How to Propagate Kaffir Limes

Select one or more very ripe kaffir limes or purchase seeds from a catalog or online source. Cut fruit in half and squeeze each half over a strainer to catch the seeds.

Rinse the pulp from your seeds by running the strainer under room temperature water and swishing the seeds around gently with your fingertips.

Dry seeds for one to two weeks on a screen in a warm, dry, dark, well-ventilated place.

Mix about 1/2 cup of vermiculite, sand and moist peat moss with each quart of all-purpose potting soil. Fill small pots with this mixture and moisten well.

Plant seeds 1.2 inch deep and 1 inch apart. Cover pots with plastic wrap, into which you have pierced several holes with a pin or sharp knife tip.

Keep your seeded pots in a warm, sunny area where the temperature remains at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Remove the plastic wrap every day and water your seeded pots to maintain moist soil. Leave the plastic wrap off after germination occurs, two to three weeks after you plant the seeds.

Transplant seedlings to larger pots when they grow to 2 or 3 inches tall, using standard potting soil. Water once a week, thoroughly soaking the soil but allowing it to dry between waterings.

Fertilize your seedlings when they are three months old. Use a special fertilizer formulated for citrus trees and follow product instructions for correct mixing and application.