Kaffir lime grafts from store bought twigs
Wanted to share with you pictures of my bud grafting practice with twigs of kaffir lime, in the grocery store they were labelled as "lemon leaves", but that was not an accurate description. After buying them I washed and sanitized them and left them in warm water overnight. On January 25 I bud grafted them on to my " guinea pig " orange seedling rootstock that has had some failed grafts in the past, but is still alive. Did not attempt to root any cuttings from them. Here are the pictures:
Here are the pictures of the grafts on February 07:
I did not have any other rootstock ready at that time, will post updated pictures soon.
Comments (44)
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Kaffir Lime Leaves
Comments (5)Hi Gloria, not too sure. I'll try to check on some of the recent prices at my local markets. I have a large 15+ years old tree so I don't really buy any. It would probably depend on your area. But I remember a time when just a handful of kaffir lime leaves used to be 3-4 dollars. I used to help my grandma stripped clean the leaves of her kaffir lime and she would sell them to the local supermarkets. Now these days, its so easily available though in my area. I know of Thai chefs that would swear that seedling kaffir limes produces much more fragrant leaves while the grafted one had less scent. I couldn't tell the difference. Which one do you have?...See MoreHow do I grow my kaffir lime tree main stem (dwarf variety)
Comments (3)if you can post a picture that would help with and assessment. I couple of ideas that come to mind would be this the tree will naturally try and grow upright so you could leave it be and see if a new branch tries to become the new leader. You could train the branch you have left to be the new leader by using the techniques that bonsai growers use. I had an off balance meyer that I tied one branch off to the pot to pull it the direction I wanted it to grow. After a couple of months it kept that direction on its own You could "pug" it meaning cutting the whole tree off, ABOVE THE GRAFT and let the new branches that will grow form the new canopy. the main trunk will most likely flush new growth at or just below the cut and will grow vertically again if it doesnt die off. Give it some good fertilizer and wait it out. Mike...See MoreKaffir Lime Tree - leaf problem
Comments (8)As mentioned above, leafminer larvae tunnel through leaf tissue, leaving unsightly trails. It is unslightly, but basically non treatening. And since you use the leaf, and not the fruit, do not use any chemical poisons. In fact, it is suggested not to use any chemicals on any citrus. I sometimes get leafminers on my basil plants, and I just discard the unslightly leafs. Leafminers have lots of natural enemies, including hummingbirds and parasitic wasp. It is suggested that regular spraying of fish, seaweed, molasses, and garlic helps to repel these pests. However, citrus, unlike lots of other herbs, generally do not benefit from pruning. However, you might want to check out Texas Citrus Pruning. Also since kaffir limes are hardy to zones 10 to 11, and you are in 9, as am I, then I wouldn't bother bringing it in unless the temperatures are going to drop below 45 degrees or so for an extended period of time. Last year, even with 6" of snow, the only things that I lost were my basils and one Mexican Key Lime, which came back this spring. Here is a little bit of information on the Kaffir Lime: Kaffir Lime Citrus hystrix, c. papedia: Family: Rutaceae (Citrus) Zones 10 - 11. All citrus trees are native to SE Asia. Small shrubby perennial trees, 10-16 feet with sharp spikes and unusual double leaves. It needs well drained soil and direct sunlight. Scent is a cross between lime, orange and lemon. Fruit has a rough knobby surface and thick skin. The outer rind is generally the only part of the fruit used if used at all. The Kaffir lime is quite hardy and easily grown in full sun in a container or well-drained position in the garden. In fact the hotter the spot the better. Like all citrus, feed with a good all purpose fertilizer in spring and donÂt forget to give your kaffir lime a little bit of a feed in winter to help it put out a fantastic spring flush of growth. When you notice a yellowing of the leaves, it might be chlorosis, but not iron, but rather zinc. IÂve been told by a owner of a citrus farm in the Valley that generally citrus that get chlorosis generally need zinc, then manganese, and then if these two donÂt work, try iron as a last substitute. Culinary: Their leaves, zest, and juice are used in Thai, Cambodian, and Indonesian cooking. It is used in Thai dishes, from soups and salads to curries and stir-fried dishes. They are the ingredient that blends marvelously with lemon grass and lime juice in soups....See MoreStore-bought fruit grafting questions for grafting experts here.
Comments (25)Kelley, the hardest part to all the grafts - that one included - was cutting pieces that fit. It’s like creating a little jigsaw puzzle with pieces of wood in a hurry. I only used that one on one because it was the only seedling that was actively growing. It was not more difficult than the others I think. In a way, once I got it to fit in, it was easier to tape up. The Teflon tape worked, but was hard to keep from wrinkling up. I’m interested to feel the difference between that and the grafting tape. Once I get it, I may graft a branch of my ST that is alive, but has been broken and is dangling. When I take the tree out, I’m sure it will snap off, so why not try to I graft it onto another lemon seedling.... I’m on a roll...;)...See Moresunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Amy (montreal, canada)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years ago
Laura LaRosa (7b)
6 years agoSunshine, I just lucked out at Trader Joe’s and found some delicious mandarins with lots of fresh twigs attached. I removed the leaves and am soaking them right now. How do you disinfect them? I am lost now. What type of grafting do you do with yours? Also, the only rootstocks I have are unknown lemons or calamondin. Will any of those work? I can graft onto my other trees, but was more interested in creating a tree, not a mix. Any help you guys can give would be appreciated!
sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
6 years ago
devsense
6 years ago
Vladimir (Zone 5b Massachusetts)
6 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agoJust an update on the above mentioned grafts, this is how they look as of today:
The last one is budding out.
sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years ago
nikthegreek
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years ago
PROHome
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoHow are your grafts coming sunshine? We have summer weather hitting us this weekend and everyone seems happy with the warmth! I hope your grafts start growing out soon for you
I checked on my twig cuttings today and am happy to say they have not died on me yet. In fact, I saw the front twig pushing new growth. Huzzzah!!!
Laura LaRosa (7b)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agoSpeaking of weather, as I am writing this, the wind, the snow mix with freezing rain are going crazy outside my window. Winter is back, in April :(( According to the weather man, we are not going to see sunshine for more than a week. This is outside my window right now, -4C feeling like -11C, winds 90 km/h :
sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years agosunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years ago
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