How to grow a lemon tree from seed (the best article)

How to grow a lemon tree from seed

When life gives you lemons, grow trees!

If you’ve ever seen a flowering lemon tree, you’ll understand why. For those of you who haven’t, allow me explain. Their lush, dark green, oval leaves have a glossy texture that shimmers in sunlight. Their delicate white flowers bloom with a citrus fragrance and are soft to the touch. Their exotic nature provides an alluring quality. And, finally, they bear the exciting possibility of fruit!

Typically, lemon trees flourish outdoors year-round in hot, sunny regions, but they can also thrive indoors as edible houseplants in cold-season climates. At the organic food store where I work we have a healthy lemon cutting producing massive fruit in a garage setting all year. It makes for an impressive sight during the dead of a Canadian winter!

This is the little tree with big fruit in the shop I work at.

And while rooting cuttings is a sensible option for fast fruit, lemon tree cuttings are not readily available in many parts of the world. But lemons are another story. And although it may take anywhere from 3-6 years for your tree to be capable of producing fruit, there is something extra rewarding about starting from seed. I currently have six strong little seedlings on the go, all of which were germinated in the middle of winter with very little effort. Watching them grow has been an exciting and fascinating experience and I know the best is yet to come.

Here is a step-by-step guide to growing your very own lemon tree from seed:

Things you’ll need:

1. A lemon. Make sure you purchase an organic lemon since some non-organic lemon seeds may be “duds”, incapable of germinating. Any organic lemon will do, but if you have climate or space restrictions, you may want to try looking for a specific variety called a “Meyer” lemon. Meyer lemons are a smaller type of lemon, often grown for ornamental purposes, and are thus better suited for indoor containers. I chose Meyer seeds for these reasons, but you can use any seed that makes sense for your situation.

This is a Meyer lemon!

2. Potting soil. I would guess that any potting soil will do, but I suggest using one with a blend of peat, perlite, vermiculite, and organic fertilizer. Every single one of the seeds I planted in this type of certified organic potting mix have sprouted beautifully, so I think it’s fair to say that it works.

3. Container/pot. A container (with drainage holes) that is 5-6” deep and a few inches in diameter will be sufficient for sprouting; however, the seedling will need to be re-potted into a much larger container. Mature lemon trees prefer a container that is wider rather than deeper, so I suggest planting your seedling in a pot that is 10-16” deep and 12-18” in diameter. Your baby tree will happily make itself at home in this larger container for the next few years, at which time you may want to upgrade again.

4. A grow light or lots of sun. Lemon trees need a lot of light, especially when they are sprouting and require 10-14 hours of it each day. If you don’t have a consistently sunny window (like me), get a grow light. They don’t cost much and will prove their worth in healthy green foliage.

Method for sprouting the lemon seed:

1. Pre-moisten your potting soil. Put some soil into a bucket and mix in some water until the soil is damp all the way through.

2. Fill your container with the pre-moistened soil. Leave about an inch of space below the rim of your container.

3. Slice open your lemon and choose a seed that looks completely full of life. Pop it into your mouth and suck on it until all the flesh is removed and the lemon flavour is gone. Do not allow the seed to dry out at any time. It needs to stay moist in order to germinate. I suggest keeping it in your mouth until you’re ready to plant.

4. Plant your seed! While it’s moist, plant your seed about 1/2″ below the soil level. Cover it completely with soil and water well with a squirt bottle or gentle watering can.

5. Cover your container with breathable plastic to keep your seeds warm and moist. I used a piece of clear garbage bag with holes poked into it and a rubber band to securely hold it in place.

6. Place the container in a warm location and observe for the next few days. Keep in mind: your seed needs warmth and moisture in order to germinate. Don’t allow the potting soil to dry out completely. Also take caution that you don’t cook your seed in its little greenhouse. Too much heat and moisture could lead to a rotten seed! You’re aiming to achieve a nice balance, so if you feel like the soil is warm enough without the plastic then it’s probably safest to remove it.

7. In about two weeks you may notice a sprout emerging from the soil. Once it appears, remove the plastic (if it’s still on) and place the little guy in a warm location with plenty of direct sunlight. Supplement sun with your grow light if needed.

Here are my little guys one month after planting.

At a little less than two months old, this little guy is upgrading to a larger home.

