I know some citrus will come true from seed, but I would like to hear about them again, since the info just doesn't seem to stick in this old head.

Sorry, I know you guys probably get tired of answering the same questions again and again!
susan

Hi Susan,

I'm a newbie at this stuff but from what I've read, key limes will grow true to seed. Not sure about others but I'd be interested in learning too.

BK

Almost all sweet oranges, true grapefruit, lemons, limes, pure mandarins (other than King and Clementine) most tangelos, hybrid tangerines and tangors (except Temple) come true from seed. Pommelos do not. - Millet

Thanks very much!

Hi Susan. How is that Faustrime doing for you ?

Hey Laaaazz~~~
Well, judging from the scars on the side of my leg, it isn't too friendly! LOL.
Kidding, it's doing quite well and always seems to have a flower or two but no fruit starting that I can see.
I moved all the citrus out of the greenhouse and into partial shade, we just can't have anything out in the full sun here, it's just burning to a crisp!
I think I'm going to move the citrus again, right now it doesn't get much morning sun, and only gets the sun from about 11:30am on. I'd rather have it get more morning sun than suddenly be blasted at noontime, I think they'll do even better.
We finally are getting a little rain, not enough to really help, but a little bit is better than nothing. Unfortunately the latest storm knocked over the Fingerlime and I lost a bunch of my baby fruits. It's so hard being patient, waiting for trees to be fruit-bearing!
Susan

I've always thought that the fun and exciting citrus seed to grow are, in fact, the ones that do not come true from seed. Seed like Temple, King, Meyer, Clementine. Those seed will produce a tree that is a one-of-a-kind, never seen before citrus tree. The trees that do come true from seed, can be purchased just about every where. Currently, I growing Temple seed and Clementine seed, we'll see what we get. Many of the "standard" citrus varieties sold in the stores today began as chance seedlings. - Millet

Hi Millet,

I'm curious if you've ever grown any of your one-of-a-kinds to fruiting size and if you've gotten any potential future standards from the experiments. I've enjoyed growing my key lime seedlings so far and have learned a lot from the process. I think it would be a fun experiment to germinate some seeds from my Meyer Lemon (assuming it lives long enough to bear fruit ) to see what interesting things grow, although it must take an incredible amount of patience for those varieties that take awhile to reach fruiting age.

BK

I grow Meyer seedlings to use as rootstock for other lemons, as certain lemons are not compatible with Trifoliata.

Interesting Laaz. My Meyers is from Monrovia and I believe I read that they use Carrizo Citrange rootstock (although I can't for the life of me find the graft line). Do they grow well on their own roots? I have a friend who might like a rooted cutting if I ever have one.

BK

Many Meyers are grown on their own roots. They root very easy & I have not seen a problem with them in their own roots. I have about 20 rooted Meyers at the moment & my Meyers is about 9 ft tall & doesn't skip a beat on it's own roots. Meyer can be grafted to Trifoliata, but Eureka can not. Not sure about Lisbon or Bearss.

According to "citrus varieties of the world" lisbon is compatible with poncirus and citanges rootstocks.

bradkairdolf, yes I have grown non-come- true varieties and had them bloom and fruit. For a private individual, it would be almost impossible to get a one-of-a-kind on the market as a standard variety, unless the difference was amazingly different. There is much more to it than just growing the fruit. Normally, the resulting fruit from chance seedlings are inferior, but not always. Most Clementine seedling produce a seedy mandarin type of fruit. However, it is always possible to get a fruit worth becoming a standard, as Eureka Lemon, Marsh Grapefruit, Hamlin orange, Temple, Pineapple orange and many others are examples of a chance seedling. As to the wait time from seed to fruit, as my seedling are grown in a year around tropical greenhouse, the wait time is cut in half or even less. - Millet