How to Germinate a Dwarf Lemon Tree

Dwarf lemon trees are just like traditional lemon trees and produce the same fruit, except the trees themselves only reach a height of approximately 10 feet compared to the 25 feet that a traditional lemon tree often reaches. Their smaller height makes them perfect for backyard gardens in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9A through 11. While you can buy dwarf lemon trees in nurseries and garden stores, you can also germinate the seeds in a dwarf lemon tree's fruit and save yourself some money.


Pick a ripe, yellow lemon fruit off of a dwarf lemon tree. While it may seem easier to pick up a fallen fruit from under the tree, such fruit may be infected with bacteria, fungal disease or other organisms that may prove harmful during germination. Grocery store lemons may have been harvested before they were ripe, so their seeds may not have matured.


Cut open the lemon fruit with a knife and remove the seeds inside.


Rinse the seeds under running tap water to remove remnants of the lemon fruit's flesh or juice, then layer the seeds between two damp paper towels. As is the case with many tropical fruits, the germination success of lemon seeds drops if the seeds are allowed to dry out before they're planted.


Rinse the planting pot in a solution of 1 cup of household bleach mixed with 9 cups of water. This sterilizes the pot and prevents transfer of organisms or plant diseases that could pose problems to the seed or future seedling.


Rinse the pot in fresh water to remove all hints of bleach.


Fill the pot with sterile potting mix.


Plant the lemon seeds in the pot, burying them 1/2 inch below the surface.


Place the pot in a sunny location and water it once a day to maintain even soil moisture levels. The lemon seed will generally germinate within 14 days.