8. Care for your new baby and watch it grow! Provide it with:

• Water. Ensure that the soil is damp at all times, especially when your lemon tree is young. Do not allow it to sit in a puddle of stagnant water though; those drainage holes are there for good reason.
• Sunlight. Place it in a warm sunny window where it will receive eight hours of direct sunlight each day, or supplement some sun for a grow light. Since Toronto rarely seems to get any sun in the winter, my sprouts reside in a well-lit window under the warm rays of a grow light for 12 hours each day.
• Food. In order to keep your lemon tree healthy and growing the soil will eventually need to be replenished with nutrients. I suggest feeding it an organic fertilizer, such as compost or vermicompost, once it has developed a nice little set of leaves. Dig a little trench around the base of your tree, fill it with compost and water it well. Or, serve it up as compost tea. Try feeding it twice a year or as needed, but do not overfeed! When it comes to fertilizing, less it best; so if in doubt, put it off a bit longer. (Another option is to start your seed in potting soil with vermicompost or worm castings mixed into it).
• Love. Spend some time looking at your new citrus friend. Pay attention to its growth. Feel it, talk to it, sing to it, but don’t try to dance with it. Get into the habit of watching for browning leaves and checking the underside of leaves for pests. Just like us, our plants can fall victim to bugs and disease and may sometimes require some extra love and affection.

source : https://growingwildceeds.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/how-to-grow-a-lemon-tree-from-seed/

How to Grow Your Own Lemon Tree From Seed (3)

Even in northern climates and in the dead of winter, a productive lemon tree can be growing inside of your home or garage. They are quite beautiful in appearance, both in regard to their dark-green leaves and their snow-white blooms, and they also emit a pleasant, refreshing  fragrance.

To grow your own lemon tree, you will need to obtain the following:

• An organic lemon since non-organic lemons often contain non-germinating seeds
• Fertile potting soil, preferably containing peat, vermiculite, perlite, and natural fertilizers
• A planting pot that is six inches wide and six inches deep
• A seedling pot that is about 24 inches wide by 12 inches deep
• A sunny, indoor growing location and possibly a grow lamp

Follow these steps to grow your own lemon tree:

1. Moisten the potting soil so that it is damp, but not soaked, all the way through.
2. Fill the smaller pot with soil, all the way up to an inch below the rim.
3. Cut open your lemon and remove a seed. Remove all of the pulp from its surface. A good way to do this is to simply suck on it until it is clean.
4. Do not delay to plant. The seed must still be moist when it is buried into the soil. Plant the seed about half an inch deep in the middle of the pot.
5. Spray the soil that is directly above the seed gently with water from a spray bottle.
6. Cover the pot with clear plastic wrap, seal the edges with a good rubber band, and poke small holes in the top with a pencil.
7. Place the pot in a warm, sunny location.
8. Spray on more water occasionally, not allowing the soil to dry out. Do not cause water to puddle though. Just keep the soil somewhat moist.
9. After about two weeks, when the sproutling emerges, take the plastic covering off. If you need additional light for your lemon plant, you can use a grow light to supplement the sun’s light.
10. Take care of the young plant by keeping the soil damp, by making sure it gets at least eight full hours of light per day, and by giving it moderate doses of organic fertilizer.
11. Watch over your plant to ensure it is not attacked by bugs or diseases. Prune off brown, dead leaves when necessary. Use pesticides if you must. Protect your new lemon tree!
12. When the plant outgrows its small pot, put it in the larger pot. You will go through much the same procedure when you re-plant it as when you first planted. Younger plants need more water than older plants, but they all do need adequate water. Don’t starve your poor plant after all that work of growing it!

Eventually, your hard work will pay off with a fruit-bearing tree. You could have bought a lemon at the market easy enough, but the educational experience of growing your own lemons will be well worth it. You will be able to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree lemons at your pleasure, and you will have grown an excellent addition to your home decor.

Source: growingwildceeds.wordpress.com

How to Grow a Lemon Tree from Seed Easily in Your Own Home (2

This is part 2 of 3 in a 3-part series about how you can bring certain foods into your garden at home. Some of them can be done indoors and out, it’s all up to you – the best part is, you get all the healthy benefits of organic food without the worry of any chemical contamination. If you haven’t seen part 1 about growing superfoods in your home,you can find that here. Otherwise, the next section covers ways that you can grow blood pressure-lowering, vitamin-enriching herbs in your garden.

Citrus fruits are packed full of vitamins, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium – the list goes on. Even though they may not make for a balanced meal on their own, they sure do offer a huge list of benefits that can complement the rest of our diet. At the same time, they do tend to be high in sugar – so managing how much of them you’re eating is imperative when it comes to maintaining a balanced diet.

