The comment about the tree being worth no more than the owner paid for it is true.....if you're the IRS. I deal with the donation of trees and the issue of their "worth" or what's allowable by the tax folks many times each year. Terry...I salute you for wanting to salvage that old tree that wouldn't be worth much to most folks. I wish you the best of luck. Many times, over the years, I've been amazed at how old, declined trees have be salvaged and brought back from near death by caring, adoptive folks that weren't "too practical". I'm nearing the age that I hope I'm not abandoned just because I'm old and need some corrective treatments. Spoken like a true, impractical "tree hugger", huh?

This has turned out to be a very interesting thread. I'm glad I have read the entire posting. In reading all that has been written, I have changed my mind back and forth several times. Here is what I finally settled on. I agree that the tree really has not much of a dollar value, AS A CITRUS TREE. I myself would not bother with it, however I can see where someone else would. This tree only has value in the mind of the person, valuable as a project, a restoration, a living organism with a hopeful future This tree in itself no longer has much of a monitary value, it sort of like one climbs a mountain BECAUSE the mountain exists. - Millet

The tree, as is, has projected value, not a real current
value as a bona fide landscape tree, nor a realistic
value even as a nursery tree for a landscape.

If the livelihood of the tree is at stake and it seems like
it will be soon enough, then the best recourse perhaps
is to let someone that really wants it have it that will
care for the tree and nurse the tree back to health. If
the tree were mine and Terry approached me about it
I’d let him have it for free but I’d also keep tabs on
him to see how my tree is doing for him. If I had strong
sentiments about the tree and could not care for it
properly then Terry gets it. That is how we worked a
few excess trees that had been in the ground for years
in the nursery when we were approached by people
that wanted them.

I think if Terry is willing to go to the trouble of saving this
tree then he should be rewarded in kind. Value of a plant
in dollar terms is arbitrary anyway but we can place a value
based on what someone else will pay for a plant. As far as
the value of this tree, that is a real simple question to ask,
just ask yourselves how much would you pay to have it?
If my out of pocket costs are going to be somewhere
around $200-300 and this is for the rental of the Bobcat,
the flatbed trailer, the forklift and the box to put it in, I
think that is ample enough without paying for a tree that
technically is no longer a Satsuma.

I know where Terry is coming from as I’ve done the same
thing in the past when a nurseryman had a tree I lusted after
for many years. When we are told we can have it we go to
extra lengths to ensure that it is ours. What is time and
money when it is our time and money spent on a tree that
we really do want to have. I did it to help perpetuate the
species as the tree was one of a kind and by the way, still
is. I’ve had it in a collection for 26 years. I applaud Terry
for wanting this tree as it can be reclaimed with some effort.

Terry, if you decide not to move the tree you can layer
some of the healthy limbs into the ground much like how
people propagate by cuttings. I would read up on layering,
like people have done with Apples in the past. I've seen it
done on specialty Citrus. I would not air layer this tree
when I could layer it instead. No matter which form of
layering you choose you will want to cut back or cut off
the overgrown growth either way if you want your air
layering or layering to be successful. You have to force
the tree to send out roots where you want them to go and
to better promote root growth in our incisions, the tops
should be severely cut back or perhaps cut out entirely
after you get permission to do this.

Snickles

There is no reason that this tree can't be top worked with multiple varieties. The the branch structure on this tree, you have multiple options. JoeReal with his budding experience would have a ball with this tree with so may good budding spots.

If I were you I would try to save he Satsuma growth & top work the Tri with different varieties of Satsumas. If you cut the tri back extensively you will not need such a large rootball...

Yes you got it. With the available satsuma varieties, it is quite possible to have this tree bear fruit almost majority of the year, and the whole year if you are in a greenhouse.

When transferring the tree, should you decide, cutting back the trifoliate will help balance the damaged roots, increasing the chances of survival.

I would start budding it over after the tree starts to regrow after relocation.

Hi Terry. It has been 3 years since this post. How is the satsuma doing ?

Lazz,
I'll take a new pic tomorrow and up date it the tree.
Terry

What a great thread!!! I too am wondering how things are with this tree!

Me too! I remember reading page 1 when it posted.

The Wilmington Satsuma has fruit on it this time of the year. So, I stopped to see if I could take some pictures.
The man who planted the tree has passed away. His wife greeted me as a friend. She said that my friend George had told her about me.
She let me take pictures and take some fruit and cuttings. She said that she wants to plant another Satsuma tree near the original tree. She said that her daughter had a green thumb and she wanted her to grow a tree from a cutting. I told her that I would be happy to graft her a tree from the original.
The over grown rootstock has several fruit. She said that the fruit was much larger them other years.
In Nov. 2005 my friend George cut off the rootstock at about 6 foot off the ground. It has grown back to 15 foot or more. I had not paid much attention to the rootstock before. The trifoliate leaves have a larger middle leaf. The peel has a large pith area. Maybe the trifoliate is crossed with a pumello or a grape fruit.. The flesh didn’t have much if any trifoliate taste but the lemon flavor was not quite right. Maybe someone recognizes the fruit and leaves. I would like to know what kind it is.
The Satsuma part of the tree is still being dominated by the trifoliate. Most of the trees power seems to be going to the trifoliate part. The trifoliate part is growing vigorously.
I did get to taste the Satsuma fruit today. Very good sweet flavor, rich and a little tart. I’ve eaten one so far and it had one seed.
I didn’t ask the owner about buying the tree this time. She was talking about adding another Satsuma to her property. I took that as a “No”. But I hope that I can help her if she needs any help with her tree. I left her my phone number.
Terry

From the top left to right:
1. Satsuma leaf
2. smaller standard trifoliate leaf
3. larger hybrid trifoliate leaf
4. Whole Satsuma Fruit
5. half smaller standard trifoliate
6. half Satsuma Fruit
7. half larger hybrid trifoliate Fruit



Picture of the hybrid trifoliate Fruit on the tree.


The Satsuma fruit on the tree.


The size of the trifoliate Fruit.

Looks like swingle. All three of these are on the same tree ?

I agree with Lazz, the leaf with the extra large central blade is not a hybrid trifoliate leaf, but is a Swingle leaf. - Millet (1,146-)

Laaz,
The small standard trifoliate fruit was not on the tree. I only put it there to compare size and proportion.
From your information the tree had a Swingle rootstock with a Satsuma graft.
Terry