My little windowsill garden. Citrus trees started from seeds.

[4GreenEarth2]

Nice, do you have any more updates ?

[ardeepapa]

Hey its me again.

Once your seedlings sprout, how much sunlight do you think it requires? My windowsill receives at least 6hrs of sunlight. Do you think that is enough? Also how often do you water them? Thanks Igor!!

[specijalacDesign]

@ardeepapa i think 6-8, six to eight hours of sheltered, indirect sunlight should suffice. more than that might be utilized by the plant in order to achieve a faster growth rate. however i didn't find it particularly useful to keep the seedlings under the grow lamps for that sake. you shouldn't be concerned about watering at all. the general rule for irrigating your citruses is do not shallow water the tree. meaning that you should water the tree thoroughly once the soil gets dry.

[specijalacDesign]

@ardeepapa ... forget about partially misting the soil but its foliage instead. unfortunately there's no once per week, twice per week rule for watering the plant. the best rule to apply is so called "rule of thumb". it doesn't have to be your thumb, just stick any of your fingers into the soil and examine its moisture. in my opinion it's the best way to determine whether you should or shouldn't water it again. i used to water the seedlings once or twice per week depending of high temps. g'luck!

[ardeepapa]

@specijalacDesign Alright but when I water, do I water well? Like water till the water drips out of the drainage holes?

[specijalacDesign]

@ardeepapa yes, several times, until it's soaked up... do not spare the water

[ardeepapa]

@specijalacDesign Alright sounds good! When I go check the soil, do I want just the first few inches of the surface to be dry and then water or reach all the way down to the middle-bottom soil to feel moisture?

[specijalacDesign]

@ardeepapa right... you'll see, you'll be using this finger method to determine soil moisture only on the beginning, later on, i guess, you should become pretty adept at telling whether it's time to water your citrus just by looking, observing the soil surface without having to stick any of your fingers into the dirt :) once againg, good luck in citrus growing!

igor

[specijalacDesign]

@all folks: i might be posting an update video soon... it's been around one year now. i've got some new kumquat seedlings since i gave a bunch of them away to friends and neighborhood... stay tuned!

igor

[ardeepapa]

Im planning on planting seeds from some Calamondin citrus. If i were to germinate the seeds in cups with soil, do I cover the cup with plastic wrap? If so, do I also poke holes on the top? Thanks!

P.S. Beautiful plants!

[specijalacDesign]

@ardeepapa Cals are very easy to germinate... Plastic wrap should be fine. However, beware, once the seed germinates (first set of leaves) remove the covering as the excessive humidity might cause seedling rot. Take care!

Igor

[ardeepapa]

@specijalacDesign Alright sounds good! Thanks so much! I planted 2 cups, each with a seed. One with a plastic wrap and one inside a zip-lock to increase my chances. Thanks again!

[specijalacDesign]

@eribariya it happens to be in groceries at this time of year... you can easily recognize meyers by their smooth rind and distinct fragrance while being peeled. also meyers have somewhat sweet instead of tart taste which is common for most lemons. it's extremely easy to peel and slice them without knife, tangerine-like style... :D

[SevenLovedFrench]

whats about the weather or temperature?

[specijalacDesign]

@SevenLovedFrench i don't know exactly, but the more heat it gets the less time shall pass until it finally germinates... lets say the temps shouldn't fall below 68F for successful germination. good luck!

[CowboyBebop444]

cool

[specijalacDesign]

@CowboyBebop444 thanks!

[heavym3tal]

Did you germinate the grapefruit trees on a moist paper towel in a bag? That's how I started my white grapefruit tree and how I am trying to start some red grapefruit trees.

[specijalacDesign]

@heavym3tal exactly! good luck! ;)

[heartfang21]

@heavym3tal i started a red grapefruit tree by peeling off the skinlike layer on the seed, then planting it in a moist peat pellet. was doing fantastic untill it rained and the little guy got hit with root rot. not sure if itll survive. but dont let the seeds dry out, plant immediately after you harvest it from the fruit.

[MrRazbean]

Congratulations!I planted some seeds too :)

[specijalacDesign]

@MrRazbean thanks! i don't really hold my breath much, anyway it's always fun to watch them growing... :)

[skateboy159]

i did lisbon lemon 8 months old and 9 -10 inches tall

[specijalacDesign]

@skateboy159 that's impressive...

[Jenslilhomestead]

They look great!

[specijalacDesign]

@Jenslilhomestead Hey there! Thanks! It's a bit cold outside as well as inside so they stopped developing at some point, however still doing well and looking healthy!

[uhateusaFU]

Are those kumquat fruiting yet. I was just wondering because I would like too know how long I have to wait until I get a return on this investment :)

I know that was one horrible written sentence.

[specijalacDesign]

@uhateusaFU Isn't it early yet, huh? :D If I got you right, 4-5 years is an optimum for an average citrus to fruit... on the other hand grafted varieties tend to fruit earlier. I strongly encourage you to start growing a citrus of your choice. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be rewarded! ;)

[uhateusaFU]

@specijalacDesign I just ordered my seeds the other day. Thank you for the info.

[specijalacDesign]

@adidasbooi you're welcome! =)

[TheSambolini]

Amazing work!

[specijalacDesign]

@TheSambolini thanks a lot for the guidance!