Are you one of those people who like to grow plants from all kinds of seeds and kernels? If so, then try a lemon. The lemon tree, which comes from the subtropical climate zone, can be grown quite easily from a core - and thanks to the plant's fast growth, you will have a pretty, bushy tree in no time.
How to grow a lemon tree from a seed?
To grow a lemon tree from a core, take the core of a ripe lemon, wash it and plant it in potting soil. Keep the substrate moist and warm until the seedling sprouts. Provide the plant with enough light, water and warmth until it grows.
Procuring seeds
You can easily use the seeds from a purchased lemon to grow. This should be as ripe as possible, as this is when the kernel's ability to germinate is at its highest. Remove the seeds from the lemon and wash them carefully under running water. Washing removes any pulp that may be present, which could encourage the growth of harmful fungi. Now plant the fresh seeds immediately in a pot with potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon) or a special coconut substrate. Do not dry the seeds as this will cause them to lose their ability to germinate. However, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to four weeks after washing them, drying them and wrapping them in a slightly damp cloth.
Single pot or mini greenhouse?
Whether you grow your lemon seeds individually in a small pot or together in a mini greenhouse on the windowsill is entirely up to your taste and the space available to you. However, growing in an individual pot offers the advantage that you do not have to loosen root strands that have grown together later or run the risk of injuring the sensitive roots.
Planting the core
Now place the seed core about a centimeter deep in the substrate and moisten it. The potting soil must always be kept moist, but not wet. The soil should also be at least six centimeters deep overall, as lemons initially form a downward taproot. Place the cultivation container in a warm (temperatures around 25 °C and high humidity are ideal) and rather dark place. The kernel doesn't need light to germinate, but it needs even more light later on as a plant. The seedlings are transplanted into larger pots with appropriate citrus soil at approximately one year of age.
Caring for a seedling
The fresh lemon seedling needs a lot of water, light and warmth - it is best kept on a sunny windowsill. It is best to water it every one or two days, but only when the substrate has already dried on the surface. Spray the plant with lukewarm water from time to time. You don't need to fertilize the little lemon yet, as it continues to feed on the core until it is around six months old. Lemon trees grown from seeds usually have thorns.
Tips & Tricks
Lemon trees go through a very long youth phase. That's why seedlings usually only bloom after eight to twelve years at the earliest - if the conditions are right. However, through refining you can shorten this time by about half.