As summer changes to fall and the growing season ends I grow tired of gardening, but within a week or two cabin fever always seems to set in. I am always looking for new and different indoor gardening projects I can pass the cold winter weeks with. Last winter I was eating a meyer lemon that was absolutely full of seeds. I have had several different types of citrus trees in the past but they were purchased in a green house and were quite expensive. I did some research on the internet and was quite dissapointed with the tiny amount of information that is available on starting citrus seeds from seed.

Naturally, citrus growers, to ensure the best possible crop, want to make sure all their trees are of the same high quality. To do this, each new tree they plant is grown, or propagated, not from a seed but by grafting or budding. In most citrus trees, the scion, or top of the tree, is a different variety from the roots or rootstock of the tree. Citrus growers plant trees whose tops will grow Washington navel oranges or Eureka lemons on a rootstock that has special characteristics like disease resistance, quick to bear fruit or restricting tree size for easier harvesting.

Trees that are grown from seed may never produce edible fruit they make great houseplants and are a great way to cure the winter gardening itch. A great number of citrus trees will come true from seed. There is a way that you can tell by examining a few seeds from the tree. Peel off the outer and inner seed coat. It the seed is polyembryonic, i.e. has many embryos, it will come true. When you open the seed you will see that the various embryos will be convoluted upon each other. If it is mono-embryonic there will be one embryo with two distinct cotyledons. Almost any sweet orange will come true from seed, as well as key limes, grapefruit, tangerine and tangelo. Two varieties that will not come true from seed are temple and pomelo.

I find germinating the seed is actually the easiest part of growing citrus trees, my method is rather straight forward. I start by "attempting" to cut open the fruit in a way as to not damage the seeds inside. Wash the seeds off and place them on a towel. I like to use an x-acto knife but any sharp knife will work, cut the seed at the tip being careful not to damage the fragile contents. Once you have removed the tough exterior shell of the seed there will be a thin membrane covering the cotyledon that will still need removed. This layer reminds me of the thin covering around a peanut in its shell. Carefully remove this coating using your knife being extremely careful not to damage the cotyledon.

I prefer to use peat pellets but any growing medium will work. Plant the peeled seeds nobby side down 1/2" - 1" deep, if its cold provide supplemental heat to the growing medium and cover them with something to create a greenhouse. Germination seems to take anywhere from 5 days to several weeks, after a few weeks the seeds have probably rotted and should be discarded. I have had an 80% germination rate using this method. Plant only the biggest, juiciest seeds in the fruit and maintain a consistent level of moisture.

Once the seeds germinate remove any cover and move the seedling to a light source. After the first true leaf appears, re-pot the plant into a larger container. Let the tree dry out between waterings and feed once a month with a high acidity fertilizer. If you live in the north then citrus fertilizer is rarely available so substitute with azalea/rhododendron fertilizer. I should mention that citrus trees grown from seed can take 10+ years to bear fruit,and longer indoors.