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.