Q&A for How to Germinate Orange Seeds

Instead of placing the seeds in moist paper, I would recommend planting them directly in the soil and keeping it moist.

If the seeds have been kept out for a long time, they might have dried up, and will not germinate. If they have been kept moist, it does not really matter how long they have been out of the orange.

When given proper care, they bear fruit for 50 years or more, according to Four Winds Growers. It's not uncommon for healthy trees to live for more than a century. Trees planted in the ground produce fruit longer than container-grown orange trees.

An orange seed will often split and show a slight bit of green in the cup of warm water within 24 hours. Tape the unsealed plastic sandwich bag with the seed in the wet paper towel to a morning sun window. After about two weeks in the window, you will have about 1/8" sprout.

Use the round cotton makeup discs available at any drugstore, dollar stores, box stores, etc . You can use small mason jars with cheesecloth over the mouth of the jar, to allow for air and to let in sunlight for warmth. Keep the cotton disc moistened daily.

Yes. Orange seeds have a natural dormancy period and require a period of cold temperature in order to initiate germination.

After the seed splits and the root or stem comes out, get a small pot, put stones at the bottom and fill the rest with sterile soil burying the seed 1/2 inches below the soil. Make sure the soil is moist, not wet.

Orange seeds can be sown directly into soil, but only if the soil temperature is warm enough. The temperature needs to be between 70 and 75 F (21 and 24 C) for the seeds to germinate. Also, if the nighttime temperatures are still getting too cold, the seeds may freeze and die. If you live in a warm climate, you can safely sow the seeds directly in late spring or summer.

The seeds need light of some kind.

Not very likely since the mold will need tiny spores to latch onto and reproduce. This is impossible for the bag since the airtight seal woul act as a "barrier" from the outside air.

Orange trees need lots of sunshine to grow. One alternative to actual sun is a gardening lamp that provides the plant with all the UV rays it needs. You can also germinate the seeds and grow the tree in a greenhouse, solarium, or a community greenhouse if you have one.

The soil should stay moist, but not wet, for the first 2-3 years. Exact timing depends on conditions and how thirsty the plant is, how big the pot is, etc. After they are 2-3 years old, water only when the soil dries out below the 1" line.

Seeds come with a small supply of nutrients inside. All the nutrients needed for the plant to start growing and live for a few weeks, actually. After the supply runs out, the plant will need more nutrients/soil to continue living.

The seeds would need to be kept moist during the waiting time. If they dry out, they will not germinate.

Yes, you can, but the seeds might dry out if they're not placed in a sealed container or bag.

Yes, for a little while. You will have to transplant them when they get a few sets of leaves.

If the plant is used as a rootstock and the scion is a mature fruiting cultivar, the time to fruiting can be as short as 1-2 years. If you use your plant as a scion, it could take up to 10-13 years. If used as a scion and grafted to the end of a mature tree branch, the process can be shorted by a several years.

Yes. Lemons, oranges, gooseberry, etc., are all citrus fruits and are all planted the same way.

It can take up to 15 years for an orange tree grown from seed to bear fruit, which is why many prefer grafting instead.

The seeds require oxygen for the biological germination process to occur. Rotting, waterlogged seeds are likely if the seeds are kept in water too long.

It depends. If the car is for sure hotter than 70 for an extended time, the seeds could get baked. If it is not, they will be fine.

There are many varieties to choose from, including Jaffa oranges, Navel oranges and Blood oranges. Many orange trees can be grown in the UK, under cover such as in a conservatory or greenhouse. They are not hard trees to grow in the UK as long as they are looked after properly.

Yes, but one is recommended to avoid any competition for water and nutrients from the soil.

Yes. Oranges are closely related to lemons, as they are both part of the citrus family. You can germinate them the same way.

Give them a go. Try the paper towel method. I peel the outer shell off mine so I don't really have to soak them. If you peel the shell off, they sprout faster also.

It generally takes four or five years, but depends on factors like climate, soil et cetera.

Orange trees don't produce catkins; they produce small clusters of whitish flowers. Those "catkins" might be galls, which are mutations of the plant made by insects to lay eggs. If they are galls, cut them off, but don't use pesticides.

Yes. You can do all of the steps above without peeling the outer layers off, it will just take longer for the seeds to germinate.

If the young plant has roots, yes. If not, you could try to get it to root by placing it in a propagator.

You can plant up to two seeds in a pot. But it is ideally recommended to plant one plant per pot or at least be ready to thin out or shift some of the seedlings once you're aware they're viable.