Author Topic: Are lemon and limes usually grafted? (Read 1858 times)

Desertcitrus · « **on:** March 20, 2021, 10:52:03 PM »

Are lemon and limes usually grafted like most other citrus? Also I just bought an owari mandarin and I don’t think it is grafted. Was that a mistake?

brian · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2021, 12:05:39 AM »

I suspect lemons and limes are commonly rooted cuttings. Often when I see them sold they are bushy and have no graft line. I know that lemons root easily, not sure about limes. I'm sure it varies a lot with the grower

Mandarins/oranges do NOT root easily, and take a long time to fruit from seed. I'm no expert but I suspect your owari is grafted... probably budded which is supposed to be the most common graft type.

Desertcitrus · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2021, 12:21:24 AM »

I didn’t think it was grafted but upon real close inspection it looks like it is.

Does this tag mean anything?

brian · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2021, 12:35:57 AM »

That looks budded to me. A type of graft.

I cant decipher that tag, though

Ckitto · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2021, 01:51:45 AM »

The leaves definitely look like satsumas'. Judging from the rootstock thorn, that may be flying dragon.

Plantinyum · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2021, 03:06:07 AM »

I also know that lemon rarely comes grafted, I always see plants for sale that are rooted cuttings. Dont know about lime thought...

kumin · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2021, 03:25:47 AM »

FOWFDG Owari scion on Flying Dragon rootstock ?

brian · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2021, 09:15:04 AM »

I think kumin is right

Desertcitrus · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2021, 11:13:15 AM »

Is flying dragon good or bad? I’m in zone 8a and I’m going to plant it in a warm part of my yard but it also gets really hot here.

brian · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2021, 12:28:28 PM »

Flying dragon is a dwarfing rootstock, so your tree should stay reasonably small and grow more slowly. It is common, I use it

shaneatwell · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2021, 12:41:06 PM »

In california my memory (from touring one of the nurseries that does it) is that lemon's are rooted cuttings and everything else is grafted.

Millet · « **Reply #11 on:** March 21, 2021, 01:55:34 PM »

Desertcitrus, I really like Flying Dragon as a rootstock. Many of my trees are grafted on Flying Dragon.

swincher · « **Reply #12 on:** March 21, 2021, 02:39:35 PM »

From an old post on another forum it looks like that tag means specifically "Frost Owari Satsuma on Flying Dragon."

Plantinyum · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2021, 02:41:07 PM »

I also have a few plants grafted onto flying dragon, the oldest one being a pomello , I dont know if its the rootstock or my growing practices ,but the plant is tree years old and has grown very little, in past winters it has been wintered inside in a warm house, this year it is in a cold basement so I will se if this cold period acts as a stimulation for growing.... I generally like dwarfed plants ,but I really feel this should have grown more..

Millet · « **Reply #14 on:** March 21, 2021, 03:15:41 PM »

Plantinyum, your tree being stored in a cold basement will not have much to do with your trees growth, but will help with accumulating the much needed chill hours, which will greatly help increase the tree's flowering and thus with crop production

Desertcitrus · « **Reply #15 on:** March 21, 2021, 03:33:34 PM »

Thank you everyone for the reply’s. How can you tell it’s flying dragon. I ask because they also had a grapefruit tree that I wanted. Is flying dragon good for grapefruit too?

Millet · « **Reply #16 on:** March 21, 2021, 03:55:19 PM »

I have a Marsh seedless grapefruit growing on Flying Dragon, and it is a good fruiting tree.+

Desertcitrus · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2021, 06:09:12 PM »

Thanks Millet.

Plantinyum · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2021, 01:54:31 AM »

Quote from: Millet on March 21, 2021, 03:15:41 PM

Plantinyum, your tree being stored in a cold basement will not have much to do with your trees growth, but will help with accumulating the much needed chill hours, which will greatly help increase the tree's flowering and thus with crop production

dunno, every spring till now it just flowered like mad and I never let it fruit since the tree is still small, but then it makes a pathetic new growth in the summer ...
I am letting it fruit this summer if it decides to flower !!

lebmung · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2021, 06:24:03 AM »

Lemons are prone to root rot unless you have a good soil and a dry climate. Mayer lemons are usually from cuttings. Key limes are usually grown from seeds. Tahiti lime is from cutiings, strong root system.

My both limes are from cuttings and they produce very well.
Although I need to be careful with watering. The trees stay small as the root system from cuttings is not pivotal.
I wouldn't use a FD on those. It would have severe benching after 5-7 years.

ecytryna · « **Reply #20 on:** April 02, 2021, 02:20:17 PM »

Lemburg is right. If You want to have longlived lemon tree you'd better buy it grafted. True lemons develop roots easily but they are susceptible to phytopthora, gummosis etc. The higher graft is placed, the safer tree is.

brian · « **Reply #21 on:** April 02, 2021, 02:38:43 PM »

They are too vigorous for me... I ordered a Lisbon so I could graft it onto flying dragon to keep it small. I can't eat a million lemons.

Yorgos · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2021, 04:03:54 PM »

Quote from: brian on April 02, 2021, 02:38:43 PM

They are too vigorous for me... I ordered a Lisbon so I could graft it onto flying dragon to keep it small. I can't eat a million lemons.

My motto is 'most foods can be improved with the addition of lemon'. I go through a lemon per day, sometimes more.

slopat · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2021, 04:53:33 PM »

I've heard that doctors strongly recommend daily doses of lemon juice if susceptible to stones, not me but others who have, do definitely follow this advice!

My parent's Owari Satsuma's back in the late 80s were grafted.

Mando408 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2021, 10:15:47 PM »

Probably depends on the nursery that grew the tree. Most of my citrus trees are from Four Winds, if I remember correctly, and they're all grafted. My 2 Lisbon trees I bought at Walmart, I don't remember what nursery they came from, those are also grafted, one still has a tag with "macrophylla" on it.

The only citrus trees I own that are on their own roots are a Eureka that was a few twigs in a 1 gallon squat decorative pot grown by Colorama and bought at Lowes and a Meyer lemon that I airlayered and multigrafted.

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Author Topic: Are lemon and limes usually grafted? (Read 1858 times)