Every day we eat great food, but have you ever wondered how to grow them yourself? Lemons are great to put in drinks, on seafood or maybe even to enhance the flavor of a sweet treat. You could go and buy your own but that would no fun! If you want to grow a lemon tree yourself, you just have to follow some simple steps.

All you busy Moms and Dads don’t have time to get a special type of soil or put a slit in a seed just right. This is a great project to do with your kids and they will love watching the plant grow. Simply take a lemon and use it for whatever you like and save the seeds. Put them on a paper towel, so you can let them dry or use them while they are still wet.

Use your fingernail or a pocket knife and peel off the outer layer to get to the smooth seed inside. Try to get ones that aren’t cut or sliced in half. Dry them and put on a moist paper towel and fold it up. Then put this in a sealed plastic bag. Place the bag in a dark, cool place for two weeks. I put mine in a drawer, but you can put them on top of the fridge or in a box. You may want to check the paper towel because it can get moldy. If so, just switch it out with a new moist one, putting the seeds back inside.

After some time, there should be a root sticking out the bottom of each seed. Take a small container filled with potting soil (also put holes in the bottom), such as a plastic water bottle with the top cut off. Put the seed, root down, in the soil. Water it and put in a sunny spot. And don’t forget to water when the soil looks dry!

Your kids will love watching it sprout up. The leaves will look shiny and feel almost like plastic! After a few months, take in out of the container and loosen the roots. Put it in a big pot full of soil, then water that and you are all set! After a few years, it will start to produce fruit, but they will be small at first. Then after a few more years, the fruit will be a regular size. It is great for presenting on a deck or porch.

If you have a freezing winter, bring your plant inside. Try to give it some sunlight by putting in a window or even a grow lamp. And when your friends say, “Wow! I love that lemon plant, where did you get it?” You can say, “I grew it myself!” You see? It may take a long time for you to get fruit, but in the end, it is well worth the wait. You may have it for years and years to come. And you will know you raised it from a small seed to a great big plant!