The Tropical Fruit Forum
Citrus => Cold Hardy Citrus => Topic started by: Marcin on February 24, 2018, 04:47:37 PM
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Hi. I have these trifoliate seedlings; all come from the same source and are of the same age but still differ greatly in vigour. So I guess at least some of them are zygotic.
(https://images82.fotosik.pl/1004/991a448712acb504m.jpg) (https://images82.fotosik.pl/1004/991a448712acb504.jpg)
When repotting them, I noticed that not only their vigour but also their root systems differ. No. 1 and 2 have nice, dense roots; 3 has a poor and shallow root system; 4 and 5 have very long taproots.
(https://images82.fotosik.pl/1004/e073a736af5cce6dm.jpg) (https://images82.fotosik.pl/1004/e073a736af5cce6d.jpg) (https://images84.fotosik.pl/1002/56193635281ff955m.jpg) (https://images84.fotosik.pl/1002/56193635281ff955.jpg)
Do you have similar experiences with poncirus root systems differing that much? Also, would a deep taproot increase frost hardiness?
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Flying Dragon as a cultivar is 50 to 60 percent true from seed. The true varieties always have zigzag stems and strongly curved thorns, and smaller leaves than non-nucellar seedlings.
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Yes, a long taproot makes a lot of difference when grown in the open ground in profound soils. It serves as a link between underground that is kept at constant temperature and a stem that is exposed to the winter chilling.
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Thanks for the reply, Millet, actually these are not flying dragons but anyway it seems some are zygotic. The mother plant looks like standard PT. By the way, it might be an interesting cultivar as the man who sent me the seeds called it an 'edible trifoliate'.
I have flying dragon seedlings too and there are indeed a few off-types among them, dwarfs etc. - probably they're too of zygotic origin.
That's good news, Ilya. I wonder if the presence of long taproot is a genetic trait. If yes, it could be useful in breeding frost-hardy citrus.