The Repurposing Life

How to Grow Citrus Trees From Seed

Whether the fruit came from a grocery store or farmer’s market, if it has seeds, you can grow them. Orange, lemons including Meyer lemon, tangerine, clementine, mandarin, lime, kumquat, and grapefruit with seeds are all candidates. The steps below show you how to prepare the seeds, germinate them, and plant them in pots. While citrus is a tropical plant, it can be grown in colder climates as a potted houseplant, spending summers outdoors and winters indoors.

Can You Save Seeds From Citrus Fruit And Grow Them Into Plants?

Yes. And it’s really easy.

Will They Grow Fruit?

Yes, it is possible. But only if the plant has exactly what it needs. Citrus plants are slow-growing which means it will take several years with good growing conditions to flower and then fruit. Some may never flower. Most of the citrus fruits we enjoy are hybrids. Grapefruit is a good example. It was an accidental hybrid created from sweet orange (C. sinensis) and pomelo (C. maxima) cross-pollinating.

And that means, while any viable citrus seeds you sow can become beautiful, productive plants, hybrid plants—if they produce fruit—the fruit will not be the same in taste or appearance as the one it came from. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different. Satsuma tangerines are one of the few citrus plants that bears fruit similar to the parent when grown from seed.

How Do Commercial Growers Get The Same Fruit Over And Over Again?

They use grafted plants. Cuttings are taken from the desired plant (scion) and attached to a rootstock from another citrus variety. This is cloning and it’s essentially the same plant making more fruit. If you want to be sure your citrus tree grows fruit true to the parent, start with a grafted tree, or use species seeds (not hybrids).

Tip: Winter is a good time to germinate citrus seeds so you have the warmth and light of spring and summer to get the plants established.

Can’t I Just Toss Seeds In Some Soil and Get A Plant That Way?

Yes, certainly. But, if you want a 100% success rate, and know ahead of time that the seeds will germinate and do so quickly—instead of waiting many weeks to discover it’s not going to work, then do the extra steps listed below.

How Big Will A Potted Citrus Tree Grow?

It’s up to you. Citrus trees grown in the ground get quite large but, by growing in containers, growth is somewhat inhibited. As your plant grows, you can repot it into the next size container until it’s as large as you want it. Often the weight of the container determines the stopping point because it gets too heavy to lug around.

Once the plant is as large as you want, you can root prune it to keep it healthy. This is just how it sounds: you remove the plant from the container, trim back the roots, replenish the potting mix, and repot it. There are more citrus plant care tips below.

How to Sprout Citrus Seeds

1. Get Citrus Fruit

• Depending on the time of year and your geographical location, you may have quite a variety of fruit to choose from.
• Be sure to keep the ID stickers that come with the fruit. You want to know exactly what the name of the fruit is, where it’s from, and have this info to reference.
• Some citrus fruit has nice, plump seeds—that we don’t like for eating but work great for germinating.
• Others have odd, flat seed-like shells, seemingly devoid of any real growing power. Those are not likely to germinate.

2. Make Plant Tags

• It’s always helpful to know what you’re growing and keep that info with the seed or plant for future reference.
• I had some old nametag cardstock for my printer so I made labels.
• If possible, make the tags waterproof, and get some binder clips to attach them to your containers.

3. Gather Seeds

• Cut the fruit in half, top to bottom (if top navel is visible). This avoids damaging too many seeds with the knife, as many seeds tend to form around the middle horizontally.
• Gently remove all seeds and set fruit aside.
• Discard any seeds that look strange—small, flat, empty shells, etc.
• Some fruit has a lot of seeds, others may have few.

4. Test for Empty Seed Shells

• You can do this step simply by inspecting the seeds or perform the water test.
• Place seeds in a small cup of water.
• If they sink to the bottom, they should be viable. If they float, double check that there is something inside the shell. Otherwise, discard.
• To remove the jelly-like coating, rinse in a strainer and gently push it off with a soft towel.

