Distinctive features of the plant, advice on growing mineola indoors, recommendations of specialists for transplanting or independent reproduction, interesting facts. Mineola (Minneola) plant that is part of the genus Citrus (Citrus) reckoned to the family Rutoceae (Rutoceae). But this plant was not bred naturally by Mother Nature, but a man had a hand in the appearance of this unusual fruit. Mineola is a hybrid from crossing a mandarin (Dansy was chosen (English name Dansy)) with a varietal grapefruit “Duncan” (in English it is “Duncan”). It happened at the beginning of the 20th century (1931) in the lands of Florida. Since then, the plant has been actively cultivated in the USA (Florida), in Turkey, in the provinces of China and in Israel. There is another name for this exotic citrus fruit - "honey bell", "maniola" or "minniola".
Mineola, like all citrus fruits, has a tree-like growth, with good branching. Shoots are thin and flexible, practically devoid of thorns. The color of the bark of young branches is green, and over time it becomes more brownish and the shoots become lignified. The height of a tree in indoor conditions rarely exceeds one and a half meters, but in natural conditions it can reach up to 4 m. The leaf plates of the "honey bell" are elongated elliptical, sometimes there is a slight elongated sharpening at the top. Their color is rich emerald.
The tree blooms with delicate buds of a white-milky shade with yellow stamens. There are about 5 petals with a spliced base, in the center of the bud there is a pistil with stamens and anthers. Flowers are usually located singly or in small groups in inflorescences growing in the leaf axils. They have a pleasant and delicate scent. In order for the size of the fruit to become larger than the inflorescence, it is customary to tie. More often, ovaries appear after self-pollination.
Mineola fruit has a rounded shape, but it is slightly flattened from top to bottom (which is similar to tangerine). But at the top there is a small tubercle of about 1 cm, which gives a similarity in outline to a bell or a pear. Its dimensions reach 7.5 cm in height and 8, 25 cm in width. The color of the peel is of a beautiful and deep orange-red hue. The very thickness of the crust is thin, but with a firm surface. The flesh inside is usually divided into 10-12 slices, very soft and tender, literally melting in the mouth. Its taste is sweet and sour with a wonderful rich aroma. The fruit can contain 7-12 seeds, which are greenish inside.
Ripening in mineola is late, but the fruit tolerates transportation well. However, if the crop was overexposed on tree branches, then the next fruiting fruit will have a lighter color skin. However, there are varieties that are completely tasteless and the pulp is practically without juice. Unlike mandarin, the fruit is harder and only slightly soft. If the fruit has become soft, like a tangerine, it means that it is spoiled. Mineola is heavier for its size than tangerine balls. They are also handy for eating.
The plant is more hardy than its mandarin ancestor - it needs less heat.
Agrotechnics for growing mineola, care and watering
- Lighting and location. Like all citrus fruits, the plant loves when there is a lot of light when growing it, but it is better to arrange a little shading at noon hours (from 12 to 16 pm). Therefore, you can put a pot with a plant on the windowsills of windows with an east or west location. And on the southern ones, you will need to hang curtains or curtains (any translucent material, for example, gauze, will do) or put a flowerpot with mineola in the back of the room. The northern direction of the windows is also undesirable, since there the tree will not have enough light and phytolamps will have to be installed. In winter, additional lighting is also indispensable, it is necessary that the daylight hours are approximately equal to 10 hours.
- Content temperature. The plant loves in the spring and summer months, so that the temperature varies between 18-22 degrees. But with the arrival of autumn, heat indicators should be gradually reduced, bringing the average daily temperature to 15-18 degrees. So that the mineola can fully rest and grow many flowers, and then successfully bear fruit in the autumn-winter period, it is important to keep the tree at low temperatures, but not below 5-8 degrees Celsius. With the arrival of spring, when the threat of morning frost has passed, you can arrange "air baths" for the plant, taking it out into the fresh air for this time, a garden or a balcony will do.
- Air humidity should be high, only in this case the mineola feels good. To do this, from spring to autumn, it is necessary to spray the crown of the tree with warm soft water. Do not use tap water, as whitish spots remain on the leaves, and spraying with cold water is also undesirable.
