As many of you are aware, last winter Rita Singer germinated some Etrog seeds taken from our Sukkot etrogim. After a weeks’ long stay in the refrigerator, the seeds sprouted and Rita planted them in pots. The seeds spent the summer outdoors and eventually found their way to their permanent home-Shomrei.

For the last several months, the seedlings have been planted on the window sill in the lobby. They would prefer to be outside, but with no one to keep watch over them and the threat of voracious squirrels and indiscriminate deer, they are safer indoors.

Despite the lack of fresh air and direct sunshine, the sprouted have grown taller and in the next few weeks will be transplanted to larger pots.

According to my research, etrog trees do not need to be pollinated and will fruit in four to seven years.

So, maybe by 2021 or so, Shomrei will be using homegrown etrogim in our sukkah.

At any rate, even if the trees never give us fruit, it is fascinating to watch. Check out the window and our little trees.

And when you are finished with this year’s etrog, leave it at Shomrei where we will try to sprout some additional baby trees for the preschool and make jam and other goodies out of this fruit that much of the world knows as a citron and can be found in fruitcake.

Image:  “Etrog, sliced open” © Rachel Barenblat used with permission via Creative Commons License