You Can Grow Your Own Lemons From Seeds—Here's How
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There's a certain pride in being able to cook with ingredients you've grown from scratch. And while we may not all have the yard space (or the green thumb) for a vegetable patch, indoor vertical gardens, growing systems, and even potted citrus trees are becoming increasingly popular among houseplant enthusiasts. Growing lemon trees indoors in particular is catching on thanks to their hardy nature and versatile fruit. But like any new houseplant, it's important to understand a lemon tree's needs before you get started. From planting to harvesting, read on to learn exactly how to grow a lemon tree from seed to yield the best results and seasonal harvests. The next time you bake a lemon cake or grill some lemony salmon, you can proudly say that you grew the fruit yourself.
How to Plant Lemon Seeds
If you're opting to grow your own tree rather than pick one up from a garden center or nursery, here are the steps to follow to properly grow a lemon tree from seed.
Step One: Pick a Lemon and Remove the Seeds
Cut a ripe lemon in half, and pick out the seeds with your fingers. You want to be careful not to damage the outer coating of the seeds. Rinse the seeds to clean off any juice and pulp residue.
Step Two: Check the Seed Viability
Place the seeds in a bowl of cold water to check if they're viable. Use only the seeds that sink. Discard any floating seeds.
Step Three: Soak and Wash the Seeds
Allow the viable seeds to continue soaking for 24 hours to soften the outer coating. Once 24 hours has passed, wash the seeds to remove the coating.
Step Four: Plant the Seeds
In a container of damp potting mix, plant each seed approximately half an inch deep. Water until the pot is dripping from the bottom. To get the seeds to sprout, place the pot in a warm location with plenty of light. A south- or west-facing windowsill works great. You can also use a grow light if natural light is limited or not available. Be sure to keep the soil moist but never soggy.
Step Five: Transplant the Seedlings
After a few weeks, the seedlings should germinate. Cut back the weaker seedlings to soil level. Keep the seedlings well watered, and repot them when you notice they're outgrowing their original container.
How to Care for a Growing Lemon Tree
Lemon trees are native to the tropics and the Mediterranean, but they can grow just about anywhere with the right care.
Outdoor Placement
In warmer, sunnier climates, like USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, lemon trees thrive outdoors in the ground or in containers when planted in well-draining potting soil. It's important to ensure the tree gets an abundance of direct sunlight, so watch your yard for a few days to figure out where the shady spots are and avoid those. Avoid planting your lemon tree anywhere there's standing water after storms too. Excess water can lead to root rot.
Indoor Placement and Sunlight
According to Deborah L. Brown, a garden writer and former extension horticulturist with the University of Minnesota, lemon trees grow best in temperatures around 65 degrees and can withstand normal night temperature drops of between five and 10 degrees. Place your indoor lemon tree near a window or in a spot that receives direct sun for at least part of the day. South-facing windows are ideal.
Soil and Fertilizer
Like most citrus trees, lemon trees prefer slightly acidic soil. Adding peat to a standard potting mix can help. Brown recommends using a 1:1 ratio of perlite, peat, and potting soil. If you'd rather purchase than mix your own, look for a potting mix that's more acidic than neutral.
Fertilize the plant only when it's actively growing, usually from April through August or September. Again, look for a plant fertilizer that's formulated specifically for acidic plants.
Water
Lemon trees prefer to stay moist, but they're also incredibly easy to overwater. Before watering, check the top inch or so of soil with your finger to see if the soil feels dry to the touch.
How to Repot a Lemon Tree
As you're growing your lemon tree indoors, you'll want to repot it every two years until maturity (after five years or so), and then every four years after that. The best time to repot is in the spring, just ahead of peak growing season.
To repot, gently remove the lemon tree from its container and brush away any excess soil. Then, place it in a new container that's one to two inches wider and fill in any gaps with new potting mix. Water thoroughly and leave to settle.
Troubleshooting Lemon Tree Issues
Pests
Lemon trees are quite hardy and rarely develop pest problems, but they aren't immune. Sometimes lemon trees can develop scale, whitefly, or spider mites. To prevent these pests, periodically wipe down the leaves with a clean, damp cloth (we recommend doing so about every other week). It's important to get both sides to deter insects. If your plant develops a problem, you can try getting rid of it with neem oil.
Root Rot
As with most houseplants, root rot is the biggest danger to an indoor lemon tree. Caused by overwatering, root rot leads to mushy and literally rotting root systems. If it's too far gone, a plant cannot recover. Be sure to check the soil's water content (by feel is perfect) prior to each watering.
Flowers but No Fruit
The issue is usually a lack of pollination. If your garden or geographic area is particularly sparse, you'll want to add some pollinator-friendly plants to further encourage growth. Insects pollinate citrus outside. Since bees and butterflies aren't typically present indoors, your lemon tree may need a little extra help. Brown suggests gently shaking the flowers or flicking them with your fingers to help spread pollen from flower to flower.
Growing a Lemon Tree from Seed vs. a Store-Bought Lemon Tree
Successfully growing a lemon tree from seed takes time and effort, especially if you want to grow your own lemons and not just enjoy it as a an indoor plant. Lemon trees usually take between five and seven years (sometimes longer) to begin producing fruit, so if you're after a quicker alternative, buying a mature tree from a nursery is a great option. A partially grown tree will start producing fruit sooner, and you can be sure the fruit will be of a high quality. However, when grown from seed, the lemon tree is adjusted to your home environment from the start.
FAQs
What Types of Lemon Trees Can I Grow?
There are four common types of lemons that are often grown as at-home trees because they're relatively easy to care for and produce delicious fruit:
Lisbon lemons are known for their higher acidity and tart flavor
Meyer lemons are sweeter and more hardy.
Variegated lemons have a slightly pink interior (similar to grapefruits), though that doesn't affect its taste.
Eureka lemons are your standard, grocery store lemons, and they're great for juicing because they have fewer seeds.
Where Can Lemon Trees Grow?
Lemon trees are tropical plants that thrive in the heat. In the United States, outdoor lemon trees do best in areas like Southern California and Florida, where temperatures remain well above freezing for the majority of the year. Lemon trees can be planted permanently outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11 or grown in planters indoors anywhere else.
How Tall Do Lemon Trees Get?
Indoors, lemon trees usually max out around six feet tall, but their height can vary based on the growing conditions. Outdoors, however, lemon trees continue to grow far beyond that and can reach more than 20 feet tall after five years or when they reach maturity.
How Long Does a Lemon Tree Take to Grow?
Indoors, you'll start to see blooms and fruit around the three-year mark. Outdoor lemon trees take a little longer (since they're often much larger) and will produce fruit after five years or so, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
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