How to grow Meyer lemons from a seed

Meyer lemons bear fruit in less than 10 years if grown from seed, some report fruit after only 3 years, though that seems optimistic.

They need a very warm climate (got a greenhouse), and even then there will need to be protection on some winter nights.

They will grow to about 10 feet tall, which will be ok for the greenhouse.

Here is a report I highly recommend: especially if you love it when someone really loves something to the point they can write poetry about it – like Meyer lemons and growing them from seed.

First, google it and find out about Meyer lemons and what they need to grow – very warm – as in Florida type climate for those in the USA. I am trying them in Northern California with the help of a greenhouse, but it is “iffy” for the winter.

HOW TO START with your Meyer lemon tree grown from seed                                  (links to follow up pages at the bottom of the page)

Get (organic preferred) Meyer lemons – which I got, but after 2 days I noticed one of the 3 is moldy – so i want to start with it today and elected to use the peel the seed first method since I am not prepared with the soil.

  • get a wet (moist) paper towel
  • carefully open the lemon
  • take a seed-kernel and lick off the protective layer (keep in mouth and suck it off that is).
  • gently peel off the wrinkly layer
  • then peel off the even thinner layer that is brownish (you might need decent finger nails for this).
  • then place seed into the moist paper towel
  • do them all like that
  • put in a plastic baggie and keep moist
  • wait till sprouted, keep moist
  • to be continued

One ( slightly worrisome) observation: the inner layer was not all brown, which leads me to think the lemons and seeds were not ripe. I will see if they sprout.

and they did:

so the seeds sprouted – now what?

Seedlings potted – on the windowsill plus a plant light – what about humidity? – update September 14, 2013

for inspiring pictures elsewhere, please look here