While it is possible to grow a lime tree from seed, don’t expect fruit right away. The downside to growing a lime tree from seed is that it can take four to ten years for your future tree to produce fruit, and it may never even produce any.
Since many lime seeds can be recovered from purchased fruit, they are most likely hybrids. Therefore, planting lemon seeds from these fruits would often not produce identical lemon. Polyembryonic seeds, or real seeds, generally generate identical plants. These can normally be purchased from reputable citrus nurseries. Keep in mind that other contributing factors, such as climate and soil, also affect the overall production and taste of lime fruits.

How to germinate a lemon seed:

There are many ways to grow a lime tree from seeds and knowing how to plant a lime seed is important for success. You can plant the seed directly in a soil pot or place it in a plastic bag. Before planting lime seeds, make sure to wash them and you can even let them dry for a few days, then sow them as soon as possible.

Plant seeds about 0.5 to 1cm deep in containers with well-draining soil. Likewise, you can put seeds in a plastic bag with moist soil. Regardless of the method you choose, keep the seeds moist (not flooded) and place them in a warm, sunny place. Germination usually occurs within a few weeks.

Once the seedlings have reached approximately 15cm in height, they can be transplanted gently and placed in individual pots. Be sure to provide winter protection as lime trees are very sensitive to cold.

If you don’t want to wait long for lime production, you may want to consider other ways to get a lime tree, which will usually bear fruit in the next three years. Ask your local nursery for small shrubs, the prices are often very affordable.

In any case, growing lime trees from lemon seeds is an easy and fun alternative to experiment with the family with your children.