Both methods, growing citrus trees from seeds and using grafted trees, have their advantages and considerations:
1. Growing Citrus Trees from Seeds:
- Advantages:
- Cost-effective: Seeds are readily available from citrus fruits, making this method cost-efficient.
- Educational: Growing citrus from seeds can be an educational experience, especially for children or gardening enthusiasts.
- Rootstock Potential: Seed-grown citrus trees can be used as rootstock for grafting desirable citrus varieties.
- Considerations:
- Variability: Citrus trees grown from seeds do not usually produce fruit identical to the parent tree. They may exhibit genetic variations and take longer to fruit.
- Time: Seed-grown trees generally take longer to mature and produce fruit compared to grafted trees.
- Rootstock Quality: Seed-grown trees may not possess the desirable characteristics of grafted trees, such as disease resistance or improved fruit quality.
2. Using Grafted Trees:
- Advantages:
- True-to-Type Fruit: Grafted citrus trees produce fruit identical to the parent tree, offering known fruit quality and characteristics.
- Faster Fruit Production: Grafted trees typically bear fruit at a younger age compared to seed-grown trees.
- Rootstock Selection: Grafted trees use specific rootstocks that can impart disease resistance, adaptability, and improved growth.
- Considerations:
- Cost: Grafted citrus trees are more expensive than growing from seeds due to the labor and expertise involved in grafting.
- Limited Availability: Availability of specific grafted citrus varieties may be limited compared to seeds from commercially available fruits.
- Need for Specialized Techniques: Grafting requires specific skills and expertise, which might not be accessible to all gardeners.
Conclusion: For those seeking quicker fruit production and specific fruit quality, grafted citrus trees are recommended. However, if you’re patient and interested in experimenting, growing citrus trees from seeds can be a rewarding experience, although the resulting trees may not produce fruit identical to the parent and may take longer to bear fruit. Using seed-grown trees as rootstock for grafting can also be an option for some growers to combine desired traits.