How to grow a lemon bonsai in a pot? These care tips you need to master

Lemon leaves are relatively small, oblong-elliptical, with finely serrated margins, and the flowers are solitary, opening all year round, making it very suitable for bonsai. So what are the potted care tips for lemon bonsai?

1. Raising seedlings and potting

In the south, where cultivation is extensive, grafting is suitable for propagation; in the north, where cultivation is limited, cuttings are mainly used, or grafted seedlings can be purchased for growing. The lemon root system has high requirements for water, nutrients and soil, so the potting soil should be mixed into a culture soil that is permeable and aerated, retains water and fertilizer, and is slightly acidic. Potting and repotting can be done after autumn or in early spring, flexibly according to the local climate.

2. Light and temperature

Lemon is a light-loving plant, yet if the sunlight is too intense, growth and development will be poor. Generally at noon the plant needs to be moved to a suitable spot. The suitable annual average temperature for growth is above 15°C, the optimal growth temperature is 23°C to 29°C, growth stops above 35°C, and frost damage occurs at -2°C. In summer, lemon generally does not need cooling; move it indoors before Frost's Descent and outdoors after Qingming, and it can overwinter safely.

3. Watering and fertilizing

Lemon needs more water during growth and development, but too much water easily causes root rot. Generally speaking, spring is the period of shoot growth and leaf expansion, bud formation and flowering, so water should be given in moderation. In summer, with strong light and high temperatures, more water is needed. But it must be timely and moderate, otherwise it will cause fruit drop. Autumn is the period of autumn shoot growth and rapid fruit enlargement, so sufficient water is essential. Late autumn and winter are the flower bud differentiation period, and the potting soil should be on the dry side. Lemon prefers fertilizer; besides applying enough base fertilizer when potting and repotting, the principle of light fertilizer applied frequently should be maintained during the growing period. The number of fertilizer applications and the amount applied must be determined by growth vigor and phenological phase. For example, for liquid fertilizer, fully fermented cake fertilizer water is good, with a cake-to-water ratio of 1:200. In the north, where the soil tends to be alkaline, ferrous sulfate can be added to the fertilizer solution to make a slightly acidic nutrient solution.

4. Pruning and shaping

Pruning is generally divided into winter pruning and summer pruning. Winter pruning should follow the principle of “remove the dense and keep the sparse, remove the weak and keep the strong”, cutting off dead branches, shortening weak branches and removing useless water sprouts. Summer pruning on non-fruiting trees mainly shortens overly long shoots, while on fruiting trees it removes summer shoots and shortens declining branches on the outer middle and upper part of the canopy. Promoting flowers and retaining fruit: lemon is originally a tree species that flowers and fruits in all four seasons, but potted lemons in the north mostly flower and fruit in spring. Therefore, after the autumn shoots stop growing, water must be controlled. Wait until both sides of the leaves begin to curl inward, then water moderately to promote flower bud differentiation. Pay attention to fertilizing in the pot and spraying fertilizer on the leaves to cultivate robust fruiting mother branches.

5. Fruit retention work

First, strengthen the supply of fertilizer and water to accumulate nutrients; second, carry out artificial pollination; third, thin flowers and fruits. Lemon fruits are large and need a lot of nutrients, with a normal leaf-to-fruit ratio of 30 to 40:1. Following the principle of removing the weak and keeping the strong, with even distribution, first thin out excessive and overly dense flower buds; then when the young fruits are 1 cm in size, thin out some fruits; finally, after the physiological fruit drop, set the fruit according to the leaf-to-fruit ratio. Weak branches can also be left without fruit, and strong branches can keep only 1 fruit.