Finally SUCESS!

12 years ago

Hello everyone,

I know it has been a hile since I was active on this forum. I want you all to know that I truly love my citrus and this forum. I dissapeared for a short time due to some health issues...bad back pain, sick with a terrible cold, but I'm back!

A while back I bought 3 citrus from Four Winds. Variegated Pink Lemon, Kishu and Page Mandarin. Sadly, I wasn't prepared for them. I didn't have the gritty mix for them, and it looks like I may lose the Kishu and Page. Page looks much better and may pull thru.

The Variegated Pink Lemon was the champ. I actually pruned this tree, shortening 2 of the main branches to get them to branch out for me.

I did this gradually, pruning one branch a few weeks ago, and the other last night. The 1st branch I dipped into a powder root hormone, and I planted it into a small 4 in terra cotta pot. I then put a small zip lock sandwhich bad over the whole pot and then I put that onto my plant table with my 600 watt HPS light.

Within a week, that cutting was showing vegatative growth, but I knew better. I knew it wasn't rooting yet, so thinking it was best to keep energy directed to the developing roots, I removed that growth. Last night, I decided to play peek a boo(LMAO...not something I would ever recommend as I could have broken any of the fragile developing roots.). When I pulled out the cutting, I found several tiny baby roots!

Today I am thinking I will remove a branch from my Page and Kishu mandarin, and hopefully I can get these too also root.

I think Mike may have been on to something here. He had told me a while back thathe had found that citrus that are rooted grow much better than citrus on another root stock. I wonder what the reasoning is behind that??

Andrew

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Comments (8)

mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
12 years ago
Andrew

Im glad to here your health is better. That is great about your cutting. Are you sure its over for the Page and Kishu.

maybe they prefer it because its like wearing someone elses shoes, they may fit but it just doesnt feel right.

Mike
meyermike_1micha
12 years ago
Wow. Great point Mike !

Andrew!! Yahoo is what I have to say and congrats!!!!
I am using my cell phone to post this I was so excited you buddy!
Ok. I will add more later on my computer.
I am in pain too. So I sympathize with you.
Please take good care and don't disappear like thath again!
By the way. 89 degrees by Monday here and I had ice on my windshield this morning. Crazy

Mike
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lgteacher
12 years ago
Citrus trees you buy in nurseries are almost always grafts - the rootstock in used for its disease resistance, and the scion is valued for its flavor. Your cutting may grow into a wonderful tree and not get a disease, but it is more risky. It's a great experiment, though, and part of the fun of gardening.
Randy31513
12 years ago
I always wanted a Page but that meant getting another pollinator so I have passed on it for the time being.

Ouch, I know what you mean about back ache. Glad you are feeling better. Walk-walk-walk is my best suggestion.
meyermike_1micha
12 years ago
I don't get that. I thought potted trees and ground ones were two different worlds. What disease are we to worry about if in s pot on its own roots ?
I have trees on their own roots I have been growing for years in pots that have never croaked.
I have had many on root stock croak or expire for no reason at all over time.
I can understand why they graft to guard against disease on ground ones, but if in sterile soilles mixes, would a disease still hd sway on roooted cuttings?

Thanks

Mike:)
johnmerr
12 years ago
The rootstock is not so important in the sterile and daily attention world of containers; it makes a big difference in the "real" world of commercial production. As for growth rate, I would put my trees on Macrophylla rootstock against any "naturally rooted" trees; but Macrophylla is a bit aggressive for container growing... it may even prove to be too aggressive for field trees; we are still in the realm of experimental production here, but I honestly believe we are in the vanguard of the future.
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
12 years ago
You're right, Mike. Potted versus in-ground citrus are two different citrus worlds. lgteacher is thinking like a Californian, like I would - we do just about everything in the ground, and what they are saying is absolutely true for in-ground citrus. In a container however, it won't matter, especially if you're using a container mix as all of you with successful container citrus do. Both rooted cuttings and seedlings will do just fine on their own roots in a container. I have to always remember to check the post to see if the poster is a container citrus person, or an in-ground container person :-)

Patty S.
Andrew Scott
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi Patty,
Sorry about that. I should have said that I grow potted citrus...it is important for this forum, especially.

Hi Mike,
Well I agree with you 100% I think citrus grown from cuttings are much MUCH easier to grow for potted citrus versus grafted citrus. IMO, the rootstock seems to be the detriment to the tree. I am hoping that I don't lose either Page or Kishu. Kishu has a total of 3 leaves and that's it. The root stock wants to grow which I know is a bad sign. My Page is a diffrent story. I think it will pull thru.

Sadly I think I have lost yet another Navel...*sigh* :( I just don't get it. On a happier note, my Meyer looks like it will pull thru it's funk. I think it just resented being moved from the outdoors to the indoors.

My Carrie mango has my VERY EXCITED! It is loaded with buds and they have started opening now. I have all ready counted a bunch of female flowers. Mango is supposed to be self fertile so hopefully they will grow full sized fruits. This is the best B-day gift(plantwise..LOL!) I could have had this year!

I also wanted to tell you that I bought another fruit bush...BLUE BERRIES! I have always liked the fruits but there OUTRAGEOUS to buy in the stores. I picked up 3 nice sized blue berries from Home Depot. They were on sale from $7.99 to 3/ $12.00 so I got 3 yesterday.1 Northland and 2 Chippewa. It's recommended to have 2 diffrent varieties for the best crops. I am going to plant these in pots. I am also looking for 1 more the 'Pink Lemonmade' blue berry. This I don't know too much about except for the fact that the fruits are this awesome pink color.

Well take care, and I will post here more often. Right now I have some sort of chest cold so I may not be here a lot over the next few days.

Andrew

Finally SUCESS!

Comments (8)

mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma

meyermike_1micha

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Finally SUCESS!

Comments (8)

mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma

meyermike_1micha

Related Discussions

lgteacher

Randy31513

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Andrew Scott
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