Growing a lemon tree from seed is a simple way to turn something normally thrown away into a useful plant. Start with seeds from a fresh lemon, rinse away any remaining fruit, and plant them in a small container of moist, well-draining potting soil. Keep the soil warm and slightly moist while waiting for the seeds to sprout.
Once a seedling appears, give it plenty of light and continue watering when the soil begins to dry. Lemon trees do not like constantly wet soil, so good drainage is important. As the tree becomes larger, move it into a bigger container so its roots have room to develop. In colder climates, growing the tree in a container also makes it possible to move it indoors when temperatures drop.
A seed-grown lemon tree requires patience. It may take several years before it becomes mature enough to flower and produce fruit, and a tree grown from seed may not produce exactly the same type of lemon as the fruit the seed came from. Even without fruit, however, growing citrus from seed is an inexpensive way to practice plant propagation and learn how to care for a perennial food-producing plant.
For preparedness, the larger lesson is learning how to produce new plants from materials already available. Instead of automatically discarding seeds from food, consider whether some can be planted, saved, or used to develop gardening skills. A single lemon seed costs virtually nothing to plant, but the experience gained from successfully growing it can be useful for many other plants.
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