It’s kind of funny – you need them, but you need to keep yourself from going overboard at the same time!

Certain citrus fruits are easier to grow than others, and thankfully, two of the best ones can be grown right in your yard. By growing them yourself, you’ll be able to taste the difference in freshness and quality, and keep your body free from any chemical contamination associated with non-organic growing. Not sure which two I’m talking about? Here they are:

1. Lemons

I know the first part of this series was directed towards superfoods that you can grow at home – and don’t you worry, lemon is definitely a superfood too. But at the same time, lemons are so useful for so many different things that they kind of exist in another universe on their own. Whether you’re adding them to water or making use of their peels, the convenience of growing your own lemons is not something that should be ignored.

How can you grow them?

I recommend buying a baby tree (2-3 years) to get the best results with your lemons. Pick out a clay or plastic pot (with a lot of holes in the bottom), and make sure that it’s a bit larger than the actual root ball of your baby tree (when the tree matures, it may need a pot that’s about 12-15 inches deep, and 17-20 inches in diameter) . Get your baby tree into the pot, and fill the drainage container with stones to improve air flow. Then, fill up your pot with soil. Keep in mind that some soils are specifically prepared for growing citrus fruits, so they will likely yield better results.

That’s basically all the prep you need. Make sure you’re giving it about 8-10 hours of sunlight a day, and watering regularly (be careful not to over-water). Lemons take about 6-9 months to ripen, so when they have a full color and a slight give to their touch – you’re all set.

Or you can grow one from seed. 

“To grow your own lemon tree, you will need to obtain the following:
- An organic lemon since non-organic lemons often contain non-germinating seeds

• Fertile potting soil, preferably containing peat, vermiculite, perlite, and natural fertilizers
• A planting pot that is six inches wide and six inches deep
• A seedling pot that is about 24 inches wide by 12 inches deep
• A sunny, indoor growing location and possibly a grow lamp

Follow these steps to grow your own lemon tree:

1. Moisten the potting soil so that it is damp, but not soaked, all the way through.
2. Fill the smaller pot with soil, all the way up to an inch below the rim.
3. Cut open your lemon and remove a seed. Remove all of the pulp from its surface. A good way to do this is to simply suck on it until it is clean.
4. Do not delay to plant. The seed must still be moist when it is buried into the soil. Plant the seed about half an inch deep in the middle of the pot.
5. Spray the soil that is directly above the seed gently with water from a spray bottle.
6. Cover the pot with clear plastic wrap, seal the edges with a good rubber band, and poke small holes in the top with a pencil.
7. Place the pot in a warm, sunny location.
8. Spray on more water occasionally, not allowing the soil to dry out. Do not cause water to puddle though. Just keep the soil somewhat moist.
9. After about two weeks, when the sproutling emerges, take the plastic covering off. If you need additional light for your lemon plant, you can use a grow light to supplement the sun’s light.
10. Take care of the young plant by keeping the soil damp, by making sure it gets at least eight full hours of light per day, and by giving it moderate doses of organic fertilizer.
11. Watch over your plant to ensure it is not attacked by bugs or diseases. Prune off brown, dead leaves when necessary. Use pesticides if you must. Protect your new lemon tree!
12. When the plant outgrows its small pot, put it in the larger pot. You will go through much the same procedure when you re-plant it as when you first planted. Younger plants need more water than older plants, but they all do need adequate water. Don’t starve your poor plant after all that work of growing it!”(1)

Watch YouTube Gardener Mitchell Boyle’s Technique For Growing Lemons…

Mitchell shows you how to grow all kinds of great stuff on his popular youtube channel. He has videos on growing everything from Bananas to Avocado. Even Kiwis and Pineapples.

In this video, Mitch talks about the tricks he’s discovered to grow a lemon tree from seed which he says “Works every time!”

2. Mandarins

I love mandarins because of their richness of antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and more. They’re a good change from your regular “Florida” oranges, and it isn’t too difficult to grow them at home.

How can you grow them?

If you want to grow your tree indoors, I recommend going for a baby tree, the same way I recommended it for lemons. These baby trees just tend to have more successful growth records than starting with seeds. Prepare the pot the same way you would lemons (spacious with rocks, and drainage holes at the bottom), and give the oranges regular sunlight.

Mandarin trees are safe to grow indoors because they usually don’t grow much taller than 6 feet in height. Water them regularly but conservatively, and change the pot to a larger one once the roots grow back on themselves or poke out of your drainage holes. Pick the oranges as soon as they turn orange, because every moment after that means more and more flavor dying away.

