How to germinate lemon seeds, the infallible tactic of every nurseryman revealed
Obtaining plants from lemon seeds is possible and also quite simple. Here is the procedure to follow.
Very often we buy seedlings in nurseries that we could germinate ourselves very easily. It will certainly take some time before the seeds germinate equal to the purchased plant, but the satisfaction will certainly be great. Here is an example of how to germinate lemon seeds.
Grow plants from lemon seeds
As a child, any of us has attempted at least once to grow seedlings from seeds taken directly from the fruit, perhaps even with good results. Very often, however, some seeds have never germinated, this is because it is not always enough to throw them into the earth and cover them.
In the case of lemon, as with all citrus fruits, it is very simple to obtain seedlings. What you will obviously need is a lemon from which to take the seeds.
The first thing to do is the one you need to pay the most attention to. In fact, you will have to cut the lemon into two parts without cutting the seeds . Most lemon seeds are concentrated in the middle of the fruit. All you need to do is cut a quarter of a lemon to avoid them, even if someone might escape.
Then take a bowl and squeeze the two parts of the lemon well to release all the juice and seeds . When the largest part is free of juice, you can cut it with a knife so as to open it and remove the other seeds attached to the pulp. Using a sieve, separate the juice from the seeds and place the latter on a sheet of absorbent kitchen paper. Let the seeds air dry thoroughly and make sure that, once dry, they are firm. Now you will have obtained your seeds, but this is only the first small step.
How to germinate seeds
For faster germination, the next step involves “peeling” the lemon seeds. With tweezers you will have to remove the layer of film that covers the seed, which acts as a shell and retards its growth. Once this is done you will need a glass of water, a sheet of absorbent paper and some aluminum foil.
Take the sheet of absorbent paper, fold it on itself and dip it in the water and then wring it out so that it is moist and not soaked . Then reopen the sheet of paper and arrange the seeds well spaced apart on one half. fold the napkin to cover the seeds and then fold it over itself again. Take the foil and fold it over the paper towel. You will have created a germination chamber for your seeds . Now all you have to do is wait 2 or 3 weeks, leaving the seeds at home in a dry and warm place.
After three weeks, open your package and you should find the seeds of the sprouted lemons. At this point all that remains is to sow them. Prepare a pot with universal substrate and wet the soil well until the water comes out of the drainage holes under the pot. Using a toothpick, create some holes that will house your seeds. Then place the shoots inside the holes, taking care to place the root well at the bottom and burying the seed, then cover them well.
Once this is done, just keep the vase at home until the leaves start to grow . The vase must not be in direct contact with sunlight, which could burn the shoots, but should still be placed in a bright place, possibly near a window.
Within a month you will already have small lemon plants and you can decide whether to divide them and place one in each pot, or let them grow together.