orange tree from seed?

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by Dutchie, Dec 15, 2005.

  1. Dutchie

    Dutchie Member

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    Hello I recently started to grow a grape fruit seedling from a seed in my morning fruit (it was already sprouting in the fruit!). It is a nice shiney seedling with dark green leaves and is about 5 inches high. What future aspirations should I have for this little guy?
    I have also been growing an orange plant this past year from YES an orange seed. It is a spectacular 3 feet high. I put in a south facing window up here in Kamloops, BC and have transplanted it once. Do you think this plant will ever:
    1. bloom?
    2.prduce fruit? (dare I hope!)

    Any input would be appreciated!
    cheers!
     
  2. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Hello Dutchie,

    It will take a while for your citrus trees to reach blooming stage - I think around 9 years. It is possible that they will never bloom. I am not a citrus grower, but there are several good threads about growing from seed in the Citrus Forum. You may want to read through the posts, you can also use the search function (on the green bar at the top of the page) to look for posts.

    Welcome to the forums,
     
  3. Dutchie

    Dutchie Member

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    Thanks Eric. (Eric means; champion and leader of men)

    I think I can wait 9 years to see a bloom. Only 7 and a half more to go! I will also check out the forum notes too.
    D.
     
  4. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    According to Dr. A.H. Krezdorn of University of Florida in Background Material For A Study of Rootstocks:
     
  5. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Bear in mind that a seed-grown plant may not resemble the parent in fruit quality. The oranges may well turn out to be small, very sour, and very pippy.

    For maximum fruiting opportunities, put the plants outside for the summer when all risk of frost is over; at first in part shade for a few days, then gradually move to full sun over about a week (if put straight into full sun, it may get sunburn due to the sudden exposure to the ultraviolet light that it has been shielded from while under glass).

    Beware of aphids and scale insects - they can be a major problem on indoor citrus.
     
  6. PTS Card

    PTS Card Member

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    I have a page orange tree which it blooms, It had an orange, I also have a grapefruit tree which will have over 25 grapefruits on it, last year it onlt gave me 4 large fruits. They are now around 6 foot talk. It will not take up to 9 years to bloom. May take 4 to 7 years. What helps is a grow light. I have my plants facing south and I have a 1000 watt grow light on a light mover which moves the light from one end to the other end of the room. Ever since I added the grow light, my plants grows so fast now and every new branch is giving me 6 fruits each. This is all I did
     
  7. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

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    Hi PTS,
    I have a couple questions--did you grow your grapefruit from seed? What kind of grapefruit is it?

    Skeet
     
  8. Dutchie

    Dutchie Member

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    I was eating a pink grapefruit and 2 of the seeds were already sprouting in the fruit, so like any good gardner would do - I planted them. Still growing - about 1 feet tall now and are very healthy. Don't know what kind it was. sorry.
     
  9. koipondgardener

    koipondgardener Active Member

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    I am not a citrus grower by any means but I was reading in a magazine recently that this lady had also planted and proceeded to grow a 4 1/2' to 5' tall tree from a seed that she had gotten from a grapefruit over ten years ago. She lives in a cold zone not fit for citrus production and set it out every summer in full sun. Never has she seen fruit from the tree. not saying that it couldn't, but I think that because she lives in such a zone that it makes it hard to do without a grow light, as suggested above. Even if it doesn't produce fruit I still think that it would be cool to have, and to say that you grew it yourself from seed. Good luck. Keep us updated! Do have pictures?
     
  10. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

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    I can certainly see growing a citrus tree (of any kind) in a situation where you do not expect to get fruit, just for the tree and it's foilage. The leaves give off a pleasant scent and they look as good as many foilage type house plants. However, for those growing grapefruit in containers, they may want to know that there are several other citrus that can be grown from seed that are likely to produce fruit as well as a nice foilage tree.
     
  11. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    Growing citrus from seeds is a long term experiment. There are some notable "collector varieties" which someone has grown a citrus plant from seed, that for some genetic anomaly defy all conventional wisdom. There is the "Juanita Tangerine" a chance seedling of a unknown store bought citrus fruit - which lived through a -18c cold spell in South Carolina 23 years ago. Another is a "Croxton Grapefruit" same thing - a chance seedling enduring at least -10c without harm. I have both of these varieties growing outside (in the ground) in North Vancouver with minimal protection. Lets see if I can get them to produce!!

