How To Grow A Lemon Tree From Seed Easily In Your Own Home

It is a well-known fact that citrus fruits are abundant in vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. However, if you want to maintain a balanced diet, you need to be careful with the quantity of citrus food you consume, as they are high in sugar as well.

Some citrus fruits are easier and some of them are harder to grow. However, there are two types which can be easily grown in your own backyard.

The difference in freshness and quality is the main thing that makes home grown fruits far better than bought ones. Needless to say, they are free of chemical contamination linked to non-organic growing. If you are interested in growing your own citrus fruit, check out the following instructions:

LEMONS

Opt for a baby tree (2-3 years old) in order to get optimum results. Speaking of pot, you need to buy clay or plastic one (with many holes in the bottom). Moreover, given the fact that the tree grows high, buy a larger pot. In fact, you will need a pot that is 12-15 inches deep and 17-20 inches wide. Place the baby tree in the pot and fill the drainage container with stones so that you improve the air flow. Finally, put the soil into the pot. Make sure you use soil which is specifically designed for growing citrus fruits. This type of soil provides the best results.

This is basically everything you need to know. Of course, the tree requires regular watering as well as 8-10 hours of exposure to sunlight. Lemons need about 6-9 months to ripen, which means that you are all set when the lemons have a full color.

In addition to this, you can grow a lemon tree from a seed:

Ingredients and Tools Needed:

• An organic lemon because non-organic lemons often contain non-germinating seeds
• Fertile potting soil, preferably containing vermiculite, peat, perlite, and natural fertilizers
• One planting pot (six inches wide and six inches deep)
• One seedling pot (24 inches wide by 12 inches deep)
• A sunny, indoor growing location and possibly a grow lamp

Instructions:

• First, moisten the potting soil. Don’t soak it because it has to become damp all the way through.
• Put the soil into the pit, all the way up to an inch below the rim.
• Remove the seed from the fruit as well as the pulp from the seed`s surface. Do this by sucking it until it is clean. You need to plant it right away because the seed has to be wet when it is buried into the soil.
• Put the seed about half an inch deep in the middle of the pot. Spray the soil using a spray bottle filled with water.
• Cover the pot with a plastic wrap, seal the edges with a rubber band, and poke some holes in the top.
• Expose the pot to sunlight by keeping it in a sunny and warm place.
• Spray it water occasionally and don’t let the soil to dry out. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to over-water it.
• You will be able to notice the first sprouting after two weeks or so. Then, remove the plastic wrap and use a grow light to supplement the sun`s light in case the plant is not exposed to direct sunlight.
• You need to give the plant moderate doses of organic fertilizer and at least 8 full hours of light daily.
• Beware of the diseases and bugs that may harm the plant. Remove any brown and dead leaves when necessary and use pesticides when you have to.
• Transfer the plant into a larger pot when it outgrows the small one. The re-planting process is very similar to the initial procedure. However, the new plant needs more water than an older one, so try to provide a sufficient amount of it.

MANDARINS

Just like with the lemon tree, the baby tree is the best option when it comes to mandarins too. It has been shown that baby trees provide better results than plants grown from seeds. The pot should be prepared in the same way as the one described above. This means that you need to make drainage holes at the bottom and put some rocks to improve the air flow. Of course, the plant needs regular exposure to sunlight.

Mandarin trees are safe for growing indoors, as they don’t grow much taller than 6 feet. They require watering on a regular basis. However, make sure you don’t over-water them. Transfer the plant into a larger pot when it outgrows the smaller one. Pick the oranges when they turn orange, because they will lose their flavor otherwise.

Additional Tip:

Make sure the little button at the top of the orange stays there when you pick the oranges off of the tree.

Source : supertastyrecipes.com