While the climate in Utah doesn't support the growth of citrus trees outdoors, you can still enjoy them by growing them as an indoor plant. It is easy to start your own plant using an orange, lemon, or grapefruit that you may already have in your kitchen.
Citrus are slow growing, averaging about a foot per year. Indoors, they can reach as much as 10 feet tall with proper care and fertilization. Citrus fruits that are purchased in a grocery store may be hybrids which have been crossbred with other plants to produce the desired fruit taste and texture. As such, they may or may not produce fruit themselves from the seeds, though they will still be an atractive houseplant. If you can find a fruit to start from that is from a local farm, you will have better luck getting a pure seed.
To start your plants, have the citrus fruit on hand, peat pellets (these can be easily found at Home Depot, Lowe's or a nursery), and a tray to hold the pellets (be sure you can add water to the tray).
Remove the seeds from a ripe citrus fruit, and rinse them with water. Place one seed in each of the peat pellets, making sure to cover the seed completely with peat.
Cover your peat pellets with a clear plastic bag, or clear plastic wrap, so they will stay moist and warm. Once the seedlings are showing, remove the plastic and place them in a sunny window, taking care to keep them moist. When the roots have filled the peat pellet, it's time to transplant them to a larger pot. The best way to do this is to add soil to the bottom of a small pot, then add the entire peat pellet, then loosely add soil to cover the sides and to the top of the pellet. Place the pots in a sunny windowsil, or other location where they will get a lot of sun.
To give your transplanted seedlings an added head start, add crushed eggshell or a bit of crushed lime to the pot before planting the seedling. With time and attention your citrus tree, with it's dark shiny leaves and fragrant flowers, will fast become a gorgeous addition to your indoor garden.
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