- Watering the mineola. In the period from spring to early autumn, it is necessary to water the plant abundantly. It is important to ensure that the substrate in the pot does not dry out, but you should not fill it in either. The signal for moistening will be the drying of the topsoil in the flowerpot. To do this, you can take a pinch of soil, if it crumbles, then it's time to water. To moisturize, you need soft water at room temperature. It is important that there are no chlorine or lime impurities in the liquid - hard water is detrimental to the plant. You can take river or rain water, and use distilled water, settled for several days or passed through a filter and boiled over.
- Top dressing. Complex mineral fertilizers are suitable for mineola, but it is better to use special solutions for citrus representatives. Starting from the end of winter (when the plant enters the active growth phase) and until autumn, they must be applied twice a month. It is necessary that the composition contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, they will contribute to the successful fruiting of citrus. With the arrival of winter, feeding should be stopped, especially if the plant is kept at low temperatures, otherwise they continue to feed the mineola, but only once a month. In order not to cause burns to the plant, you should combine top dressing with watering. Add fertilizer additives to the water for watering the tree. You can also just moisten the substrate, and after a day pour it with a solution of fertilizing. Pour the agent until it seeps through the drain holes of the pot.
- Transplantation and selection of soil. It is best to replant the plant while it is young annually. For this, a transshipment method is used, in which the earthen lump does not collapse, then the root system of the mineola will not be injured. When the plant is already mature and growing in a large pot, then you can limit yourself to changing only 3-4 cm of soil on top of the soil. The new pot should have holes drilled in the bottom so that excess moisture flows out. When transplanting, a drainage layer (expanded clay, small pebbles) is placed on the bottom of the tank, but the main thing is that it does not fall out through the drain holes. Then you can pour a small layer of river sand and only then lay the soil. You can take a universal substrate and add sand and humus to it, or use ready-made mixtures for citrus plants. If the mineola is not even 3 years old, then the substrate should be made up of the following components: top sod, manure, which have already been peeled for 3 years, leafy soil, river sand - parts of the components are equal.
If the tree is adult, then you can make up the soil based on the following ingredients. Leafy land can be taken in any forest by typing from under the trees. It is important that there is no fresh foliage in it, chestnut, walnut, poplar and oak are not suitable for using the soil from under them. Usually only 5-10 cm of substrate is collected from the top of the surface. Then one part of coarse-grain sand, half of a part of wood ash and a little humus are mixed into this land.
Tips for self-breeding mineola
To grow a new mineola tree, you can plant seeds, cuttings or grafting.
With the help of seed, the new plant will grow slowly and the likelihood of waiting for flowers or fruits will be very small. The grains that have been taken out of the fruit must be immediately planted in a sandy-humus mixture poured into a container. Before planting, the substrate is slightly moistened, and the grains are planted to a depth of 1 cm. After this, it is necessary to cover the container with the seeds with polyethylene or put a glass on the container. It is advisable to withstand the heat indicators of 22-25 degrees during germination, and choose a bright place, but without direct rays of the luminary.
After 3-4 weeks, or even a month, several sprouts may appear from each seed - this is the difference between all citrus plants, when there are several embryos in one seed. The plants are watched and looked after, and after 2 months it is necessary to remove the weakest ones. When 2-3 true fully formed leaves appear on the sprout, then you can transplant into pots with a diameter of 7 cm, with soil that is suitable for adult specimens.
It is necessary to cut the cuttings with the arrival of the end of winter or at the very beginning of spring. The length of the twig should be at least 10 cm and no more than 15 cm. It is desirable to have 2-3 buds and a couple of leaves on it. It is recommended to cut with a garden tool or a sharpened knife so that there are no jagged edges. The cut can be treated with a solution that stimulates root formation (a drug such as "Kornevin" or "Epin") or you can mix it yourself. For example, take 1, 5 teaspoon of honey and diluted in 1.5 liters of water, or 100 grams. yeast is diluted in 1 liter of water.
If the plate is very large, you can cut it in half to reduce the surface area from which moisture will evaporate. A small pot is taken, a layer of fine expanded clay is poured onto the bottom of it, and then a mixture composed of equal parts of sand and garden soil (humus can be used). Before planting, the soil is slightly moistened and then the cuttings sit in it. You can wrap them in plastic wrap to create a greenhouse environment, or cover them with a cut plastic bottle. Place the vessel with the lid upwards, this will help subsequently to easily carry out aeration and moistening of the soil.
