A bunch of lemon ovaries

I decided to write about one of my citruses, this is an indoor one. Now it’s especially interesting to watch him, because... it blooms actively this year, and sets fruit with each flowering. Flowering began in January 2018 and continues to this day (June'18). I picked a lot of flowers and fruits, and yet there are plenty of them on the small tree.

Fruits on a Ponderosa lemon

It is believed that there are citrus fruits that need to be helped to regulate fruiting even in adulthood, so that it “does not go to the ancestors.” These include the Panderosa lemon.

The fact is that this indoor lemon is a hard worker - it constantly throws out flowers and sets fruit. He does this, of course, partly to the detriment of his further development and vegetation, because he gives his strength to flowers and fruits. And they are large and beautiful))).

When I bought my Panderosa, I asked the seller if it was necessary to pick the fruits, to which I was told that they do not do this themselves. Ponderosa itself regulates the number of fruits on the tree, at least the mother tree did so.

I decided to listen, but with each new rapid flowering, I became afraid for my little lemon, because there were a lot of flowers, and a lot of fruits were being set. Still, I delete them periodically. Both the buds are in embryonic form and the fruits are set.

However, such a compact tree now has a lot of lemons from both the first flowering and subsequent ones. I'll watch. Maybe he himself will decide to reset something if it’s hard.

Top dressing for indoor lemon

Of course, fertilizers for citrus tubs are very important. Especially when it comes to flowering and fruit-bearing plants. After all, they spend a lot of energy and nutrition, and sooner or later the land is depleted, even with regular transshipment and soil replacement. Therefore, I regularly fertilize my citrus trees (spring-autumn). Once every 10 days I alternate mineral complexes and organic ones.

Growth of a fruiting lemon

We all expect that in spring-summer, which is favorable for all plants, our citrus trees will grow and produce new branches and form into a beautiful tree.

But as we said above, when a citrus blossoms and sets fruit, it tries not to produce new growth branches. How to be? Do we have to choose between fruit or new growth? Not always.

Of course, if we are talking about a very young plant, 1-2 years old, which has not yet formed the main green mass, which has few branches and leaves, then we definitely remove the flowers and fruits mercilessly!

But a fruit-bearing adult citrus tree can be helped to awaken its sleeping branches.

Trimming indoor lemon

Of course, pruning will help with this. I have already posted an article about proper pruning of citrus plants. You can read about it. And now I wanted to tell you how I helped my Panderosa produce new branches.

For a long time she did not want to please me with twigs. She stubbornly sat and released clusters of buds, one after another. Not a single branch was deprived of flowering, even the small lower branches without leaves.

Moreover, buds were produced both from the lateral buds on the branches and at the ends of the branches. Some branches already have fruits at the ends, and they cannot be cut off. But there are still those who were left without fruits, you can see where I helped and plucked flowers. So I trimmed these branches.

Since my branches are compact, small and all almost the same size, I couldn’t trim much. Literally 1-3 buds. And now, it’s a miracle, powerful young shoots have appeared! My handsome boy is growing and fluffy :).

Finally, I’ll say that all my citrus fruits are in the greenhouse. Summer this year is unstable and cool.

If you have any questions, ask in the comments.

© Mari@na

Main difference varietal lemon Panderosa- These are large fruits. More likely, not just large, but very large; lemons weighing more than a kilogram sometimes grow on it. But it is clear that for this the plant itself must gain a good resource and become stronger. This can confuse a novice citrus grower, because you want to immediately buy yourself a tree that won’t be a lot of hassle.

If Lemon Panderosa buy, then there is no doubt that this is one of the most unpretentious varieties of citrus plants, which does not require serious care and adapts well to external conditions.

Origin

Panderosa lemon (ponderosa) is a hybrid variety of lemon, obtained by crossing lemon, citron and grapefruit. According to one version, it is believed that it was accidentally obtained in America in 1887; it was a hybrid of natural origin. Later, the new variety was named Panderosa, and already in 1900 this lemon was put on sale.

Mature plant with fruits

Another version is that the Panderosa variety was obtained by the American Bowman, who was breeding citrus fruits in his own nursery. A new variety of lemon was developed by a gardener at the end of the 19th century.
Later, the Panderosa lemon became the ancestor of new varieties: Skiernevitsky, Kyiv large-fruited, Yubileiny. Due to the fact that the above varieties have the same “ancestor”, they are very similar in appearance.
The name of this variety comes from the Latin word “ponderous”, which means “heavy”. In Italian, "ponderosa" is the feminine form of "ponderoso", which means "strong, powerful". And this lemon is called so because its lemons are large in size.

