Author Topic: How to cut mandarin tree  (Read 1267 times)

martinpa

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How to cut mandarin tree
« on: August 03, 2022, 08:05:00 AM »
Hi,

I have planted a mandarin pit 2.5 years ago. Now i have a tree 1m tall. I was thinking of cutting some of the branches, so that the tree can grow in a proper direction. Sadly, I am not sure where or what to cut. Is there someone who can advise me. I am attaching 2 photos.




kumin

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2022, 08:58:54 AM »
Martinpa, the next step is contingent on your future plans for the tree. If fruiting is paramount, pruning, especially cutting back the top will delay first flowering and fruiting. The bend in the trunk can easily be straightened by attaching a bamboo stake. If foliage is more important than fruit, the top 25% can be removed to encourage lower sprouts to produce a more fully branched tree.

Millet

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2022, 12:57:40 PM »
Your tree is showing a strong apical bud dominance.   The apical bud is where new plant growth and elongation occur. But that’s not all the apical bud does. The apical bud produces a plant hormone, auxin, that flows through the plant’s vascular system (phloem) down the stem, and inhibits the elongation of axillary buds which would otherwise produce new side shoots from the plant cells.
  I would cut off the top 25 percent of the top of the  tree, which will cause your tree to produce side ranching.

Vlad

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2022, 01:48:24 PM »
@Millet Would cutting off the top 25% inhibit fruit production?

Millet

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2022, 03:58:07 PM »
Yes, but if the apical bud is not removed the tree will grow higher and spindly.  Most all commercial nurseries cut their trees to 2.5 ft.  I seen a picture of a seedling citrus tree on another forum, that was about 6 or 7 feet tall with no  side branching at all.  That picture shows the power of apical dominance.  The tree was held up by a long stick.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2022, 04:06:29 PM by Millet »

Walt

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2022, 10:02:30 PM »
There is another way to induce branching.  I learned this from North American Fruit Explores. 
Above an axilary bud that you want to start growing a branch, make a cut in through the bark, through the cambium, and just into the wood.  That prevent the auxin from the apical bud from coming down and affecting that bud.  So it (usually) grows into a branch.  This way of shaping a tree requires too much labor to use on an orchard.  But it wouldn't take a lot of labor on one tree.
NAFEX  said use a 3 corner file to make a notch.  I used a single edge razor blade. 
I have never used this method on citrus.  But back when I was doing bonsai, I tried it on a wisteria seedling.  I got a branch from EVERY leaf.
Of course, you never go wrong following Kumin's or Millet's advice.  Their experience is actually with citrus.

martinpa

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2022, 07:19:28 AM »
Thank you all! I see some great advices with extra explanation. I am willing to cut off the top 25%, since I do not expect any fruit so soon in the life of the tree. Will this affect the tree indefinitely or just slow the process of maturing and growing a fruit someday?

1rainman

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2022, 11:12:07 AM »
Did you grow this from seed?

Citrus from seed are huge trees. I mean 20 feet tall. Of course a container will shrink it but something from seed is not going to work in a container. Secondly, they take at least seven years to get fruit when grown from seed no matter how big the tree is. Third, the tree is tall and skinny because not enough light. It thinks that it is growing in the bottom of the jungle and that it needs to get really tall and reach above the other trees for light. It's pretty hard to simulate sub-tropical sun when you are in the north or indoors. But really intense sunlight will reduce this, but not totally get rid of it because it wants to grow into a huge tree.

If you simply take a cutting of the tree and root it into a new tree you get a smaller bushier type of tree. This is why commercial growers never grow from seed. That and also citrus is not true to seed, you can get sour fruit from planting a seed from a sweet tree, or fruit with too many seeds or too thick skin etc. or that ripen at different times. So they clone them through cuttings so they know what they are growing, but also to keep the tree small and bushy so all the fruit can be reached.  Then they may also grow it on different root-stock which can produce a larger tree or not depending on the type of root stock but pretty much always smaller than something grown from seed.

And if you need to you can cut the top off and let it branch out that way, then you'll get three or four branches that start growing upwards as well. It takes so long to fruit that it wouldn't make any difference in terms of fruit in my opinion. The best option is to cut pieces off and root them. Though when I try to root stuff I usually fail, but if you can get a cutting to grow roots its going to be smaller and more bushy. And by smaller I mean its still going to be a huge plant for indoors but it will be manageable in a large pot.

