sorry it is up side down. I even tried uploading it upside down to see if it would be right side up but apparently it wants to be like this.

I have another question. Can I take the branches I will cut off and root them and graft other citrus to the top of them?

Not necessarily. That does not look like a graft line to me. If you can get a better photo, more clear, better resolution and exposure, and the tree out of the pot, we might be able to help you ID the graft line. I would not do any pruning as of yet until you can post better photos (and not upside down).

Patty S.

Well I read that after I finished chopping off half the tree. I am fairly certain that was the graft. Either way the tree looks a lot better now. I also took out some of the potting soil so it is no longer buried to deep

I copied the photo to my desktop, opened it, turned it right side up, and expanded it. I agree with Patty that the branches all appeared to be Meyer; but I guess it is too late to debate that. Not to worry; the pruning will encourage more growth if you take good care of the tree; and if you like the shape better now that is a bonus.

There are some branches that I would have saved but whatever. I wonder where the graft line is then because it is supposed to be a dwarf. Do you guys think I should stake it? How do you think I should train it because I really want a small tree. Thanks!

Here is a little better picture

You've done well, Grasshopper; it looks good. I would paint the trunk white to help protect it; cheap white latex paint diluted 1 to 1 with water. No need for a stake; the tree will support itself; and Meyers are small trees and smaller still on dwarfing rootstock. If it is on dwarfing rootstock, it is definitely grafted. I would dig down carefully to see if you can find an obvious bud or graft union; if you get to the root crown/flare, go no further; if you find a bud/graft union, you have to raise the tree to keep that union above ground.

I would leave it in that pot until Spring and then move it to a larger pot and change the soil type if you wish.

What John said :-) If the pot is large enough, it can stay in the pot until spring. If you're finding that the water is just running through the pot (a sign it might be rootbound), then I would pot up now, using a very well draining potting mix (you can make up your own, and good suggestions abound on this forum).

Patty S.

If we can count on the tag being original, it originally came from LaVerne Nursery even though it has a different "brand" name on it.

Depending on what part of the country you live in, it may or may not be grafted. You don't say where you live.

Around here outside the citrus belt (Virginia), many big box store Meyer lemons that I've seen are raised from cuttings. Since lemons grow quite easily from cuttings, they are often propagated that way -- for the northern customers, anyway.

Dave,

He said it was a dwarf... you cannot get a dwarf from a rooted cutting. You are correct in saying that in many parts of the country citrus are commonly propagated from rooted cuttings; but that process will NEVER get you a dwarf or semi-dwarf tree.

Sorry for not saying where I am. I am in Southern California. This tree is also going in to the ground not staying in a pot. I do plan on planting it immediately. It is extremely rare to get cold enough to damage citrus even new ones but if it is looking like it will I will cover it in frost blanket. I am pretty sure it is the original tag; the pot even says dwarf lemon so I am assuming it is. I have dug down to see if it is grafted and there is nothing that even resembles a graft line except for the original one I was talking about. It was buried too deep so I pulled out the excess soil. That does seem like a high graft line though. And I also don't think it would branch right after the graft though it is very possible it did.

Here is a semi decent picture of the graft line. Of course I remember to take pictures after it was already dark.

Do any of you guys use rock dust on citrus? There is a youtube video that I frequently watch that seems to get great results with rock dust. I have some coming in the mail so I thought I would use it when I plant this tree but I was wondering if any of you guys have used it on your trees and what your results were. I also want to know what your guys' opinions on amending the soil when you plant the tree.

I got the tree planted in the ground. When I planted it I used quite a bit of rock dust and fertilized. I took all of the old soil off the roots. It was really root bound and in a mediocre mix.

How is every single one of my pictures the wrong direction?

Reptile....

Not important... even a bad photo is better than no photo.
For those of us who try to help, it is not so difficult to look at it sideways; or to copy it to our desktop, rotate it, expand it....
I think with the care you are giving your tree, you will be successful and be rewarded with many fruits to enjoy and share with your friends.

Thank you! I am still wondering what other people's experiences with using rock dust on citrus is. It obviously wont hurt but I am wondering how much good it actually will do.

Johnmerr,

Do you believe every tag you see at Home Depot? LOL!
Marketers can call these anything they want. Although one would hope the tag was correct.

Improved Meyer Lemon is considered a rather small tree by Citrus standards, isn't it? So to market to the masses one might call them 'dwarf' or 'semi-dwarf'. Compared to a regular Lemon (Lisbon or Eureka) it's smaller isn't it?

Certainly if any of the leaves on the parts removed were trifoliate, then it would have been grafted to a dwarfing rootstock. Not sure what other dwarfing rootstocks are used in CA. Palestine Sweet lime? Cuban Shaddock?

Dave,
Trifoliate is not an indicator of dwarf in rootstock; it is an indicator or Poncirus. A number of Poncirus varieties are used for rootstock to impart resistance to various factors. To my knowledge the only trifoliate that is dwarfing is the variety known as Flying Dragon. FD is used for that purpose by some nurseries in California. Cuban Shaddock, which is the primary rootstock of Four Winds Growers, is a type of pomelo and does not have trifoliate leaves.

In answer to your first question I have little or no faith in big box store labels; but they often leave the nursery tree tag on the tree and I tend to believe that more. And yes, the Meyer is a smaller, bushier tree than the ELB's by nature; but the industry would not generally refer to them as semi-dwarf or dwarf. (ELB = Eureka, Lisbon, Berna, the three most widely traded "lemons", meaning yellow in English, in the world. I refer to them as the ELB's as the consumer in general cannot or does not distinguish among them.)

Here is California, I've never seen Improved Meyer Lemon on a trifoliate rootstock. I don't believe they are compatible (John, what do your Texas A&M gurus say?) I have only seen IML on either its own roots, or on Macrophylla (John's choice, and for his area, soil, climate, a perfect choice), or on Yuma Ponderosa (which most feel is the same as Cuban Shaddock, a lemon/pommelo hybrid) or on Rough Lemon. The IMP is naturally bush-like and somewhat more compact that other citrus, although on a more vigorous rootstock like Macrophylla, they will get sizable. I had a nice "discussion" with my HD about their labels stating "dwarf", which really should only be given to trees grafted on 'Flying Dragon' trifoliate, which is a more rare find here in California. They told me to take it up with the grower (which I think was Duarte) and I did :-) It is a bit misleading.

Your photos are sideways I bet because you're using an iPhone? There is an issue with the photos not being "read" correctly by a pc. I often have the same issue when I take a photo with the phone in the vertical position. I just open them in a photo editing program, make sure they're rotated properly, then save them back to the computer. That does it. Or, take the photo with the phone in the horizontal position.

Patty S.

So do you think this is not a dwarf? That kinda sucks but its a little late now. What happened with the grower?

I am using an iphone to take pictures horizontally but my mac is doing something weird when i upload them. I will try to. straighten them out

Patty,

I have found the most common rootstocks for IML in California are Cuban Shaddock (Four Winds), Flying Dragon, which is a trifoliate Poncirus var., Sour orange, Carrizo, and a few on Macrophylla; but you normally have to special order the IML if you want it on Macrophylla.