Hi everyone,
So over the past few weeks I have planted some seeds I got from an organic citrus farm including grapefruit, honeybells, and tangelos.
The seeds all seemed (to an untrained eye) to have multiple embryos and thinking that was a good rule of thumb to make sure I would have some variety of citrus tree out of them at some point instead of just a graft stick I planted them.

I have included some pictures and would love to know if I have a small forest of grapefruit, honeybells, and tangelos or if in a year I will have simply a graft tree.

I planted about 50 of these thinking only a small percentage would survive, as you can see that was not the case
I am by no means in a hurry to get edible fruit, nor will I cry if these never bare fruit, but if I am going to wait for 8 years I would like to at least like to have a slightly genetically different citrus offspring not just a graft sock shade maker.

Thanks

Jason, welcome to The Citrus Growers Forum. Thank you for joining. Your seedlings look quite healthy, but maybe could use more sun, as some of the stems (trunks) seem to be stretching a little. Nature uses wind to make a seedling's stem strong and straight. It is the resistance against the wind, the flicking back and forth of the stem that develops a strong straight stem. Young seedling should be placed in the wind beginning at 2 inches tall. During the winter months, I use a fan set on the low speed and progressing up, on all my young trees. Otherwise, containerized trees will develop weak trunks that require a stake to hold them up. Water your trees only in the morning, then place them in full sunlight in order to quickly dry the surface of the medium to prevent stem rot (Rihzoctonia) as stem rot requires moisture for life. Rhizoctonia is the number one killer of new seedlings, frequently killing young seedlings between the 1st and 2nd month of the tree's life. - Millet (690-)

Is that a variegated one that i see in there ? Or just a lack of sun millet?

Thanks for the feedback, with that advice am I to assume these are citrus seedlings?

Very cool advice about the wind, I guess it is kind of like people, those that grew up never having to do hard work grow up and get laid out by it. Those of us who have dug a few ditches and throw a few bales of hay a little hard work doesn't seem so bad =)

As I was pulling out the box fan out of the garage I was thinking is it alright to put these outside at this point?

These days it is about 45 at night at the lowest and there is a fairly constant breeze, I started these inside a few weeks ago when it was in the 30s but maybe they are big enough to live outside now?

Thanks again.

I believe the one white seedling is not a variegated tree, but rather an albino seedling, and will not live. If they were my seedlings, I would not put them out with night time lows of 45 degrees. I would try to keep the seedlings near 86F (roots & leaves). Kept at 86F, plus applications of 1/2 strength fertilizer every 2nd or 3rd watering, plus good light and ventilation, the trees will achieve their maximum growth rate. If or when the days are generally warm you could put them out, starting in a sheltered and shaded position, gradually introducing them to full sunlight. Jason, the best to you and your trees.- Millet (690-)

Thanks for all the info, I might play around with grafting a little and let some of these grow naturally to see what the varieties look like.

I will keep this thread update if anyone is interested (and because I am sure I will have some more questions)

Speaking of more questions.

I have been reading about fertilizer for seedlings on the web and the multiple posts on this site.



I went to my local garden store and asked for some citrus fertilizer that would be appropriate for seedlings, they pointed me to the product below which I purchased, but after getting home and doing some reading I am not sure if it is appropriate.

I was looking at using it at your 1/2 strength for every 3-4th watering but am not sure if it is appropriate.

Thoughts?

For those interested my seedlings are progressing nicely, thanks for the help.