Growing tangerines from seeds

Tangerines are a very popular fruit we all know that. During the tangerine season you can buy them basically everywhere. They tend to be rather expensive in the off-season so smaller stores do not carry them. But did you know that you can grow tangerines by yourself and even in your apartment? Well, it is true but if you want to try it is better to buy a grown little tree or seedling. If you do not want to do that you can also grow tangerines from seeds, but it will take longer.

Growing tangerines

So, let us first explain the more difficult method – growing tangerines from seeds. This method is the cheapest, but also the most time-consuming. If you decide to grow tangerine trees for fruit, you will have to wait several years before the tree is strong enough to bear fruit . We recommend investing into a pre-grown tree. The price of a little tree could be in hundreds of crowns, but if the trees bigger, it can be in thousands.

Seed preparation

Try to choose seeds from a large and juicy tangerine. Wash the seeds carefully and let them dry on a paper towel. At this stage you basically have three options. You may plant seeds immediately in soil, or let them germinate first and then plant them, or you may also save seeds for later. If you want to plant later, store the seeds in a paper bag and put it in an airtight container (however, keep in mind that the older the seeds, the less chance that they will germinate). If you germinate seeds before planting, you are obviously increasing the likelihood that seedlings will successfully take a root.

Photo: Pixabay

Seed germination

Put the seeds in a soft cloth and moisten it and keep it moist. If you notice that the fabric is dry, moisten it again. You need to keep the seeds moist for several days and as soon as they germinate you may plant them. If you can, use a special soil designed for citrus plants, which should have an adjusted pH and should contain proper nutrients the seeds need . If you are sowing seeds directly (germinated or not germinated) you should put them about 5 mm deep and gently cover them with soil. It is best to plant seeds into larger pots, because transplanting is tricky.

Site selection

Tangerines need plenty of light, but not direct sunlight. It should be no surprise that tangerines like it warm so, choose a warm room where the temperature does not drop below 10 °C. The last requirement is a humid environment – a good idea is to cover seeds with a perforated plastic bag or glass in order to create a greenhouse effect. When the seedlings are stronger you remove the cover but moist the plant frequently. If you notice that your seedlings are wilting, try moving the pot into different location.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering should be limited during the winter months, but in the summer especially when temperatures are high, you should water every day. If you want to fertilize, use a special fertilizer designed for citruses and observe the instructions for use on the package. If your plant produces too many flowers remove some of them because the plant will not be able to nourish all of them and many flowers could make the plant weak.

Preview photo: Pixabay