Planting fruits by yourself is advantageous, as it tastes differently in terms of freshness and quality. Your body is free from chemical contamination due to non-organic methods used to breed the plants in the farm. Citrus fruits especially, are abundant with phosphorus, calcium, vitamins, magnesium and potassium. It is important to maintain a balanced diet, so watch out for its high content of sugar too!
Lemons and mandarins are the 2 citrus fruits you can easily grow in your garden.
Lemons
Get a 2-3 years old baby tree, and put it in a clay or plastic pot (ensure the bottom of the pot has holes) which is slightly bigger than the baby three. Fill the drainage container with stones, as this helps to enhance the flow of air. The pot has to be filled with soil. Some soil preparations are specifically suited for the growth of citrus fruits, to pay attention to the quality of soil too. The baby tree requires 8 to 10 hours of sunlight/day, and adequate water. It takes about 6-9 months for lemons to ripen. A full color and slight give to their touch tells you that they are ready for the picking!
To grow your own lemon tree, prepare the following:
– One planting pot (6 inches wide, and 6 inches deep)
– One seedling pot (24 inches wide by 12 inches deep)
– An organic lemon (avoid non-organic lemons, as they contain non-germinating seeds)
– Indoor, growing location which is sunny
– A grow lamp
Method:
1. Moisten the potting soil, to make it damp all the way. Avoid soaking it.
2. Fill the soil into the smaller pot, at least until one each below the rim
3. Ensure the lemon seed is smooth, removed of its pulp.
4. Plant the seed immediately. Ensure that it is moist when you plant it half an inch deep in the middle of the pot
5. Spray the soil directly above the seed with a light coating of water.
6. Using a rubber band to seal the edges, cover the pot with a clear, plastic wrap, and put it in a warm, sunny location. Poke some holes at the top.
7. Spray the soil with water occasionally, bearing in mind that it should not be over-watered.
8. A young plant will emerge in 2 weeks or so, and ensure it gets enough sunlight. If it doesn’t use a grow lamp to ensure that it does.
The young plan must have 8 hours of light in a day, as mentioned above, along with moist soil. Administer moderate doses of organic fertilizers to enhance its growth. Prune the brown, dead leaves, and use pesticides only when absolutely necessary to spray of bugs and insects which may attack your plant.
Re-pot the plant into a bigger pot when it outgrows the small pot. The procedure is similar as to potting the plant for the first time.
Mandarins
A baby mandarin tree is the most suitable option if you want an indoor tree. Mandarin trees have a maximum growth limit of 6 feet, which makes them suitable indoor plants. This is because; seeds have a lower success growth rate, compared to baby trees.
The preparation of the pot is similar as to the lemon trees. Ensure air flow in the soil, and close the holes with rocks. Adequate sunlight is also extremely essential.
Avoid overwatering them, and re-pot the plants when the roots poke out of the drainage holes, or they grow back on themselves.
The oranges should be picked when they turn orange. Any sooner, all the flavors will be lost! A good tip when picking oranges is to ensure that the little button at the tip of the orange remains when you pull at it.
Source: www.healthy-holistic-living.com
Other included sources linked in Healthy Holistic Living article (Original Article Source):
http://blogs.naturalnews.com/grow-lemon-tree-seed/