Choosing citrus plants

Citrus plants remain at their peak of popularity. Probably, among people of the older generation, this love is associated with childhood memories, with the most beloved New Year's holiday, when such bright and desirable tangerines with an unforgettable smell hung on the tree. The tradition of giving tangerines at Christmas dates back a long time ago, when these exotic fruits were still new and cost a lot of money. And, probably, it is not for nothing that the fruits of all citrus fruits are called hesperids, with a hint of the Golden apples of the nymphs of the hesperides, who bestowed eternal youth and eternal life.

At the western end of the Earth, near the Ocean, where day converged with night, beautiful-voiced nymphs lived Hesperides. Their divine singing was heard only by Atlas, who held the heavenly vault on his shoulders and the souls of the dead who sadly descended into the underworld. The nymphs walked in a wonderful garden, where a tree grew, bending heavy branches to the ground. Golden fruits glittered and hid in their greenery. They gave everyone who touches them immortality and eternal youth.(Feats of Hercules)

Citrus fruits are really very useful, they contain a large amount of vitamin C, as well as vitamins P, group B, carotene, citric acid, and sugar. In addition, they all secrete phytoncides - biologically active substances that suppress the development of pathogenic bacteria. In spring, summer, and sometimes autumn, citrus fruits delight with white, albeit small, but often growing whole clusters of flowers with a pleasant spring aroma of jasmine and lily of the valley at the same time.

Now, when the wonderful apples of hesperids have lost their mythical halo and are no longer a rare exotic, citrus trees themselves with ripe edible fruits can become a wonderful gift for the New Year (and not only). Here you will find a lot of things that you will not find on fruit counters:

Lemon (Citrus x limon) - a plant of a hybrid nature, probably obtained as a result of natural crossing of citron and pomelo. Historically, it is the most popular representative of citrus in our homes. But it is rather difficult to form a compact dense tree from lemons. There are many well-fruiting varieties, such as Pavlovsky, Novogruzinsky, Kursky, Maikop, Irkutsky, etc. Lemons are also often called some hybrids of lemon with other citrus fruits:

• Ponderosa - a hybrid of lemon with citron (C. x limon x C. medica,), very easy to cultivate, blooms profusely and sets fruit easily.
• Meyer's lemon(Citrus x meyeri), hybrid of lemon and grapefruit or orange (C. x limonxC. xparadise, or C. sinensis).
• Lunario - a hybrid of lemon with papeda (C. x limonxC. papeda).

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) -  this citrus gave many natural hybrids, including orange, calamondin, and is widely used by humans to develop new varieties and hybrids. Mandarin tends to grow in a fairly compact and dense tree, easily forming.

Orange (Citrus x sinensis) - a hybrid obtained in antiquity is, apparently, the result of crossing a mandarin(Citrus reticulata) and pomelo(Citrus maxima). There are many varieties in culture now. Orange trees tend to grow vertically and grow quite large.

Clementine (Citrusx clementina) - one of the variants of a hybrid of tangerine and orange, has very tasty fruits. The growth shape is medium between orange and tangerine.

Citron(Citrusmedica) - sometimes found on the market as a small tree bearing round fruits with a porous thick skin. But more popular is the unusual version of the "Buddha's Hand" with fruits in the form of fingers folded together. The fruit does not contain pulp.

Kumquat, kinkan or fortunella(Citrus japonica) - some scientists do not belong to the genus Citrus, but to the close genus Fortunella, easily crosses with other citrus crops, giving new hybrids, an example of which is Calamondin and Limonella. It is very decorative, it grows as a compact tree, sweet fruits are eaten together with the peel.

Calamondin (x Citrofortunella microcarpa) appears to be a hybrid of mandarin and fortunella (Citrus reticulata x Citrus japonica), not found in the wild. On sale there is both a green-leaved cultivar and a variegated form. It grows mostly compact and neat, easy to shape.

Limonella or limequat (Citrus limeguat) - hybrid between kumquat and lime (Citrus japonicax Citrus aurantiifolia), outwardly similar to lemon, with a lime flavor in unripe fruits and a bittersweet pulp in mature ones.

Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) - also has a hybrid nature, probably originated from the crossing of an orange (Citrus x sinensis) and pomelo (Citrus maxima). Quite a large tree, more suitable for growing in spacious conservatories or greenhouses.

Doll (Citrus x 'Kucle') - hybrid of fortunella Margarita and clementine (Citrus japonica 'Margarita'xCitruswithlementina)... A beautiful dense tree, the fruits are round-pear-shaped.

Orange (Citrus aurantium) - compact, dense tree with small leaves, very slow growth, well suited for bonsai-style formation.

Bergamot(Citrus bergamia) - obtained by crossing an orange (Citrus aurantium) and citron (Citrus medica). It is better known as a tea flavoring agent.

Large, formed in the form of standard trees, and smaller specimens come to us from Dutch auctions, they are grown in Italy, Portugal, Israel. Quite often you can find greenhouse rooted cuttings of various varieties of lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, orange. Many varieties, including more decorative variegated ones, are found among collectors and amateur flower growers.

How to distinguish citruses

Most citrus fruits have thorns in the leaf axils. The largest thorns are in citron and orange, in lemon they may be absent. Tangerines rarely have thorns. However, their presence or absence often depends not on the species, but on the variety and growing conditions.

There are peculiar extensions on the petioles of citrus fruits, which are called wings. The lemon has a rounded petiole and no wings, the mandarin has small wings, the orange has them of medium size, and the grapefruit is comparable in size to the leaf blade.

What to consider when buying

• As tempting as it can be to buy a citrus plant, evaluate if you can provide it with good light and a cool winter. Otherwise, you will be disappointed and regretted about the money spent, with all the simplicity of caring for the plant. About cultivation - in the article Citrus plants at home.
• Refrain from occasional purchases of citrus fruits in the markets. Never buy plants with bare roots or recently covered with soil. The survival rate of citrus plants with a disturbed root system is extremely low, such plants almost always die.
• Be sure to pay attention to the general condition of the plant. Citrus should never shed its leaves. Shake gently and if you have a few fallen leaves, discard the purchase. Such a plant is severely depleted, under severe stress, and with a high probability it can completely shed its leaves within a few days.
• Be sure to inspect the plant for the presence of pests. If you notice white lumps that resemble cotton wool, the plant is affected by mealybugs. If on the trunk, shoots and leaves there are plaques resembling wax drops that can be easily removed with a fingernail, then this is a scabbard. Both pests are very easily transferred to neighboring plants and difficult to remove. When purchasing such a plant, be prepared for a lengthy pest control procedure. Do not buy plants with black shoots - they are affected by fungal diseases.
• When transporting a plant home in the cold season, it is necessary to carefully pack it and not expose it to cold - strong cooling and a sharp temperature drop will cause leaf fall.

And one more tip - do not rush to transplant immediately, first familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of cultivating citrus plants.