Within a month, the cuttings should take root and show signs of growth. Then a transplant is carried out into large-sized containers with earth, intended for further growth.
Difficulties in growing mineola at home
Of the problems that accompany the cultivation of this representative of citrus fruits, it can be noted:
- Leaves fall due to too low air humidity; also, when the root collar of the tree was deeply buried during transplantation, a lack of potassium in the substrate may also be the reason.
- Under the influence of a draft or with a lack of light, with waterlogged soil in a pot, mineola also sheds foliage.
- The yellowing of the leaf plates occurs due to a lack of nitrogen fertilization.
- And also with a lack of iron in fertilizers and soil, the leaves can turn yellow with green veins - chlorosis begins.
- Too tight a container or insufficient light will lead to yellowness on the leaves.
- If the top of the leaf has acquired a brown color and dried out, then the cause is a waterlogged substrate or the air is very dry in the room.
Pests that can harm the mineola mainly settle on the leaves or branches of the tree - this can be a scale insect, mealybug or spider mite.
When the scabbard appears, the leaf plates on the back side are covered with small plaques of brown or dark gray color - the eggs of the pest. After that, a sticky sugary bloom (insect waste products) may appear on the leaves, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Symptoms of a mealybug are formations in the form of small lumps of cotton wool that cover the internodes of the shoots and also the leaf plates. And the same sticky coating.
A spider mite, piercing the edge of the leaves with its proboscis, sucks out the vitality of the mineola and from this it turns yellow and the foliage begins to drop. But also the leaves and branches are covered with a thin cobweb.
If the listed symptoms were found, then the plant should be treated immediately, otherwise the sugar-sticky bloom will lead to the appearance of a sooty fungus when the surface of the tree parts is covered with black and gray formations. Usually, they use preparations based on laundry soap or any dishwashing detergent dissolved in water, you can dissolve a couple of drops of rosemary essential oil in a liter of water, or use a commercially available alcoholic tincture of calendula. One of the remedies is applied to a cotton pad, and then by hand, rubbing the leaves and branches of the pests are removed. You can even spray the affected plant.
In the case when sparing non-chemical agents do not help, you will have to use insecticidal preparations.
Interesting facts about mineola
Mineola fruits are real record holders among fruits in terms of folic acid content - in 100 gr. this fruit contains up to 80% of the daily value that a person needs. If you want to provide yourself with a daily intake of vitamin C, then you should eat only two fruits.
Since this microelement is the main female vitamin, since it is extremely necessary at the moment when a child is conceived and throughout the entire period of gestation, mineola is a real storehouse of vitamins for expectant mothers and their children. Folic acid will help prevent the onset and development of birth defects in your baby. It is interesting that toxicosis during pregnancy will not manifest itself if this fruit is consumed by the expectant mother.
It is recommended to use this exotic fruit in the prevention of cancer, mineola helps to maintain the elasticity of blood vessels and prolongs their youth. The fruits of this exotic are also credited with antioxidant properties.
The plant has the property of removing toxins from the body and products of metabolic processes - this will stimulate the body to fight most diseases and prevent aging. Therefore, it is recommended to take mineola juice for rejuvenation and cleansing.
Since fruits contain a large amount of dietary fiber, when they enter the stomach, they swell and give the impression of satiety, therefore they are often used in the fight against excess weight. Organic acids and vegetable fiber, which are full of fruits, are recommended for use in case of digestive problems.
Naturally, the presence of vitamins C, B, A and also a set of useful minerals such as potassium, copper, potassium, iron and phosphorus will help in the fight and prevention of influenza, colds and vitamin deficiency.
Mineola juice reduces and stabilizes blood pressure. People who have problems with the pancreas, kidneys or gastrointestinal tract should be extremely careful to use or even refrain from consuming the fruits of mineola, this also includes problems associated with gastritis, pancreatitis and allergies.
This exotic fruit also justifies its purpose in cooking, it is used to make jam (jams) and make fruit salads or use juice. In China, slices of mineola are often added to rice dishes.
How to properly transplant mineola, see this video:
