Is it possible to cultivate citrus trees from seed?

I have seen many examples in garden centres of small lemon trees for example but they cost about $100!! Are they grafted from existing stock?


I have had success in getting small plants to grow from lemon pips for example but would they eventually flower and fruit?

Is it possible to cultivate citrus trees from seed?
Cultivating lemon seeds are the natural way. In the tropics, seeds that were scattered all over, anywhere naturally come up as seedlings. I've seen lemon seeds growing up underneath a lemon tree many times. Leave them where they are and they grow up and become a tree. In my case I normally transplanted them.





What you saw in garden centers were normally grafted, marcoted and so on. The reason for these is to give consumers the instant satisfaction of flowers and fruits (for our own purposes). Also to promote dwarfism, since mostly of us like to grow it indoors (especially in colder climates).





Since you're successful in growing them from seeds, you can definitely try to pot them. If you're in the warmer climate you can even plant it outside. Maturity is fully dependent on the place they're planted. Meaning the climate in your area, the sunshine, the soil it's planted on, and so on. In my experience 5 years and up, on fertile soil, I'll be rewarded with flowers and fruits (in the tropics of course, where I came from).





At present I have a grafted one in my house, I have it for at least 6 years now. I put it outside every summer and keep it inside in winter. Every year since it fruited but last year I was rewarded with many flowers and fruits. Right now I have lots of new shoots and flowers are started to come out. One opened this morning and it smells so good. It's too cold yet for outside hopefully next month.





Good luck with yours. Don't be afraid to experiment. Hopefully this info. helps.
Reply:Fruit trees are grafted. Good stock is grafted onto a strong root. That's why they tell you to prune all the sprouts that are lower than the graft. When I bought this house I had a sour orange tree-the top had frozen and the bottom allowed to grow out. Makes wonderful marinades and since I'm diabetic I can sweeten with Splenda. Find out about Key Lime or Mexican Lime trees. They are sour to start with and produce all year long here and lime juice is so much better than lemon. Now about the flowering and fruiting, I don't know. You can buy online and lemon trees here--small ones are much much much cheaper. Try WalMart or Kmart before they forget to water the plants.
Reply:Yes, i grew severail from seed but they never come true
Reply:Sure they will flower and fruit. As I recall it will take 5 to 7 years (possibly longer) for them to reach maturity. But it can be done. good luck
Reply:A lot depends on the seed in question a lot of commercial fruit trees are hybrids that don't breed true. Also a fair amount of grafting goes on where the roots, and branches are actual different trees.
Reply:The answer is yes. Select the most fully developed seeds.


Put them into peat moss cups with potting soil. Let them


almost dry out between watering. Plant several as most will


not even sprout. Oh keep them in bright and worm place.


Good luck.
Reply:Any citrus seed will germinate and eventually produce a tree, but only the Mandarin Orange (Citrus reticulata) will come true from seed, that is, produce the fruit of the parent tree. The others either will not bear fruit, or the fruit will be a reversion to a genetic ancestor, maybe a sour orange or shaddock.