Did you know that you can start a real, fruit-bearing indoor lemon tree in a teacup or mug?
Typically, lemon trees flourish outdoors year-round in hot, sunny regions, but they can also thrive indoors as edible houseplants in cold-season climates.
These miniature citrus trees can deliver a big dose of cheer to any sunny space. And it’s practically foolproof. I planted seeds in April, enjoyed watching them spring up in the windowsill, have forgotten to water them for 7-8 days at a time, and 6 months later my little lemon tree forest is luxuriously green and smells fantastic. Best of all, they bear the exciting possibility of fruit!
And probably, you’re aware of the fact that citrus fruit are very alkalinizing as well as rich in magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and loads of vitamins.
The fragrant orangery at the gardens of Versailles, with more than a 1,000 carefully manicured potted plants, might be the world’s most famous showcase of citrus trees indoors or out, but you don’t need to be Marie Antoinette to harvest your own lemons at home.
Given a sunny window, your lemon tree could bear fruit in 3-4 years. There is something extra rewarding about starting from seed. They can be germinated in the middle of winter with very little effort. Watching them grow has been an exciting and fascinating experience, and I know the best is yet to come.
You can often find a Meyer lemon in an organic food store or Whole Foods-type-grocery. I have read that organic lemons are preferred since some non-organic lemon seeds may be “duds”, incapable of germinating.
If you want to do this, you will only need seeds, soil, and, of course, a container.
How to grow a Lemon Tree
Slice open your lemon and choose a seed(s) that looks completely full of life. For me it is easiest to pop them into my mouth and suck on them until all the flesh is removed and the lemon flavor is gone, or you can soak them in a glass of water for a day to remove the rest of the flesh from the seed. Keep them moist until planting.
Put a 1/2″ of pebbles in the bottom of the cup to create drainage, and after that fill the cup with moist soil. Plant the seeds in the soil 1/2 to 3/4″ deep and cover them over. Tamp the soil firmly over the seeds.
Water the seeds and place in a warm sunny spot. You should see the beginnings of sprouts in a month to two months. Mine took every bit of two months so be patient. Just when you think nothing is happening, you see green peeking through. It is really quite exciting!
Time to select your Lemon Tree Seedlings and move to bigger pots
(source)
Don’t forget to mist the surface with water every 5-6 days to support their growth. Just keep them evenly moist. Don’t over-water. Until germination, you may loosely cover the cup with cling wrap, with which you will create a greenhouse effect, but take caution that you don’t cook your seeds in too hot a window. Remove cling wrap as soon as the seeds sprout.
After 4-6 months when the seedlings are grown and getting crowded, you should choose the most beautiful and the strongest ones and transplant them into individual pots with a larger diameter. This time make sure the pot you choose has drainage holes and use a saucer. The composition of the soil should remain the same.
Shopping
The best choice for homegrown citrus are the dwarf varieties that prevent the tree from growing too large. Seeds for Meyer lemon
For a plant that will produce fruits and blossoms right away, choose a two-to three-year-old dwarf tree. Calamondin orange trees, which have a high tolerance for indoor conditions, are a good choice for beginners.
Final tips
Your lemon tree can become a very beautiful and luxurious house plant with the right exposure and conditions.
In early summer a lemon tree should be fertilized. I suggest feeding it an organic fertilizer if you plan to make lemonade or use the peel for zest.
If you have a protected garden or patio, you can set the lemon tree outside and return it inside well before cold weather.
In winter, lemons love a bright spot with 8 or more hours a day of bright sunlight in a south facing window. When conditions are right, they will produce fruit in the winter and summer.
Water it moderately in winter, but do not allow the soil to become completely dry. If part of the leaves drop, there is no need to worry, this is normal. In the spring cut back the branches, and in a very short time new branches will grow creating a beautiful bushy crown.
Do you love citrus? Have you ever started any kind of seeds indoors?
Erin
I can’t wait to try this!
Jacqueline
I can’t wait to have lemons! I may just cave and buy a 2-3 yo Meyer lemon tree and skip 2-3 years of waiting!
I’ll still keep two or 3 of the young ones to give as gifts, though 🙂
Have fun, Erin xoxo
Barb S.
Oh how I want to grow these, especially the calamansi oranges. I almost bought a tree several years ago, but we do not get sufficient sunlight through any of our windows. 🙁
Jacqueline
Barb, I’m still learning and just found out that yo get pollination, one needs to place their tree outside so bees can work it. I’ve so much to learn! Do you have access to a rooftop there??
