Seeds or grafts? The pros and cons of indoor dwarf citrus propagation methods

One of the most common questions for people just starting out with raising dwarf citrus trees is the matter of seed vs. graft. Which is best?

Conventional citrus growing wisdom tends to adhere firmly to the view that grafting is non-negotiable in order to produce fruit-bearing trees. However, it is more accurate to say that there is no correct answer to this question. Each method has its upsides and downsides. It’s mostly a matter of understanding how each approach works and which one is best for your needs. It also depends to a great extent on what variety or varieties you want to grown.

If you’re looking at getting involved with the rewarding hobby of growing dwarf citrus (or any dwarf fruit tree), let’s get an overview.

What is grafting?

Simply put, grafting – also known as budding – is a means of propagating fruit trees that involves joining a cutting of a tree you want to grow to a rootstock, or base, of another tree. Grafting is used by commercial growers to produce fruit trees for their inventories. Most commercial fruit trees are the product of grafting.

While grafting isn’t hard, there is a learning curve associated with it. Multiple Youtube videos (such as this one and this one and this one) are out there to help you get up to speed. And for more in-depth information on the topic, check out The Grafter's Handbook by R.J. Garner.

The advantages of grafting

The conventional wisdom around growing citrus – or any kind of fruit tree – is that grafting is the only way to propagate these plants. There are solid arguments in favor of grafting. In no particular order, they are:

1. Ensure that you are getting the variety you want. When you graft, you are placing the exact variety you choose onto a rootstock that is already mature. There is no guesswork involved about whether the variety is true to seed, or what kind of fruit will result from the grafted tree, as you have selected it yourself from another mature tree.

1. Select and combine the desired traits of rootstock and budstock. Grafting enables you to choose the best adapted rootstock for your purposes. In addition, a seedling will tend to grow upright, tending toward a single trunk, and can become quite thorny. A grafted tree, on the other hand, will be more highly branched – a desirable trait if you will be growing the tree indoors. Pruning, however, enables you to shape either a seed grown or a grafted tree to the dimensions you prefer.

1. Prevent disease carried by certain varieties. Grafting allows the grower to select healthy stock that is not infected by citrus diseases. The bacterial disease known as greening (Huanglongbing, or HLB), is chief among these.

1. Save time. By choosing grafting as a propagation method, a grower can hasten the time to harvest. Grafting allows you to bypass the time it takes for a tree to mature and allows you to harvest fruit much earlier – years earlier, in many cases.

1. Take advantage of available varieties. Many citrus fruits have been developed without seeds. This means that these varieties can only be propagated via grafting.

1. Create custom trees. You can graft any variety (or multiple varieties) onto a suitable rootstock, resulting in the ability to grow different kinds of fruit on a single tree. For example, grafting enables a grower to have oranges, lemons, limes and kumquats growing on the same tree, three different kinds of grapefruit, or any compatible combination of citrus.

The downsides of grafting

1. The learning curve. You’ll need to invest time to go through the trial and error process when you start learning to graft.

1. Potential for transmitting disease. If you are grafting large numbers of trees, viruses can get into the budwood (unless you use certified disease-free budwood). These expose the trees to disease and shorten their lifespan. They’re also the reason that grafted citrus trees tend to have shorter lifespans than trees that have been propagated by grafting. This is usually more of a problem when grafting large numbers of trees.

1. Greater susceptibility to environmental damage. One grower who sells Meyer lemon seeds on Etsy tells about the experience of a customer who went through the Texas freeze of 2021. “He lost all of his grafted plants and the only ones that survived were the ones that had been grown from seed. That should tell you something,” he says. He regularly propagates citrus from seed, and his years of experience with this practice lead him to conclude that seed-grown trees are stronger and more durable than grafted ones. He attributes this to the winnowing process that takes place over the lifespan of a tree, where environmental stresses will naturally eliminate the weaker specimens.

Although anecdotal, these observations are worth considering when evaluating the potential of seed grown fruit trees.

The advantages of growing from seed

Growing trees from seed is a solid means of propagation. Trees have adapted to grow from seed over tens of thousands of years.

Many citrus varieties can be reliably grown from seed. These varieties are known as “true to seed,” which means that the offspring have the same genetic makeup as the parent plant and bear the same fruits as the parent.

1. Opportunity to observe a plant’s complete life cycle. There is much to be learned in starting from the beginning with a seed. You get to know how the plant looks at each stage in its development, how it responds to variables such as fluctuations in light levels, water, indoor and outdoor temperatures, and fertilizer, and insect damage. With these observations under your belt, you’ll be more confident in your ability to care for the plant as it matures.
2. Short time from seed to harvest for some varieties. Calamondin Orange (also known as Calamansi or Filipino Lime), for example, can start bearing fruit in as little as 2 -3 years from the time it’s planted.
3. Strength and durability. “There are many trials that a seeded plant must go through to survive,” notes the Etsy grower. Plants in the wild need to weather multiple environmental stressors including extreme heat or cold, drought conditions, floods, and insect and animal predation. The individuals with the most genetic resilience are the ones most favored to survive these challenges. Propagating plants from seed takes advantage of this natural self-selection.
4. Large variety to choose from. There’s a long list of citrus that can be reliably seed grown. This means that, if you can get your hands on the fruit – for example, if you can find them at the grocery store, order them online, or bring some home from a tropical vacation – you can save and plant the seeds.
5. Lower potential for introducing disease.Huanglongbing, the bacteria that causes citrus greening, is not transmitted through seeds.
6. Shorter learning curve and less labor. Growing citrus from seed is far simpler than learning to graft and much less work.

The disadvantages of growing from seed

1. Longer wait ‘til harvest. Seed grown trees are naturally going to take longer to bear fruit. It can take as little as 2 years or as long as 10 (or more) years – depending on variety – until your tree starts producing.
2. You may not get what you’re expecting. It’s important to know if the variety you’re growing is true to seed. Citrus that grow true to seed include Calamondin Orange, Persian Sweet Lime, and Key Lime. Other varieties, including kumquats and citrons, have a slimmer chance of bearing fruit that is the same as the parent plant. Meyer Lemon, a hybrid variety, falls into the latter category. However, the grower from Etsy says that 50% of his seed grown Meyer Lemons produce fruit (which is actually much higher than most estimates).

Which method is right for you?

Although there are drawbacks to growing grafted citrus, most trees propagated with this method can live long vigorous lives as long as healthy budstock is used and the process is done correctly.

However, seed grown dwarf trees are definitely worth considering if you’re looking to start an indoor orchard, or just brighten your home with a single plant.

Whether you decide to start your own plants or purchase seedlings at your local nursery (or online), you can enjoy the satisfaction of stewarding these beautiful trees to maturity.

East Nash Greens can help! Check out my selection of dwarf citrus. The current catalog includes Makrut Lime, Key Lime, and Persian Sweet Lime, to name a few.

Is there an indoor fruit tree in your future?

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