How to Grow Tangelo Seeds

Tangelos, a hybrid of mandarin orange and grapefruit, are oblong in shape and look like oranges. They are juicy with less pulp than regular oranges and can be eaten fresh off the tree or used in salads and cooked dishes. You can grow your own tangelo tree by saving the seeds from a fruit and planting them into pots. These trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 8 through 10. Gardeners living below Zone 8 can grow tangelos indoors.

Coffee filter

4-inch pot

Potting soil

Bowl

Paper towel

Shallow container

Drainage rack

Clear plastic

Place a coffee filter at the bottom of a 4-inch pot. Fill the pot with potting soil to within 1/4 inch of the rim. Lightly press on the top of the soil with your fingers to firm it. Fill one pot for each seed you want to plant.

Fill a bowl with water. Remove the seeds from the tangelo orange and place them into the water. Wash the seeds to remove the pulp.

Dry the tangelo seeds on a paper towel and then place one into the center of each pot.

Push the seed below the soil, about 1/3 inch deep, with your finger. Backfill the hole with soil to cover the seed and lightly firm the soil in place.

Fill a shallow container, like dishpan, with 3 inches of water and place the pots in the water. Allow the pots to soak until the top of the soil is visibly moist.

Remove the pots to a drainage rack so the extra water can drain away.

Cover the pots with clear plastic and place them in a warm, bright location. Don't place them in direct sunlight, this will be too hot for germination.

Check the soil every day for moisture. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. It can take two to eight weeks for the seeds to germinate. Remove the plastic when the seeds have germinated.

Transplant the tangelos into a 6-inch pot when there are three sets of true leaves.