How to Grow a Lemon Tree From Seed
A simple step-by-step guide to germinating lemon seeds and raising them into productive citrus trees, indoors or in containers.
Equipment
- Small pot with drainage holes
- seed-starting mix
- larger 4-6 inch pot for transplanting
Ingredients
- 1 organic lemon for seeds
- seed-starting mix
- water
- citrus fertilizer for ongoing care
Instructions
- Cut a fresh organic lemon and remove the seeds carefully, avoiding cutting through them. Rinse the seeds under cool water to remove all pulp and sugar.
- Plant the wet seeds about 1/2 inch deep in pasteurized seed-starting mix in a small pot with drainage holes. Several seeds can share one pot at this stage.
- Water gently until the soil is evenly moist. Cover the pot with plastic wrap or a humidity dome to retain moisture.
- Place the pot in a warm location around 70°F. The top of the refrigerator or a seed-starting heat mat works well.
- Watch for sprouts in 1 to 3 weeks. As soon as seedlings emerge, remove the cover and move the pot to a bright south-facing window or under grow lights.
- Once seedlings have several true leaves, transplant each into its own 4-6 inch pot using fresh sterile potting mix.
- Keep soil consistently moist, provide at least 6 hours of direct sun daily, and move outdoors during frost-free months for fastest growth.
Plant seeds while still wet from the fruit. Dried lemon seeds lose viability quickly. Trees typically take 4 to 10 years to produce fruit, but make beautiful, fragrant houseplants in the meantime.
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