English (United Kingdom) 
Russian (Russia) Calamondin
Family. Rutaceae.
Origin. Cultural hybrid.
Description. Calamondin or citrofortunella are perennial evergreen trees up to 3 - 6 m high with erect, densely branched stems bearing many oval, glossy, dark green leaves 4 - 7 cm long. When damaged, the leaves emit a pleasant citrus aroma.
Flowers and fruits appear already on plants of the second year of life. The flowers are fragrant, white, star-shaped, with 5 petals, single or 2 - 3, appearing at the tips of the branches in summer.
After flowering, round or slightly flattened green fruits with a very thin skin, 2.5 - 5 cm in diameter, are formed, which acquire a bright orange color when ripe.
The ripening process lasts a very long time - up to 1 year and the plant can be decorated with flowers and ripe fruits at the same time.
If you are not in a hurry to remove the fruits from the tree, it will look very attractive.
Height. 90 - 120 cm.
Calamondin - home care
Transplant
Young plants are replanted annually in the spring, adults - every couple of years. Calamondins do not like small pots, when the root system is cramped - the plants do not bloom. For large adult specimens, change the top layer of soil every year.
How to care for calamondin
As new growth begins in the spring, prune to maintain a neat, compact shape and produce a profusely branching plant. Some varieties require pollination in order to bear fruit. Use a small, dry, clean brush for this. Take the plant outside, if possible in spring and summer, and place it in a well-lit place protected from the wind.
For the onset of fruiting and simply the harmonious development of a citrus tree, it is very important to correctly form the crown of the plant. The first pinching of rooted cuttings or plants obtained from seeds is carried out when they reach a height of 20 cm. Shoots extending from the main trunk of the tree are called shoots of the first order - they are pinched when they reach a length of about 20 cm. This procedure, like the others, it makes sense to carry out this when the branches are still soft - this way you can simply pinch them off and the plant won’t even notice it. In the place where shoots of the 1st order were pinched, a fork usually appears from shoots of the 3rd order - they are shortened when they also reach a length of 20 cm. Accordingly, branches of the 4th order will form at their tops - they are left already about 10 cm long. The first flowering will occur on shoots of 4th and 5th orders.
Trim old and diseased branches in a timely manner - all work should be carried out only with sharp, sterile pruners and, if necessary, sprinkle the cut areas with crushed activated carbon. Do not place plants near heating systems - they will react in the fall with abundant leaf fall. Leaves will periodically fall off throughout the year - this is a normal process, because each leaf lives for about 2 years. If at the end of winter - beginning of spring the plants greatly expose their branches and shed a large number of leaves, lower the temperature or use artificial lighting to extend daylight hours.
When it blooms
Flowers appear most abundantly in spring, but are present in smaller quantities on the plant throughout the year.
Reproduction
Calamondin is fairly easy to grow from seeds, which are sown in spring in moist, nutritious and loose soil. When using stem cuttings about 10 cm long, rooting occurs without any particular difficulties within 6 to 8 weeks. Young plants are covered with a transparent plastic cap or glass to maintain uniform humidity. As an experiment, you can even try to root leaf cuttings. The trees grow about 30 cm per season, and in the second year of life they already bloom and bear fruit.
Diseases and pests
Leaf spotting. At high ambient temperatures, the plant may drop buds and some fruits. When there is a lack of moisture, the leaves turn yellow. Pale color of the leaves and the appearance of smaller young leaves indicate a lack of nutrients. Yellowing of the leaf blades (the veins remain green) indicates the onset of chlorosis - feed the plant with iron chelate. If the tips of the leaf blades, especially in the winter months, become brittle, brown and dry, then the plant may be overwatered - for such specimens it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering.
Among fungal diseases, plants can be susceptible to anthracnose if kept in too warm and very humid a room. Scab can appear as unsightly, pinkish-yellow spots on fruits and small yellow spots on young calamondin leaves. Sooty fungus appears as a black coating on the leaves and shoots of the tree. With too frequent and abundant watering, as well as insufficient drainage, the plant can be affected by root rot. With the onset of this disease, the trees will lose leaves profusely. If the calamondin is located too deep and its root collar is recessed into the ground, then the plant may be subject to gommosis, which manifests itself in the appearance of small transparent drops of resin on the branches.
Powdery mildew affects calamondin when kept in too cool, humid conditions. This disease looks like a white fluffy coating on the leaves. Deformation of leaf blades, changes in their color and general depression of the plant may indicate the appearance of viral diseases. Trees that have been affected by the virus are subject to complete destruction. If small, round, brown spots appear on the fruit, surrounded by a lighter, yellowish circle, then the plant may be suffering from citrus canker.
Aphids, red spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects.
Land for cultivation
The plant adapts well to almost any soil, but prefers soil rich in organic matter with good drainage and a pH of 5.5-7.0.
Watering calamondin
Water abundantly, but so that the top layer of soil, about 3 cm thick, dries out before the next watering. In autumn and winter, the frequency of watering is somewhat reduced.
Fertilizers
Feed the plant 2 times a month with fertilizers at half strength during the period of active growth. In autumn and winter, it is enough to feed monthly.
Spraying
To increase humidity, place the plant pot on a tray of damp pebbles or use a room humidifier. Occasionally spray the leaves with warm, softened water.
Temperature
Warm keeping all year round at a temperature of 18 - 24 ° C. Minimum tolerance of about 10 ° C.
Lighting
Brightly lit location, with direct sunlight in the morning and evening hours for 4 hours a day. Periodically rotate the plant around its own axis so that it takes a neat shape and does not stretch towards the light source.
Purpose
The fruits are used like other citrus fruits for preparing various dishes and drinks, as well as fresh.