How to plant a lemon with a bud and a seed at home

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To understand how to plant lemon at home, you need to study all the intricacies of the process. Plant grafting is a vegetative propagation method actively used in gardening. Thanks to such manipulations, fruit crops begin to bloom faster and produce abundant harvests.

Homemade lemons

What is plant grafting and its purpose?

Dear friends, plant grafting is a procedure for merging a sprout of a fruit-bearing crop with a wild seedling. This important operation makes it possible for lemons grown at home from seeds to bear fruit.

Why is it necessary to graft a lemon grown from a seed?

Dear readers, the reasons for grafting an evergreen tree are obvious.

• flowering and fruiting occur earlier;
• a varietal citrus cutting transfers positive qualities to a houseplant;
• the home tree quickly grows stronger and grows;
• a stronger specimen produces cuttings for other lemons.

Friends, if you don’t have a lemon tree, learn how to grow lemons at home. It's simple, in a year you will be able to graft a indoor seedling yourself.

Benefits of grafting indoor lemon

By planting a lemon seed, the gardener is actually growing a tree with weakened varietal characteristics. When the bush begins to bear fruit, the fruits remain small, very sour or even bitter. At the same time, the seedling grows quite slowly and blooms for the first time 5-7 years after planting.

A grafted lemon tree has a significant number of advantages:

1. Fruiting occurs much earlier. For the procedure, a cutting is used from a tree that is already producing a harvest. Thanks to this, fruits appear on lemons 1-2 years after grafting.
2. Cuttings are characterized by qualities similar to the mother plant. The fruits on such a tree appear with a full set of varietal characteristics.
3. Lemon rootstock has a well-developed root system, and also easily accepts scion not only of other varieties, but also of any other citrus fruit.

Features of lemon tree grafting

Let’s figure it out, dear gardeners, how to plant a lemon from a seed at home. If you are grafting yourself for the first time, practice on willow cuttings so that the process is successful.

Vaccination rules:

1. Sterility.
2. A cutting or bud is suitable from a fruiting lemon with good characteristics.
3. Ideal for scion material is from low-growing varieties.
4. Carry out the process with a sharp, disinfected knife.
5. Water heavily before grafting.
6. 30 days before the procedure, check the roots of the house plant and change the soil.
7. After the procedure, remove excess leaves and cover with film.
8. Water moderately to prevent moisture from getting onto the grafting site.
9. Ventilate the greenhouse.
10. Remove condensation.
11. The first procedure is best carried out under the supervision of a specialist.

How to graft a lemon with a bud so that it bears fruit

Lemons grown at home from seeds often bear virtually no fruit.

How to graft so that an indoor lemon from the seed begins to bear fruit:

1. First, the rootstock is selected. It must be a strong and healthy bush that does not suffer from anything.
2. Then the kidneys are cut. They should be large and without signs of damage. Cut them with part of the bark.
3. A shallow cut is made in the rootstock, the bark is carefully pushed back and a bud is inserted into it.
4. It is fixed tightly with tape.
5. The rootstock is covered with a bottle and wet cotton wool is placed inside to keep the greenhouse moist. Once a day, remove the bottle for 2 minutes to ventilate.
6. After 2 weeks, you can spray the rootstock with a special solution that awakens the buds. This could be the drug “Amulet” or “Zircon”.

After 3 weeks the bottle is removed. Now we need to wait for the kidney to take root before removing the tape.



What is lemon grafted onto?

Did you know that lemon is grafted onto related varieties of citrus plants - tangerine, lime, grapefruit, pomelo, orange? By grafting two varietal plants, the result will be different citrus fruits on one trunk.

Grafting lemon onto pomelo:

If you graft a fruiting lemon bud onto a one-year-old pomelo plant, the pomelo will transfer its positive characteristics to the lemon. By grafting lemon with pomelo, you will get larger and juicier fruits and a rapidly developing crown.

Grafting a lemon cutting to an orange:

1. Graft a lemon cutting to a fruiting 2-year-old orange.
2. Make a “T” shaped cut in the orange peel using a treated blade.
3. The length of the cut is 1.5 cm along the length and across.
4. Gently push back the corners of the cut bark.
5. Cut off the pre-prepared cutting at the end with a sharp wedge.
6. Tuck the cutting into the cut.
7. Press and wrap with film tape.

