growing a lemon tree from a pip

[bikermike]

yes, odds of success low, but I have a few pips left over from G&T.

Current plan is to take the pips, soak them to try to persuade the outer shell off, and put in a small pot in a propagator to see if they take.

Is this a good time of year to do it, or should I wait and drink more G&T (seed acquisition purposes you understand...)?

[Kirk]

They grow easy, expect 3 plants from 3 pips.
Never had to soak any, they were pushed in to a pot of compost, watered and they grew.
Will make a fair plant, lots of spiky bits to stab you.
Do not expect lemons, well not for a good few years (10++). They get them to fruit earlier by grafting and selecting the rootstock.

Fairly hardy, they can get cold, freezing temperatures is a little too much.

[Halina]

When life gives you lemons...

You can grow a citrus plant from a seed, but you can't guarantee what plant you will get, or how long it will be until you get any fruit. This is because most fruit producing citrus trees are grafted onto root stock rather than grown from seed. Citrus is a bit of a chameleon, so having a lemon seed might actually result in a lime, clementine or even grapefruit tree, and you can't guarantee it will be self-fertile. Found this out the hard way when I tried to grow an orange tree from Sicilian oranges that my friend's family sent him over Christmas a few years back. They had this amazing scent and flavour - sweet and vanilla-y, but this kind of individual stock can only be propagated through cuttings, (which are a bit trickier to send through the post!)

If you're interested in growing citrus you should read 'Oranges' by John McPhee, it's a how-to and history of growing citrus in the US from the perspective of a food writer. Really recommend it.

[Ben1030]

If your growing a citrus from seed all youll end up with is an green leafy plant which is hard to look after.

However, if you want the project (as i did), and you can nuture a strong healthy plant then you can graft onto it any fruiting citrus you like!

Plant a few seeds and trail different overwintering locations.

[devonuk]

Citrus are quirky, but not that quirky. What you get from lemon pips is lemons. Every single time.

[bikermike]

Mine haven't sprouted yet. How long would you leave them?

[devonuk]

Mine haven't sprouted yet. How long would you leave them?

At least a couple of months.

A good technique, if you can manage it, is to plant them in a pot with something else in it, and then make yourself forget that you did that.

[MyWifesBrassicas]

When I was 12 (49 now), I planted lemon pips and they grew.
I gave one to my grandad and he grew it as a bonsai and when he died a few years ago, I acquired it back.
Temperamental to say the least, drops it's leaves when too dry and drops its leaves when too wet, I can always sense the hissy fit coming.
37 year old lemon tree, never flowered once, not a single lemon in all that time, just can't bring myself to get rid of it

[nickdub]

Leave it to an unpleasant relative in your will ?

[MyWifesBrassicas]

Leave it to an unpleasant relative in your will ?

I wonder if the mother-in-law would take it for her conservatory?

[bikermike]

It'll grow really well for her... just to spite you...

[bikermike]

At least a couple of months.

A good technique, if you can manage it, is to plant them in a pot with something else in it, and then make yourself forget that you did that.

Yup, that worked. 3 put of 4 have sprouted. And it looks like a couple of months was a good estimate.

As it happens, i am just back from kiwiland, and am deeply jealous of my mate out there who's lemon bush is full of lemons. And he grows feojias. And his asparagus grows faster than he can cut it... really odd going to nz now, it's all golden leaves and autumn

[farendwoman]

At least a couple of months.

A good technique, if you can manage it, is to plant them in a pot with something else in it, and then make yourself forget that you did that.

What a clever idea - I’m going to do that with the seeds I find tricky - Orlaya and Edelweiss spring to mind, but I’m sure there are lots of others. My pots of lemon verbena will (hopefully) suddenly start producing extra little seedlings that I’ll never remember what they are.
I’ll be posting “What’s this seedling that has popped up” !

[devonuk]

What a clever idea - I’m going to do that with the seeds I find tricky - Orlaya and Edelweiss spring to mind, but I’m sure there are lots of others. My pots of lemon verbena will (hopefully) suddenly start producing extra little seedlings that I’ll never remember what they are.
I’ll be posting “What’s this seedling that has popped up” !

I would love to claim it as my own, but it's from The Pip Book by Keith Mossman - lots of 2nd hand copies available online. An excellent book though he is over-optimistic on chances of getting citrus seedlings to fruit.

[Gman]

If you are looking for a cheap citrus plant rather than the challenge of growing from seed they were selling Meyer lemons in Lidl today for £3.

Of course, if this is just about the sheer challenge of growing from a pip, ignore me.