To be sure that you are consuming ecologically clean fruits, you can grow them at home. The same applies to citrus fruits, which are becoming more and more common in our latitudes.
Rich in vitamin C, the lemon is an exceptional treasure for any home, and its cultivation is not difficult at all. To do this, first you need to get a stick from the most ordinary seed from a purchased fruit. In order for it to start bearing fruit, however, you need to ennoble the tree (by so-called sprucing up) with a branch from another tree that is already bearing fruit. Here’s how to pick a lemon from a seed step by step.
How to plant a lemon from a seed
Step 1: Choose quality lemon seeds
Avoid using lemon seeds that are too tiny (the size of a grain of rice) or too shriveled (like raisins). They either will not germinate or will not grow into healthy seedlings. Therefore, choose the largest lemon seeds.
You can sow 5 to 10 lemon seeds at a time in case some don’t germinate. Note that the trees that grow from them may produce lower quality fruit or may not be edible at all.
Step 2: Clean the seed
Wash the seeds to remove the thin gel-like coating (top coat) on them, as this contains sugars that can cause them to rot. You can leave the lemon seeds in a cup of warm water overnight. This will help them germinate faster. Another option is to soak them for a week, changing their water every day. When they are soaked, they will become covered with a gelatinous shell, but this is normal.
Step 3: Prepare the soil
Place small pebbles in the bottom of a cup or pot for drainage, then fill the pot with nutritious soil and water to moisten. Mix by hand or trowel until evenly moistened. Do not overwater to prevent the seeds from rotting. Lemon trees love moisture, but not overwatering. You can use a mixture of peat, perlite, vermiculite and organic fertilizer for the soil. This will provide the seedlings with proper drainage and beneficial nutrients.
Place the seeds in it with the pointed end down. Leave a space between them of about 5 millimeters.
Step 4: Sowing the lemon seed
A small pot with drainage holes is suitable for sowing one seed, and if you want to sow more seeds, use a larger pot. With a finger or pencil, make a hole about 1.3 cm deep, place the seed(s) inside with the pointed end down and cover it with soil. Leave a space between them of about 5 millimeters if you are planting more seeds. Then cover them with coarse sand or pebbles.
Step 5: Cover the pot with a piece of breathable plastic wrap
Do not forget to spray the surface with water for 2-3 days. You can cover the pot with a plastic bag to help the seeds germinate faster. To do this, make several holes with a pencil, stick or fork on the envelope to keep heat and moisture in the pot. Place the container in a warm and not too sunny place. The ideal temperature for growing a lemon tree is between 20 and 28 degrees.
Step 6: Wait for the seeds to germinate
Razors are our most used weapons in the fight against unwanted hair, usually kept in the bathroom. It turns out…
After about one to two weeks, you will see the first sprouts.
Step 7: Water the lemon plant
Keep spraying them with water once every 2 days to help them grow. In very dry conditions, breathable nylon may not help moisten the soil. Remove it while you water the plant, then replace it. Once the sprouts appear, remove the plastic wrap and move the pot to a warm, sunny location. Remember to keep the soil moist, but don’t overdo it either.
Step 8: Care for the lemon tree
If too many seeds have germinated, carefully move some of them to another container. Water the plant regularly to enjoy juicy citrus fruits grown in your home.