Tip: Be careful twisting the oranges off of the tree – you want to make sure the little button at the top of the orange stays there.

So there you have it, two easy ways to get delicious citrus fruits on your table without any hassle. The final section of this series will show you how you can grow delicious herbs in your home, without having to spend extra money at the grocery store.

Source:

(1) http://blogs.naturalnews.com/grow-lemon-tree-seed/

http://www.naturalhealingmagazine.com/grow-lemon-tree-seed-easily-home/

HOW TO GROW A LEMON TREE FROM SEED EASILY IN YOUR OWN HOME

We all know that citrus fruits are very rich in vitamins, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium. They also have a high content of sugar – so be careful how much of them you’re eating if you want to maintain a balanced diet.
Some citrus fruits are harder to grow than others, and thankfully, two of the best ones can be easily grown right in your yard. When you grow your fruit by yourself, you’ll be able to taste the difference in quality and freshness, and keep your body free from any chemical contamination associated with non-organic growing. Here are instructions on growing your own citrus fruits:

1. Lemons

It is recommended to buy a baby tree (2-3 years old) to get the best results with your lemons. Buy a clay or a plastic pot (with a lot of holes in the bottom), and make sure that it’s a bit larger than the actual root ball of your baby tree (as the tree grows, it might need a pot that’s about 12-15 inches deep, and 17-20 inches in diameter) . Put your baby tree in the pot, and fill the drainage container with stones to improve air flow. Fill up your pot with soil, but remember that some soils are specifically prepared for growing citrus fruits, and it is more likely that they will give better results.

These are basically all the preparations you need. Your tree needs about 8-10 hours of sunlight a day, and regular watering (be careful not to over-water). Lemons usually need about 6-9 months to ripen, so when they have a full color and a slight give to their touch – you’re all set.

You can also grow one from a seed.
To grow your own lemon tree, you will need the following things:

• An organic lemon because non-organic lemons often contain non-germinating seeds
• Fertile potting soil, preferably containing vermiculite, peat, perlite, and natural fertilizers
• One planting pot (six inches wide and six inches deep)
• One seedling pot (24 inches wide by 12 inches deep)
• A sunny, indoor growing location and possibly a grow lamp

Follow these steps to grow your own lemon tree:

• Moisten the potting soil so that it becomes damp all the way through, but don’t soak it.
• Fill the smaller pot with soil, all the way up to an inch below the rim.
• Open a lemon and remove a seed. Remove all of the pulp from the seed’s surface. You can do this by sucking it until it is clean.
• You must plant it immediately. The seed must still be moist when it is buried into the soil. Plant the seed about half an inch deep in the middle of the pot.
• Use a spray bottle filled with water to gently spray the soil that is directly above the seed.
• Cover the pot with clear plastic wrap, use a good rubber band to seal the edges, and poke small holes in the top with a pencil.
• Put the pot in a warm, sunny location.
• Occasionally spray it with water, don’t allow the soil to dry out. The soil should be kept somewhat moist, so don’t over-water it.
• A sproutling should emerge after about two weeks. Then, take the plastic covering off. If you don’t have enough light for your lemon plant, you can use a grow light to supplement the sun’s light.
• The young plant should be in damp soil, having at least eight full hours of light per day, and you should give it moderate doses of organic fertilizer.
• Be careful of bugs or diseases attacking your plant. Protect your new lemon tree by pruning off brown, dead leaves when necessary, and using pesticides when absolutely necessary.
• When the plant outgrows the small pot, put it in the larger pot. The re-planting procedure is very similar as when you first planted it. A younger plant needs more water than an older one, but they all need an adequate amount of water. Make sure that you provide it with it.

2. Mandarins

If you want to grow your tree indoors, a baby tree is the best option, just like with the lemon tree. Baby trees tend to have more successful growth records than seeds. Prepare the pot in the same way as described for lemons (spacious with rocks, and drainage holes at the bottom), and give the tree regular sunlight.

Mandarin trees don’t usually grow much taller than 6 feet in height, and this makes them safe for growing indoors. Water them regularly but don’t over-water them, and change the pot to a larger one once the roots grow back on themselves or poke out of your drainage holes. Pick the oranges as soon as they turn orange, because otherwise they will start losing their flavor.

Tip: When you pick the oranges off of the tree make sure that the little button at the top of the orange stays there.

These two easy ways will provide you with delicious citrus fruits on your table without much work.

Source: www.healthy-holistic-living.com