What a great find this forum is - I was simply looking for an answer to a question and now I might be catching the citrus-growing bug.

I've done some searching and can't find any good information to help me in my current situation. My daughter offered to take care of her friends 'lemon tree' last summer and though we've kept it alive I'm not sure if it's growing properly. This is just a lemon seed from a grocery-store lemon the kid would have started, by the way.

The plant sits at a large window and gets indirect sunlight; here in Canada that's about eight hours of light this time of year.

It's constantly shooting new leaves and they are large and vibrant green, but I'm worried the plant stalk is too tall and thin. We currently have it staked just to stay upright in the pot.

So does a lemon plant/tree usually require staking when young? What are the general care requirements for a seed-grown lemon tree indoors? I'm not trying to grow actual lemons at this point, I just want to make sure the plant is growing properly and I'm giving it what it needs to thrive.

Many thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this and offer some help to a well-meaning citrus mom.

Oh, and here are two pictures of the tree:

Nature's method of developing strong, firm, straight tree trunks, is with wind. The flicking back and forth in resistance against the wind, is what develops strong trunks. When a seedling citrus tree is 2 inches tall, the seedling should be set outside in the wind, or if it is too cold, placed in front of a fan. I just removed three Saint Dominic Sour Orange seedling trees off of the propagation bench, where they had been receiving wind cultivation. They were set there, when they were 2 inches tall. The three trees had grown to 14 inches in height, with strong straight trunks when I removed them from the bench, and set them in the general greenhouse population. Their trunks now have developed the form, and shape, of a good fishing rod. When grown correctly, no tree grown from seed should ever require a support of any type. - Millet (369 ABO-)