How to Start a Citrus Tree From Seed

Lemons, limes and oranges are frequently used to start citrus trees from seed due to their relative ease of germination. According to Pam Elam, Farm Adviser of the University of California Cooperative Extension, trees grown from seeds may never produce edible fruit. Although homegrown citrus trees might have fruit unfit to eat, the plants beautify many homes as houseplants with their shiny leaves and aromatic flowers. Start citrus seedlings in the early spring, and use fresh seeds for best results.

Citrus fruit
Water
Paper towels
Potting soil
Peat pots
Clear plastic
Rubber bands

Instructions

- 1
  Peel the fruit and remove the seeds by hand.
- 2
  Rinse the seeds with clean water. Eliminate as much of the fruit flesh sticking to the seeds as possible. Set the seeds aside on some paper towels.
- 3
  Fill the peat pots with potting soil up to ½ inch from the top. Moisten the soil with warm water, then let the pots drain.
- 4
  Push your citrus seeds into the soil with your index finger. Plant the seeds twice as deep as the size of each seed. Evenly space two to three seeds per peat pot. Cover the hole with soil.
- 5
  Place clear plastic over the tops of each peat pot. Secure the plastic with a rubber band. Keep your pots in a 70-degree room with low light.
- 6
  Remove the plastic when the seedlings rise above the soil. Citrus seeds can germinate in as few as seven days. Relocate your plants to receive bright light, but be aware that direct sun can burn and destroy fragile, young plants.
- 7
  Thin to one plant to each peat pot in three to six weeks. Pinch off the stem of smaller plants at the soil level. You can then re-pot the whole peat pot--with the plant--to a larger container without disturbing delicate roots. As the plants grow, remove any extra bottom branches that are 8 inches from the soil.

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