When the cutting takes root and forms, you will have a lemon branch with lemons and oranges on your orange tree at the same time. Hybrids are obtained with a strong immune system and resistance to diseases.

Friends, you can graft it onto tangerine and lime in a similar way. Cultivated plants grafted onto each other produce 2 different citrus fruits. If you graft a bud from a fruiting lemon onto a citrus fruit grown from a seed, you will only get a lemon that has taken on the properties of the rootstock.

The main thing is that the scion and rootstock are healthy during the operation. I talked about the causes of homemade lemon diseases and treatment. Take this information into account, this information will help you determine the condition of the grafting material and avoid making mistakes.

Watch the video about citrus grafting:

When can you plant a lemon grown in a pot?

Dear friends, I found out when to graft a lemon:

1. I graft a plant grown from seeds after 12-18 months, if a trunk covered with bark with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm has formed.
2. The best time is from April 15 to May 15, when the dynamics of development processes intensify.
3. At home, it is better to vaccinate in August in cool weather, if it did not work out in the spring.

Healthy cuttings for grafting

Preparing for vaccination

Before you plant lemon at home, you should prepare for this procedure. After all, during the grafting process, all tools and materials should be at hand .

Materials and tools

Lemon grafting does not require any monetary costs. For this procedure you will need materials and tools that every gardener has at home:

1. Secateurs or sharp painting knife. These tools make even cuts on the plant. Before use, they are disinfected with alcohol or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. Another disinfection option is to hold the metal part over a fire.
2. Special garden tape. It is used to attach the scion to the rootstock. Often, special tape is replaced with ordinary construction tape.
3. A piece of pure cotton material. The scion is wrapped in it.
4. Garden var. Used to disinfect sections. Accelerates the regeneration of plant tissues.
5. Film, bag, cut bottle to create a mini-greenhouse for a grafted plant.

There are special grafting knives and pruning shears . They produce the most even cuts, which is why the scion takes root faster.

Advice. If you don’t have a garden tool, a surgical scalpel can easily replace it. It costs less at the pharmacy than a paint knife at a hardware store.

Preparation of scion and rootstock

The best rootstock (base) is a lemon grown from a seed . Such a seedling has increased endurance, and new tissue quickly grows to it. Therefore, the chances that the scion will take root are high.

The age of the rootstock must be at least one year . Branches are also grafted onto older plants. In this case, you do not have to cut off all the shoots.

Before grafting begins, the tree is replanted . At least two months must pass between these procedures.

The day before grafting, the lemon is watered generously and fed with a growth stimulant . It is important to make sure that the tree is absolutely healthy. The trunk must be cleaned of dust and husks. It is better to wash the lemon in the shower a few days before the procedure.

One-year-old branches are used for scion . They should have a hard but resilient bark. The scion must have at least 1 bud. If the split method is used, branches with 2-3 buds are selected.

The tree from which the branch is separated must have already bear fruit several times . Otherwise, it will not be possible to bring the harvest closer. Any citrus plant is suitable. The most difficult thing is to cross lemon and tangerine, since the latter takes root slowly.

The end of the branch is used for grafting . There must be enough buds on it for a particular grafting method. The scion is cut at an angle in one quick motion to ensure an even cut. The place from which the branch was cut is covered with garden varnish.

Lemon is grafted at the end of May or April . It is during this period that the most active sap flow is observed, which allows the branch to quickly grow to the base. Vaccination is also possible in the summer, but not in winter or autumn.

If the procedure is postponed for some reason , the cut cuttings are wrapped in a damp cloth. This will prevent it from drying out.

Note! It is recommended to vaccinate on cloudy days. Lack of direct sunlight and high humidity will help the scion and rootstock grow together.

Selection and preparation of rootstock and scion

Dear gardeners, take a responsible approach to the preparation and selection of grafting material, the success of the procedure depends on this.

Preparation of the rootstock (not suitable for the copulation method):

• I put it in a cool place to rest for 30-40 days.
• I stop watering.
• After a month I bring it into a warm room.
• I check the condition of the roots.
• I change the soil to fresh one.
• When new shoots appear, the lemon is ready for grafting.

