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Sludge
Citruholic
Joined: 16 Mar 2009
Posts: 55
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Sat 13 Aug, 2011 9:58 pm |
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I'm planning on making some hybrid citrus... well, eventually, I'm still working on grafting and don't have all the varieties I want yet. But I was wondering if I'd get better growth from a hybrid by grafting it onto a fast growing rootstock. If this is a good idea, what rootstock would be best to get immature budwood grow quickly? |
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Malcolm_Manners
Citrus Guru
Joined: 13 Nov 2005
Posts: 676
Location: Lakeland Florida
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| Posted: Sat 13 Aug, 2011 10:29 pm |
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There is some evidence for that working, if the limb is then also girdled. But it's very "iffy" with citrus, and might not save you much time.
Grafting to dwarfing rootstocks often accomplishes this in other fruits, but I've never seen data to support the idea in citrus. Still if I were to try it, I'd use 'Flying Dragon' as the rootstock. |
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MarcV
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Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 1469
Location: Schoten (Antwerp), Belgium
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| Posted: Sun 14 Aug, 2011 5:24 am |
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So, what changes in the plant that makes it "mature"? Is it the presence of some kind of hormone or somethng?
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Millet
Citruholic
Joined: 13 Nov 2005
Posts: 6657
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Sun 14 Aug, 2011 2:56 pm |
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Marc great question. A really great question. Its known that when a citrus tree finally grows to the required node count the tree becomes mature at that point. But why? What is the finite item that actually turns the switch on to maturity? If the answer is a hormone, then again "WHY" what causes it? Or it might be an enzymatic reaction, but again "WHY" what causes it?- Millet (520-) |
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MarcV
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Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 1469
Location: Schoten (Antwerp), Belgium
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| Posted: Sun 14 Aug, 2011 5:45 pm |
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Does that mean no one actually knows?
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Sludge
Citruholic
Joined: 16 Mar 2009
Posts: 55
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Sun 14 Aug, 2011 6:17 pm |
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| Millet wrote: | | Marc great question. A really great question. Its known that when a citrus tree finally grows to the required node count the tree becomes mature at that point. But why? What is the finite item that actually turns the switch on to maturity? If the answer is a hormone, then again "WHY" what causes it? Or it might be an enzymatic reaction, but again "WHY" what causes it?- Millet (520-) |
I've always wondered if it's some sort of internal genetic timer, kinda like the way human cells have a set number of times they can reproduce before they die.
Anyway, getting back to the effect of rootstock on maturation time, I'm surprised that Malcolm_Manners suggesting Flying dragon rootstock, I was thinking that something that produced rapid growth like lemon would be what I'd want. It's been my understanding the Flying dragon causes slower plant growth. |
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Malcolm_Manners
Citrus Guru
Joined: 13 Nov 2005
Posts: 676
Location: Lakeland Florida
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| Posted: Sun 14 Aug, 2011 10:31 pm |
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Right Sludge -- you want slower growth. One of the characteristics of juvenile growth is that it is "too" vigorous; you want to undo that. And while it has not been shown to work in citrus, I suggest it because it does work in some of the stone fruits and other plants. The idea with such grafting methods is to avoid having to accumulate the "official" node number, bypassing it by some trick played on the plant. |
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Sludge
Citruholic
Joined: 16 Mar 2009
Posts: 55
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Mon 15 Aug, 2011 1:14 am |
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| Malcolm_Manners wrote: | | Right Sludge -- you want slower growth. One of the characteristics of juvenile growth is that it is "too" vigorous; you want to undo that. And while it has not been shown to work in citrus, I suggest it because it does work in some of the stone fruits and other plants. The idea with such grafting methods is to avoid having to accumulate the "official" node number, bypassing it by some trick played on the plant. |
It'd be an interesting experiment to do, graft similar node count seedling citrus to rootstocks that produce fast or slow growth. I might give it a try when I can keep my chip grafts from drying up and dieing  |
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pagnr
Citrus Guru
Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Posts: 407
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Mon 15 Aug, 2011 7:26 pm |
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If you produce a hybrid, you are well advised to bud it at seedling onto rootstock. This will give you "back up copies" of your plant. Not all hybrids are necessarily more vigorous, and some can be fussy. Being on rootstock can help to push them harder. |
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Radoslav
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Location: Slovak Republic
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