Planting Mandarins From Seed: Everything You Need to Know
Don’t throw away all those mandarin seeds! This might not be a concern if you’re like me and prefer seedless Clementines or mandarin oranges. However, let’s say you love mandarins: did you know that you can grow mandarin plants from those seeds? With the abundance of mandarin consumption in winter, there’s certainly no shortage of seeds to try this out.
How to plant mandarins starting from seeds
Certainly, don’t expect to be able to eat them right away: mandarin trees require time to mature and bear fruit. However, why not get started early? Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Keep the mandarin seeds. Once collected, you need to wash them and let them dry on absorbent paper. Plant the seeds in spring or, at the latest, early summer. To do this, you will have to use a fairly large pot, put some soil, place only one seed per pot, and cover it all with moist soil.
- Water everything with an algae-based solution. In the meantime, position the pot in a bright area, preferably within a warm greenhouse. Continue watering, ensuring the soil doesn’t dry out (but avoid excessive watering: no water stagnation or you will face root rot).
- If you’ve done everything correctly, you should observe the first shoots emerging after 7-10 days.
- During the hot season, fertilize with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks. During the warmer months, you can move the plant outside to a well-lit area but not in direct sun.
- From now and then, remember to use a natural pesticide on the plants to keep insects, parasites, and snails away.
- When the plant reaches a height of 15-20 cm, you will either repot it into a larger container or add fresh soil. Be cautious as the plant grows; you’ll need an increasingly larger pot to accommodate the expanding roots.
- After two years, you can plant the mandarin tree you’ve cultivated in your garden. With patience and dedication, after another 4-7 years, you’ll finally enjoy the fruits of your hard work as your mandarin tree matures and produces mandarins
