Citrus from pips

[gardenmusic]

I have been reading that growing a grapefruit from pip is fairly quick.
I want to donate to a charity fair (Christmas - sorry, but I need your expertise!)
I was wondering if I plant a few citrus pips now, will I have a decent houseplant by early Dec? Not seeking fruit, of course, just a plant. Or 50.
Donations must be grown or made, and I am not dexterous!
Thanks in advance.

They do germinate fairly quickly, but won't grow fast enough to look like a decent houseplant by then.

haddockfortea,

Thank you,
Back to the chocolate santa sleighs!

If you buy a spider plant now you might have quite a few pups you could pot up by then.

Maybe start some citrus now anyway.

Thank you Errol, would spider plants be OK in the greenhouse (South East with a south facing garden?)
I have put in a few lemon, grapefruit, satsuma and lime pips - they are on kitchen window sill at present, but intended for greenhouse, for next year's fete - hoping they will be big enough by then.

I'm not sure, I've only done spider plants indoors.

Spider plants don't like greenhouses - it is too bright for them. Pomegranate seeds grow quickly and might be worth a try. They are very happy in a greenhouse. (Take off the pulp from around the seed before planting), although they do lose their leaves in winter. Rosemary propagates easily and is good for winter roast potatoes.

Daisies, Thank you.
I have a massive rosemary, I can only cut a little back as a hedgehog lives in it!
It's a bit of a mess, because I cannot get to the centre to remove a bramble - have to cut it with my long loppers every now and then, but that does not solve the problem. The birds like the fruit, though, and I have seen a little mouse climbing up a stem.

@gardenmusic are you sure it is a rosemary? It won't normally have any fruit.

I git caught by that It’s the bramble fruit she’s talking about!

Snort! Yes, it's the bramble fruit. I feel a right slummock having it growing in the middle of my Rosemary, but apart from snipping bits off with my long loppers, I can't do much about it.

Ah get it now 😂

Thank you for being so sweet about it, though, you put it very gently!

if you take cuttings they would take a couple months (at least) to grow roots and start growing.

things that grow relatively quickly from cuttings

• spider plants
• zz plants
• sansiveria
• devil's ivy
• christmas/easter cactus

from seed maybe a fancy chilli or ornamental solanum.

should be doable for christmas

bluecomputerscreen,

Many thanks for the suggestions, off to google...

or salad leaves or herbs
those tend to grow quickly

bluecomputerscreen,
Thank you - I grow the salad leaves most of the year, but not sure I'd do them for the fate.
You gave me a good idea, though, I have several massive jade plants, I could get good size plants from those if I start now.