Why So Many Seeds In My Lemons

Question

I planted a lemon seed about 11 years ago when we lived in Houston. It was a seed from a viet nam friend of my husbands. The original lemon was about the size of a soft ball, I read the info here about the “sweet Lemons” and think maybe that is what he had. We moved when it was still in pot from Houston to Shiner Texas. I took it from the pot and planted it in the ground here. It continued to grow until it was like a tree, almost to the roof of the house. We finally trimmed it some in the fall of 2018. Finally in the Spring 2019, we got blooms. I was so excited. and it put on about 20 lemons. They have continued to grow and are between baseball and softball size. The first one turned yellow and we picked it and cut it. The taste is sweet, but it is so full of seeds that there is not much juice. Will this continue or with maturity will it get better? The seeds also are very large and I would say 20-25 seeds in the first lemon. Will I have to graft it to make it change?? HELP!!!

Answer 1

This is the risk taken when planting from seed. The fruit can be unpalatable, seedy, or otherwise, barren. It is the luck of the, genetic, draw.

Grafting, at this point, will be too late. This is, usually, done with a young rootstock, and mature and fruiting graft scion. You will obtain the fruit of the top scion. Any way you look at your situation leaves you starting over, unfortunately. (Unless you can maximize the fruit and work around the seeds in your current tree.) Planting a seed from the least seedy fruit can yield a less seedy next generation, but as you know… This takes a long time.

I would say that testing your soil and keeping it in pristine condition will grant you the best chances with your fruit. These articles will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-moisture-in-plants.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/test-soil-for-pests-and-diseases.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/making-sure-soil-drains-well.htm