How to Grow Citrus From Seed

Have you every wondered how to grow citrus from seeds? Or if it’s even possible?

This article will take you through all the tips and tricks of growing citrus from seed!

You can grow almost any citrus from seed, including lemon and Meyer lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit and lime.

 

How to Grow Citrus From Seed

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Growing Citrus from Seeds: Step 1

 

To plant citrus seeds, you want to select a ripe fruit. Completely seedless varieties won’t have any seeds to plant, so you’ll need a fruit with at least a couple seeds in it!

Remove the seeds from the fruit.

You’ll notice that each seed has a tough outer shell. Although the seeds can be planted as is, this outer shell can take months, or years, to break down.

To get your citrus seeds to quickly sprout, carefully remove the outer shell of the seed, being careful not to damage the delicate seed inside.

 

 

The tangerine seeds in the middle of this picture have had the shells removed as described.

 

Growing Citrus from Seeds: Step 2

 

Once the outer shell has been removed, gently rinse the seeds and place them between two damp paper towels.

Place the seeds and paper towels inside a ziplock bag and keep in a warm place until the seeds begin to sprout (a few days to a few weeks).

When the seeds sprout, they can be planted a well draining soil. You can purchase a special citrus mix, or add a little sand to regular potting soil.

Keep the plants in a south facing window or under grow lights. Move them into bigger pots as they grow.

If you live in a frost-free area, your citrus trees can be planted outdoors once they reach 6-12″.

 

Citrus trees also appreciate regular fertilizing! You can find a good quality organic fertilizer here:

 

Growing Citrus Indoors

 

If you live in a cool climate, citrus trees can be grown indoors under grow lights or in a big south facing window. The potted trees may be able to go outdoors in the summer time, depending on your night time temperatures.

Citrus grown from seed will take years to bear fruit, and will require a lot of pruning if kept indoors.

They should be watered lightly. Over watering can quickly kill a citrus tree!

When the plants finally bloom, they’ll need to be hand pollinated with a paintbrush or Q-tip.

Find out more about caring for citrus trees here.

 

 

You can find more tips on indoor gardening here!

 

Additional Tips

 

Start with Organic Fruit

Conventional (regular non-organic) citrus is usually grown a lot differently than homegrown fruit, and relies on chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Fruit that was grown organically is more likely to be a variety that will do well in the home garden without large amounts of chemicals.

 

 

What to Expect From Citrus Trees Grown from Seed

Most modern fruit trees are grafted, giving a more consistent plant height and fruit type.

Citrus grown from seed will often take many years to bear fruit, and will have a lot of variation in the type of fruit. The fruit you get might not look much like the fruit you started with!

Regardless, growing citrus from seed is a fun project that makes a lovely houseplant, and if you are patient and lucky, you’ll get some fruit some day!

If you would like a consistent fruit type, Meyer lemons are typically the most reliable citrus to grow from seeds.