Author Topic: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?  (Read 2973 times)

barath

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Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« on: May 18, 2019, 08:25:19 PM »
What are the fastest growing citrus (of any kind) that are worth growing?  This is in a warm/hot SoCal climate, with plenty of water and fertilizer.

barath

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2019, 10:25:14 AM »
Just to clarify what I meant -- I'd like to plant various citrus trees (lemon / lime / orange / mandarin / grapefruit / ...), maybe 5 in total, and am wondering which ones will grow extremely vigorously if planted now in a warm/hot SoCal location with full sun and water and fertilizer.  I'd like the trees to grow many feet in their first summer, starting from a 5 gallon pots from the usual commercial nurseries (La Verne or others).  Which would you all recommend that grow fast and taste decent?

Laaz

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2019, 10:37:06 AM »
That all depends on what rootstock they are grafted to. Lemon & grapefruit are probably the fastest, but if they are on Flying dragon or trifoliata they will not be fast at all.

barath

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2019, 11:24:09 AM »
What standard (commercially-available) rootstocks are most vigorous for California?

Laaz

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2019, 11:26:31 AM »
Pick you variety & have a look at what UCR uses. All the rootstocks are listed on their varieties.

https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/index.html

Laaz

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2019, 11:29:28 AM »
Looks like most lemons they are using Yuma Ponderosa lemon as the rootstock.

Grapefruits & pummelo's they are using Carrizo citrange or C-35 citrange

Laaz

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2019, 11:30:50 AM »
I can tell you swingle is quite fast & makes a larger tree. This is what I mostly use.

spaugh

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2019, 11:38:11 AM »
Trees on "standard" rootstock (la verne, durling nursery) are very vigorous here.  Just be careful what you wish for you could end up with a 20ft tree.

« Last Edit: May 19, 2019, 11:40:14 AM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2019, 11:43:33 AM »
Citrus trees on slower growing rootstocks produce fruits with better taste, than trees on rapid growing rootstocks. Every tree I have is grafted on a dwarfing rootstock.  My Cara Cara which is now about 18 years old (I no longer remember the exact age), is growing on Flying Dragon.  It is currently12 feet tall and wide.

Laaz

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2019, 11:52:49 AM »
I no longer use Flying Dragon for anything. Way to slow for me. Pruning can help keep your trees in check & help them bush out as well. My fast flowering trifoliata grows a bit faster, but is also a dwarf. My original tree is 15 years old & only 7 ft tall.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2019, 12:06:59 PM by Laaz »

barath

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2019, 11:57:48 AM »
Sounds great -- thanks for all these details.  I guess I'll just get some standard ones from La Verne.

spaugh

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2019, 12:03:37 PM »
Durling uses C35 on their standard trees.

Check this website out Barath.  This is a fellow member GregA's website.  He says la verne uses C35 on everything. 

http://gregalder.com/yardposts/dwarf-semi-dwarf-and-standard-citrus-trees-what-are-they-really/

« Last Edit: May 19, 2019, 12:09:36 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

Laaz

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2019, 12:23:59 PM »
I'll have to try out some C35. Let me see if I can find some seed or seedlings. I'm growing lemons from seed right now to use as rootstock for my lemons. I know Eureka for one doesn't do well on trifoliata rootstock.

spaugh

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2019, 12:30:18 PM »
I'll have to try out some C35. Let me see if I can find some seed or seedlings. I'm growing lemons from seed right now to use as rootstock for my lemons. I know Eureka for one doesn't do well on trifoliata rootstock.

I only have 1 lemon tree.  Its on C35 and it is growing awesome.  Its all fun and games for the first 3 or 4 years then the trees start getting out of hand. 
Brad Spaugh

barath

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2019, 12:36:34 PM »
Durling uses C35 on their standard trees.

Check this website out Barath.  This is a fellow member GregA's website.  He says la verne uses C35 on everything. 

http://gregalder.com/yardposts/dwarf-semi-dwarf-and-standard-citrus-trees-what-are-they-really/

Sounds great.

I had ordered some Swingle bud sticks and budwood of various cultivars from CCCP and did a direct graft-and-root with them, and some are doing well, but they're tiny and I figure it will be a long time before they're fruiting.  I picked Swingle because the studies seemed to say that it's the most resistant among common rootstocks to citrus greening.  Seems like C35 should work well for the time being.

Millet

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #15 on: May 19, 2019, 01:41:37 PM »
Spaugh, thanks for the link to the rootstock/size explanation.  It was excellent, and very clearly explained.  It should be very helpful to our members.

JJROSS54

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #16 on: May 19, 2019, 02:04:54 PM »
Everything I have bought at the big box stores here in Arizona comes from California and all of it is on C-35 and they all seem to grow very fast and vigorous here in our desert climate.

spaugh

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #17 on: May 19, 2019, 02:30:25 PM »
Spaugh, thanks for the link to the rootstock/size explanation.  It was excellent, and very clearly explained.  It should be very helpful to our members.

Greg has new articles every week.  He sends an email notification every friday with a link to the articles if anyobe wants to subscribe on his site.
Brad Spaugh

tve

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #18 on: May 23, 2019, 02:39:33 AM »
Be careful if you buy a Valencia commercially (as opposed to graft CCPP budwood). I haven't seen anything other than the Midknight Valencia for sale in CA. It's seedless, that's why it's everywhere. It's reputed to be a slow grower and by that measure mine fits right in :-(.

brian

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Re: Fastest growing citrus that are worth growing?
« Reply #19 on: May 23, 2019, 09:15:31 PM »
What's to need for seedlessness with juice oranges?  People don't use juice reamer/filters?