Steve from your pictures the scion you cut looks real thin thus making a very very smooth and neat graft! How deep do we have to slice the scion bud for it to take? I’ve been worried I haven’t been cutting deep enough so my scion bud ends up kind of thick and doesn’t stay flush with the bark of the rootstock if that makes sense.

In this grafting, about 1/2 the thickness of the twig the bud was cut from.

Steve

Steve will this work, if you want to improve airation?

Highly probable. I have use 1/8 inch diameter steal rod to punch small aeration holes into potted plant soil with good results.

Steve

Up date on growth

Steve

Thanks Steve for posting the grafting that you did. It was clear and easy to follow, so much so that I now feel some confidence to attempt it. (i have done reading about it here and there over the past 6 months but it all seemed so complicated.)

Has anyone had any luck with getting fruit using LED grow lights? I am in Northern Ontario, Canada, so the outdoor growing season is only four months. I brought inside my Meyer, Persian lime, Kumquat and pink variegated lemon trees and put them under LED lights with a south/west window exposure.

An earlier post by someone was negative with the ‘good luck people’ attitude, but I hope for better things. is it really all for nowt?

I got 32 Meiwa kumquats under LED and CFL lighting.

Steve

Steve, do you think Meiwa will do good on their own roots? Everything I see out their internet is grafted, but I want non-grafted plant since my aim is to ultimately make it it a bonsai. Grafts means cannot have a low branch like in a bonsai and also the graft joint always looks different. Also could you tell me the range for leaf size? As I understand, may be wrong, they are less than 1.5inches in size may be tad bit more.

leaf size is small 1-1.5 inches. My Meiwa kumquat trees do very well on their own roots. I find it very difficult to get them to the 10 inch size without a lot of die-off of trees. Lots of light, feed and sterile soil.

Steve

OK thanks. I think I will give it a try. Have to find a plant first. Probably someone on ebay sells cuttings. I have seen regular kumquat cuttings on sale.

tropicofcancer Are you looking to grow fruit from these trees. If not then either Nagami, Meiwa, or Marumi would work fine. Flying dragon wold also make a wicked Bonzai

Steve

I am already training a FD to be the "wicked" bonsai :) I have a small Nagami but it has not grown much - it produces fruits and looks very nice. It is grown from a cutting. I do want them to fruit since it looks a lot better (there is a cuteness factor for a bonsai with fruits). I wanted a fruiting Meiwa to see if it will make a better specimen.

The Meiwa would probably be a little better than the Nagami. Since Marumi is used for rootstock It would probably be the best.. Four winds carries Marumi and you could get rooting material from that and you would have a tree to fruit.

Steve

Looks like everyone (not that many vendors anyway) is out of stock of Marumi. It does sound like a more appropriate plant to try out for a bonsai - thanks. Oh well, will wait till spring.

Kumquats galore

Nutcracker might carry them and they ship some species to the US. i have bought from them before and was impressed by the quality and service.

https://www.nutcrackernursery.com/conclusion.php

kumquat page at Brite leaf

Thanks, Steve. Brite Leaf has rooted cuttings - very helpful. Will wait till they have in stock - probably next year. Also having fun reading the posts on citrusgrowers forum.

Andy: nutcracker seems like a great source to. A bit more expensive and I am guessing shipping from Canada is going to be expensive too. But they do look like a reputable source.

Re: Nutcracker. If you’re in the US, our low Canadian dollar works in your favour. But yes, when I see the prices for citrus in the US, they are cheaper. I have not come across any that will ship to Canada to an individual.

I paid $35 ($26.00 US) for next day shipping across province of a 2-3 foot grapefruit tree. It is to arrive today. I figured I would give myself to a new houseplant challenge. No doubt, I’ll be yanking my hair out in a few months! Haha.