Lemon and maybe Lime trees

During the first week of July I thought I would experiment with trying to grow lemons and limes from seeds.   I got the lemons and limes sliced up eady to go in the freezer as I had no immediate need of them and took out all of the pips.  Of course I put them all together!!  

I wrapped them in very damp kitchen paper and after keeping it damp for just over two weeks, checking regularly, I found tiny little shoots beginning to appear.  I left them another couple of days as I needed to sort out where I would plant them.  Of course it could not be outside - here in Galicia summer had definitely not started in July - so I needed and indoor solution. 

My solution.

A bucket, and to divide them and make it easier to transplant later I made them individual containers using toilet roll insides - they only needed half of one. In all there were fifteen litle shoots starting to appear.  I planted them and put them into a bucket side by side. 

After around one week their tiny little leaves started to appear as shown in the image above.   So exciting and of course I still do not know which are lemons or limes - there were definitely fewer lime pips and three of the pips in the kitchen paper did not shoot they just rotted so when they grow I will see what I have. 

Last week I transplanted them into tree grow bags, keeping them in their little cardboard toilet insides and filling up with compost all around so as not to disturb their very fragile roots and put them all in a large tub.  Unfortunately they had not all survived.

Survivors

There are now twelve survivors on my windowsill all together in their separate grow bags in a large container and doing really well. 

Sadly two did not survive and the other one is on a windowsill in my kitchen as there was not enough room in the tub. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can successfully grow them all into strong and healthy trees.  

Of course I will keep you updated as they grow.