Growing Citrus

Growing citrus can be really fun!

The next time you slice up your oranges or lemons, don't throw away the seeds. Instead rub it on a paper towel to lessen the slimy texture then carefully peel it to open up the seed. Use the same paper towel plastic wrap technique. Wait for 1-2 weeks or so for the roots to grow then you can go ahead and plant it on your soil.

Here, I've used a grapefruit seed. As you can see on the left, that's what it looks like when it's peeled open.

Make sure to not over water it but only using a spray bottle to keep the soil moist.

I've grown some other citrus plants this way. Here's a calamansi plant (I think it's calamondin in the US), lemon plant, orange plant, and Kim Kiat or 金橘 in China.

Growing Strawberries

I love strawberries! When I was a kid, I put on my curiosity hat and tried to grow strawberries by putting it inside the refrigerator and it absolutely didn't work. Many people think strawberries will only grow in the cold mountains of Baguio and not possible in the big city.

I tried to make a few experiments and guess what, it's growing! Let's just hope they grow all the way to bearing me delicious fruits.

To get the seeds, just gently rub of the skin of a nice ripe strawberry. If it doesn't come off, you can always use a tweezer to gently pluck it out.

Make sure the seeds doesn't have any fruit residue and you can go right ahead and sprinkle them over your soil. It's best to use a plastic container with holes at the bottom for good drainage. The plastic acts as a mini greenhouse effect that traps the heat and moisture when you water the plants during the germination stage.

Not all the seeds will grow. I planted mine last December. It's almost 3 months now and this is what I have. Just make sure to only use a sprayer and water the soil. It helps prevent over watering and killing your plant.

I've already transplanted one but I want to wait a little more so I can transplant the other bigger ones to their own pots.

How to Germinate Seeds using Paper Towel Technique

Germinating seeds varies from plants to plants. The most common technique is using a damp paper towel and a resealable plastic bag.

If you're using seeds from fresh fruits, make sure they're free from fruit residue before you proceed else it will grow molds and ruin the entire seed.

Step 1: Put seeds on a paper towel.
Step 2: Fold the paper towel in half and press on it to eliminate and extra fruit residue/
Step3 : Transfer the seeds to another paper towel.
Step 4: Fold the sides of the paper towel to seal the seeds.
Step 5: Wet the paper towel a little then press on it to remove excess water.
Step 6: Put the dampen paper towel inside a resealable plastic bag. Label it and put it in any corner. After a week or so you will notice some seeds are sprouting and ready to be transplanted in a pot.

When in doubt, YouTube is my best friend.
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbjXZZsLfV0

Seeds & Gardening Materials

I've looked around Metro Manila in search of the best place to get seeds and materials to begin my experiment.

There are many other seed suppliers but the top two are Ramgo (Maybunga Pasig City) & Known-You 農友 (Taiwanese International Company).

Ramgo
website: http://ramgoseeds.com/
email: info@ramgoseeds.com
Outlet Store: 33 General Lim Street Heroes Hills Quezon City (back of Pantranco Bus Terminal on Quezon Avenue cor Roosevelt Street)

Known-You

English website: http://www.knownyou.com/en_index.jsp
email: kyp@knownyou.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyp168/timeline
Philippine Address: Estrella Compound, Carmen East, Rosales, Pangasinan


Aside from the above sites, you can also get them in groceries and hardware stores. Here's my top 5 places to get them:

5. Market Market

A few stalls in the open area of Market Market sell plants, herbs, orchids, fertilizers, seeds and soil.

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4. True Value & Ace Hardware

True Value & Ace Hardware has a couple of pots and planters, saucers, tools like shears, scissors, pruners, gloves, spray bottles, water sprinklers, labels, fertilizers, seedling tray, grow pots, and Ramgo seeds and Yates seeds. Mostly everything Ramgo has to offer.


3. Shopwise Supermarket

I've been to Shopwise Araneta Center and they sell seeds from Ramgo, Known-You, and sometimes Yates. I'm just not sure if they sell these in all Shopwise branches. No garden supplies here though..


2. Farmer's Market

Farmer's Market has a plant section that sells basically almost everything you need. Most of the affected stall owners of the closed Manila Seedling Bank (in Quezon City) has moved here in Farmer's Market to open their stalls. Here you can find gardening tools and equipment like garden nets, ornamental plants, herbs, hanging plants, orchids, flowering plants, and even fruit trees. There's only one stall here that sells fruit trees and plants. The owners are really nice, friendly and approachable and can even help you bring your plants to your car.

(Photo to follow soon)

1. Metro Supermarket & Rustans Supermarket

If you're only looking for seeds so you can experiment on your own or maybe have some fun activity with your kids, I would strongly suggest Metro Supermarket in Market Market. This place has almost every seed I need from ornamental plants to vegetables to fruit plants all from Known-You.

The newly renovated Rustan's Supermarket in Glorietta area is my new number one choice. It has a lot of seeds to choose from (both Known-You and Ramgo) and even has a small section of potted fresh herbs like Coriander, Thyme, Basil, and Rosemary.

Introduction

In this modern city life where population growth and pollution has damaged the environment, my goal is help contribute to a clean air for a healthier living as well as eating healthy in Metro Manila. City Gardening 101 aims to experiment and explore life possibilities from what's around us and help spread awareness for a better future.

How does a lemon plant grow lemons? What does a tomato flower look like? How does an eggplant grow eggplants? Have you ever thought about these questions? Would you even care to find out? Let's find out together and share the experience.