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Salvaging old frozen citrus trees

18 years ago

I have two citrus trees in my yard, both are healthy and vigorous but both are victims of bad freezes five years ago.

The front yard tree is (or rather was) a kumquat. I think the back yard tree was a Parson's Brown. Both are producing branches and thorns prodigiously.

Question: can I use either or both as root stock and graft onto them? The trunks of both are about four inches, I've pruned the former kumquat down to about 4 ft. (and it's got maybe 20 new limbs shooting up already).

Both trees were my parents' who've now passed on, if I can salvage them I'd like to. Have been reading up on grafting, don't need instructions, just wondering what is the feasibility of salvaging long-ago frozen tree stock? Many thanks in advance.

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Comments (3)

Laaz
18 years ago
You can indeed salvage them. MrTexas has a page on top working older citrus tree's.

Here is a link that might be useful: MrTexas
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citrange2
18 years ago
If you've still got 4ft of trunk left, then you've probably still got a kumquat. Can you see any sign of the original grafting point? It's unusual to graft or bud as high as 4ft although not impossible. So your new shoots (unless they are all from low down on the trunk) could well be kumquat and, if so, should flower and fruit in a couple of years. Check the leaf shape. Thorns don't always mean the rootstock has taken over. Fast growing shoots after heavy pruning can also be thorny.
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softmentor
18 years ago
By all means do a graft. With good roots it won't be long until that graft is growing good fruit. With older rootstock you have to be sure to give the graft time to grow strong. Just remember, once you start geting good growth on that grafted part, the graft it's self will still not be that strong. As the graft gets new growth, prune it back at least 3 times to half or less of its length. This will help build a stronger limb and graft. Even the second year, when you are likely to get some fruit to set, be careful not to let to much fruit stay on the limb so the weight doesn't pull the grafted wood off the tree.
By the third year, you should have a wonderful tree of your grafted variety.
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