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Texas Gardening

Growing lemons and grapefruits in Dallas

15 years ago

I guess I was not careful what I wished for! Earlier this year, simply for fun, I planted four grapefruit seeds and two lemon seeds in styrofoam cups. Every one came up, and, now, outside in pots, every one is developing into a small tree! So now what? I need to transplant them and learn what to do with them in the winter. I have two options: I can bring them inside to a bright north window or put them in my portable greenhouse, which I set on 52 degrees. Thanks in advance for advice.

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Comments (4)

spishack01
15 years ago
I would go with the greenhouse. The winters here are sometimes almost nonexistent!
vwtx
15 years ago
They will be fine in a bright window. Cut back on watering and feeding. They hate wet feet indoors. There might be some leaf drop, which is normal (citrus are easily stressed when you bring them indoors). In early spring (after last frost), ease them back into the sun over a two week period and resume your feeding schedule.
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Those are on the top horizontal surface of the tree, and I also see dry tan patches. To me that looks like classic sun scorch. Leaves can be sun burned, especially at those temperatures, and it's the leaves that get the most direct sun that will burn. There comes a point at high temperatures in full sun that the leaves lose water faster to the air than the roots can pull up from the soil, and then you get that scorch. It's not fatal, especially if you get it out of the sun during the heat wave. It may lose those particular leaves later, but will grow new ones to replace them when the weather is less hot. No need to fertilize any more than normal, don't remove any soil either. And don't repot it during hot weather either. Just make sure it's watered well, and get it out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. If I were you, I'd put it in an area that gets shade at the hottest part of the day until the weather cools down to the mid-90's or less. Then it can go back into full sun. Or you can put a patio umbrella over it during those hours.
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pjtexgirl
15 years ago
There is a good chance that the fruit will not be true from seed. If that is so you may end up with a different variety of fruit and a thorny tree. I remember my mom telling me this when I wanted to plant a tree from fruit I got as a kid.(My mom was big into fruit trees and an amazing gardener.) I found this on GW:
As for will they be worth anything - citrus started from seed go through a long period of juvenility. When the plants are juvenile, they usually have huge thorns (maybe 1" long on average), and will not flower or produce fruit for several years. Just how many years varies for the plant. It can be as few as 2-5 for key limes, up to 7 - 15 years for grapefruit. Also, not all varieties come true from seed (as in, the fruit you eventually get may not look or taste like the parent fruit). Lemons though, do usually come true from seed if I remember correctly.

So, if you just want the satisfaction of growing a pretty (but thorny) evergreen plant from seed - you're on the right track. If you'd like a lemon tree that flowers now, and produces lemons maybe this year, or next year - consider buying a grafted tree. These trees are propagated from mature citrus and that fools them into thinking they are "old". So, you get flowers and fruit much sooner.
lalo60
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, y'all! I should have said "lemon and grapefruit trees" because I'm not hoping to get fruit from these. I enjoy the rich green leaf color. By doing so well, they have sort of given me an obligation.

Will it be too humid in the greenhouse? Normally, I provide ventilation when days are above 52 - in other words, when the heater is not running. We do have successive days when I cannot do so. At those times, the greenhouse becomes very damp. I have learned that certain plants prefer not to be there.

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