Jill York
These trees are beautiful! I bought an actual lemon tree once and it never produced fruit. I’d like to give it another shot and take better care of it this time. 🙂
Jacqueline
Jill, see Janet’s comment…I would love to try both letting the bees have their way and hand-pollination! I wish you well, gardening friend!
Blessings!
Charlotte Moore
How neat is this!! Would love to have one like the bottom picture. Loaded little trees!!
Jacqueline
Me, too, Charlotte! I’m going to buy a Meyer lemon and also keep several of the ones i have growing now…will set both out side for a time…we have 2 hives so maybe we’ll get some fruit to set.. will see. They are the prettiest things, for sure!
Hugs and love to you <3
Kim Smith
I would love to try this, but I have questions. How is the tree pollinated if indoors? Do they need more than one tree to cross pollinate? Those small loaded down with lemon trees are so happy looking!
Jacqueline
Kim, I just read Janet’s comment. So glad she told us, huh? I hadn’t gotten that far 😉 I’m going to do both and see what we get 🙂 Enjoy the challenge 🙂
Janet
The last photo is of grafted trees (not started from seeds, but from cuttings of the variety you want grafted into the root stalk). You can tell by the difference in the trunk of the tree and the shoot off to the side. Citrus started from seed will not be the exact same fruit as it came from (if they fruit at all). When the flower is pollinated the bees mix up the DNA and the seeds in the resulting fruit will not be true (just as all your kids don’t look alike). Buying the tree you want is the best way to get a fruit-bearing tree. You’ll have to put it outside for pollination, or hand-pollinate it in order for it to bear. I don’t think it needs a different variety for cross-pollination, though. I have four citrus trees (dwarf and full-sized) growing in the ground in a greenhouse. It still took several years for them to bare and they do like regular feedings and waterings spring through fall. Good luck!
Jacqueline
Thanks, Janet! I didn’t even think of that even though I have when planting elderberries, currants, blueberries, etc! Duh! So glad you shared your expertise, friend!!
JES
Great idea Jacqueline 🙂 I will be trying this!
Katie B.
Oh my goodness, I paid almost $90 a piece for two Meyer lemon trees last summer. Neither bore fruit, and both dropped all of their leaves then died within a month. I have a good track record with houseplants and gardening, so I was very upset to have spent so much money. Now I’m going to try growing lemons indoors again, but for less than a dollar thanks to this!
Jacqueline
Haha! Hope they will bear for you, Katie B! I’m ready to separate my starts! Just need to find the right pots 🙂
JES
This is such a neat idea. I have featured it today on the Art of Home-Making Mondays 🙂
Jacqueline
Thanks so much, JES! I am really enjoying my little trees 🙂
Amber Harrop
I keep meaning to try this after all I am an Organic gardener !!
sally pugh
im trying to grow lemon seeds. but it has not worked yet. what should I do?
Jacqueline
Hi, Sally!!
You should see the beginnings of little seedlings in a month to two months. Mine took every bit of two months so be patient. Just when you think nothing is happening, you see green peeking through. It is really quite exciting!
I hope that helps 🙂
Sharon Quaife
I so LOVE your blog… love spending time here! It is always very informative and interesting as well! Thank You!
Jacqueline
Thank you, Sharon! That makes me feel loved to know that, friend! Hugs, J
Martin
Hello Jacqueline, read your articles and was encouraged.I have a Lemon tree that I grew by seed and it will be one year old in December, I love the waxy leaves it produces, and it is very pretty.
Jacqueline
Martin, wait until it is 3 years old and you may get fruit! Lemons! 😀
christy
We brought back seeds from our friend’s citrus trees in California. Cannot wait to get them started! I am grateful to learn from others about pollinating. I will place them outside this summer. We attract lots of bees at our herb garden so that should help tremendously!
Jacqueline
Christy, I am excited for you! I think it’s super neat that your seed are from a friend’s tree! ~J
Candice
Hi
I have been growing trees from seed but I seem to have the same issue every time. They get to about two inches tall and then
Stop growing. Any suggestions on what I can do?thanks for any information.
Jacqueline
Candice, my guess is 2 things: At 2″ tall, the roots are also 2″ down in the soil, so they need to be able to develop a deeper rot system than a tea cup or very small pot will provide – so move to a bigger pot. But an even bigger need would be sunlight. They natural grow in a southern climate, and so need a really good amount of sunlight..like a south or west facing window, I hope that helps!!
Blessings, ~Jacque