Now that I have learned to grow citrus with no problems I have 3 Poncirus trifoliata of grafting size and 4 sweetlee tangerine trees of vigor that will be graft-able next spring. That's 7 root-stocks that I can graft my twigs from the grafted tree I can purchase. My purchased tree will grow faster by waiting a year and will out grow anything I bought a year earlier. My decision is to not buy a grafted tree and to grow what I have. If it fruits, great If they don't. Well we'll see My from seed Nagami kumquat for grafting to poncirus trifoliata Seed grown Meiwa kumquat tree. The tree fruit I am interested in. To be grafted on to the poncirus trifoliata moots through the Nagami inter-stock. May also go directly to my sweetlee tangerine tree root-stock, Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #1 Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #2 Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #3 Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #4 Seed grown poncirus trifoliata to be grafted on Is posted above . Its in a blue 55 gallon half drum. This completes what I have done and what I have. If I think of anything I'll add on to this thread Steve This post was edited by poncirusguy on Tue, Nov 5, 13 at 18:29

If that type (DTM) info is meaningful then one should definately keep those records. I keep a clipboard of seeding records to maximize on my growing methods. It really helps to look back and determine how to tweek the planting date on a particular variety in order to arrive at the size plant I want at a particular future date. I just happen to note dates I'll pick my first tomatoes, almost always cherry varieties, but I expect those results and I am not willing to take the steps to change them. Its my belief that one can pick a few (just a few) fruits earlier by severely limiting root growth. I've had plants in 6-packs that were never potted up (for plant sales) and they would seem to have ripe fruits (only few) weeks ahead of plants that were potted up. I wouldn't recommend this practice to achieve earlier harvest. There are a few practices which I believe will help a transplant to bloom and produce earlier. Trenching plants (1/2 stem burried) which are a little larger seems to help them recover transplanting stress and they usually bloom sooner, possibly up to 2 weeks sooner than a plant that is planted a week earlier- so you might gain a week. Poor transplant handling or shocking of plants, especially if planting in too cool soil or subjecting to neer freezing temps will usually delay growth and blossoming by serious levels. Those growing plants in pots have that advantage of regulating the plant's environment a bit more.

I’m not familiar with Bengal Beauty, so looked it up on HMF. There is a hedge picture posted there that is spectacular. I will have to keep that one in mind for down the road. Is it fragrant? I’d say my fastest growing has been the noisette, Champney’s Pink Cluster. I bought it as a one gallon own root in the fall of 2014 and put it in the ground spring of 2015. It grew to around 4 ft tall by at least 6 ft wide by end of that season and is now about to start its third season at around 6 ft tall by about 10 ft wide after pruning for shape. Below is a picture of it starting its second year in April of 2016 fully clothed in foliage and starting to bloom…with Marie Van Houtte and Francesca barely beginning to leaf out behind it. (and yes, I strategically & shamelessly plant roses that will become wide at the edge of beds so that my DH will grow frustrated trying to mow around them and enlarge the bed size…with Champney’s the bed has already been extended multiple times to allow for its growing girth). And by early May of 2016, it was doing this…the quantity of blooms during its flushes is a sight to behold:

Sharon, as far as I know, there is no need to have more than one plant in order to produce seeds. Some milkweeds won't produce seeds until their second year.....perhaps that's where that idea came from? Yes, they need stratification. I've not propagated milkweed myself but from all that I've read, cuttings root very readily when basic accepted methods of asexual propagation are followed. In other words, do a bit of research.