# my lemon tree from a seed



## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

It is 8 ft tall has very good leaves but no blooms. I planted it 8 yrs ago from a seed from my friends tree which produces very large lemons. It is not producing?


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

Citrus stay in a juvenile stage approximately 7 years. That is why wood from a mature tree is used for budding or grafting so they fruit quicker. It should bloom within a few years. 

Good luck
RFA


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

When you plant citrus from seed you can never be sure exactly what you'll get because plants grown from seed are all slightly different.

"citrus growers, to ensure the best possible crop, want to make sure all their trees are of the same high quality. To do this, each new tree they plant is grown, or propagated, not from a seed but by grafting or budding"... Per the internet...

The fact that your tree has been resistant to disease is GOOD.

I was told it takes the 3-6 yrs to produce fruit, but i have read it could be beyond 7 yrs.

You might get fruit you might not ....my guess is its in full sun, which it needs to fruit.

Regardless, you grew one from seed, which is an achievement in it self...

Love to see a picture...


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

Pretty sure that citrus will not produce fruit from seed. However now that you have a healthy mature plant look up how to graft. You can graft onto your plant to produce fruit. Tons of resources out there and local too.


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## WilliamH (May 21, 2004)

BATWING said:


> Pretty sure that citrus will not produce fruit from seed. However now that you have a healthy mature plant look up how to graft. You can graft onto your plant to produce fruit. Tons of resources out there and local too.


Not true. I planted a grapefruit seed some 25 or so years ago. No grafting. The resulting tree produced over 200 of the sweetest tasting grapefruit I have ever eaten this past year. They are so good my dad stops taking his Lipitor so he can eat them!

We have been picking fruit from this tree for about 8 years now.


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

WilliamH said:


> Not true. I planted a grapefruit seed some 25 or so years ago. No grafting. The resulting tree produced over 200 of the sweetest tasting grapefruit I have ever eaten this past year. They are so good my dad stops taking his Lipitor so he can eat them!
> 
> We have been picking fruit from this tree for about 8 years now.


Congrats! Everyone I have ever known that started from a seed did not produce.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

BATWING said:


> Pretty sure that citrus will not produce fruit from seed. However now that you have a healthy mature plant look up how to graft. You can graft onto your plant to produce fruit. Tons of resources out there and local too.


I disagree about your first statement. Most citrus are mono-embryonic meaning that there is only one embryo in the seed. You never know what type of fruit may result from this kind of seed. Kumquats, however, are poly-embryonic so you will most likely get an identical fruit (same variety).
The other question from the OP. Most citrus grown from seed produce fruit at about 7 years. This does vary with soil temperatures, etc. A grapefruit tends to take even longer, sometimes 10-12 years.
Don't be discouraged at 8 years on your lemon.
What BATWING mentioned about grafting is spot on. You can graft your tree (younger would have been better). There are several types of grafts for citrus. Look up "approach grafts" and "T-bud" grafting. I have grafted many citrus in my yard with every kind of graft imaginable.
You can also graft one branch for a lemon, another one for a grapefruit, one for an orange, etc. Have fun.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*grafting*

Reel time pretty well hit it on head..And grafting ain't rocket science..Just use good stock (scion)from a friends/ one that you like fruit from and get after it ... it can become addicting..bunch good stuff on (youtube)


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## jamesvaughan (Apr 29, 2012)

Graft two or three different kinds of citrus on your successful root stock. You will have a more self useable crop otherwise you'll give away or sell most of your crop.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

I will look at that


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

Muddskipper said:


> When you plant citrus from seed you can never be sure exactly what you'll get because plants grown from seed are all slightly different.
> 
> "citrus growers, to ensure the best possible crop, want to make sure all their trees are of the same high quality. To do this, each new tree they plant is grown, or propagated, not from a seed but by grafting or budding"... Per the internet...
> 
> ...


I will post one soon


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

I have an awesome lime tree that produces big limes, I will try and graft from that. Thanks guys I appreciate the goodwill


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## redfish203 (Aug 10, 2010)

We need to get fishjunky to post a pic of his Costa Rican Lime grown from seed, I have one also but younger. His turned into a monster at 3 years and I think 4 years now and covered with fruit and 10ft tall? Never seen anything grow like it! We just got back from CR and the fruit from his trees is almost identical to the orange fleshed lime they serve there at local bars. Will tell him to post pics.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

my persian lime is producing just still green and not suitable for table fare yet


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## fishjunky (Jun 4, 2009)

*Mandarin Lime*

Well Redfish, here you go. Started germinating seeds left in bottom of my beer mug at a beach bar in Bajamar. Have given a dozen or so away and almost all, including mine, produce true to original fruit and begin producing the next year after planting in ground. I have to trim runners every winter or it gets out of control. Last fall I juiced a bunch and froze in ice cube trays. Filled 4-1 gal zip loks+. Go figure...

fj><)))'>--


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## fishingcacher (Mar 29, 2008)

sea hunt 202 said:


> I will look at that


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## locolobo (Dec 2, 2005)

I have two (turned out to be )lemon trees from seed. Had a tree that grew lemons about the size of small grapefruit but had a skin about 1/2" thick. It froze during the 2004 snow, went downhill for a cople yrs. and then died. Seeds, along with all vegetable trash went to the compost pile. Couple yrs later we dug up a couple of the trees in the pile and put in pots. About 6yrs ago put them in the ground. They are now about 12' tall and I was wondering if they would ever make anything. Last year they both had 4 lemons each. From the old lemon tree. I have two meyer trees and I actually prefer these to the meyers for lemony taste. The meyers are sweet enough that I think they have lost some of their "lemon" flavor.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

wish mine would do that


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## fishingcacher (Mar 29, 2008)

locolobo said:


> I have two (turned out to be )lemon trees from seed. Had a tree that grew lemons about the size of small grapefruit but had a skin about 1/2" thick. It froze during the 2004 snow, went downhill for a cople yrs. and then died. Seeds, along with all vegetable trash went to the compost pile. Couple yrs later we dug up a couple of the trees in the pile and put in pots. About 6yrs ago put them in the ground. They are now about 12' tall and I was wondering if they would ever make anything. Last year they both had 4 lemons each. From the old lemon tree. I have two meyer trees and I actually prefer these to the meyers for lemony taste. The meyers are sweet enough that I think they have lost some of their "lemon" flavor.


I think Meyer's are really oranges not lemons. Mine still taste like sweet lemons.


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## WilliamH (May 21, 2004)

WilliamH said:


> Not true. I planted a grapefruit seed some 25 or so years ago. No grafting. The resulting tree produced over 200 of the sweetest tasting grapefruit I have ever eaten this past year. They are so good my dad stops taking his Lipitor so he can eat them!
> 
> We have been picking fruit from this tree for about 8 years now.


Here is the grapefruit I planted as a seed.


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