Purchased 40 acres that adjoins my place. In the rear 40 I found a naval orange that is about 18 feet tall. Loaded with oranges. Troubl is the rootstock has grown without care it appears for several years. It is tall and in the center of the tree.....it is higher than the tree. Question is...what to do with it. Can I cut the rootstock off just above the graft where it emerges? If I do will it cause the tree to suffer any decline? Will the orange fall off? What is one to do in a case like this...I do want to save the tree..........Thanks for any replies.

A picture would help.

Ned

I could try to take one. Since this discovery I have found two other the same way. They evidently were abandoned with no care for several years and they rootstock is growing in the middle of the trees. Two of these trees stayed with the root system under water for several wees and they are showing the stress.....yellowed leaves ......but they still have fruit on them and the rootstock is up high above them.......rootstock is very healthy...........trees just not taken care of.

You need to cut all the rootstock back. Like Ned stated a few photos would help...

Yes I think that would be a good idea....and it is my intent to take some photos when I can ...........it appears that there are not enough hours in the days to do all the things that I have to do...it is especially difficult since I have retired.............I had more time when I was working all day for someone else. But I will try to take some photos. I have been advised to cut off the rootstock and graft a good scoin from the tree back to the cut off rootstock. That was my thoughts but needed to confirm it with somone with a little more knowledge and experience than I have. I have found three trees in this state and want to take care of them and bring them back to the state they should be in. I have also found three good thriving rootstocks with no citrus growing on them. They are about 5 or 6 feet tall and about 1.25 inches in diameter at the base. What would you recommend for them. I will try to get some pics up this afternoon. Thanks for the response.....I am appreciative of all advice that knowledgable folks can give.

David all grafted / budded trees need to be maintained. The roostock will always send up new shoots that should be rubbed off as they appear... As for the other roostock trees you have found, try grafting a Satsuma variety to them. Satsumas are very productive and produce great tasting fruit that is very easy to peel. Also very cold hardy.

Yes you are so right. The trees in question have just become my property. For a long while these trees have been neglected and now that I have the property I am trying to bring it bact to a good looking, well maintained and productive citrus property. Normally I rub off all rootstock growth while its is tiny. Here are some pics. The ruby red grapefruit is loaded with grapefruit ....just has a large trifoilata growing from the center. I intend to cut it off and graft a piece of the ruby red back to the stump of the rootstock. I will probably take your recommendation to graft satsumas on the other large rootstocks..........

http://www.members.cox.net/tbeau211/root001.jpg
http://www.members.cox.net/tbeau211/root002.jpg
http://www.members.cox.net/tbeau211/root003.jpg
http://www.members.cox.net/tbeau211/root004.jpg

Ok now they are working... I don't see any rootstock in the grapefruit photo.

It is in the center of the tree and towers above the rest of the tree some. Right in the center you can see the small trifoilata leaves on it. Not a good pic I admit but sun was working me over and it was the best I could get.

Just follow it down to the main trunk & cut it off. Tree looks pretty healthy to me.

Can do. Do you think there is any use in cutting it down to a stump and grafting a piece of the grapefruit back on it.............it would be a bark graft on the stump of the rootstock..............???

I wouldn't bother. It looks like the grapefruit is doing well. Once you remove the sucker, the rootstock will put all the nutrients back into the scion & you should see some nice new growth.

I agree with Lazz, unless you want to add varieties, the size of that rootstock is not a problem. If you want to make it a cocktail tree, the rootstock shoot is a good opportunity.

I hear that. I love to experiment but just dont want to cause the fruit to drop or the good condition of the tree to deteriorate because I cut out the big rootstock. Thanks for the information. I have the other big rootstocks that I think I will cut off and do a bark graft on the stump and see if I can get some good results. The big rootstock is very heathy and has a good big root system. They would surely make a good base for a good owari satsuma..............