I recall what the gardener did back home to root citrus plants in my great grandfather's home. They airlayered the plant which is not a bad idea at all. Select a few branches of the tree that are semi-green, scrape back to the green bark, dust it with rooting powder #2, cover it with peat moss, or soilless mixes, and wrap it in perforated clear plastic. The mother plant will continue to provide the branch nutrition and water but the branch will develop its own roots. When it finally shows a strong root system, cut the branch and plant it out. Or you can buy a air rooting device from Lee Valley Tools.

Some lemons root quite easily. You'll have to do your homework on the best time of year though. I would think late spring on last season's growth?

But spring has passed and i dont want to wait!

If i take the cutting now, do you think it will root?

I really dont want to be bothered with air layering.

If you want to have a new tree from that branch, go with air layering. It's really easy and has the highest success rate. It doesn't even force you to use rooting hormone!

Cutting and then hoping to root, success is much less likely, especially because it is a new branch (it tends to rot/die fast).

I FORGOT TO SAY THAT THIS WORKS FOR CITRUS TREES TOO

Steve, that would be ground layering. Sort of a subtle difference. Usually with air layers, one uses sphagnum moss or a very light medium.

Agree with Dave, ground/tip layering is slightly different from air layering/marcotting. The former works very well for certain vines like raspberries and blackberries, while the latter has long been used on lots of tropicals (mangoes, citrus, sapote). I did a Persian Lime air layer back in May which rooted very well, its potting up and pushing new growth now. I used regular potting mix for that one though.

How long does an air layered branch take to root?

it will root faster than a cutting, because all the leaves are kept on the branch.

Another vote for cuttings being a waste of time. If you don't have experience, a 1 in 10 success ratio is optimistic.

There is the issue of mold, drying out, trying to grow with no roots, and rot. Air layering is much more forgiving.

how long? hard to say. a month? maybe more.. Is this an indoor plant in your zone? If so, I suggest you start now and let it be til next spring.

Don't knock rooting by cuttings. While I like airlayering, I also do ground layering and rooting by cuttings. If one has no experience, it is more the reason to try it out. My first foray into cuttings were not too successful but I now know what to do and I enjoy the process of learning and enjoy the results.

Pray tell ianna, what is it that you now know what to do that has increased your success with cuttings?

I'v had success rooting Ponderosa lemon. 6-inch cutting with only two leaves left on. Wood was semi-hard. Kept in 'just-moist' potting soil in a pot within a baggy. Can't remember the time of year I took it. Probably in summer from some trimmings and it probably took at least 3 months to root.

I have also done Citrandarin cuttings taken from late winter growth (last season's) and stuck in a large plastic container under a shrub. This way they get the summer heat and high humidity conducive to root formation. I did use rooting hormone. Most were rooted by the end of the summer.

It is important to remove all but 2 or 3 leaves to reduce transpiration. And large leaves can be cut in half.

Bahama - first to use semi-greenwood cuttings. Growth hormones. Second to have a large number of cuttings in separate containers so if anything dies off, you still have suriving plants. Top layering with sand to prevent fungal growth. High humidity with good aeration. Sterile potting mix/sand mix. water from the bottom. And lots of patience. Semi shade location. Done late spring or early summer. Ive done this for boxwood and hydrangeas among other plants. I rather enjoy the experience of asking for cuttings or simply getting cuttings from local parks that I can replicate at home.

In the tropics though I just would stick twigs such as hibiscus in the soil. But then tropical plants root easily. Except Jasmines which we used to airlayer too.

The overriding issue, no matter what method you use, is that you lose the resistance of a grafted rootstock. In general, rooted cuttings have a weaker root, in particular Meyers and variegated cuttings. If you are going to grow your new tree in a container, it is not so important; but if you are going to plant it in the ground, better to go with a tested and resistant rootstock and a grafted tree.

The OP is in Georgia zone 7B. Very unlikely he will put these in the ground.

Im actually in Arkansas and it definetly will not go in the ground.

I think im going to try the air layering technique by just sticking sphagnum moss around the stem covered by foil and try my luck.

tlbean - don't use foil. Instead use plastic (perforated plastic so there's oxygen). I've used clear plastic bags but most nurseries back home used black bags (like garbage bags). Good luck.

Agree with the clear plastic recommendation. Foil can be used on top of that to reduce direct sun heating up the ball of medium while the branch is trying to root if that's an issue, but you want to cover the growing medium itself with plastic.

I think that getting a grafted tree is much better even if it is container grown. I would look for a tree grafted to a rootstock that boasted resistance to wet feet and root rot problems, It is in the winter that many people have their problems with to much/little water. I live in Cincinnati, zone 6, OH and my best 2 trees are in ground planted. My best on put on 60-80 feet of twig growth between October 2014 and May 2015. These trees are under glass in winter

A ground layering Meyer lemon, 2 weeks rooting.

Kuharske Kitrange cutting at 6 weeks in sand/soil. No sing of roots yet.

The Kuharske Citrange on the right "above" has started growing. I don't know if roots are growing but I will find out in a month

Thanks Steve! I wish i had of started when i first wrote this post, then i might have had roots by now. I think i will try both air layering and a cutting. Hopefully i will get to it this weekend. I have been so busy and lazy lately.

You can do cutting any time of the year but you will have to supply heat to keep the rooting area around 80F or warmer to do well. Right now I have my blinds open for sun in my isolated sun room. This will be good for another 2 weeks at best..