When I was growing citrus up north- my dwarf meyer lemon which was a rooted cutting I ordered, I had to leave it outside in the sun during summer, then had it near a window with grow lights in winter though it didn't get as much light as it wanted in winter. They will adapt somewhat to their environment but they like to have full sun they aren't very good as a house plant. It's going to bend and stretch looking for sunlight.

Millet

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2022, 12:24:50 PM »
 In the case of citrus, not all but most citrus seeds do grow true to their parent.

 True from seed:  Almost all sweet oranges, true grapefruit, lemons, pure mandarins (other than King & clementine), most tangelos, hybrid tangerines and Tangors (except Temple).  Most pummelo do not grow true from seed. 

kumin

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2022, 01:18:05 PM »
First flowering/fruiting is influenced by genetics as well as cultural practices. I've had 1 citrumelo tree flower and fruit in its 2nd year from seed. Another 2 fruited in their 3rd year. An additional 10 haven't fruited yet. One F2 citrange fruited in its 3rd year. Five F2 citranges flowered in the 4th year. The remainder haven't flowered at this point. All of these trees were strongly encouraged to grow upright. The interesting observation was that the original seedlings and scions taken from the originals flowered in the same year.

pagnr

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2022, 05:48:22 PM »
I've had 1 citrumelo tree flower and fruit in its 2nd year from seed. Another 2 fruited in their 3rd year. An additional 10 haven't fruited yet.

Are these Citrumelos supposed to be polyembryonic, for uniform rootstocks.
I have some fruiting Swingle Citrumelos here. The fruit shapes are fairly variable between trees. No difference in the fruit flavour internally.
Seeds are slightly different re size. One produces a heap of tiny seed and a few big seed.
I wouldn't regard these as Off types.
Generally with fruiting rootstocks such as Citrange, fruit can be slightly variable.
Once found a row of Rough Lemons, rootstocks that had taken over. Presumably all from the same RL strain, same nursery.
Fruit on different trees was fairly variable, i.e. big/small,smooth/rough, Yellow/orange etc.
As you say the flowering timing of yours seems to be genetically variable ?

kumin

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2022, 08:13:47 PM »
Yes, the precocity is enabled by encouraging rapid, upright growth. However, genetics determine which individuals trees and their further propagated grafted clones will flower/fruit first. I have seen consistency in that the graft donor and its subsequent scions are at the same stage of maturity and often begin flowering the same year.

1rainman

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2022, 08:37:49 PM »
I have grown them from seed in Florida and seen countless trees where someone spit out the seed. Haven't seen any good oranges from seed. They all regress. Some are edible but not as good tasting full of seeds, some have excessively thick skin, most are sour. This is from normal oranges bought in a store or picked off a tree.

In Florida they take forever to get fruit. Maybe something is inducing flowering when grown elsewhere. If you root a cutting from a fruit bearing tree it will bear fruit immediately. Root stock is all sour fruit here too.

I do eat wild oranges. They aren't all sour like a lemon, some are, but they are less sweet than normal. Closer to a grapefruits sweetness. I have only seen oranges and grapefruit from seed.lemons, limes, and Valencia grow here but don't do well due to cold sensitivity but seems the climate is getting warmer. Historically we got cold snaps in the winter. So oranges have not been true to seed in my experience but grapefruit have been and no experience with others.

1rainman

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2022, 08:42:32 PM »
Swingle is a hybrid if I remember correctly. 3/4 tangerine 1/4 grapefruit. One would expect different shuffling of genes in the offspring. Interesting they are even similar in taste. Grapefruits are generally the hardiest citrus that are good to eat so tangors are top choices to grow combining cold hardiness, disease resistance with good fruit.

kumin

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #14 on: August 04, 2022, 08:58:30 PM »
Swingle is a citrumelo, hybrid between grapefruit and Citrus (Poncirus) trifoliata.
My favorite hybrids are Changsha mandarin X Citrus (Poncirus) trifoliata.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2022, 09:02:33 PM by kumin »

Millet

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Re: How to cut mandarin tree
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2022, 09:08:45 PM »
Once again most all oranges produce TRUE from seed.