Growing a lemon tree from a seed core - this is how it works

Growing a lemon tree from a seed core - this is how it works

Obtaining the seeds

You can easily use the seeds of a lemon you have bought for cultivation. This should be as ripe as possible, because then the germination capacity of the kernel is highest. Remove the kernels from the lemon and wash them carefully under running water. Washing removes any pulp that may be present, which could encourage the colonization of harmful fungi. Now immediately plant the fresh kernels in a pot with potting soil or a special coconut substrate. Do not dry the seeds, they will lose their ability to germinate. However, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to four weeks after washing them, drying them and wrapping them in a slightly damp cloth.

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Single pot or mini greenhouse?

Whether you grow your lemon kernels individually in a small pot or together in a mini greenhouse on the windowsill is entirely up to your taste and the space available to you. However, growing in a single pot has the advantage that you do not have to loosen any root strands that have grown together later or that you do not run the risk of damaging the sensitive roots.

Plant the core

Now put the seed core about an inch deep into the substrate and moisten it. The potting soil must always be kept moist, but not wet. The soil should also be at least six centimeters deep, as lemons first form a taproot downwards. Place the cultivation vessel in a warm (temperatures around 25 ° C and high humidity are ideal) and rather dark place. The kernel does not yet need light to germinate, but even more so later as a plant. The seedlings are transplanted into larger pots with appropriate citrus soil around the age of one year.

Grooming a seedling

Fresh lemon seedlings need a lot of water, light and warmth - they are best kept on a sunny windowsill. It is best to water it every one or two days, but only when the substrate has dried on the surface. Spray the plant from time to time with lukewarm water. You do not have to fertilize the small lemon yet, as it will still feed on the stone until it is around six months old. Lemon trees grown from seeds mostly have thorns.

Tips & Tricks

Lemon trees go through a very long youth phase. This is why seedlings usually only bloom after eight to twelve years at the earliest - if the conditions are right. However, you can cut this time by around half with refinement.