    Greg
     
  12. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I have a "Clementine" mandarin, a Page Mandarin, an unknown Lemon, and a "Temple Tangor" all started from seed and blooming for the first time this year. Three of the trees were planted three years ago, and the other tree four years ago. All four have been kept in a warm greenhouse year around, therefore they matured 1-2 years earlier than normal. The lemon was thought to be a "Clementine" seedling, however, the blooms are purple in color, so I know that it was not a Clementine seed. My guess it is by chance that people plant grapefruit seeds (the worst citrus type to grow from seed as a container tree) just because they happened to be eating a seedy grapefruit and stuck the seed in a pot. - Millet
     
  13. drichard12

    drichard12 Active Member 10 Years

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    Quote>>>My guess it is by chance that people plant grapefruit seeds (the worst citrus type to grow from seed as a container tree) just because they happened to be eating a seedy grapefruit and stuck the seed in a pot. - Millet>>>>>>>>>>> Unquote I feel that some members may not have a choice
     
  14. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Michael F wrote above......."Bear in mind that a seed-grown plant may not resemble the parent in fruit quality. The oranges may well turn out to be small, very sour, and very pippy.............

    This is true for a lot of plants, however, it is NOT TRUE for citrus, due to the fact that citrus produce nucellar embryos. Nucellar embryos are embryos that are derived wholly from the mother plant and therefore reproduce true to variety as do buds or grafts. Therefore almost all citrus varieties, (with VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS) will produce a tree and fruit true to the mother tree. In other words, almost all citrus seed will germinate true to its maternal parent, and give you an identical tree and fruit. - Millet

    PTS Card wrote: ........"They are now around 6 foot talk. It will not take up to 9 years to bloom. May take 4 to 7 years. What helps is a grow light.............

    This can certainly be true. Citrus trees do not mature and begin to produce fruit because some amount of time has passed since the citrus seed was planted. Citrus become mature because the tree has grown to produce required amount of nodes. A citrus tree growing in a tropical region where the tree can grow all 12 months of the year, will be able to grow and produce the required number of nodes in half the time, than can a tree growing in a temperate region which might only have an eight month growing season. So when PTS Card grew his trees under "tropical" conditions using a grow light to extend the photo period, plus providing a warm climate during the winter months, his tree was able to obtain enough growth to produce the required node count and therefore change from juvenility to maturity, is a shorter amount of time. I accomplish the same thing by growing seedling trees in a year around warm greenhouse. - Millet
     
  15. angsaidso

    angsaidso Member

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    Hi all! I am new here and have to say this ... I work in a retail environment where we get very few pleasures out of our job. Nasty customers, vendors everywhere, and Corporate America at the wheel. My employees say working with me is like working at the Animal Planet (we have bred bettas this past year) or the National Geographic (my store looks more like a mini greenhouse than a retail outlet)! In my store, I try to provide interesting things for my employees to either help with or watch and marvel at. It helps them feel interested in coming to work and keeps them motivated.

    This year, while eating a temple orange for lunch (very juicy and GOOD by the way), my daytime cashier said, "Man, these oranges have a lot of seeds!!" That was all it took ... I grabbed up a total of 12 seeds between her orange and mine and planted them all. We now have not only 10 baby Temple seedlings but a grapefruit seedling (twin plants in the pot off one seed), four lemon trees (labeled Sunkist in the store, have no clue what kind they are) and six Valencia orange babies as well. Customers are fascinated with the concept (I didn't find it all that amazing myself) and my employees have loved watching the little trees develop and grow. I let one employee take one home and have given a couple away with growing instructions to our best customers. Our biggest one till at the store is about 6 inches tall since it sprouted back in March ... I know I have to bring them home and get them in the summer sun, but I HATE taking them from my employees. So today I went to Wegman's Grocery and picked up a tamarillo, lychee nuts, a rambutan and a Pepino melon. These will be planted tomrrow and taken in Monday to replace their orange tree fettish. Hope it works! LOL! I know this whole thing had no true purpose, but I wanted to share my story! :-) Peace ~ Ang
     

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