Friday, February 27, 2009

Starting Seeds from Citrus Fruit

I have mentioned in the past that I am fascinated with the miracle of planting a seed in some dirt and watching a plant grow. I really never tire of it. It never seems commonplace. Each time a plant sprouts from a seed that I have planted, there is a little thrill and excitement that I feel. There are so many more complex miracles that God has created; but with this rather simple one, it never ceases to amaze me.

Not long ago a friend went on a vacation to Florida, and brought back some oranges and grapefruit to our family. They were of course delicious! As I finished up the final grapefruit, I decided I needed to plant one of the seeds to grow my own Florida grapefruit tree. From my research on starting seeds from citrus plants, I have found one main issue. The seed needs to be planted immediately. If it sits around, it will merely dry out, and won't germinate. I planted the seed in a small pot filled with a seed starting mix, and watered it thoroughly. I have grow lights that I placed it under, but I'm sure a bright sunny window would also work. From my experience, it takes several weeks before the plant begins to grow. But I just kept on making sure the soil stayed moist. One day, when I checked the plant, there it was!! A beautiful shiny green leaf coming out of the soil. It is now several inches tall. In fact there are actually two plants growing side by side in the little pot. It is just a little reminder to me of God's greatness in all things.



1 comment:

Sheila said...

I remember reading your post about you son's apple tree. I think it is so wonderful that you plant seeds of food that you eat and have "fruit" from them.

The leaves of citrus plants are so beautiful, such a glossy, dark green. I would grow a citrus plant just for the leaves!