A Resident of Borisov Grew a Giant Lemon — 1.6 Kilograms

Dzianis Hindulin grew a lemon weighing 1.36 kilograms a year ago. Today he surprised again: the new citrus heavyweight weighed 1 kg 606 grams, writes "Minskaya Prauda".

Dzianis's passion for citrus fruits dates back to his childhood. However, the first attempt was unsuccessful: lacking knowledge, he quickly encountered diseases of indoor lemons and shelved the idea for a long time. His passion reignited four years ago — at a local market in Borisov.

— Walking through the market, I saw a woman whose stand had mandarins, lemons, oranges, and clementines. Everything was fruiting, everything with already ripe fruits. I was inspired again, — Dzianis recounted last year.

He bought a cutting from the saleswoman from a fruiting lemon of the "Ponderosa" variety — a large-fruited hybrid with a thick and fragrant peel. A plant grown from such a cutting inherits its "parents'" ability to bear fruit, so there's no need to wait long.

So that his dream wouldn't die again, Dzianis delved into studying the topic: he consulted with the saleswoman, studied information online, and developed strict care rules for himself. The main ones are soft water, daily spraying, and keeping the plant on a balcony from March to November.

Dzianis waters the lemon exclusively with rainwater or meltwater, keeps it near the window in winter, and takes it out onto the balcony with the onset of warmth. He never turns it towards the sun — otherwise, the plant might die.

This year, two fruits ripened on the tree. And one of them could have grown even larger — if not for a tragedy. Dzianis recounts it with annoyance, but without despair: it happens.

— It was standing high on a chair. The supports were over a meter tall. The structure was unstable. And it somehow shifted, because it consumes a lot of moisture, — Dzianis recalls. — I leave for work, I water it. On a sunny day, I come back — everything has already evaporated. But the tree needs moisture, so it extracts all the juices from the fruit. That one becomes soft, like a foam ball. And the structure was unstable — the tree leaned, and it fell.

Павялічыць

The larger fruit broke off and fell, while the smaller one survived. If that fruit had ripened, according to Dzianis, he himself doesn't know how much it would have weighed.

The branch that broke during the fall, he has twisted for now — it didn't break off completely. In spring, when the active sap flow begins, Dzianis plans to make air layers from it.

Last year, Dzianis's record was 1 kg 331 g. This year — 1 kg 606 g. The same variety, the same care.

The secret, according to the resident of Borisov, is simple: the tree gained more green leaf mass, and therefore, began to receive more energy from the sun and light.

Павялічыць

— I didn't do anything special. Everything is the same: the same agricultural care, the same water we talked about last year, — Dzianis explains. — The tree simply develops, becoming bigger on its own. And the larger the leaf mass, the more energy it receives from the sun and light. Everything is interconnected: the tree grows, giving more strength to the fruit. That's why the fruit became larger.

According to Dzianis, the most important thing about his lemon is not even its record-breaking weight, but its taste and aroma, which cannot be found in a store.

— It's enormous, — Dzianis says proudly. — But the main thing is not only the weight, but also the taste. The peel is thick, up to one and a half centimeters. And the fruit itself is very tasty, much better than store-bought. Tart, with a bright aroma. When the lemon is ripe, the citrusy scent is noticeable throughout the apartment, even through the peel, without cutting the fruit. And when you do cut it — the smell is incredible.

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