How to grow a lemon tree from seeds

And yes, growing a lemon tree at home is possible and super simple.

All you need is a little patience, and in about a month and a half you will have your first lemon tree shoots. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Give it a try, it’s child’s play!

METHOD OF GERMINATING SEEDS

Select the tastiest and juiciest specimen from your lemons, preferably organic. Then carefully follow the 6 steps described below.

img_1550-1
Selected lemon
1/ Take the most beautiful, plump and firm seeds.

2/ Clean them with slightly warm clear water to completely remove the pulp using a toothbrush.

3/ Then let them dry in the open air, even under direct sunlight, for 8 days. The seeds must be completely dry and clean, as in the photo.

img_0909
4/ Then put them in a bowl with water at room temperature for 48 hours so that the seeds re-moisten deeply and the water molecules penetrate well inside to “wake up” the seed.

5/ Wrap the seeds in damp cotton away from light in complete darkness (in a cupboard or drawer for example) for about 25 days, until the sprouts appear. Like the lentils we all made at school one day…

Pay special attention to ensuring that the cotton remains moist but not soaking wet either, otherwise mold could develop.

You will therefore need to monitor regularly, which will give you the opportunity to see that the seeds have grown larger than in step 3. And this is quite normal, they are full of water and the germs are forming.

You will also need to re-moisten the cotton pads as many times as necessary, about once a week.

Be careful, this humidification step is essential for the sprouts to rise. If you forget them a little and the cotton pads are completely dry, re-moisten generously, it may not be a waste of time…

img_1549-1
6/ Then delicately plant the sprouted seeds in a small pot (4-5 cm in diameter), as soon as the sprouts measure about 1 cm, pointing the sprouts downwards. If this is the case, it is not a big deal, gravity will do the rest and direct the sprout in the right direction.

Cover one to one and a half times its volume with very light soil that will help the roots develop properly.

Water generously without soaking the soil and then expose to the sun. The first shoots will emerge in just 10 to 15 days.

Be careful, if you break the sprouts, it’s over, there’s no point in going any further. Throw them away and start again 🙂

First lemon tree shoots
5 days later the first stems and leaves appear.

5 days later, the growth of the stems and leaves is noticeable.

Young lemon tree shoots
Young lemon tree shoots
Then you have to graft your plant, which will be the subject of a future article, while you try the experiment and the plant grows a little.