemon at home ensures full development of the indoor plant, protects against excess moisture and the resulting fungal and infectious diseases.
Lemon watering rules at home
What water to use
The water used for flowers at home contains salts, minerals and other substances, the increase or decrease in the concentration of which has a detrimental effect on the houseplant. An excess of salts leads to wilting and subsequent death of the lemon tree. River water or rainwater or melted snow are the preferred options.
Not the best option for a homemade lemon tree is tap water that contains excess chlorine and mineral disinfectants.
Preparing tap water and making it suitable for a houseplant is not difficult at home in one of the available ways:
- heat and cool in the open air for a day,
- pour into a container with a wide mouth and leave in the sun for a day,
- boil and let stand,
- stand without boiling, then add 1 g of citric acid per 6 liters or 4-5 drops of nitric acid per 1 liter,
- insist with high-moor peat during the day at the rate of 200 g per 3 liters.
Watering frequency
The frequency of watering a lemon is influenced by the age of the plant, the level of humidity in the room, the created temperature regime and the state of the soil.
The need to water homemade lemon is indicated by its external changes:
- gray shade of the substrate,
- soil easily crumbling into dust,
- leaves curled up in a boat,
- drooping young shoots,
- ringing sound from hitting the wall of the pot.
A loose substrate in a small pot dries out much faster than an earthen lump in a large pot, because the plant in loose soil is moistened more often.
The frequency of watering depends on the age of the plant.
With external changes in the vegetative parts of the plant, in compliance with the conditions of care, they are convinced of the quality of the procedures carried out. The lower layer indicates the degree of moisture of the substrate, since in some cases, improperly organized drainage causes the accumulation of excess moisture at the bottom of the pot container and subsequent decay of the roots.
It is possible to check the degree of moisture of the root system by removing the soil from the pot by 2-3 cm.
General recommendations
In the summer, a lemon tree growing at home is watered like ordinary indoor flowers - at intervals of a day or 3 times a week, in hot weather every day, observing the drying of the substrate. The maximum number of waterings per day is 2. The number of procedures in winter is reduced to once a week.
Watering rules
Practical advice on how to properly water a lemon:
- Carry out the procedure in 2 approaches. Initially, the surface of the substrate is watered. After some time, in the process of secondary irrigation, the entire thickness of the soil is thoroughly moistened, stopping the procedure when liquid appears near the lower edge of the pan of the pot container.
- Water the plant with a thin stream, without exposing the root system by washing out the substrate under the pressure of the stream.
- When watering a flowering tree, the water temperature should be several degrees higher than the indoor air temperature.
- Choose the most suitable time - morning or evening, which is explained by the slowing down of evaporation processes and the greatest amount of moisture absorbed by the plant.
- Water overdried substrate twice. the first water immediately goes into the lower layers of dry soil.
Recommendations must be followed especially carefully at the stages of bud formation and flowering of the lemon tree. To accelerate photosynthesis, use sweet water with sugar or solutions with hydrogen peroxide.
An additional means of humidifying the surrounding dry air from March to September is by spraying lemon foliage. Irrigation of the crown is carried out up to 3 times a day with water at room temperature.
Conclusion
Watering the lemon tree properly at home ensures the health of the indoor plant. Watering frequency depends on the microclimate. The need to water homemade lemon is indicated by changes in the appearance of the substrate and the plant itself. Watering lemon is recommended with settled, rain or river water.