Hello,

I bought a mandarin orange plant and a grapefruit plant in the summer.
Unfortunately when I went away, they were either over watered or under
watered, because when I came back, they dropped their leaves. After a
little dormant period, they have started to shoot again. I looked
closer today and see that they are shooting from the bottom of the
"trunk".

Now I should explain that I am new to all this (if that wasn't obvious
already). Three quarters of the way up the trunk there is a faint
diagonal line, so I am wondering if this is the graft? I have read
some books and they say when repotting citrus, to make sure the graft
is above soil level. Reading that made me think the graft was quite
low, so I'm not sure; these are a foot high. Does the graft rise as
the plant grows?

I know apples for example are grafted. I hadn't realised citrus was.
The thing is, these new shoots are below, what I think may be the
graft. Without waiting months for them to flower and fruit, do you
think that what I am growing is not what I am expecting? What are
citrus grafted onto (and why?).

Is this the best place to ask citrus questions? I saw a couple of UK
gardening groups in Usenet but this seemed the biggest. I thought I
would ask here before posting to the international rec.gardening
group. I visited yahoo groups but that found 120 groups matching
"citrus" though most seemed to have nothing to do with fruit! The ones
that did had only 5-7 members!

Thanks for your help.

stephen wrote in message
I bought a mandarin orange plant and a grapefruit plant in the summer.
Unfortunately when I went away, they were either over watered or under
watered, because when I came back, they dropped their leaves. After a
little dormant period, they have started to shoot again. I looked
closer today and see that they are shooting from the bottom of the
"trunk".

Most likely overwatering, they can't take wet roots at all. Did you repot
afterwards? Probably wise too as the soil will have become a bit sour and
there are lots of rotting roots amongst it.

Now I should explain that I am new to all this (if that wasn't obvious
already). Three quarters of the way up the trunk there is a faint
diagonal line, so I am wondering if this is the graft? I have read
some books and they say when repotting citrus, to make sure the graft
is above soil level. Reading that made me think the graft was quite
low, so I'm not sure; these are a foot high. Does the graft rise as
the plant grows?

Well we were all new to gardening at some point so no problem.
Normally the graft is quite obvious with a node or slight swelling at the
graft point. Usually with citrus it's also where the branches start as only
a bud was grafted on there. The graft does rise slightly as the plant grows
but in proportion to the rest of the plant.

I know apples for example are grafted. I hadn't realised citrus was.
The thing is, these new shoots are below, what I think may be the
graft. Without waiting months for them to flower and fruit, do you
think that what I am growing is not what I am expecting? What are
citrus grafted onto (and why?).

Could possibly be, often grafted onto Japanese Bitter Orange (Poncirus
trifuliata)


--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

The message
from contains these words:

I bought a mandarin orange plant and a grapefruit plant in the summer.
Unfortunately when I went away, they were either over watered or under
watered, because when I came back, they dropped their leaves. After a
little dormant period, they have started to shoot again. I looked
closer today and see that they are shooting from the bottom of the
"trunk".

Now I should explain that I am new to all this (if that wasn't obvious
already). Three quarters of the way up the trunk there is a faint
diagonal line, so I am wondering if this is the graft? I have read
some books and they say when repotting citrus, to make sure the graft
is above soil level. Reading that made me think the graft was quite
low, so I'm not sure; these are a foot high. Does the graft rise as
the plant grows?

On both?

Graft marks stay at approximately the same height, moving upwards only a
little, and most of the growth there is outwards. Grafts tend not to be
a faint mark though.

I know apples for example are grafted. I hadn't realised citrus was.
The thing is, these new shoots are below, what I think may be the
graft. Without waiting months for them to flower and fruit, do you
think that what I am growing is not what I am expecting? What are
citrus grafted onto (and why?).

I've never heard of citrus being grafted, but I've never seen a
commercially-grown one, so that's not to say they aren't.

Is this the best place to ask citrus questions? I saw a couple of UK
gardening groups in Usenet but this seemed the biggest. I thought I
would ask here before posting to the international rec.gardening
group. I visited yahoo groups but that found 120 groups matching
"citrus" though most seemed to have nothing to do with fruit! The ones
that did had only 5-7 members!

How many 'members' depends rather on when and how you access the group.
If you look using google, I expect you'll find many more contributors.

Actually, you might do well to post there as well, as citrus trees,
though grown here since (about) Tudor times, are seldom found outside,
and not the commonest potted trees. Continental and (for instance)
Californian or Floridian gardeners might have a better idea.

