I've noticed that the smaller nucellar seedlings are more branched than the hybrid seedlings which are much taller. Can I, with confidence, then sort my seedlings that will be true Sunburst from the hybrids which will be a new variety?

Theoretically speaking, it would be a new cultivar that could be registered if it was noteworthy. Am I correct in this thinking?

For rootstocks on commercial nurseries, that's exactly what they do -- they grow the seedlings in a row or on a greenhouse bench, so they can look at a lot of them at once. The notably taller ones (known as "bulls") and the notably shorter ones ("runts") as well as any with obviously different leaves, are pulled up and discarded. The uniform seedlings that remain are the nucellar seedlings that they'll use for budding. Of course there is a possibility that a hybrid would look so much like the nucellars that it would get missed, but at least this method rogues out most of the hybrids.

Yes, your hybrids could provide the next great variety to change the citrus world. But the probability is quite small. Rather like winning the state lottery I suppose.

Since questions come up from time to time about the nucellar and zygotic seedlings, I thought I would post a couple of pictures that show both for contrast.



Side by side:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/2110/dsc00246xh.jpg

Close up of leaf detail for hybrid:
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9797/dsc00252i.jpg

Closeup of leaf detail for nucellar:

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9166/dsc00256x.jpg

The seeds of these seedlings were planted on the same day from the same fruit. Grown under the same conditions, watered and fertilized the same, and it is is easy to see the differences in them. The nucellar seedling's nodes are wide (1 to 2 in. apart) and the hybrid's nodes are less than an inch apart. The nucellar's leaf surface is twice that of the hybrid. The nucellar's has grown straight and only one tiny branch has begun to form, even though it was pinched about 3 months ago. It put out another main leader and kept going up. The hybrid immediately branched and continues to do so.

What about multiple seedlings from the same seed?

I recently germinated a minneola tangelo and got two seedlings out it. Can I assume the larger one is a nucellar and the smaller a hybrid?

The possibilities are, 1). The smaller seedling is the hybrid, 2). The smaller seedling is the nucellar, 3). the larger seedling is the hybrid 4) The larger seedling is the nucellar. - Millet (1,087-)

Just keep both!

> The possibilities are, 1). The smaller seedling is the hybrid, 2). The smaller seedling is the nucellar, 3). the larger seedling is the hybrid 4) The larger seedling is the nucellar.

And don't forget this possibility:
5) The hybrid and the nucellar have the same size.

Best of luck to you--we can always use more cold hardy citrus.

The 2 or 3 year old grafted budwood remains juvenile, and must grow out its time before becoming mature, as if it was left alone as the original seedling. - Millet (1,077-)

Do the seedlings grow straight up with no branching? Do satsuma seedlings have thorns? I am trying to germinate some seedlings in my new propagator that I bought from Amazon.com. So far there are no sprouts but it is only 6 days. I am also propagating some Meyer lemon cuttings and will report the results in a few weeks.


I am using peat pots for the rooting medium and the propagator is a dome with a platic tray and top with a heat mat under the tray.

TRI,

The statistics for these Sunburst seedlings were this:

I planted 26 seeds

some germinated, some didn't

the final count was 39 viable seedling trees

they do eventually put on thorns, mine have a few coming out now

my seedlings were planted Nov 09

I cut them back at about 15 inches (to an outside bud) to get them to branch out

the taller larger leafed seedlings resisted branching, and continued to put up a central leader and no lateral branches; the few that did, the laterals grew an inch or so and then stopped.....just a week ago, I re-cut the nucellar seedlings to try to get some good laterals growing

the smaller leafed hybrid seedlings readily branched and pushed out lateral growth faster

I didn't use bottom heat. I do remember peeling the outer skin off and they came up very quickly, in about 3-5 days.

Hope this helps

Here is my experience. I have grown a great number of seedling trees. I almost never cut the top, because I do not want to delay the time until maturity. In every case, every tree branched out. For tens of thousands of years, nature's method of growing citrus was, of course, through seed, which forever and always produced fully branched out trees. Generally, as with all trees started by seed, my seedling trees first grow in a up right pattern until approximately 2-1/2 to 3 feet, at which point they always begun to branch out. NOTE: Frequently new fast growing young trees develop weak trunks that must be staked for support. How nature avoids weak trunks and stems, is by the wind. The flicking back and forth of the tree against the pressure of the wind, produces firm strong trunks and stems. When the tree is two inches tall place the tree in the wind, or if the weather is still to cold, place the young tree in front of a fan. By doing so you will never have a tree that requires support. - Millet (1,051-)

I wasn't aware that cutting the seedlings back would delay their maturing/fruit-bearing. In any event, I will do it again simply because I don't like one long leader coming out and laying on the ground. I haven't noticed them being in the sunshine and wind making any difference at all in the time needed to become more erect. I know that a few varieties have this 'weeping' habit and it comes naturally. Fortunately, the FD's stay erect and I don't cut them back anyway since they will be topped when forcing the buds.

Aesthetically speaking, I will continue to top my trees to get them to form up to produce a nicer looking tree.

I once purchased a grafted citrus with one long weepy branch that was almost on the ground, so much so, I was afraid that the trunk would twist off from the graft. It is still long and draping at the top though it has been staked over a year. It has yet to branch out! It is about four years old.

I don't have any claim to expound; this is just what I have observed from personal experience.