Grow a Citrus Tree From a Seed

Starting seeds is an uncomplicated process. You need a container which will keep the seeds moist and allow in some light, a warm spot to set the container while the seeds sprout, and something to plant the sprouted seeds into.

I have used Honey Tangerines, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Lemons as sources of seed. These are just regular citrus fruit that I bought at the grocery store. Because you have no idea of what condition the fruit was grown in, or what pollinated it, you can not be sure with this method that any eventual fruit you get will be exactly the same as the fruit the seed came from. For my purpose, which is to have a supply of inexpensive seedlings to practice bonsai with, this does not matter. If you were planning to sell the seedling as a particular type of citrus, however, it would be important.

After taking the seeds from the fruit, you need to put them in a sprouting container. It is important to do this right away, and not let the seeds dry out. I use a three tiered plastic "kitchen sprouter" which is originally for sprouting salad greens. Any transparent or semi-transparent plastic container with a lid will work though.

Place several layers of paper towels in the bottom of the container and get them thoroughly damp, but not drippy. Place your seeds on the damp paper towels with space between them so that they get air circulation and put the lid on the container. If you are using a sprouter, there will be enough air circulation with the lid on tightly. If using another type of container you can leave a corner of the lid loose. Put the container in a place where it will be somewhat warm.

Next you wait. And wait. And wait more. Check your seeds every few days to make sure the paper towels don't dry out. If they start to look dry, add some more water. Don't worry if the seeds grow a little fuzzy, it doesn't seem to hurt the eventual seedling.

Eventually you will get some sprouting. This could be in as little as a couple weeks or as much as a couple months in my experience. Don't give up if nothing seems to be happening, sooner or later your seeds will sprout. First, the seed will crack open and the root will emerge. You can sometimes see a green leaf shoot also, but that usually doesn't show until after the sprout is planted and the root has grown a little.

It is really fun to see your seeds finally sprout after waiting weeks or months, and your first impulse will be to plant them right away. This seems to slow down the growing progress of the seed, and I have lost several at this stage before I changed my approach.

Now I wait until the root is about 1/2 inch long before I take the seed out and put it into a starter pot. This gives the new plant a chance to produce a nice amount of root in the warm sprouting environment, and lets you set the seed fairly high in the starting medium while still having a deeply buried root. Be careful when moving your starts as the roots are fairly fragile. Don't let your root get too long, or start to produce fine little root hairs. If it gets that far before potting it is much harder to transfer the start to the potting medium without breaking some of the root. This will slow down growing or kill your seedling.

For starter pots, I like to use coconut fiber expanding starting medium. Fiber Grow Pellets from Planters Pride are my favorite for several reasons. They are small enough to fit several into a holding container, they wick the water up very efficiently, and the medium is light enough to encourage good root growth. Coconut fiber is also much more ecologically friendly than peat. The only problem I have with these is that the outside covering does not break down, and you need to carefully cut it away when it is time to move your starts to a larger container.

If you choose to use expandable starter pellets, follow the directions to hydrate them and wait about half an hour. Carefully "fluff up" the medium, using a long thin tool. Chopsticks work well for this. You want the growing medium to be well broken up and light, so that your new sprout will have an easy time growing roots through it.

Use your chopstick to make a hole in your starter pellet. Make the hole deep enough so that the root will go in straight if possible, and leave the seed between 1/2 and 1/4 inch from the top level of the medium. You can get away with placing two starts into each pellet as long as the holes are as far apart as possible.

Carefully transfer your sprouted seeds to their new homes, placing the root as straight into the hole as possible. Gently cover the top with between 1/2 and 1/4 inch of medium. Remember to label and date your seedlings, especially if you are trying several different types. All the leaves look pretty much alike when they are young and it would be easy to lose track.

After transferring your seed starts to the starter pellets you need to keep them warm, moist, and well lighted. I place groups of starts in a container with drainage holes, then place that container into a larger, water tight container with a layer of small stones on the bottom. I water the starts by dipping the entire inner container into a pan of water. When the pellets have soaked up enough water, I transfer the inner container back into the larger container. This gives the roots maximum moisture and also allows for air circulation. The extra water will drain into the bottom container, where it will keep the immediate atmosphere moist, but will not leave your seedlings with standing water around their roots. The frequency of watering is dependent on the conditions in your house, but be careful not to let the medium get completely dry, as the little sprouts are still fragile and don't have the reserves to withstand drought.

Starting medium does not have many nutrients, so it is also important to fertilize your starts. I use a very dilute solution of fish emulsion every other week. In order not to waste it, I pour the fertilizer solution carefully onto the individual starter pellets.

It may take a few weeks for your seedlings to show leaves, although a green shoot should appear quite quickly after planting. Frequently the seed will still be attached to the shoot, covering the budding leaves. Just leave it, as it is difficult to remove without tearing the young leaves, and it will come off as the leaves grow. Your first set of leaves will be a pair on opposite sides of the stem.

Depending on growing conditions in your house, the seedling may stay at this stage for quite a while. Remember, this is a tree, and trees don't grow quickly. Watch the bottom of your starter pellets for root growth. The presence of good root growth on the bottom or sticking out of the sides of your starter pellet is a sign that your start is ready to be moved to another pot.

Your sprouts have lived in their starter pellets for a while now, maybe as long as a year. They have at least one pair of leaves, two would be better, and they are showing good root growth. Now it is time to move them into a pot they can live in while they grow up enough to become baby bonsai.

You will need individual pots for each of your seedlings at this point. You also need a good, balanced growing mixture. I also suggest doing some research on bonsai now, even though your seedlings won't really be old enough for quite a while yet. Your pots should be larger than the starter pellet, but not too large, as a very large pot will promote root growth over top growth, and you want your seedling to have fairly equal amounts of growth between the roots and top. A standard 4 inch pot is a good size.

Place some small stones for drainage in the bottom of your pots, and fill part way with the growing mix. With sharp scissors or a utility knife, carefully cut down opposite sides of the cover on one of your starter pellets, and peel the cover away. Be careful not to break any roots sticking through. If you have two seedlings in your starter pellet, gently divide them.

Place your seedling into its new pot, spreading the roots evenly, and firm the dirt around the roots. Make sure that the level of the dirt comes to approximately the same level on the stem as it was in the starter pellet.

I usually place decorative stones on top of the dirt around the seedling, both because it looks nice and as a way to reduce evaporation of moisture from the soil. Keep your seedlings in a warm, well lighted environment to maximize their growth, and continue to fertilize every other week. You will probably not be able to do much Bonsai training with your seedlings for another year, although you may be able to start training the stem growth direction to some extent.

If you are interested in having an indoor citrus tree, your seedlings will be great for that purpose also. Continue to care for them as a regular house plant, and transfer them to larger containers as they grow. You may even get fruit at some time in the future.