Growing a Fruit Tree from Seed with Your Kids

Whether as decorative elements or to obtain the most exquisite and natural fruits, growing a fruit tree at home from seed is a great option.

Eating fruit brings far more satisfaction if it comes from a plant or tree that you’ve planted and looked after yourself. And the good news is that it’s entirely possible, even if you don’t have much space. Even if you’ve only got a small garden, growing a fruit tree there is perfectly possible if you follow all the correct steps. It’s actually not too difficult at all!

Growing a fruit tree from seed is a wonderful activity to carry out with your children, and will help you spend good quality time together. Read on to discover how you can grow some of these fruit trees, either as a source of food or as a decorative plant for your home.

Growing a fruit tree from seed

Apple trees

The apple tree is a tall and leafy tree that gives the most popular fruit of all time. There are so many different ways of eating it, and thousands of amazing recipes to use them in. You can choose the seeds from whatever variety of apple you like the best.

• Remove the seeds from the fruit.
• Place them on blotting paper and wrap them up.
• Moisten the paper a little and put it inside a plastic bag. Keep it in the refrigerator for about seven weeks, when the seeds will begin to germinate. You’ll be able to observe very thin roots by then.
• Plant them, spaced out, in a pot, at a depth of between 2 and 4 inches.
• Keep the seedlings at a temperature between 68 and 78 °F.
• Place the pot in an area with plenty of sun, and water it when you can see the soil is dry.
• When their stems are somewhat firm, then they can be transplanted into the ground. Make sure the plants have good drainage and exposure to the sun.
• The fruits will start to form from the seventh year.

Nispero tree

Another option for growing a fruit tree from seed is the nispero. This tree is strong and resistant, easy to plant and doesn’t require much care; it’s an ideal option to have in the garden.

• The seeds should be washed to remove possible traces of pulp, which would prevent proper germination.
• Wrap the seeds in moistened absorbent paper and put them in a glass.
• Cover the glass and wait several weeks, after which the seeds should have germinated.
• When the seedlings are formed, get some used toilet roll tubes, one for each plant. Make a few cuts lengthways of about an inch and fold it inwards, closing it up in the process. These containers will serve as small pots.
• Add soil into the containers and place a plant in each one, and then water them.
• It’s important to be attentive to how moist the soil is and to water them when necessary. When they triple in size, they can then be transplanted into pots. You don’t need to remove the toilet roll center; just make sure you water it periodically, and keep it in a sunny area.
• When reaching a certain height, you’ll need to plant them in well-drained soil.

Avocado tree

This tree of Mesoamerican origin can reach a great height. Its oily fruit is the main ingredient in many delicious exotic dishes, besides being a rich source of nutrients.

• Remove the avocado seed and wash it with water.
• Insert four chopsticks at equal distances up to the halfway point of the height of the seed.
• Fill a glass with water and place the seed so that the chopsticks act as support. Place it in a place with plenty of sunlight.
• In about three weeks, roots will sprout at the lower end of the seed.
• When the roots are about 4 inches long, take out the chopsticks and remove the seed.
• Prepare a medium-sized pot with soil and universal substrate.
• Plant the seed in the pot, and put the pot where it will get some sun during the day.
• Water it when the surface of the soil appears to be dry.
• It can be fertilized with special products to stimulate growth.
• Transplant it into soil in the Spring.
• The first fruit can appear after five years.

Lemon trees

The lemon tree is a tree with low lying branches which gives fruit on a regular basis. Along with the amazing properties this fruit has, you’ll get a really attractive aroma by having a lemon tree in the garden.

• Choose an organic lemon and ensure that the seeds are fertile. Remove several seeds and keep them moist.
• Prepare a pot with moist soil. In the stores you’ll be able to find substrates that will help the seeds to germinate.
• Plant the seeds at about half an inch below the surface of the soil.
• Water with an atomizer and place a piece of perforated plastic on top of the soil.
• Locate the pot in a place which gets some sunlight, but somewhere that isn’t too hot. In summer, the plant should be carefully protected.
• After about two or three weeks you should be able to observe some shoots and, at this point, you should remove the piece of plastic.
• Make sure you keep an ideal balance between sunlight, moisture and organic nutrients.

Having a seed plant at home isn’t only a healthy alternative to our diet, but it can also promote family unity. A great idea is for each family member to be in charge of one plant each, and for everyone to work together and share the excitement when your first fruit is produced!