Hi Mike, What else can I explain to you because you seem to understand. I think the concept need's to be taken within reason. Total number of nodes or perhaps total number of contiguous nodes which would amount to a certain vegetative size or mass likely has to be fulfilled too. I think that idea of contiguous branching is the missing element in pushing a juvenile into fruiting. That could explain why some seedling citrus become vegetative giants in a tropical greenhouse without going mature. They have many contiguous nodes from unstressed growth but little contiguous branching from unstressed growth. Start stressing a highly vegetative tropical greehouse juvenile with some repeated droughts and it will often go fruiting. The drought stress kills the tip and new growth will be contiguous branching which seem's to follow a idea of contiguous branching being a factor. All I have ever read on the subject is that abstract which I found in a Google search several years ago. However it made perfect sense and my first trial a contiguous branching pruning seemed to work. I welcome you to buy that article and read it.

Actually, variegated citrus do appreciate a little respite from strong afternoon sun. You'll know if your variegated citrus is suffering, as it will appear sunburnt. If your tree is in a container, simply place it where it will get some shade during the hottest hours of the day. Regular citrus prefer as much sun as they can receive, but will manage pretty darned well even with a fair amount of shade. Citrus are very adaptable trees. Patty S.

I suspect this is Swietenia mahagoni, West Indian Mahogany.

Wait until your Spring, when both your tree and the rootstock are actively growing. Ask your local nurseryman for a good rootstock for your area; get 10; then do 10 T-buds or chip buds; and if you do them carefully, you should get at least 2 or 3 to take. When they are strong and growing well, I would take out the old tree or leave it and put the new tree(s) in another place. You can prune the old tree quite heavily, if you want to save it; as long as the trunk is solid and healthy; it will grow new shoots. BTW, one of the reasons the oranges from the old tree taste so good is the age of the tree; the new grafted trees should produce fruit in a year or two and they will be "clones" of the existing tree. Be warned, though... fruits from the new trees may not taste as good for a few years.