Growing a Mandarin Tree at Home

The native land of mandarins is the northern regions of India: here and to this day, their wild-growing species are found. Cultivated cultivated plant forms for more than a thousand years. From India it got to China and Japan, where many new varieties were bred. In Europe, Mandarin was introduced only at the beginning of the nineteenth century. At present, except for the countries of Southeast Asia, China and Japan, it is grown in Spain, in the south of France, in northern Africa and in South America, and also in the Transcaucasus.

In nature, a mandarin is a shrub or tree up to four meters high. Its white flowers are small in size, the size of the fruit is 4-6 cm in diameter. The mandarin's flesh is rich in useful substances: vitamins (riboflavin, vitamin C, rutin, thiamine), organic acids. The flesh of the fruit, as well as the bark and leaves of the mandarin tree, contain a specific essential oil (up to 2%). The pulp of mandarins and their juice have antibacterial and fortifying effect, contribute to digestive processes.

Anyone who wants to have a mandarin tree in his house can buy it in a flower shop. But you can try and grow a mandarin tree from the bone yourself. For germination only fresh bones, recently taken from the fetus, are suitable. The seeds are allowed to swell in damp cotton wool. After they sprout, they put them in the ground. For the cultivation of mandarin, as well as other citrus fruits, a mixture of turf, sand and humus (3: 1: 1) is best suited. Plant them strictly at a depth of 2-3 cm: if you plant the seed deeper, it can rot, if closer to the surface - dry out. At the bottom of the pot, you must make a drainage of coarse sand or small pebbles.

The tree from the seed grows well, but it will not bloom very soon. It should be understood: a mandarin tree grown from a bone is suitable only as an ornamental plant. Fruits on it will appear, at best, in 10-15 years, and they will be wild, sour for taste. To ennoble the mandarin tree, vaccination is necessary. To do this, you have to get a stalk of cultural mandarin from friends or buy it from the florists. Plant mandarin in March-April.

You can also grow a cultivated mandarin from a handle. For this purpose, a 10-cm-long stem cut in March-April or June-July, on which there are already several leaves, is rooted in moist sand. From above it is covered with a polyethylene film, the temperature should be not less than +23 degrees. Two or three of the lower leaves must be cut off before planting the cuttings.

Mandarin is one of the light-loving plants, loves moisture and warm air. Water it with soft standing water: hard water can cause yellowing of the leaves, and chlorine - lead to the death of the plant. Periodically, mandarin should be sprayed, especially in dry and hot weather: a combination of these unfavorable factors can lead to the tree discarding the leaves. In winter, from November to February, you should water the mandarin tree moderately. If possible, for winter it is better to take it to a cool place (+ 15-16 degrees). A plant that is at rest will be much easier in a cooler than in a hot room. You just have to watch that it does not stand in the draft.

In early March, a grown-up mandarin tree is supposed to be transplanted, but it should be done only if the roots have completely pasted the ground. The plant should be carefully transferred to a larger container, trying not to damage the roots. The mandarin root system is very sensitive, and if it is damaged, the tree can discard the leaves. Pot for its transplant should be taken low, square shape.

From the beginning of February to the end of summer, during the period of active growth and flowering, the mandarin tree needs to be fed with organic or liquid mineral fertilizers. With all the conditions for planting mandarin and caring for it, it is quite possible not only to achieve active growth and flowering of the tree, but also to wait for its fruits.