Author Topic: Are leaf size and stem diameter in seedlings predictive of eventual fruit size?  (Read 1736 times)

kumin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 709
    • USA PA 6b
    • View Profile
I suspect there is some correlation between leaf size and stem thickness in seedlings to the fruit size they will produce when they attain maturity. Has anyone found such a link, and if so, how closely were these characteristics linked? Pummelo and citron as well as grapefruit appear to follow this trend.

lebmung

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1097
    • Romania, Bucharest,7b (inside city 8a)
    • View Profile
    • Plante tropicale
It's not about that, it's about age. There is a somehow internal mechanism change after the juvenile period that triggers blooming or maybe an external stress to fight for survival.

kumin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 709
    • USA PA 6b
    • View Profile
Let me further clarify my question: Do cultivars with large leaves and thicker stems have a tendency to bear larger fruit? Pummelos and grapefruits yield very large fruits and also have coarse foliage, kumquats have the opposite. Can this be used to predict fruit size potential on new hybrid specimens?

Ilya11

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 940
    • France, Paris region, Vaux le Penil, middle of Northern z8
    • View Profile
It is certainly depends on the species origin , but in some cases (also) there is a distinct correlation between apparently non related features.

Best regards,
                       Ilya

Millet

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4798
    • Colorado
    • View Profile
Look at Page - large leaves small fruit.

sc4001992

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3900
    • USA, CA, Fullerton
    • View Profile
Kumin,

I'm not sure about any relation with stem thickness, but I agree that there seems to be some correlation with large leaf size and large fruit size.
Look at these citrus and loquats plants from my garden.

1.)  Peluche is the largest know loquat fruit (according to members)
2.)  9 pounder lemon, one of the largest lemon (my grafted branch is only 2yrs old so had three fruit =2 lbs ea, but large leaf).
3.)  Roy's seedling pomelo- it has the largest leaf (6" x 13-1/2" see photo), and fruit is pretty decent size (2.8 lbs).
4.)  Seedling loquat, unknown variety but seems to have the largest leaf so far in my 30+ varieties. Hope the fruit gets large.














Roy Pomelo leave size = 6" x 13-1/2"






« Last Edit: December 10, 2020, 02:21:41 PM by sc4001992 »

Millet

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4798
    • Colorado
    • View Profile
Saint Teresa Lemon, has the largest size leaves in citrus, and yet produces a regular size fruit.