Grow Lemon Trees from Seed

Potted Lemon Grove: Grow Meyer Lemon Trees from Seeds

Meyers are among the seedier varieties of lemons, which works in your favor. Two or three Meyer lemons contain enough seeds to start your personal potted lemon grove. Seeing the tiny green tips emerge from the soil will delight you.

Watch the video to learn how to plant seeds directly from a juicy lemon. No need to dry the seeds! They sprout quickly and more reliably when sown fresh from the fruit.

Simple Steps to Planting Lemon Seeds

  1. Extract the seeds from the lemon (In the video I share a tip that will help you extract whole seeds.)
  2. Create a nursery pot
  3. Plant the seeds
  4. Water and wait for germination
  5. Transplant to small individual (4-inch) pots
  6. Up-pot as needed
nursery pot

A basket lined with plastic served as a nursery pot for a batch of lemon seedlings inside a small pop up greenhouse. Given plenty of sunlight and ample watering (do not let them dry out, but do not keep the pot soggy) you may see tiny trees appear in a week or two. It can sometimes take about eight weeks.

lemon seeds

So go ahead and treat yourself to enough lemons to enjoy in your kitchen and plant the seeds.

little lemon grove

Lemon trees make nice gifts to appreciative gardeners and houseplant aficionados. We live an hour from town; when friends come to visit I like to give them a little something and if I know they like to garden or grow houseplants, I often offer a lemon tree.

Pearl in lemon tree

There are so many wonderful ways to use lemon, especially Meyer lemons, in the kitchen.

Here are a few of my top favorites!

Ways to Use and Enjoy Lemons

  1. Fresh squeezed lemonade
  2. Lemon Curd
  3. Stuff a whole chicken
  4. Squeezed over roasted vegetables
  5. Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Another reason to keep rabbits: they produce odorless, pelleted fertilizer for your garden and potted plants, including lemon trees.

rabbit

This darling fellow mysteriously appeared in our yard several years ago. As a purebred (Champagne dArgent), it was indeed suspicious but welcome.

The joy of picking a fresh lemon from my own tree never diminishes.

If hot weather has you craving winter, you might enjoy this White Christmas Cottage Diary Post.

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4 Comments

  • Hi!
    I just found your videos and website. I was wondering if you sell your lemon seeds? I have been wanting to grow some lemon trees myself. I would love some.
    Thanks,
    Karen

    Reply
    • Hi Karen, I don’t sell seeds at this time. You can use a lemon from the grocery store; a regular lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit will work, too. Just remember that you need a place to overwinter the tree if you live in an area that freezes in the winter. A greenhouse is ideal, but if you don’t have a greenhouse, a sunny window in a cool room will work. Blessings, Michele

      Reply
  • I have a citrus tree that I have taken care of for many years. it has never bloomed.
    i started some seeds three years ago and the plants are growing nicely but never bloomed either,
    what i am doing wrong?

    Reply

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