Author Topic: C35 rootstock tree size  (Read 5594 times)

Mattga

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C35 rootstock tree size
« on: January 24, 2018, 12:18:18 AM »
Hello,

This is my first post to this forum.

Over the past few years I’ve been planting some of the perimeter of my yard into a citrus hedge. I have a variety of lime, kumquat, mandarin, orange, etc., and plan to keep the plants in my front yard below ~6 feet, and the ones in the backyard below ~10 feet. Plants are spaced 4’-6’ apart, and seem to be filling in nicely and growing at a rate that is manageable.

Along with fairly tight spacing, several of the plants are on dwarfing rootstock (flying dragon), and some of them will be naturally small regardless of rootsstock (kumquat, etc.). This week I’m adding a Rio Red grapefruit and an Oro Blanco pomelo to the backyard, and have run into a question about tree size that I could use some help with (thanks in advance!).

I’m in Burbank, CA. and several of the local sources for citrus get their trees from a grower that only uses C35 rootstock. From store to store the trees are labeled as everything from dwarf to standard. For example: “CIT STD ORO BLANCO GRAPEFRUIT”, “CIT SEMI DWF RIO RED GRAPEFRUIT”, “CIT DWF ORO BLANCO GRAPEFRUIT”.

I called the grower to verify the rootstocks, and they said that the difference between the labels has to do with the top work on the young trees (3 gallon), and that the sizes of the mature trees with naturally grow to about 6 feet for dwarf, and 10 feet for standard. I thought that rootstock ultimately had the most affect on the size of a tree, but the nursery staff seems convinced that the top work on a young tree will make it grow like a dwarf, even on C35. Can someone with more expertise than me (that is most you!) help clarify? I’d be bummed to put a tree into the ground that is labeled “dwarf” and have it grow to something more like a standard...which in my case would mean having to remove it and start again in a few years.   

« Last Edit: January 24, 2018, 01:04:10 AM by Mattga »

Waiting

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2018, 04:08:10 AM »
I assume you are talking about La Verne Nursery. If it were me I wouldn't rely on what you are being told, or those product labels. Not that I have any knowledge of them engaging in deceptive practices but, logically, it doesn't make any sense to me.

Millet

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2018, 11:58:59 AM »
According  to the University of Florida's citrus rootstock selection guide, C35 produces a intermediate size tree, that produces an intermediate crop yield.

Johnny Eat Fruit

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2018, 02:12:00 PM »
I have Three Citrus trees on C-35 root stock (Tango, Yosemite Gold and Gold Nugget) that are 7 years in the ground.  They average 12-14 feet tall so far and continue to grow. This is a very productive year for all three trees with the Yosemite Gold being the most loaded with fruit.

Johnny

Mattga

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2018, 12:47:49 AM »
Thanks all for the feedback...it helps confirm that the topwork done to a new tree won’t turn it into a dwarf if it isn’t on a dwarf rootstock.

@waiting, that is correct. I talked to the staff at La Verne, and they confirmed that the only rootstock they use for citrus is c35. The labels are misleading at best.

@millet, thanks for the authoritative info. I found similar stuff online, but wanted to ask folks with experience...and reading some of your posts, it’s clear that your opinion is very valuable!

@johnny, great to hear your trees are thriving at that height, and I’ll keep that in mind for another part of the yard. Your experience also helps confirm that for my hedge, I should look for another source that uses a dwarfing rootstock.

Thanks all...much appreciated!

Matt
« Last Edit: January 26, 2018, 11:00:58 AM by Mattga »

Waiting

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2018, 02:47:11 AM »
Four Winds Growers has Oroblanco and Rio Red. They are in NorCal and can probably ship to you. I don't think they are in a quarantine zone. Most of their trees are on Cuban Shaddock, which is NOT a dwarfing rootstock, despite what they will tell you. A while back someone on another forum said they do a few varieties on Flying Dragon, so you might want to call or email and ask, specifically, about the ones you're looking for.

Tom

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2018, 09:45:09 AM »
I have called Four Winds and they have been very helpful. They are an older company and they try very hard to please the customer. The company history on their website is very interesting. They told me they use what they think is the best rootstock to allow the tree to live. Yes the rootstock is usually Cuban Shaddock.

Flying Dragon is a great rootstock and very dwarfing.

I have a huge Meyer that was grown from a cutting. It is huge and I wouldn’t recommend a cutting propagated Meyer. It is too big for me and the thorns are nasty. It does make a huge amount of fruit ! I’ve since discovered that a majority of , not all , Meyers are grown from cuttings because it’s cheaper and faster.

Since I took the Meyer out of the pot it has exploded in growth. Maybe somebody else can tell us what an ungrafted Meyer would do if you kept it in a large pot. You might be able to leave the pot in the ground.

Tom

loneroc1

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2018, 08:56:46 AM »
Howdy all,

I called 4 Winds yesterday and was told that they've stopped using Cuban shaddock and now use C35 for (almost?) everything.  I had been wondering what my Santa Teresa was on.

I've not been able to get through to Kendra at 4W, who's the authority on their trees, in several weeks of trying so I called the on-line order #.  I'll keep trying to talk to Kendra and I'll post if she tells me something different.

Steve H.

snowjunky

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2018, 03:19:34 PM »
Howdy all,

I called 4 Winds yesterday and was told that they've stopped using Cuban shaddock and now use C35 for (almost?) everything.  I had been wondering what my Santa Teresa was on.

I've not been able to get through to Kendra at 4W, who's the authority on their trees, in several weeks of trying so I called the on-line order #.  I'll keep trying to talk to Kendra and I'll post if she tells me something different.

Steve H.

I bought my Santa Teresa from Fourwinds about 3 years ago.  It grow like a monster compared to all my citrus on C35 or even the trees on sour orange.  I'm pretty sure mine is not on C35.

barath

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Re: C35 rootstock tree size
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2018, 10:41:39 AM »
I have Three Citrus trees on C-35 root stock (Tango, Yosemite Gold and Gold Nugget) that are 7 years in the ground.  They average 12-14 feet tall so far and continue to grow. This is a very productive year for all three trees with the Yosemite Gold being the most loaded with fruit.

Johnny

Did you graft the Yosemite Gold yourself or do some nurseries carry it?