Lemons are one of the most useful fruits on the planet. They have a fresh, delicious taste and they improve our health in a number of ways. They are loaded with vitamin C, which is great for our immune system. Lemons are low in calories, high in fiber, and have an impressive nutritional profile.
One peeled lemon contains about:
- 24 calories
- 7.8 grams carbohydrates
- 0.9 gram protein
- 0.3 gram fat
- 2.4 grams dietary fiber
- 44.5 milligrams vitamin C (74 percent DV)
- 116 milligrams potassium (3 percent DV)
- 0.5 milligram iron (3 percent DV)
- 0.1 milligram vitamin B6 (3 percent DV)
Lemons are also rich in folate, magnesium, copper, calcium, thiamin, and pantothenic acid. Dr. Joseph Mercola adds:
“The citric acid in lemons aids in digestion and helps to dissolve kidney stones, while the ascorbic acid is a natural antioxidant that prevents the sailor’s dread — scurvy.
Other antioxidants in lemons include ß-carotenes, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, and vitamin A, which promotes healthy mucous membranes, skin, and vision.
Pantothenic acid and folates, provided by lemons, are compounds needed by the body, but can only be derived from sources outside the body.”
Below you can learn how to grow them at home from a single seed and you will have an endless supply of these healthy fruits!
All you need is the following:
- A lemon
- Potting soil
- Pot/container
- Grow lights or a sunny area
- Breathable plastic film
Instructions:
Put the potting soil into a bucket, and mix it with some water to dampen it. Then, fill the container with it, but make sure you leave an inch of space below the rim. Slice open the lemon and take out a seed. Suck on the seed in order to remove the flesh, but it needs to remain moist. Plant it about a half inch beneath the soil.
Use a watering can of a squirt bottle and water it, but make sure it is not too damp. Next, cover the container with the breathable plastic, and place the pot in a warm and sunny area.
After a week or two, you will notice that it has started sprouting. Remove the plastic cover, and move it to a warm area, but not directly exposed to sunlight. When the lemon tree is young, keep its soil moist at all times, but its container needs to have drainage holes. The lemon tree needs at least eight hours of direct sunlight daily.
When needed, add fertilizer, and transplant it to a larger container as it grows bigger. If it is too big, you can move it in the backyard, balcony, or front porch. Then, just enjoy the amazing taste of your home-grown lemons!