I take it you haven't overwintered the trees outside?

However, if your trees grow leaves on top as well as from the base, wait
until they are quite large and then taste them. Citrus leaves taste
somewhat of the fruit they will bear. If the flavours of the top leaves
and the bottom leaves are the same, grafting is unlikely.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 06:16:27 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

I've never heard of citrus being grafted, but I've never seen a
commercially-grown one, so that's not to say they aren't.

I bought a citrus mitis in flower from Ikea last year. As the small
fruit developed I found a lemon forming on a twig from just below the
obvious graft.
We enjoyed a few particularly good G&Ts last week.
I'm hoping it might produce more!

Pam in Bristol

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 06:16:27 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

I've never heard of citrus being grafted, but I've never seen a
commercially-grown one, so that's not to say they aren't.

I bought a citrus mitis in flower from Ikea last year. As the small
fruit developed I found a lemon forming on a twig from just below the
obvious graft.
We enjoyed a few particularly good G&Ts last week.
I'm hoping it might produce more!

Pam in Bristol

"Pam wrote in message
I've never heard of citrus being grafted, but I've never seen a
commercially-grown one, so that's not to say they aren't.

I bought a citrus mitis in flower from Ikea last year. As the small
fruit developed I found a lemon forming on a twig from just below the
obvious graft.
We enjoyed a few particularly good G&Ts last week.
I'm hoping it might produce more!


Nothing like it is there, your own fully ripened "just picked" lemon in your
G & T, or your own lime in a rum and coke.
Wonderful!
All we need now is the sun and a bit of warmth.

On second thought's why wait. :-)
--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

"Pam wrote in message
I've never heard of citrus being grafted, but I've never seen a
commercially-grown one, so that's not to say they aren't.

I bought a citrus mitis in flower from Ikea last year. As the small
fruit developed I found a lemon forming on a twig from just below the
obvious graft.
We enjoyed a few particularly good G&Ts last week.
I'm hoping it might produce more!


Nothing like it is there, your own fully ripened "just picked" lemon in your
G & T, or your own lime in a rum and coke.
Wonderful!
All we need now is the sun and a bit of warmth.

On second thought's why wait. :-)
--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

wrote in message
...
snip

I know apples for example are grafted. I hadn't realised citrus was.
The thing is, these new shoots are below, what I think may be the
graft. Without waiting months for them to flower and fruit, do you
think that what I am growing is not what I am expecting? What are
citrus grafted onto (and why?).
snip

Just bought a lemon myself.

See:
http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/fruit/Citrus.htm
and
http://www.growingcitrus.co.uk/

However http://www.easyfruit.co.uk/ seems to have disappeared - a Stelios
moment perhaps?

The descriptions are a bit daunting - water too much or too little and you
have problems.

This suggests that my "Grow, damn you" approach may not work too well :-)

I can't see an obvious graft on mine - but there is a point which could be a
graft or just where the growth has been cut back to a side shoot.

Guess it will have to live in the sun lounge over the winter.

Cheers

Dave R

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
snip

Just about to pot up my lemon.

Ideally I would like it to grow in a patio tub, about 40cm diameter and 40cm
deep.

Is it O.K. to bang it directly into a large pot, or should I pot it on in
progressively larger pots?

ISTR that flowering plants do better if potted on only when pot bound.

However if the lemon was planted in a border then it would be in umpteen
squillion megalitres of soil (how big is the earth anyway?) and would grow
O.K.

Don't want to slow the growth by leaving it all lonely in a great big huge
pot :-)

TIA

Dave R

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
snip

Just about to pot up my lemon.

Ideally I would like it to grow in a patio tub, about 40cm diameter and 40cm
deep.

Is it O.K. to bang it directly into a large pot, or should I pot it on in
progressively larger pots?

ISTR that flowering plants do better if potted on only when pot bound.

However if the lemon was planted in a border then it would be in umpteen
squillion megalitres of soil (how big is the earth anyway?) and would grow
O.K.

Don't want to slow the growth by leaving it all lonely in a great big huge
pot :-)

TIA

Dave R

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 18:54:45 -0000, "David W.E. Roberts"
wrote:
Just bought a lemon myself.

See:
http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/fruit/Citrus.htm
and
http://www.growingcitrus.co.uk/

However http://www.easyfruit.co.uk/ seems to have disappeared - a Stelios
moment perhaps?