5. Remove Seed Coat

• This step will significantly speed up the germination time.
• Seeds naturally come with outer protection that prevents unwanted germination.
• For citrus, the seeds have both a hard seed coat (made of two half shells sealed together), protecting the tender seed inside, and there may also be gel around the seed, to provide an additional safety barrier.
• That’s why the seeds don’t sprout inside the fruit—the moisture can’t reach them.
• To make germination go faster, you can remove both the gel coat and the hard shell.
• Look for the hard, flat pointed end of the seed shell and snip it off with nail clippers, careful not to damage the actual seed inside.
• Gently slide your fingernail between the two shell pieces to pry them open and apart and remove them.
• There are also skin-like layers inside, the seed will grow fine with those on. Don’t worry if some skin falls off.

6. Germinate the Seeds

• Moisten a few sheets of paper towel and place the seeds on it, at least an inch apart in all directions to leave room for root growth.
• Cover with another layer of moist paper towel and place in a food storage tub with lid or reusable silicone zip top food storage bag.
• You want the seeds in contact with warm moisture ongoing. Not too damp and not too dry.
• Attach your plant tag with a binder clip and place everything in a warm, dark location, like a kitchen cupboard.

I put reminders in my phone to check on them every 2-3 days.

7. Check on the Seeds

• Check the seeds every few days.
• If needed, spritz the towel to keep it moist. You want it moist, neither dry nor soaking wet.
• Some will sprout really fast, others may take weeks, and some will be duds.
• Wrap it back up and put it back in the cupboard. We want roots at least an inch long before planting.

8. Plant Seedlings

• When there is at least an inch of roots, you can sow the seedlings in potting mix.
• The roots often look thick and off-white, like bean sprouts.
• In some cases, the plant stem may also start growing.
• Plant the sprouted seed in a small cup, pot, or other container with drainage holes.
• A regular organic potting mix is good for clay and other non-plastic pots. You could also use a cacti potting mix with plastic pots because they retain more moisture.
• You can use separate little pot, or put them all in one container for the first few months.
• Position the roots just below the soil surface. Any other growth can be above soil level. Gently press the potting mix around the plant so it’s snugly in place.
• Water thoroughly, top up potting mix if needed, and gradually transition plant to a warm, sunny location over a few weeks.

9. Grow a Citrus Tree

How long will it take to grow my citrus plant?

• Citrus trees are slow-growers and heavy feeders, doing best with 8-12 hours of sunlight per day.
• The less light, the slower the growth.
• I started several different hybrids from seed and after 5 months (from the day I removed the seed from the fruit) they range in size from 4 to 7 inches tall.
• Keep in mind that reduced light and warmth in winter (indoors) will slow or stall growth.
• It may be 3-5 years before flowers form, then pollination can occur (you can help it), and fruit forms.
• Small fruit may ripen over several months, larger fruit can take much longer.
• You can help the plant grow faster by using supplemental grow lights.
• Use fertilizer specifically for citrus plants and follow the application instructions on the label.

Basic Citrus Tree Care Tips

1. Provide 8-12 hours of sunlight each day. Avoid direct, burning sun.
2. Ensure pot has good drainage.
3. Use a slow-release fertilizer for citrus plants as directed.
4. Keep outdoors until temperatures reach 4°C (40°F), then bring inside for winter.
5. Transition the plant (over days or weeks) gradually to avoid shock.
6. Do not allow soil to dry out. Moderate, even moisture is best. Use a moisture meter to be sure.
7. Most citrus plants are self-pollinating; some benefit from pollination assistance (you or insects).
8. Treat spider mites with neem oil spray.
9. Remove mealy bugs with rubbing alcohol.

Learn how to grow houseplants from avocado, oranges, lemons, ginger, and more using leftover pits, seeds, and roots.

Source:
How to Grow Lemon Trees from Seed (& Other Citrus Fruits)
https://empressofdirt.net/grow-citrus-seed/
January 19, 2020 by Melissa J. Will