• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Seed Starting
    • Plant Profiles
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • About
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

Can You Grow a Lemon Tree from a Seed?

February 15, 2022 by Jeanne

If you’ve ever wondered can you grow a lemon tree from a seed, the answer is yes, you can. But it takes patience and time to coax the tree into producing fruit. In the meantime, you’ll have to tend a tree that wants to grow into six, seven or more feet tall.

Here’s the story of my lemon tree…which today, produced its first lemon.

Our first baby lemon!

The History of My Lemon Tree

Longtime readers of Home Garden Joy will recognize the lemon tree in these pictures. I grew it from a seed taken from a plain old lemon purchased at the local Walmart. I just wanted to see if I could grow it into a tree.

Lemon seedlings
lemon trees
Lemon trees…September 2014
A small tree
lemon tree
Four feet tall

And grow it did! That tiny seedling has grown into a six-foot tall tree that we haul in and out of the house each fall and spring. Right now, it is by a sunny southern window in the house.

Our Lemon Tree’s Story

  • Growing a Lemon Tree from Seed
  • Growing a Lemon Tree from Seed, an Update
  • The Lemon Tree – Growing from Seed

Notes on Growing a Lemon Tree from Seed Indoors

Here are my tips to grow your very own lemon tree from seed.

  • Make sure you have a bright, sunny, warm southern-facing window for your seeds.
  • Plant seeds from a lemon in a small pot with good potting soil. Keep it moist. I put a plastic bag over the container to make a mini greenhouse until the seed sprouted. Then, I removed the bag and just watered the seedling as usual.
  • Once the tree grows, you’ll need to keep increasing its pot size to accommodate the roots. You will have to replant the tree in bigger pots. Make sure the pots have good drainage holes and you put a pan or dish underneath to catch the drips.
  • We move our lemon tree outside in the summertime. We wait until the frost-free date is past and night temperatures are around 50-60. Then, we keep it on a sunny deck that gets all day sunshine. We water it daily during the summer.
  • In the fall, we move the tree in its pot back into the house and keep it in a warm room that faces south.
  • Lemon trees have thorns – so be careful when moving it. You will get scratched! They are big thorns!
  • Lemon trees will shed their leaves in the winter. This is normal. Be prepared, it’s a bit messy.
  • We’ve pruned our lemon tree to keep it shorter (so we can fit it through the doorways in the house when moving it inside and out) and also to shape it.

We never saw the blossoms on the lemon tree, but somehow, it managed not only to bloom but pollinate. Lemon trees are self pollinating, so the tree must have produced pollen and managed to shake it on the right place.

Our lemon isn’t ripe yet, but I look forward to tasting it once it turns yellow. In the meantime, I enjoy visiting our tree. It’s like a member of the family now.

Filed Under: Growing Fruit

Previous Post: « Eggless Cookie Recipe – Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Next Post: Old Fashioned White Bread Recipe – Easy Bread Making »

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

As Seen in Porch

 As Seen in Porch

We were featured in Porch.com and answered reader's questions about indoor plants.

Explore All Gardening Articles

Latest Articles

  • Growing Eggplant: A Guide for Gardeners
  • Volunteer Plants – Nature’s Unexpected Gifts
  • Free eBook on Herbal Safety

Herbalism Classes & Supplies

Goods Shop by Herbal Academy – botanically inspired products

Disclosure

Home Garden Joy participates in two affiliate programs: Amazon and The Herbal Academy. Home Garden Joy earns a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. As an Herbal Academy Associate, HGJ also earns a commission when you sign up for classes or purchase herbs or supplies from The Herbal Academy. Herbal information and recipes on this site are provided for educational purposes only.

Footer

a tea pot, cup and saucer with mint leaves on the saucer

Free eBook on Herbal Safety

The Herbal Academy is offering a free ebook on herbal safety! I just sent an email out to our Home Garden Joy community and downloaded my copy and WOW – not only is it chock-full of information, it’s beautiful to look at, too. And free. Did I mention free? Learn More About Using Herbs –…

Read More

a closeup of watermelon

Watermelon in the Home Garden

Growing watermelon in the home garden is not for the faint of heart. I have plenty of room, and it still threatened to take over the garden. You will either need to leave a lot of room for the sprawling vines or look for varieties specifically marked for containers. Growing it on a trellis is…

Read More

a zucchini growing in a raised bed

Growing Zucchini in Raised Beds

Growing zucchini in raised beds ensures that this prolific vegetable has the best conditions to thrive. You can grow zucchini in pots or containers, but I prefer growing it in raised beds. This is a great vegetable to grow if you have a “black thumb” and kill plastic plants, because it’s hard to grow a…

Read More

a close up of onions

How to Grow Onions in Your Backyard

Wondering how to grow onions? I’ve grown onions here at Seven Oaks Farm in several ways: from “sets” or starter plants and from store-bought onions that sprouted in the bag! Onions don’t require much space, and you can grow a lot for the money you spend on starter plants. Let’s take a look at how…

Read More

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Awards

Copyright © 2025 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme