From sowing to repotting

Gaining seeds

All you have to do to get semen is to go to the nearest supermarket and there buy a fresh pomelo. Purchase whenever possible a red-fleshed fruit, because this contains - in contrast to the brightly colored fruits - mostly seeds of the right size. Pomelo kernels are about two centimeters long, quite angular and pale yellow in color. In some fruits, however, only millimeter-sized cores are contained, which are not suitable for growing a plant. If you have now brought home a fruit with seeds on it, eat it as usual and collect the seeds in the process.

How should the kernels be treated before planting?

As with all citrus plants, pomelo seeds germinate best untreated and fresh. This means that you do not need to peel or dry the kernels or even store them in the refrigerator. Instead, you can simply plant the seed straight from the fruit into the soil. Only the pulp should be carefully removed beforehand.

Plant the seed core

When planting the seed, do the following:

• Fill a small growing pot with aseptic Potting soil or a coconut substrate.
• Put the core in there and cover it thinly with soil, one seed core per pot.
• Use a spray bottle to keep it damp, but not wet.
• Put a plastic bag over it or put the potty in a greenhouse.
• The seedling needs a light and warm place.

Now you need patience, because the plant usually takes between four to six weeks to germinate - sometimes even a few months.

Prick out and repot the seedling

The young pomelo needs a larger pot as soon as it has developed two or three more leaves apart from the two cotyledons. Carefully lift the plant out of the Growing substrate(€ 12.99 at Amazon *) and put it in a saucepan with Citrus earth. You should first treat the young plant carefully (i.e. H. only put in the fresh air when it is really warm and sunny outside), but larger pomelos are less sensitive than other citrus plants. By the way, pomelos belong to the very vigorous citrus family - with good care, the plant will quickly grow over your head. Therefore, you should prune them at least once a year, preferably twice.

Tips & Tricks

Pomelos grown from seeds take a long time to flower for the first time. If you want to go faster, then try to get a cutting and raise it. Refining this or your self-grown seedling on Poncirus trifoliata (the three-leaved orange or bitter lemon) also shortens the extremely long youth phase.

IJA