The descriptions are a bit daunting - water too much or too little and you
have problems.

This suggests that my "Grow, damn you" approach may not work too well :-)

I can't see an obvious graft on mine - but there is a point which could be a
graft or just where the growth has been cut back to a side shoot.

Guess it will have to live in the sun lounge over the winter.

Cheers

Dave R

I am not sure if mine have grafts either. Are citrus plants grafted or
not? Some posts here seem to suggest they are (like the orange that
grew a lemon) but other posts seem to contradict this. I looked at a
grapefruit in the garden centre and compared it with the leaves
growing on mine and the leaves seem the same. The leaves are almost
like two leaves in one: a figure 8 shape if you like. There is a small
leaf at the stem end out of which grows a much bigger leaf. So I am
hoping the leaves are of the same variety, which would imply no
grafting. If I am lucky enough to get fruit, may be then I will find
out.

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 18:55:56 -0000, "David W.E. Roberts"
wrote:


Is it O.K. to bang it directly into a large pot, or should I pot it on in
progressively larger pots?

ISTR that flowering plants do better if potted on only when pot bound.

However if the lemon was planted in a border then it would be in umpteen
squillion megalitres of soil (how big is the earth anyway?) and would grow
O.K.

I am only a beginner here, so I do not know the right answer, but I
think I have heard only to repot when pot-bound for greater growth.
However I do agree with your reasoning, that this does not happen in
nature so why should we have to do this?

I would like to hear people's opinions on what compost to repot with,
as I have searched a few web sites and they all seem to recommend
something different!

Thanks.

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 18:54:45 -0000, "David W.E. Roberts"
wrote:
Just bought a lemon myself.

See:
http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/fruit/Citrus.htm
and
http://www.growingcitrus.co.uk/

However http://www.easyfruit.co.uk/ seems to have disappeared - a Stelios
moment perhaps?

The descriptions are a bit daunting - water too much or too little and you
have problems.

This suggests that my "Grow, damn you" approach may not work too well :-)

I can't see an obvious graft on mine - but there is a point which could be a
graft or just where the growth has been cut back to a side shoot.

Guess it will have to live in the sun lounge over the winter.

Cheers

Dave R

I am not sure if mine have grafts either. Are citrus plants grafted or
not? Some posts here seem to suggest they are (like the orange that
grew a lemon) but other posts seem to contradict this. I looked at a
grapefruit in the garden centre and compared it with the leaves
growing on mine and the leaves seem the same. The leaves are almost
like two leaves in one: a figure 8 shape if you like. There is a small
leaf at the stem end out of which grows a much bigger leaf. So I am
hoping the leaves are of the same variety, which would imply no
grafting. If I am lucky enough to get fruit, may be then I will find
out.

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 18:55:56 -0000, "David W.E. Roberts"
wrote:


Is it O.K. to bang it directly into a large pot, or should I pot it on in
progressively larger pots?

ISTR that flowering plants do better if potted on only when pot bound.

However if the lemon was planted in a border then it would be in umpteen
squillion megalitres of soil (how big is the earth anyway?) and would grow
O.K.

I am only a beginner here, so I do not know the right answer, but I
think I have heard only to repot when pot-bound for greater growth.
However I do agree with your reasoning, that this does not happen in
nature so why should we have to do this?

I would like to hear people's opinions on what compost to repot with,
as I have searched a few web sites and they all seem to recommend
something different!

Thanks.

The message
from contains these words:

I am not sure if mine have grafts either. Are citrus plants grafted or
not? Some posts here seem to suggest they are (like the orange that
grew a lemon) but other posts seem to contradict this. I looked at a
grapefruit in the garden centre and compared it with the leaves
growing on mine and the leaves seem the same. The leaves are almost
like two leaves in one: a figure 8 shape if you like. There is a small
leaf at the stem end out of which grows a much bigger leaf. So I am
hoping the leaves are of the same variety, which would imply no
grafting. If I am lucky enough to get fruit, may be then I will find
out.

A lot of citrus leaves are as you describe. I had some lime seedlings
with leaves like that, but none of last year's lemon ones is similar.

The type of fruit can usually be deduced by the flavour of the leaf. (I
'mislaid' a satsuma seedling amongst the lemons, and thought I'd found
it because its leaves were rounded at the ends rather than pointed. One
taste of a bit of leaf confirmed that I had found it.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/