Liudmila Rough Lemon, Khatta Nimboo (Big) - 0.5 kg Seeds

Rough Lemon or Khatta Nimboo (Citrus jambhiri) is a vigorous evergreen citrus tree bearing large, rough-skinned, pale-yellow, very sour fruits. It is best known across India as a hardy, fast-growing seedling rootstock for grafting commercial citrus.

Its main use is as a robust, disease-tolerant rootstock that confers vigour and drought tolerance to budded scions, while the acidic fruit is also used for juice, pickles and traditional medicine in homesteads. It is grown throughout the citrus belts of India on light, well-drained soils and is valued for adapting to a wide range of conditions.

• Family: Rutaceae
• Native region: Indian subcontinent / Southeast Asia
• Mature height: 4-6 m
• Growth rate: Moderate to fast

Citrus seed is recalcitrant, so extract fresh seed, wash off the pulp and sow without drying. Soak briefly in water, sow about 1-2 cm deep in a tray of light, well-drained mix and keep warm and moist; germination takes around 21-30 days. The seed is polyembryonic and true-to-type, ideal for rootstock raising; transplant uniform seedlings into bags at the 4-6 leaf stage for later budding.