Hello everyone! I have about a dozen citrus trees and don't have any more room unless I start planting in the lawn (and I've broken down and already put 2 trees in the front lawn when I said I wouldn't, lol!). I have a full grown Dancy Mandarin which is good, but last year I didn't come close to finishing all the fruit since they're seedy and I could use a little more variety and different fruiting times.
My dad has a bunch of mandarin trees and he lives across town and I'd like to take some buds off of his tree and put them on my tree. My goal is to make the Dancy a 10-in-1 tree.

Here's my questions....
1) My tree is full grown, my dad's trees are young (5 gallon pot size). Will this be a problem when budding?
2) Where would I place the buds on the tree? Trunk, branches? Do I need to trim to give sunlight and/or incourage growth?
3) After taking the buds, how much time do I have and how to I transport them?
4) is there any mandarins that won't bud to a Dancy tree? Also can I bud other citrus to the tree like Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes, pommelos? My dad has a large citrus variety.

Thanks for helping the newbie. =)

Travis
Poway, CA (San Diego inland)

I'd like to answer this, but it is nice for others to answer these questions based on what they have learned and applied. I know that they are now experts after they have done many of the tips and tutorials here.

Here's my questions....
1) My tree is full grown, my dad's trees are young (5 gallon pot size). Will this be a problem when budding?
2) Where would I place the buds on the tree? Trunk, branches? Do I need to trim to give sunlight and/or incourage growth?
3) After taking the buds, how much time do I have and how to I transport them?
4) is there any mandarins that won't bud to a Dancy tree? Also can I bud other citrus to the tree like Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes, pommelos? My dad has a large citrus variety.

1--Not a problem (however, if you are using immature wood--it may take a few yrs before fruit)
2--Best branches for budding are still green and pencil size to maybe 1/2 inch in diameter--the bark will slip easier (if the bark is slipping)
3--Buds properly stored (cool--in plastic bag with a little moisture) should keep for months to even a yr)
4--Ask Joe--the only thing I have learned about incompatibility is clementines don't do well on satsumas.

Good Luck--Joe's tutorial is great--I had over 60% success first time.

Budwood can last for year? i thought it was best to use soon and can be stored for up to 3 months. if properly stored.

I just read that any citrus can be budded to any citrus.
There is a good link to T budding that I bumped up to top of threads here. There's really 2 links there. I learned a lot from them. Best time to bud is Spring or Fall - when the bark is slipping.
I too heard that budwood can only store for up to 3 months.

I have used scions that were cut in February in August had had good takes.

As an experiment, I have budded a Hamlin orange using budwood over 12 months old with success. However I would advise using fresher wood. I seem to have better succes with budwood collected while the mother tree is still good and dormant. This wood also seems to last longer.

Ned

Hi all, this is my first post... I am relocated to Mexico, two miles from the west coast at 22 degrees lat. I have a volunteer citrus, probably a grapefruit or lime, obviously rootstock. On my property I have a fabulously sweet lime, a great red grapefruit, a Meyer lemon from a cutting smuggeled in some years back, and a new Ponderosa lemon and kaffir lime cuttings that have chosen life...
Obviously I would love to graft lots of cuttings onto this big root thing....
It is maybe eight feet tall. How far should I cut it back before I start the grafting? Or should I cut it back? The trunk at the base is maybe three inches. I've never grafted before, so I need basic instructions.
I say the rootstock is lime or grapefruit because I used to throw vegetable trash there...
Thanks for any advice... I'm only a guru with saladgreens in Houston Tx, where I did an heirloom saladmix for Houston restaurants for 13 years.
Thanks!