Description

Lemon variety Panderosa- this is a small tree with a beautiful spreading crown, it can reach a height of 1-1.5 meters. The bark of the trunk is grayish in color and may have cracks, especially if your tree is already mature. It has spines on the trunk; young lemons usually do not have them, but adult lemons always have spines. This lemon has strong, strong branches with dark green, rounded leaves that are hard and smooth to the touch. The petiole of the leaves is short with small wings. About once every three years, “leaf fall” can be observed - the plant sheds old leaves to replace them with new ones.

Lemon variety Panderosa can bloom and bear fruit up to three times a year, but while the plant is young it is better not to let it do this

The shape of the crown of the Panderosa lemon can be very varied, but it mainly depends on how you form it. Delivery throughout Russia is available on our website.

Bloom

Unlike other varieties of lemon, Panderosa has very vigorous flowering. She “loves” to bloom, so much so that during flowering your tree can turn into a white ball of flowers, filling the room with a wonderful aroma. It is also worth noting that this lemon can bloom twice, and sometimes even three times, in a year.

This citrus blooms very profusely and with large flowers.

Panderosa cuttings, as soon as it takes root, it can begin to bloom. In this case, flowering is to the detriment of your lemon tree, so the flowers will have to be cut off. This must be done until a normal, strong young shoot develops.

The flowers are large, white with a cream tint, and may be slightly pinkish at the tips. The petals are long. The flowers are collected in loose inflorescences; they all open gradually, so lemon blossoms can last a long time. They are located at the ends of branches, and sometimes flowers can even appear on the trunk of a tree. But, despite the rapid and abundant flowering, Panderosa does not produce very many lemons. If you want to get a good harvest, some of the flowers need to be removed, since flowering greatly exhausts the tree.
In citrus growing there is even such a thing as “Panderosa syndrome” - this is when a citrus blossoms to the detriment of growth; there may be many buds and more than one leaf on the branches.

The so-called “Panderosa Syndrome” - a whole bunch of fruits is formed that the plant cannot cope with

Fruiting

Panderosa is capable of bearing fruit for 2-3 years of life. The main feature of this variety, which is why the name was given, is the very large fruits. Their average weight is 500-700 grams; especially large fruits can weigh up to a kilogram. Although lemons are quite large, the harvest is small - from 4 to 6 fruits.

The fruits are sometimes so large that they necessarily require supports so as not to damage the branches of the plant.

The fruits of Panderosa are round, less often pear-shaped. They have a thick, lumpy skin up to a centimeter thick. The pulp of the fruit is very juicy, light greenish. It tastes sour, but interestingly, it does not have the sour taste usually associated with lemons. This is all due to the fact that the fruits of this variety have a reduced content of citric acid (less than 10%), but they contain approximately the same amount of vitamin C as the fruits of other varieties - about 40%.

The fruit itself has a large crust and a large number of seeds

Another feature is that there are usually a lot of seeds inside the fruit, sometimes several dozen.

Features of care

Lemon Panderosa is distinguished by its “flexible character” - it is unpretentious and does not require complex care. Thanks to this, it gained its popularity among amateur citrus growers.
This variety normally tolerates dry indoor air, as well as exposure to elevated temperatures.

Transfer

As the lemon grows, it needs to be replanted. The Panderosa transplant has some features:

- the tree needs to be transplanted into a larger pot than the previous one;
- when selecting a pot material, opt for clay; a clay pot will provide the best drainage;
- choose special soil mixtures for citrus fruits, because they contain the most suitable and nutritious composition, and if it is not possible to purchase such a mixture, you can make it yourself from leaf and turf soil, humus, sand, mixing these components in equal proportions;
- you don’t need to plant the lemon too deep, and you also need to leave space between the ground level and the edge of the pot, this is necessary for watering.
It is necessary to repot regularly as soon as you notice that your plant has “grown” out of its pot.

Watering

The Panderosa variety does not require frequent watering. The frequency of this manipulation depends on the time of year, the temperature in the apartment and the age of the plant. During the growing season, the soil in the pot should be slightly moist; there is no need to flood the plant with water.
In summer you need to water less often than in winter. As soon as the top layer of soil dries out, you can water the lemon.
You also need to monitor the humidity in the room and, if necessary, regulate it using a humidifier or containers of water placed in the room.
Although Panderosa can tolerate dry air, it loves to be sprayed. Therefore, several times a week you need to spray the lemon tree with a spray bottle.

