Growing Citrus From Seed

Posted by Angela England May 22, 2008

My kids love gardening with me and we've been planting seeds like crazy lately. One of the latest fun things to do is to grow or plant things from our own garden. Recently we were successful sprouting our own little orange seedlings after planting them in fine seedling mix, keeping them covered and warm until they sprouted.

Most citrus trees and shrubs that are grown from seed will not come true to the variety, but it is still possible to produce fruit, even in a cool climate. Citrus trees are evergreen so the hardest part will be providing a warm winter environment that will have enough light for the plant to continue growing.

If you are blessed enough to live in a temperate climate you won't need to house the plant in a special place. Cooler climates with harsh winters will need to provide a greenhouse or a warm, sunny screened in room.

Here is a list of citrus fruit that will come true from seed:

• Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)
• Seville Orange (Citrus aurantium)
• Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)
• Lemon (Citrus limon)
• Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)