Organic Farmers MarketOrganic Foods, Green Products, Books & Farming Information

How to greminate and grow citrus seeds?

I am trying to germinate and grow plants from ORGANIC oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. Could you please give me a STEP-BY-STEP instructions on what to do from the moment I picked the seed out of the citrus fruit to the time the plan is growing and needs to be planted. I currently live in Wisconsin, so the plants would need to be indoors for at least 7-8 months out of the year. Thank you very much!

Citrus is easy to grow from seed. Let the fruit get overripe at room temp. Dry the seed on a papertowel for at least 10 days. Citrus does not need to be stratified, cold-treated, etc. Plant the seed in steril potting mix in a sterilized, small container or seed tray. You can sterilize a 6 pak, etc with a 10% bleach solution. Sterility is very important to prevent damping off – a common fungal disease of seedlings. Your container needs to be small and well drained, so that your seedlings don’t drown. Bottom heat will help the seed germinate faster. The top of the refrigerator is a good place, or a heating pad on low. The seed should germinate within 2 weeks at 70F or above . Once it has a true set of leaves, you can feed the seedling with 1/4 strength liquid plant food. It will need to be moved to a well-lit area. Wait until the seedling has several sets of true leaves (not the 2 seed leaves that first appear when it sprouts) and has a good root system before attempting to transplant it to a larger container. Only go up 1 size – like a 2 or 3″ pot. Overwatering is overwhelmingly the major cause of plantlet death.

Citrus grown from seed may or may not have the same characteristics as the parent plant. The fruit may be sour or small, the plant not as hardy. It will take about 15 years to produce fruit.

When to Plant a New Lawn

Pomegranate Seeds, White, 4oz, Organic, Sun-dried $6.95 Pomegranate Seeds, White, 4oz, Organic, Sun-dried

Organic Alfalfa Sprouting Seeds $47.79 Alfalfa seeds are one of the most popular, nutritious and delicious sprouting seedsGarden seed is certified organicAlfalfa sprouts are very tasty, with a sweet, nut-like flavorHigh germination rateFive pound can