We love tangerines for a good reason. They are delicious and healthy. Are you wondering whether you can plant tangerine seeds and grow a tangerine plant yourself? That is entirely possible. How to care for your own tangerine and how to get fruits from it in home growing conditions? In this article we will talk about this question.
Which seeds should be planted?
When planting tangerines, it is best to take seeds from the numerous hybrids that are on the market today. They germinate faster, bloom earlier, in most cases bear edible fruit and are easier to graft. It is very easy to distinguish them from true tangerines: true tangerines have no or very few seeds in the fruit, while hybrids always have seeds.
Which seeds are suitable for sowing? The selected seeds should not be thin, dried out, deformed or with a blackened tip. It is good to have at least five tangerine seeds, as not all of them germinate, and if the plants are intended for grafting, at least ten, as grafting is not always successful.
Prepare the soil for the tangerine seeds
Next you need to prepare the substrate. Tangerines do not like acidic soil. Therefore, the substrate is either bought in the store and has a pH of 6.5 to 7 (neutral soil), or you make it yourself by mixing two parts of well-prepared humus, two parts of forest soil (from under deciduous trees) and one Mix part of sifted river sand. If there is no humus, you can just use non-acidic soil and sand.
Choosing a pot for the seeds
Now a planter must be selected. The first pots for young tangerines can be plastic cups with a volume of 200 ml, pots at least 7-9 cm deep (with a drainage hole) or small pots.
How to plant tangerine seeds
The following applies to all citrus fruits: the faster the fruit seed gets into the ground, the higher its germination capacity. After eating a tangerineyou need the seedsSo do not dry them out, but you should immediately put them in the ground and bury them to a depth of 4 cm.
If for some reason the tangerine seeds could not be planted immediately, it is recommended to soak them for a few days to speed up the germination process a little. In this case, the bowl in which they will lie should be flat, the cloth moist, but not flooded with water, the place – warm, but not in the sun.
Note: To prevent the cloth in which the tangerine seeds are wrapped from drying out, the peel can be placed in a polyethylene bag that is lightly covered but not tied.
From sowing to germination
It is impossible to say in advance how long it will take a tangerine seed to germinate. In some cases it takes 15 days, but more often around a month. In any case, until the seedlings germinate, it is important to keep an eye on soil moisture and air temperature, which should not fall below +20 ° C and not rise above +25 ° C.
Proper tangerine care (water, light, temperature, fertilizer)
Water:Caring for tangerine plants is not very difficult. Tangerines need regular watering (the soil should be kept moist but not flooded), misting (quite often) and plenty of light (with shading in summer from the bright midday sun and with lighting in winter days). It makes sense to give the tangerine a warm shower once a month. When the tangerine has begun to bloom, in addition to the usual care, it needs winter rest at +10 to +12 ° C with less frequent watering (the soil should be allowed to dry out a little),
Licht:Like other citrus fruits, tangerine tends to turn its leaves toward the main light source. It can therefore be rotated around its axis for more even crown formation. However, this should not be done by more than 10°C at a time and no more often than every two weeks, as citrus fruits do not like to be moved and can react negatively to it.
Temperature: The plant needsa gradual increase in temperature in spring and the optimal temperature regime for bud formation (within the limits of +16 to +18 ° C). In addition, moderate heat in summer - not above +25 ° C (at higher temperatures the flowers may fall off). In the warm months, the plant can be moved to the air in a place protected from the wind (gradual habituation).
Fertilizer:Small tangerine plants are not fed, they are simply repotted into a larger pot. However, older plants should be fertilized from the beginning of spring growth through fall. This is done with a special fertilizer for citrus fruits or with an infusion of cow dung (1:10 with water), every two weeks. Chicken droppings (infusion of 1:20, diluted with water) are also suitable for fertilizer.
Also read:Grow your own tangerine from the core: instructions and tips on how to grow an exotic tangerine tree