Top dressing

During the growing season, Panderosa is fertilized with special fertilizers for citrus fruits; fertilizing is carried out approximately once every 1-2 weeks. During autumn and winter, you need to feed lemon no more than once a month, or even less often.

Crown formation

Lemon pruning is done in early spring; you need to do this before the tree begins to bloom. Young shoots are pinched if other branches overtake them in growth.
All manipulations are carried out with clean instruments.

Temperature

Lemon variety Panderosa It tolerates elevated temperatures well and is considered one of the most heat-loving lemons. But at the same time, this lemon loves fresh air, so it’s good to place it on the balcony or outside, and if this is not possible, then just by an open window. Remember that it is better not to leave the plant outside all day.

Light mode

When choosing a location for your lemon, you need to choose the most lit places. It would be best to place the pot with the plant on the south side.
In the autumn-winter period, the lemon tree needs to be provided with additional lighting.

This variety is the record holder for the largest fruit size among lemons.

For the lemon variety Panderosa care can be carried out by an amateur and does not require special skills or tools. This citrus plant is great for growing in an apartment. In turn, it will delight you with abundant flowering and large fruits.

This variety of lemon probably ranks second in popularity after and is quite often found among lovers of indoor citrus growing. It is believed that it is “not a real lemon”, but a hybrid of lemon and pompelmousse.

I was no exception to those who wanted to have it among my citrus plants and purchased a six-month-old Panderosa lemon seedling in 2016.

Well, what can I say about my Panderosa - the plant is quite memorable. Lemon has large, oval, rounded leaves, which makes this hybrid related to citron. The branches have small spines. It grows quite powerfully, producing strong shoots, which I mercilessly shortened to the fifth leaf, and placed the cut tops for rooting. It takes root quite well - in 4-6 weeks the cuttings produce a powerful root, and in general, it is quite unpretentious in care. At the stage of rooting of cuttings, “Panderosa syndrome” is indeed observed - when the cutting produces twigs with clusters of buds, rather than leaves.

Panderosa itself bloomed in the spring of its second year. An abundance of buds was observed, most of which developed into ovaries. This variety of lemon is not considered prolific, but the weight of the fruit reaches up to a kilogram, which completely compensates for the number of fruits.

My Panderosa, after the first abundant flowering, bore two fruits. True, one broke off under its own weight, being still completely green and unripe, but the second fruit was successfully ripened and was cut for tea drinking for tasting among friends. Personally, in my opinion, the taste is quite mediocre. Not very sour, very thick peel, rather dry pulp, large presence of seeds. But my friends really liked it. As they say, there are many comrades according to taste and color)

Lemon fruits of the Panderosa variety reach a weight of up to one kilogram

Now this plant grows five fruits, which I think is pretty good for the size and age of the plant itself.

How the Panderosa lemon differs from the varieties of indoor lemons Skiernevitsky, Kyiv large-fruited, and Yubileiny I cannot say, because I had no personal experience in growing them. I can only compare it with Irkutsk large-fruited - they are very similar in leaf shape. I have not yet set fruit from Irkutsk, because it grows very slowly, both itself and its rooted cuttings, which significantly differs from the Panderosa lemon variety, which grows much more intensively.

ADVANTAGES of this variety (in my opinion):

Compact crown, which is convenient for indoor keeping;
not picky about content;
is an excellent rootstock;
looks impressive, impressing with the size and weight of the fruit.

Thick peel;
large availability of seeds;
There are lemons that taste better.

All of the above is purely my personal opinion and observation. There are a great many clones of homemade lemon Panderosa, which differ from each other both in the shape, taste and size of the fruit, and in the shape and behavior of the plant itself. Overall, I think the plant is very interesting, which can take its rightful place in the citrus collection.

It occurred through natural hybridization. Scientists also suggest that this variety was developed by agronomist Bowman. Panderosa is considered a related variety to Yubileiny and Canadian. In 1900, Panderosa went on sale in America.

Description of the variety

Panderosa lemons have a thick skin with a characteristic bumpiness, and the fruit is very fragrant. You will receive them for 2-3 years of the plant’s life. The fruits reach up to 1 kilogram, provided that the plant is very strong and can withstand them. Therefore, you should leave no more than 4-6 lemons on the tree. The pulp is juicy and light green in color. Panderosa is quite sour, but does not have a sour aftertaste like regular lemons. Panderosa has one drawback - it has a lot of seeds. The leaves are hard, dense and smooth, and have a dark green tint. It happens that once every three years Panderosa brings autumn leaves to your house. Don't be alarmed, the plant does not die, it just gets rid of the old foliage.

