View Full Version : Anyone also growing Lemon or Orange trees?
leasmom
02-03-2010, 09:22 PM
I almost bought some orange seeds but then remembered I could get it from my fruit, so I have some lemon seeds. But unfortunately I bought seedless oranges so will have to buy a different orange. But has anyone successfully grown these plants? And have you grown them from seeds you saved?
jeffreyp
02-03-2010, 09:25 PM
yes I have and it's alot of fun growing citrus from seed but keep in mind it can take anywhere from 7-12 years from seed to fruit ):
Jeff
Bananaman88
02-03-2010, 09:28 PM
You can grow citrus from seed but they do not always come true to type. Most commercially available citrus are cuttings grafted onto a hardy and dwarf root stock (usually Poncirus 'Flying Dragon'). Also, be aware that citrus grown from seed can take 5 or more years to set fruit. I grew a 'Ponderosa' lemon from seed that will be 7 years old this summer and it hasn't fruited yet; though it did bloom profusely last year.
jeffreyp
02-03-2010, 09:30 PM
mandarins or tangarines do come true to type...you can also try key limes as they also come true to type.
Jeff
Abnshrek
02-03-2010, 09:56 PM
I have a grapefruit I grew from seed and its 2 and took a beating from our cold even though its semi-protected. Taking forever.. Glad I bought grapefruit, oranges , a tangerine, and a lemon tree. Someday the grapefruit will be big enough to fruit and until then I'll be eating homegrown :^)
leasmom
02-03-2010, 10:14 PM
Yeah I have a grapefruit too I wanted to use. I hate grapefruit but my daughter loves it. Wow, thats a long time to wait to get fruit but I'm not going anywhere I don't think...I'd like to try the Key limes too, good ideal.
I have lots of varieties on the 7 citrus trees I have--my big lemon tree took a beating in the cold spell, but the rest did pretty well. I do have a few I grew from seed still in pots--the key limes should bloom this yr.
Like Jeff said it can take up to 7 to 12 yrs--maybe even longer than 12 yrs for grapefruit. But--there is a way around that--grafting. If you use mature wood for the grafting--you can actually get fruit the same yr--though it would be recommended to wait at least a yr before letting it set fruit. BTW, mature wood is wood from a tree that is already fruiting. I have one citrus tree with a dozen varieties and several with at least 3.
Richard
02-03-2010, 11:53 PM
It is more cost effective to grow citrus from reliable plant stock than from seed.
palmtree
02-04-2010, 12:35 AM
I have a washington navel orange (grafted) and an orange from seed from the grocery store fruit. I germinated the seeds 3 or 4 years ago and just stuck them in a pot. I was surprised when I saw the new shoots coming up and did absolutely nothing special. I repotted it and it grew straight up for 2 years until I pruned it back last summer and then it started branching out.
I also germinated a lemon from a grocery store fruit, that was 2 years ago. It grows about as fast as the orange does. Im pretty sure lemons from seed do actually make good fruit, but Im not sure about oranges. I also have an improved meyer lemon tree which dropped a lot of leaves indoors very suddenly, but in the past 6 months I got about 20 lemons from it (its 2 1/2 feet tall and about that wide).
Citrus are probably one of the easiest seeds I germinated, papayas are easy too.
Good luck!
Patty in Wisc
02-04-2010, 12:40 AM
Key limes come true to seed & will fruit in 3 years, so buy some & plant the seeds. I have (grafted) ponderosa lemon, honey murcot tangerine, baers lime (same as persian in stores) & 2 meyer lemons that are loaded w/ blossoms & baby fruits. One meyer is about ready to be picked. I also have a ponderosa (oh yum) that I started from seed 3 1/2 years ago & doing well. I also have Budha Hand citron, Meiwa kumquat, yuzu (from seed) & many flying dragon from seed about 4 yrs old. Of course, mine are all in pots in my sunroom kept at 50's F & go outside in summer.
I tried & failed at bud grafting but since I did well on my 7 in 1 apple tree & a loquat, I'd like to graft citrus again. I'll never match Joe Reals 50 in 1 citrus tree LOL, but I have a 2 1/2 ft F.D. with a lot of branches to graft on!
Go for it...growing citrus is fun - esp when you get fruit - like bananas.:)
Bananaman88
02-04-2010, 07:25 AM
I have lots of varieties on the 7 citrus trees I have--my big lemon tree took a beating in the cold spell, but the rest did pretty well. I do have a few I grew from seed still in pots--the key limes should bloom this yr.
Like Jeff said it can take up to 7 to 12 yrs--maybe even longer than 12 yrs for grapefruit. But--there is a way around that--grafting. If you use mature wood for the grafting--you can actually get fruit the same yr--though it would be recommended to wait at least a yr before letting it set fruit. BTW, mature wood is wood from a tree that is already fruiting. I have one citrus tree with a dozen varieties and several with at least 3.
I agree-buying a grafted tree or doing your own is the way to go.
It is more cost effective to grow citrus from reliable plant stock than from seed.
That is true, but sometimes the rootsystem of a named variety is not that suitable for the soil-- (this would apply to seeds of that same variety). So, they still need to be grafted onto a suitable rootstock. Rootstock propagation can be done by rooting, but many rootstock fruits have tons of seeds and that is often the way they are propagated.
leasmom
02-04-2010, 11:50 AM
So it would be wiser to just buy the seeds?
Abnshrek
02-04-2010, 05:12 PM
So it would be wiser to just buy the seeds?
Not wiser just more life enriching, cause you grew it. For short-term satisfaction buy one :^)
Patty in Wisc
02-04-2010, 05:51 PM
I've seen ad up top for a 2-3 yr old citrus for $49.95 - & now add shipping! I'm sure it was grafted.
So it would be wiser to just buy the seeds?
Citrus seeds have a very short life unless they are kept moist and cool. They are not like normal plant seeds, they are actually live embryos--often several inside a single seed--peel a seed and look.
So collecting seeds directly from fruit and planting them is the best way to get viable seeds.
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