How do you plant an orange tree directly from the seeds of an orange? How do you prepare the seeds?

I have a handful of orange and tangerine seeds. I would like to show my daughters the process of a growing fruit tree. What do I need to do to the seeds to prepare them for planting? We live in Louisiana, what weather conditions should a citrus tree be left in? How long should it take to grow and fruit? Thank you for any help given!!

How do you plant an orange tree directly from the seeds of an orange? How do you prepare the seeds?
First, take about 5 or 6 paper towels and lay them on top of each other. Put the seeds in them, dampen the towels, and roll the seeds up in them.





Keep the paper towels moist, but not overly wet. The seeds should germinate in maybe a week or so, then pot them up in some potting soil. Once germinated, keep soil moist and put in a lot of sun (or under bright lamps).





As for growing and bearing the fruit, unfortunately you may not have much luck with that. Most citrus trees that bear fruit today come from grafts, so that the top of the tree that bears the fruit is placed onto the root-stock of another variety. Second generation seeds will grow a plant, but don't usually bear fruit. But thats about few years off anyways.





Good Luck.
Reply:Many, many years off. As already stated, the fruiting citrus trees here are grafted -for good reason.