×
  • Home
  • Daily
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Guides
  • Cookbooks
    • Beverages
    • Bakery
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Salads & Dressings
    • Soups
    • Entrées
    • Side Dishes & Sauces
    • Desserts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
  • Manage Account
  • Authors
  • Keyword Index
  • Join

Food Gardening Network

Growing Good Food at Home

Join
Mequoda Publishing Network
  • Daily
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Guides
  • Cookbooks
    • Beverages
    • Bakery
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Salads & Dressings
    • Soups
    • Entrées
    • Side Dishes & Sauces
    • Desserts
  • Sign In
  • Search

5 Tips for Growing Lemons from Seed

5 Tips for Growing Lemons from Seed

Is growing lemons from seed a fool's errand? Maybe not. But there are a few things you should know.

By Amanda MacArthur | May 4, 2021

I’ve always been fascinated by growing lemons and other citrus fruits. You can’t go wrong with a tree full of bright yellow bulbs of sunshine. The thing is, you can’t ignore climate when it comes to planting citrus trees. 

Generally speaking, lemon trees grow in tropical and subtropical climates. That’s one reason you don’t get oranges from England or lemons from Canada. More specifically, we’re talking USDA Hardiness zone 8 and higher for lemons. In the U.S., that means you won’t be growing lemons outdoors unless you live in California, Florida, and other parts of the country with similar climates. 

But don’t despair! Some varieties of lemon trees are perfectly happy in containers. The most well-known is probably the Meyer lemon, but some other varieties, like the Dwarf Eureka, can grow in containers. However, it’s worth noting that almost any fruit tree you want to plant will come as either rootstock or a sapling. That said, you can grow lemon trees from lemon seeds, but if you need to plant your tree in a container, be sure to get seeds from one of the container varieties. 

Explore the easiest fruit to grow at home—indoors or out! Read our FREEBIE 15 Easiest Fruits to Grow at Home, right now!

Growing lemons from seed to sweet sunny fruits

1. Find your lemon seeds. Your best bet here is to take the seeds directly from a lemon. Again, though, be sure it’s a container variety lemon and not a full-size lemon tree (unless you happen to live somewhere warm and plan to grow the tree outdoors). 

2. Clean the seeds. Lemon seeds need to be clean, but not completely dry. Several sources suggest sucking on the seeds to clean them. Once they’re clean, you’ll want to plant them right away. 

3. Germinate the seeds. It’s always a good idea to plant several seeds, just in case they don’t all germinate. You can thin them later if you need to. Plant the seeds in a moist potting mix and cover them with about half an inch of loose soil. You can create a mini-greenhouse by covering your pot with plastic wrap and poking a few holes in it to allow for fresh air. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy. Your seeds should germinate in a few weeks. 

4. Transplant the seedlings. Once your seedlings have several leaves, transplant them to individual pots. You don’t want to get rid of any yet, since we’re still at the point where anything could go wrong. Give your seedlings as much sunlight as possible, and keep them in a space with a temperature around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. As they grow, you may need to transplant them a few times. 

5. Care for your tree. Keep the soil light and well-drained. You may need to add fertilizer occasionally, but be sure to get one specifically formulated for citrus trees. Depending on the variety of tree, it may be three or four years before you get to enjoy the rewards of growing lemons, but I promise the sweet smell of citrus blossoms and the taste of that first lemon is worth the wait. 

Have you grown a lemon tree from seeds? How did it go? 

Explore the easiest fruit to grow at home—indoors or out! Read our FREEBIE 15 Easiest Fruits to Grow at Home, right now!

« How to Make Chicken Cacciatore in a Crock-Pot
What’s the Deal with Flies Eating Plants? »

Related Posts

  • How to Grow Tropical Fruit Plants in Any Zone
  • 5 Fast-Growing Fruit Trees for a Beginner’s Backyard Orchard
  • How to Start Growing Cantaloupe Vertically at Home

Tags

fertilizer, growing lemons, potting mix

Comments

Click here to cancel reply.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Give a Gift

FREEBIE!

With your FREEBIE, you’ll also receive regular email messages from the Food Gardening Network. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your email address is private. We promise never to sell, rent or disclose your email address to third parties.

Freebies

  • How to Grow a Vegetable Garden
  • 15 Easiest Fruits to Grow at Home
  • Growing Vegetables Indoors for Beginners
  • How to Master Spice and Herb Gardening at Home
  • The Best Way to Grow Tomatoes
  • Recipes from Your Garden
  • How to Start a Freedom Garden
  • Gardening in Every Season
  • Planning Your Perfect Food Garden
  • Plants for Bug Control Chart

Browse Topics

  • Composting
  • Container Gardening
  • Easy Healthy Recipes
  • Food Preservation
  • Garden Design
  • Garden Tools
  • Growing Fruits & Berries
  • Indoor Gardening
  • Pests & Diseases
  • Seeds & Seedlings
  • Soil & Fertilizer
  • Spice & Herb Gardening
  • Vegetable Gardening
  • Watering & Irrigation

We will be attending the following shows in 2023:

  • MANTS in Baltimore, MD
  • Connecticut Flower Show
  • Vermont Flower Show
  • Philadelphia Flower Show
Click here to schedule a time to visit with us at the show!

Enter Your Log In Credentials

This setting should only be used on your home or work computer.

  • Lost your password? Create New Password
  • No account? Sign up

Need Assistance?

Call Food Gardening Network Customer Service at
(800) 777-2658

Food Gardening Network is an active member of the following industry associations:

  • American Horticultural Society
  • GardenComm Logo
  • MCMA logo
  • Renewd logo
  • Manage Account
  • Join
  • About Food Gardening Network
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Food Gardening Network
99 Derby Street, Suite 200
Hingham, MA 02043
support@foodgardening.mequoda.com

FREE E-Newsletter for You!

Discover how to grow, harvest, and eat good food from your own garden—with our FREE e-newsletter, delivered directly to your email inbox.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Powered by
Mequoda Publishing Network
copyright © 2023 Mequoda Systems, LLC

Food Gardening Network® and Food Gardening Magazine® are registered trademarks of Mequoda Systems, LLC.

Go to mobile version