Citrus Tree from seed - questions

[The Cobra]

How easy is it to grow citrus plants from seed? I'm only really interested in Lime and Lemon trees, but I've very little experience or knowledge about growing them. All tips/answers will be much appreciated as this is my big aim this year, to get a couple of trees growing from seed

[veggiechicken]

I have a few citrus plants started last year from pips from tangerines/clementines. Didn't do anything clever with them, just stuck them in a pot and forgot about them. They're about 2" high now.

[binley100]

Same here VC but with kumquats......looked at them today and roots are showing so time to pot on methinks..

[Kristen]

They are easy to grow from seed ... but ... its pot luck whether you get a plant that bears useful fruit ... or not. There's a fairly long wait before you find out whether the fruit are any good, or not. So for me I prefer not to risk it. There again, you might raise a variety that is the best that the world has even seen, thus far, and have it named after you and then your name will appear on all the supermarket shelves in the world - eat your heart out Mr Jaffa!

[andy_j]

As said, very easy to grow...i just pop the pips into the soil of an existing houseplant and when germinated (takes around 6 weeks), just lever them out and pot them up.

They're fairly slow growing and doubt they will ever flower or fruit. Good fun though.

[The Cobra]

Thanks for the replies guys. So in reality, would I be better buying a young plant that has already been germinated?

[binley100]

They are easy to grow from seed ... but ... its pot luck whether you get a plant that bears useful fruit ... or not. There's a fairly long wait before you find out whether the fruit are any good, or not. So for me I prefer not to risk it. There again, you might raise a variety that is the best that the world has even seen, thus far, and have it named after you and then your name will appear on all the supermarket shelves in the world - eat your heart out Mr Jaffa!

Grown from seed......now that would be enough to rub mr. Jaffas nose in it...
,

[Kristen]

Thanks for the replies guys. So in reality, would I be better buying a young plant that has already been germinated?

If you want fruit then IMHO "yes".

For fun then have a go

Same for pips from Apples etc. (although Discovery was a chance seedling someone had grown from a Pip I believe ... others too presumably, as well as many deliberate breed aiming for a good new variety e.g. at the Maling [fruit] research station)