Lemon

 Lemon is mostly found in tropical regions.  Its origin is probably India.  It is found growing wild in the warm valleys of the Himalayas and grows up to 4,000 feet above sea level in the plains.  There are many varieties of this, which are often used in rhizome, eg Florida Rough, Karena or Sour Lemon, Jambiri etc.  Kagji lime, Kagali Kalan, Galgal and Lime Sylhet are mostly used in domestic use.Among them, paper lemon is the most popular.  Its places of production are Madras, Bombay, Bengal, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra Hyderabad, Delhi, Patiala, Uttar Pradesh, Mysore and Baroda.The usefulness of lemon is very high in life.  It is mostly used in food.  Various types of substances like oil, pectin, citric acid, juice, squash and essence are prepared from it.

 Lemon rich in vitamin C is an energetic and preventive fruit. Its color is yellow or green and the taste is sour. Its juice contains 5% citric acid and pH of 2 to 3. Prior to the development of the fermentation method, lemon was the primary source of citric acid. Lemon plants are generally small in size, but some species can grow up to 4 meters long. There is no concrete evidence about where the lemon originated, but people generally believe that the plant is originally native to India, northern Myanmar and China.
   Lemon is rich in A, B and C vitamins - if Vitamin A is one part then Vitamin B two parts and Vitamin C three parts.  It contains elements of potassium, iron, sodium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and chlorine, as well as protein, fat and carbs.  Vitamin C-rich lemon works as an anti-oxidant in addition to increasing immunity to the body and also reduces cholesterol.  Vitamin C and potassium in lemon are soluble, due to which it is not harmful to consume in large amounts.  Patients suffering from anemia also benefit from the consumption of lemon juice.  Not only this, people who consume lemon also stay away from cold.  One lemon fulfills the need of vitamin C throughout the day.
  Almost every Indian believes in some domestic use of lemon.  It is believed that a glass of lukewarm water should be mixed with one lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey to keep it fresh throughout the day.  Bathing in a bucket of water mixed with lemon juice keeps freshness throughout the day.  Lemon should be mixed with onion and mint to avoid cholera during summer season.  To prevent sunstroke, drinking lemon mixed with black salt water does not cause heatstroke even if you are outside in the afternoon.

Lemon cultivation

Frost is extremely harmful for the lemon plant.  It can grow well in South India, because the climate there is hot and frost and cold climate is lacking.  Plants grow well in different types of soil, but loam soils of fertile and uniform texture, which are uniform to a depth of eight feet, are considered ideal.  Permanent collection of water, or always having water up to a high level, or where the water level keeps decreasing, such places are unsuitable for plant growth.

 Lemon plants are usually produced from seed and seed.  According to the rules, plants should be planted at a distance of 20-20 feet.  For this, pits of two and a half feet x two and a half feet x two and a half feet are suitable.  Among them, rotten manure of cow dung, or compost manure, should be applied one pit per pit just before the rainy season.  While planting saplings, one should remove some soil from the middle of the pit and plant it and the soil coming out of that place should be pressed around the root.  After the July rain, the plant should be planted only when the soil is well seated.  While planting saplings, it should also be kept in mind that their depth in the ground should be the same as in the rope.  Watering should be given immediately after planting the plant.  Irrigation is often required in areas other than water-dependent areas.  The magnitude of irrigation is dependent on the distribution and quantity of water table.

 Water should be given in the same amount in every irrigation, so that the humidity of water in the land remains up to 4-6 per cent.  The most appropriate method of irrigation is the 'ring' method.

 No fixed amount of manure can be offered for all types of fruits of the lemon species.  In general, 40 ser dung manure, one Ser superphosphate and base Ser potassium sulfate is sufficient for lemon.  It also requires minor elements, the main ones being zinc, boron, copper and manganese.

 Where there are means of irrigation, it would be beneficial to inter-state.  In South India and Assam, pineapple and papaya are planted among the lemon trees.  In addition to these, vegetables, such as carrots, tomatoes, radishes, mirch and brinjals, etc. can also be easily produced.

 Lemon plants require the principle: less pruning.  Any cut which is also a species of pruning is done to give desirable shape of trees and to keep them in good condition.

 In northern India, fruits usually come twice a year, but the prime time for their flowering is spring (February – March).  There is no reliable number of production, but different varieties of lemon produce about 150 to 1,000 fruits per tree.

 Many kinds of diseases and insects also harm the lemon.  Among these, scab, lemon canker, citrus red mite, green mold (Penicillium digitatum), mealy bugs, etc. are the main ones.