If you are going to graft using the copulation method, the preparation process is different.

How to prepare:

1. Place the lemon in a cool, dark place.
2. Resting temperature +8 degrees.
3. After 25-30 days, copulation is carried out.

Scion preparation:

• I cut a bud or cutting from a fruit-bearing plant in advance.
• I will perform the operation immediately.
• The shelf life of cut material is 2-3 days.

In a little over a year, the grafted lemon will bloom for the first time, prepare in advance - read about lemon flowering at home. The information will be useful when caring for a lemon tree during flowering.

Features of care

Rules for caring for seedlings include:

• regular watering and wiping the leaves from dust;
• maintaining optimal temperature, humidity and lighting readings;
• regular feeding, preventive measures to combat diseases and pests;
• timely replanting and pruning of plants.

One medium lemon provides an adult's daily requirement of vitamin C. Water with lemon juice helps remove toxins from the body and reduce body weight.

Watering

The frequency of watering depends on the time of year:

You can make sure that watering is necessary by checking the soil at a depth of 2-3 cm. If it is dry, then the plant needs additional moisture.

Helpful information

Daria Vorontsova

Amateur gardener. He is interested in growing various greens at home.

Water the lemon with settled or filtered water. Lemon tolerates watering well with tap water.

For good development, the plant needs to maintain environmental humidity within 70%. If the air in the room is dry, it is recommended to spray the leaves daily, after covering the soil with film.

Temperature and lighting

Lemon is a tropical plant, so it is quite sensitive to light and temperature.
In cold conditions, plant growth stops. The optimal values ​​for the proper development of a lemon tree are: 15 -17°C in winter and from +20 to +25°C in summer.

Lemon can grow in both illuminated and shaded areas. In this case, the duration of daylight should be at least 10 hours. The ideal place for lemon is considered to be a window sill on the sunny side of the room. It is only important to cover the plant from direct sunlight. Lemon cannot tolerate their effects.

To form an even and beautiful crown, it is recommended to turn the pot with the plant from time to time so that the foliage is evenly illuminated.

Transfer

The plant can be transplanted to a permanent location when 2-3 true leaves appear. The size of the container is selected depending on the age of the plant:

• Up to 2 years – pot diameter is about 20 cm;
• 3-4 years – diameter about 30 cm;
• 5-6 years – diameter about 35 cm;
• Over 7 years old – 45 cm.

Plants up to three years old are replanted 2 times a year. From 3-5 years – once a year. An adult plant is replanted as needed, no more than once every 3 years.

Transplantation is carried out by transferring an earthen clod. After the soil has settled, add soil to the pot as needed.

Helpful information

Daria Vorontsova

Amateur gardener. He is interested in growing various greens at home.

When transplanting a grafted seedling, make sure that the grafting site is covered with soil. Otherwise, there is a risk that the scion will grow and ruin the lemon.

Top dressing

The first feeding is carried out 2-3 months after the sprouts appear. Fertilizers are applied once every 2 weeks. In winter, the frequency of fertilizing is reduced to 1 time per month.

Fertilizers with a complex composition, preferably industrially produced, are used as fertilizing. Good for lemons:

• "Ideal";

• "Hello";

• "Pokon";

• "Bona Forte".

During the active growth phase, you can fertilize the lemon with a solution of humus or ash. In the spring during the growing season, it is necessary to add potassium and nitrogen fertilizers. During the flowering period, phosphorus compounds are well absorbed.

Lemon trimming

Trimming excess shoots helps to form a beautiful crown and also stimulates fruiting.

The procedure is carried out annually in April before active growth begins. You can trim the shoots already in the first year of life. To do this, cut off the shoot at a height of 25-30 cm, leaving 2-3 active buds on the trunk. From them shoots of the first level will grow, which will become the skeleton of the tree. Subsequently, these branches are shortened by 20-25 cm in each pruning.

Shoots 2-3 grow in the second year of life. They are shortened by 10 cm. No ovaries are formed on the branches of the first to third levels. Shoots of the 4th and 5th order grow in the 3rd year of life and are capable of forming ovaries. They are cut minimally, no more than 5 cm.

To ensure that the vitality of the lemon is not depleted, you also need to control the number of inflorescences. During the first flowering, it is better to remove half the flowers and leave no more than 3-4 ovaries. After a year, 5-6 ovaries are left, and subsequently no more than 10. This practice will allow you to get large fruits without harming the tree.

The largest lemon was grown in 2003. His weight was 5 kg. To date, no one has managed to break this record.

How to plant a lemon so that it bears fruit

Dear readers, it is difficult to plant a lemon on your own. I found out that there are several vaccination options with their own nuances. Look at the table for the pros and cons of the methods.

To begin with, I practiced on willow branches, tried grafting options, and below I will describe the methods sequentially.

Dear readers, be sure to read how to trim a lemon at home. Improper pruning leads to loss of yield and death of the seedling. Save yourself from mistakes!

Did you manage to graft a lemon so that it bears fruit?

Not really

Copulation

The process of grafting a scion of the same diameter and a non-fruiting indoor lemon is called copulation. It is carried out early in the spring, before the sap flows.

How to do:

• I cut the scion and rootstock at the same angle (cut length 5 cm).
• I connect them together with cut parts.
• I tightly wrap the grafting site with garden tape.
• I fill the top with garden pitch.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

After successful growth, remove shoots from the wild plant. The wildflower grows quickly and will crush the cultivated shoots.

Sterility is an important condition of the operation

Budding

Friends, butt budding is the grafting of a bud or cutting from a fruit-bearing tree onto the trunk of a young lemon. The budding method allows you to graft several buds at the same time.

How to graft:

1. I carry out budding in the spring, when sap flow begins.
2. I make a cut in the bark with the letter “T” (cut length 2.5 cm).
3. I push back the edges of the bark to insert the bud.
4. I connect a bud from a fruiting citrus tree to the trunk.
5. I secure the bud with tape, leaving the tip of the bud uncovered.
6. I put the pot in a warm place.
7. When the grafted bud turns yellow and falls off, I cut the trunk 15 cm above the scion.
8. I disinfect the cut and seal it with garden varnish.

Watch the video for a detailed description of how to graft a tangerine onto a pomelo.

Into the cleft

Into the split (cutting) - grafting a cutting into the split trunk of a scion.

How to graft:

1. Before grafting, I water the lemon.
2. I cut a branch of a non-fruiting lemon at a right angle.
3. I split the branch in half 2-3 cm along the length (I use a clean stationery knife for the work).
4. From the tip of the scion branch I form a cone 2 cm long with a sharp end.
5. I shorten the leaves on the scion by half.
6. I insert the pointed end of the scion into the split.
7. I wrap it with self-destructive film along the length of the cut and 3 cm above the graft.
8. I install pegs with a plastic bag to create a greenhouse.
9. I place it on an east window, protecting it from direct sunlight.
10. I monitor the appearance of condensation daily,
11. I ventilate the greenhouse and wipe off the condensation.
12. After a week I remove the bag and water it.
13. The scion leaf will fly off, don’t be alarmed – this is normal.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

On scion branches, leave the bark along the lateral parts of the cut to preserve the cambial layer.

Plant after grafting using the split method

Have you tried grafting lemon into a cleft?

Not really

For the bark

Grafting behind the bark - the scion is attached under the bark of the rootstock.

How to vaccinate:

• I shorten the indoor lemon at a right angle at a distance of 20 cm from the ground.
• Using a special grafting knife, I make a 5 cm incision in the bark along the length of the trunk.
• Using the tip of the knife, I move the bark away from the trunk on both sides of the cut by 0.5 cm.
• I clear the cuttings of thorns and remove the lower leaves.
• At the bottom of the cutting I make a 4 cm cut along the length.
• The thickness of the remaining area with bark is 2-3 mm.
• I tuck the sharp cut under the bark, like under a blanket (part of the bark of the cutting remains outside).
• I secure the graft hermetically with a special film tape.
• I cover it with a plastic bottle.
• I put it in a warm, bright place.
• After 10 days I remove the bottle.

Watch the video of the bark grafting process.

Lemon grafting using budding method

If the lemon seedling has reached 6mm in diameter, it can be grafted:

• The trunk is wiped with a damp cloth, at a height of 5-6 cm from the ground, the bark is carefully cut in the shape of the letter “T” (first a horizontal cut is made 1 cm long, and then from its middle down a second one - 2.5 cm, being careful not to touch core), the edges of the vertical cut are carefully bent with a knife;
• From a branch of a fruit-bearing lemon tree, a peephole is cut off with a sharp blade so that on the back side there is a small plate of thin bark of the branch;
• A twig is inserted into the cut with the edges turned away so that it fits tightly to the wood;
• The grafting site must be tightly wrapped with a special tape from top to bottom, leaving the eye open.

Lemon grafting scheme using the budding method.
To be more confident of success, you can graft two buds at the same time. When it becomes clear that the branch has taken root, it is necessary to cut off the crown of the seedling 5-6 mm above the grafting site. It is also important to regularly remove the shoots on the trunk of the lemon seedling so that it does not draw juices onto itself.

Lemon care after grafting

Dear amateur gardeners, a grafted plant requires special care. I support conditions for the favorable development of vaccination.

• Humidity: I spray the top layer of soil with warm water every day, the main thing is not to wet the grafting site.
• Watering: do not allow the soil to dry out.
• Temperature: I don’t put it in a draft or near the air conditioner.
• Light: protect from direct sun, diffused sunlight and lighting in the evening for 2-3 hours.
• Fertilizer: Once every half month I feed with fertilizer, which I prepare myself (I leave 40 g of chicken manure + 1 liter of warm water for 2 days).
• Once every 2 weeks I dilute 1.5 g of “Carbamide” (urea) in 1 liter of water and water it at the root.
• So I feed the entire formation period alternating organic matter with nitrogen.
• The kidney takes root at home within a month.
• I remove the bandage from the bud so as not to crush it and allow it to grow.
• I treat the grafting site with garden varnish.
• If the grafted bud does not wake up, I remove the germinating buds of the rootstock.
• I leave the leaves of the rootstock, they help nourish the graft.
• When the grafted bud grows and its trunk gets stronger, I remove the leaves and the upper part of the trunk of the rootstock at an oblique angle.
• I cover the wound with varnish.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

After successful growth, remove shoots from the wild plant. The wildflower grows quickly and will crush the cultivated shoots.

There may be dangers in the growing process. Find out right now why the leaves of indoor lemons turn yellow. Believe me, it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it.

FAQ

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

Ask your question

Dear beginners who like to grow citrus fruits, if you have been grafting yourself for the first time and have questions during the process. Below I will answer frequently asked questions.

Why did the lemon begin to dry out after grafting?

Watering too much or infection has occurred.

When will the fruits grow after grafting?

A strengthened plant will bear its first fruits in 1.5-2 years. Considering that one grown from a seed bears fruit in 15-18 years, the conclusion is that grafting is necessary for homemade lemons.

How to care for a grafted lemon

After grafting, the plant becomes very vulnerable to infections and unfavorable external conditions. Therefore, he needs special care that will ensure rapid recovery and further proper development.

It is important to properly care for the plant after grafting:

• Watering. After grafting, lemon requires regular watering. The soil in the pot should not dry out, but always remain moist. The top layer of soil should not be allowed to dry out to a depth of more than 1 cm;
• Air humidity. During the recovery period of the tree, high air humidity should be maintained. It is necessary to spray the lemon with warm water daily. The water temperature should be within 30-32ºС;
• Temperature. In summer, the optimal air temperature is in the range of 20-25ºС. The plant should be protected from drafts and sudden drops in temperature. Do not place a lemon near a running air conditioner;
• The lighting of the lemon should be as bright as possible, but it should be shaded from direct sunlight. Direct light can leave burns on the leaves and cause defoliation in a newly grafted plant;
• Feeding lemon is important as it requires nutrition to grow shoots and leaves. It is necessary to feed the tree with special fertilizers for citrus fruits throughout the warm season. Feeding is carried out every 2 weeks.

Let me sum it up

1. Methods of grafting, except copulation, should be carried out during sap flow.
2. Copulation is done before spring.
3. Before grafting, check the roots.
4. The best grafting material from varieties with good characteristics.

Dear readers, our introduction to lemon grafting methods is over. Tell your friends about what you read, share the information with your gardening friends. To consolidate your knowledge, take part in a quiz test on the topic of the article. Good luck!