It blooms extremely profusely, even to the detriment of its growth. It blooms three times a year, but if your plant is young and fragile, then under no circumstances let it bloom more than once. Otherwise it may die. The flowers are very large and fragrant, the petals are long and light cream in color, they are usually pinkish at the ends. The flowers do not open all at once, so flowering continues for a long period of time. Panderosa lemon produces a lot of flowers.

Specifics

At home, the plant reaches up to 1 meter in height. Mature plants have citrus spines on their stems. The bark is greyish and with age small cracks appear on it. The crown will grow as it is formed, that is, the owner must trim the plant at his own discretion. Pruning should be done exclusively in the spring, before the tree begins to grow. Trim so that sunlight enters the crown.

It is better to place citrus fruits in the shade in the afternoon. You can also experiment and take it out onto an open balcony if the temperature does not drop below +15C. Carrying out this procedure, over time you can place the plant on the sunny side of the window in the first half of the day. The tree is in good contact with dry air, so it is not necessary to spray it daily.

The main specificity of the Panderosa lemon, as was written earlier, is the giant fruits compared to ordinary lemons. They also contain a minimum of citric acid, as a result of which they differ in taste from other citrus fruits.

Caring for indoor Panderosa lemon.

Nowadays, you won't be able to surprise anyone with homemade lemon. There are a huge variety of plants of this type, but the most common is Panderosa. So let's find out how to properly grow this plant. Caring for this species differs from caring for a regular lemon. Firstly, Panderosa needs to be replanted quite often, because it is constantly increasing in size. Choose a pot 2-4 cm larger and deeper than the previous one. A clay pot is ideal because it provides excellent drainage. Use soil for citrus fruits, so the plant will develop faster. Do not plant Panderosa deep in the pot, leave a few cm for comfortable watering. You can also use a special fertilizer once every 2-3 weeks, the plant will only thank you for this.

Panderosa does not require frequent watering. In hot climates (summer), the plant should be watered twice a day. During the rest of the year, water once a week. The plant should absolutely not be watered abundantly. Everything should be in moderation.

Summary

This plant does not require professional care; even a novice gardener can handle it. This is probably why this species is so popular among citrus lovers. Panderosa quickly adapts to external conditions. Panderosa will delight the owner with its large fruits and beautiful flowering. You can buy Panderosa on our website.

Homemade lemons are plants that require attention. To care for him, you need to know the signs by which you should adjust your actions if you are doing something wrong. It is important to consider many different factors: temperature, lighting, air humidity, watering and others. After all, if the conditions of maintenance are violated, the tree can get sick or even die. But he himself will make it clear that mistakes are made in its content: all signs of improper care can be read from its leaves.

In this article, we will look at the main mistakes made in lemon care to help you avoid them.

Lighting

If the leaves of your plant are covered with yellow or brown spots, this may indicate that the tree has received sunburn. Exposing lemons to direct sunlight for too long can cause the tips of the tree's leaves to darken and curl. This means that your tree has received sunburn.

Sunburn of lemon leaf

But burns on the leaves do not affect the entire plant as a whole; they occur only on the leaves on the side of the tree that was facing the sun.
If you notice that your Got sunburn- you need to remove it from direct sunlight, over time the plant will recover on its own. But recovery will not occur quickly, so it is better to avoid placing the plant in direct sunlight.

Hypertrophied large leaves are a sign of excess light for lemon

Signs of low light clearly visible on the leaves: they become pale green and their size decreases. In case of lack of light, it may even shed some of the leaves. It is especially important to monitor the light regime in the autumn-winter period, when there is less light and the plant may experience a deficiency. Therefore, you need to place the tree for several hours under a fluorescent or LED lamp for additional illumination of the plants. Signs of severe and prolonged light deficiency in lemons are shown in the photo for this article.

Lack of light in lemon - leaves become pale

The most optimal place for growing is well-lit, with fairly bright and diffused light, but not in direct sunlight. The plant is best placed on the western or eastern side of the house, or on the southern side.

Humidity and temperature

Air humidity and temperature are two more important criteria, without which it will not be possible to grow a healthy one.
Have you noticed that your lemon leaves are drying around the edges and curling? This means that the temperature and dry air in the room where the plant is grown is too high. Since it is a tropical plant, it tolerates excessive dry air very poorly. Very often the leaves of lemons turn yellow in winter, as they are placed on window sills next to heating devices. This should not be done, as the plant may dry out, shed its leaves and become sick.

