Growing lemon from seed is best done in spring, when there is enough natural light. In autumn or winter, the plant may need a plant lamp to help its growth.
You are stalking asked Plantage’s Espoo store manager Eve from Saarelmahow to grow lemons from seed is best done at home.
Growing lemon from seed – with these instructions you will succeed:
- The seeds of lemons bought at the grocery store are well suited for growing a lemon tree. Remove a few seeds as large as possible from the lemon. You need more seeds, for example about five, because not all seeds always germinate. Large seeds are more likely to germinate than small ones.
- Rinse the seeds with water and dry them on a paper towel to remove the pulp and slime from the seed. If you want to speed up the germination of lemon seeds, remove the outermost dry skin from the seeds.
- Sow the seeds in pots with sandy soil, such as potting soil or cactus soil. Place the seeds in the soil about 1-2 centimeters deep with the pointed tip of the seed pointing down. Spread a little mulch over the seeds as well.
- Put plastic wrap over the pots so that the seeds get enough moisture and heat to germinate. Make a few holes in the film to ensure ventilation. Alternatively, you can put a transparent plastic bag with holes around the pot.
- Place the pots in a bright place to grow. It can take 2-3 weeks or even longer for the seeds to germinate. The use of a plant lamp and a warm growing place speed up the germination time.
- Water the soil when it feels dry. You can test with your finger whether the soil is dry or moist. In a small pot, the soil usually dries out quite quickly. A small seedling can be watered weekly. In the cool air of winter, the plant consumes less water, so the watering interval can be more frequent.
- When the seedling has grown 2-3 real citrus tree leaves, you can plant the seedling in a bigger pot and change the soil to more nutrient-rich Mediterranean soil.
- When the seedling has several leaves, you can start fertilizing the plant. Use a citrus nutrient or a nutrient for Mediterranean plants. Dispense the fertilizer according to the instructions on the package. If you have just planted the seedling in new soil, start fertilizing about a month after changing the soil, because fresh new soil contains a lot of nutrients.
Tip: You can grow an orange from seed using the same instructions. You can try growing any citrus plants. Slip a tangerine, lime or pomelo into the soil, and compare the growth rate of different citrus plants!
Read also: Grow a plant from a fruit seed – with these instructions you will succeed!
When is the right time to prune a citrus tree seedling?
The citrus seedling can be cut when it is strong and about 15–20 centimeters long. Pruning helps the plant to branch out and makes the citrus tree look more like a bush.
Dry and individual branches growing out of shape can be cut at any time.
“A larger annual cut, aiming for the desired shape and branching, should be done in the spring,” advises Saarelma.
What growing conditions does a lemon tree need at home?
Citrus trees need similar growing conditions to those in southern Europe, where they grow naturally. The most important thing is a sufficient amount of light and heat.
Always water the soil of the lemon tree properly, and let the soil dry before the next watering. Smaller seedlings need weekly watering in spring and summer. In winter, it is enough to water the plant 1–2 times a month.
In the summer, the lemon tree thrives outside in the sunlight. In winter, room temperature and darkness are citrus trees’ worst enemies.
“The lemon tree thrives best in winter in a bright, cool place. For example, you can put a citrus plant near a window that draws a bit or put it on a cool veranda at home. The suitable temperature for a citrus plant is about ten degrees in winter,” says Saarelma.
If you can’t find a suitable cool place for the lemon tree for the winter, invest in lighting. The plant survives the winter with more certainty when it receives additional light from a plant lamp.
Vegetable mites and mealybugs are the most common pests of citrus trees.
“If you see pests, you should start extermination immediately. For example, a good first aid for various types of aphids is to wash the plants carefully, and after that you should use a spray intended for pest control.”
Growing lemon from seed takes time
The development of citrus from a seed to a flowering or yielding plant takes several years, usually at least eight years, and there is no guarantee of a harvest.
If your citrus plant is in bloom, its white flowers emit an intoxicatingly good fragrance. Indoors, you should pollinate flowers with, for example, a cotton swab, which is used to gently dab pollen from one flower to another.
The development of a potential fruit from flowering to harvest takes about a year.
Read also Anna.fi: These flowers are suitable for your garden based on your zodiac sign
Source: kotiliesi.fi
