Author Topic: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?  (Read 3232 times)

FruitGrower

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #25 on: August 30, 2022, 10:51:29 PM »
That is a tough one. I am not 100% sure of the answer, but I will tell you what I know. If you are a licensed retail nursery, you can purchase trees grown legally in a citrus nursery and re-sell them as long as they are sold within a certain time period. I do not recall what that time period is, but I believe that it was at least several months. I have also heard of organizations that I doubt were licensed nurseries (like tropical fruit clubs) buying batches of trees and re-selling them as fund raisers. This does not mean that it was legal--just that other people have done it. I will let you know if I find anything definite.

Thank you!

1rainman

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #26 on: August 30, 2022, 10:56:34 PM »
In the state of Florida no. They have to be treated for disease. The process of you buying and reselling the tree is being transported thus higher probability of getting or spreading disease. But this law is not a high priority. Csi is not going to instigate people for moving trees around. This is to ensure you don't buy or sell infected trees. I was told they put them in a hot steamer that kills disease but not the tree. Then it gets a little ribbon that it was treated and now legal to sell

Millet

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #27 on: August 31, 2022, 10:50:26 AM »
Plant a citrus seed to grow a tree to maturity (6 to 10 years), is worth it if you want a challenge, and to prove to yourself that you did it successfully  Otherwise just purchase a grafted tree, and have fruit in 1 to 2 years.

Walt

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #28 on: August 31, 2022, 12:33:24 PM »
Or plant the seeds and learn to graft mature scions or buds onto it.  Or learn to micrograft on very young seedlins.  The would be the quickest way to get fruit from a seed you pllanted.  But even then it wouldn't be quite as good as the varieties selected as good root stocks.  That depends some on where you are.

1rainman

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #29 on: September 01, 2022, 04:57:33 PM »
It should make fine root stock. The main thing they look for in root stock in Florida is usually cold tolerance and secondly use a lot of dwarf root stock so its easy to pick the oranges (you aren't climbing a huge tree). If you aren't worrying about cold tolerance then the only factor would be disease resistance, which isn't much different in different citrus varieties. Though they do have some new varieties with greening resistance.

If you graft to a cold tolerant root stock you'll get slightly better cold tolerance. Though a lot of times the top will die if it gets too cold then the root stock will grow into a full tree. Then you have a sour orange tree usually which is what most of the root stock is.

Walt

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #30 on: September 01, 2022, 09:01:40 PM »
If the scion dies of cold, replace it with a hardier scion.

SeeSchloss

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #31 on: September 19, 2022, 09:58:35 AM »
I grew out seedlings for these in hopes of one day grafting branches of them to another mature (what seems to be a seedling) citrus

I can't seem to find a definitive answer as to whether grafting an immature seedling to a mature tree actually induces the immature part to flower earlier than it would have otherwise.

Is it actually the case?

poncirsguy

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #32 on: September 19, 2022, 10:16:15 AM »
I have read that the scion goes by it's node count.  A mature rootstock will give the scion accelerated growth for years to bring the scion to maturity sooner than it would as a seedling on its own roots.

kumin

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #33 on: September 19, 2022, 11:04:54 AM »
In my limited trials, top worked immature seedling scions have failed to accelerate the transition from juvenile state to reproductive state. I recall some Citrus relative, when used as a rootstock, does indeed induce precocity.
In reference to seedling  node count, promoting rapid tall growth did result in some selections flowering in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year from seed. Other selections haven't responded as favorably.
Genetics clearly play an important role in precosity. The original seedlings and scions further grafted from the same trees tend to flower at the same age.

SeeSchloss

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #34 on: September 19, 2022, 12:07:26 PM »
I recall some Citrus relative, when used as a rootstock, does indeed induce precocity.

That's Limonia acidissima I think, of which I currently have a dozen seedlings or so (as well as a nearly ten year old plant that doesn't grow much). But those might need to reach maturity first!
I'll still try some grafting with them one of these days.

There's also a variety of precocious poncirus that flowers at one or two years old, but I'm not sure if it also reduced the juvenility period of scions when used as rootstock. I also have a dozen seedlings of that, only a few months old yet.

pagnr

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #35 on: September 19, 2022, 06:47:25 PM »
In my opinion there is no definitive answer because most Citrus are hybrids of several original species.
Some Microcitrus can fruit from seed in 18 months,
West Indian Lime 3 years,
Mandarin 6 years,
Pummelo 10 years plus.
Citrus cultivars are complex hybrids of the above and more.
There would be different systems and genes counteracting each other at times to induce or delay flowering maturity.
What works in one case may not work for another.
On top of that there is climate, in areas of continual growth i.e. tropics, flowering and growth to node count can be achieved much faster.
Node count is a good rule, but there are certainly case of Citrus plants flowering well before it is achieved.
Presumably mutations that lessen the effect of one or more controlling genes.

1rainman

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Re: Is it worth growing out store bought citrus fruit seeds?
« Reply #36 on: September 20, 2022, 12:11:06 PM »
Root has almost no effect other than those rare exceptions. It's usually root stock grown from seed and a mature top graft which will fruit immediately. Though a mature root will probably result in better quality fruit