Excessive air dryness and high room temperatures can cause leaves to drop.

The optimal temperature for growing tangerines and lemons indoors is 20-23 degrees, and humidity is at least 70%. To increase the humidity in your home to an optimal level, you can use a humidifier. If it is not there, you can simply place containers filled with water near the plants. You also need to periodically spray with water from a spray bottle.

Cold and sudden temperature changes can also have a detrimental effect on the plant. Cold air can cause leaves to fall off a tree. Therefore, protect from drafts and cold.

Watering

Have your lemon leaves started to curl into a tube at the ends and then turn yellow? The reason is probably due to insufficient watering of the plant. It is best not to let the lemon soil dry out, as this can lead to drying out and death of the plant. The soil in the pot should always be slightly damp. But if the soil does dry out, it needs to be moistened gradually, with small portions of water at intervals of several hours. Sharp watering of a lemon after a “drought” can negatively affect the plant, and it will shed its leaves.

This is what happens if you don’t water for a long time and dry out the soil.

Too much watering will also not have the best effect on the condition of the plant. When there is a large accumulation of moisture in the soil, the leaves turn yellow at their base, and not at the tips. Flooding the plant adversely affects the condition of the root system, it begins to rot, and because of this the plant begins to ache and wither.

When overwatered, the lemon begins to turn yellow near the base.

To eliminate the effects of overwatering, the plant should no longer be watered for several days to allow the soil in the pot to dry out. If there is too much moisture, you must replant it in a new pot, after drying the roots a little before planting. It is also important not to forget about drainage.

Signs of regular flooding of lemons - the edges of the leaves darken, gradually turn brown, and the roots may rot.

It is necessary to water as the soil in the pot dries out. The frequency of watering is determined by many factors: the size of the pot and plant, temperature and humidity, and others. In summer you need to water more often than in winter: if in winter a couple of times a week is enough for the plant, then in summer the number of waterings needs to be increased and watered every day or a little less often.

Transplantation and soil

Proper soil and replanting also play a big role in the condition of the lemon tree.
If the soil in the pot is not suitable for growing lemon, the plant will signal this by a pattern of yellowing on the leaves. Lemon does not like soil that is too acidic or alkaline. In this case, its leaves first turn yellow, then brown, and then completely fall off. The tree may also experience stunted growth.
Soil depletion can also cause leaf fall in lemons. In this case, you need to add fertilizer to the soil. Also, leaves can change color and dry out due to a lack of mineral nutrients.

If cymon spruce is not suitable for acidity, it will give the following signal in the form of yellowing of the leaf

If they turn yellow at the base, this means that insufficient attention was paid to the drainage system during transplantation. The plant needs to be replanted urgently. The pot into which it will be transplanted must be filled at least 30% with drainage, and the rest of the volume is allocated for soil. Expanded clay or small pebbles are good for drainage. Before replanting, you need to dry the root system and remove rotten roots.

If, after replanting with a complete or partial replacement of the soil, some of the leaves fall off the lemon, it means that the root system has been damaged. To rehabilitate the tree, you need to place it under a greenhouse (for this you can use cling film or polyethylene). It should not come into contact with the leaves and stems of the lemon. To maintain the required level of humidity, the plant under the film must be sprayed regularly. Ventilate the lemon daily by removing the film for 15-20 minutes. You can add “Kornevin” to the water for watering the tree to stimulate root growth. The greenhouse can be removed from the plant after new young leaves appear on it.

A general reminder about mistakes in caring for indoor plants

But lemon leaves falling not always a consequence of improper plant care. Sometimes this may be a consequence of the acclimatization of the plant; this can happen to a newly acquired tree. Moving and new living conditions are stressful for citrus, and it can respond by partially shedding its leaves. But there is no need to worry, after about 2 weeks you should get used to the new conditions and the leaves will stop falling. If this does not happen, you should look for another reason for the leaf fall: perhaps you have violated the conditions for keeping the lemon or the plant is sick with something.

If you carefully monitor the condition of the lemon and its leaves, you can prevent many possible mistakes in caring for it. If you follow all care recommendations, all your efforts will be rewarded with a healthy and fruit-bearing lemon tree.

Also, it will be useful to read the article - there are photo instructions on how to understand from the leaves what exactly should be fed at the moment.