Monday, February 16, 2009

Sprouting Citrus Seeds (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit)

Ok, I don't have any pictures of this, but I really don't think they are needed. Sprouting a citrus seed is really easy.

STEP ONE: Get a seed. You can get this in a few ways. Like I have said before, you can get seed from lemon wedges from your glass of water from your favorite restaurant. You can also get one from a seed catalog. These are usually guranteed to a degree and an be sure you are getting the plant you want.

STEP TWO: Get some dirt. I know that this might seem a little like, DUH, but it really is important. Citrus plants like the same type of soil that cactus likes and can be found at your local gardening store. It's a little more sandy than your average soil. I suggest you plant it in a large pot (12" or larger) or in the ground where you want it to eventually grow. The only problem with that is making sure it doesn't get mowed down since it may not grow very big for a while. Every time I have grown a citrus plant they have started small for a few months at least and then started to grow.

STEP THREE: Water. Keep the ground moist and wait. It can take weeks for a seed to decide to sprout. When I planted the Kaffir (Kiefer) Lime seeds from the same lime they sprouted two weeks apart in the same pot. The blood orange still hasn't sprouted (three weeks later). It may never sprout.

STEP FOUR: Light. Make sure you have either a grow light or a sunny place for the seed to sprout. Without light it won't make it even if it does sprout.


Note: For more information on citrus plants see my Citraphile Blog.

1 comment:

  1. I had some key lime seeds after baking a pie recently. I soaked them in water for a week, then planted them (6) 1/2 inch down into organic potting soil. I am keeping them moist, but not drenched and it's only been about 5 days since I planted them. I am so anxious to see what happens. Each lime was absolutely stuffed with seeds. I'd never seen anything like it. Most limes I buy have no seeds at all. Maybe in a couple weeks I'll have some sprouts to be proud of!

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