i don't recall any special way of planting them. are you keeping it in a container?
songbird
Easy to get to sprout, it'll take years until they might fruit and, yes, the fruit produced is a crap shoot.
JJust poke them in about 1/2 inch. Citrus seeds sprout easily.
Steve
I tried this years ago and got a very attractive lemon tree that lived on my back deck during the warmer months. Never got any fruit, but it sure looked pretty.
I didn't do anything special to start the seed; just stuck it into a four inch pot with seed starting mix. It was on a whim, so I didn't have any special prep materials around in any case.
I kept having to transplant it into a bigger pot almost every year. During the winter months, I had to drag it into my house to winter over. The last year I did this, the poor thing got a powdery mildew like substance on the leaves and finally gave up the ghost.
What are you planning on doing with the lemon plant during the colder months (unless you're in an area that is citrus-friendly)?
Good luck!
Nyssa, who really was proud of that tree, but it was a real PITA to drag that huge pot around after a few years
Yes , this/these will be in pots . It's bit too chilly in the winter here AFAIK .
Yeah , I figure 3-5 years before I'll see fruit - if ever . Hmm , I'm now wondering about the humidity levels here . Very humid summers , which I'm pretty sure isn't a problem . But we heat with wood and the air gets pretty dry in the winter .
I overwinter lots of citrus. Aphids, spider mites, scale, and other afflictions can take hold during hot, dry heating season indoors.
I have found that keeping the plants in the cool of the basement (near a light source, of course) helps them make it through. Yes, you lose some leaves, but the tubbed trees make it.
My wife has about twenty small, potted citrus trees. We live in Maryland, s o they wouldn't survive winter outdoors. Every fall, I drag them all into t he greenhouse, then drag them out in the spring. A lot of work, but she enj oys growing unusual lime and lemons that you can't get in the stores.
Paul
It'll come indoors when the overnight temps get below 40° or so .
No basements around these parts because of the high water table. It's basically swampland that's been filled in a bit.
My thermostat in the winter is set at 65F, so too much heat isn't a problem, but dampness can be at times. That and not enough light coming in where I parked the lemon put.
It lost leaves every winter, but always managed to come back once spring came and I could move it outside again. Until that last winter when it was a combination of lost leaves AND the residual mildew on the stems.
It was such a pretty tree. :(
Nyssa, who now has a big mutant tomato plant in the same spot on the deck, but that lemon tree was much nicer
Luckily I do have a cellar - and a grow light I can plug in down there . Hmm , I'll need a timer , and probably something smaller than a 4' fluorescent fixture unless I want to put some other plants down there too . It tends to be in the low 50's down there in winter , and more humid than the living space . On the other hand , what level of humidity will they tolerate ? We try for minimum 50% RH though at times it gets a little lower . Other than my spider plants , the house plants don't seem to mind . One thing we don't worry about is condensation !
Terry Coombs wrote: ...
there is a guy who used to grow lemon trees in the mountains of Germany of all places. he used strategically placed rocks to absorb and reflect light along with ponds too (which can reflect light and help capture heat). i found that very amazing.
also there is some guy in a northern state who uses ground heat storage to grow citrus in underground bermed greenhouses.
not that this says much about your particular area other than it is more likely possible given you are much further south than either of them... :)
songbird
I did an orange years ago and got a tree with thorns and no blossoms or fruit. I don't know if they might be hybrid seeds that do not give the same plant. Maybe an internet search will give guidance.
If nothing else you may end up with root stock that you can graft a known citrus on to.
20 odd years ago I planted grafted mandarins, which promptly died, however the root stocks flourished and I now have 2 of the most vicious lemon trees, with upto 3 inch thorns and no matter now severe I prune them they up and grow again the next year and always bear fruitMike
Sounds like you should just figure out something to do with lemons. lol!
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