Okay, I know this has been discussed a bit on the forum, and if you re-direct me that's great. Here's my question: I have an orange growing in a container outside year 'round that is from a cutting. It is small, but is flowering. Here are my questions with regard to node count and flowering/fruiting:

1. Is reaching "mature node count" in reference to flowering or to the setting of fruit?
2. Where can I find a listing of each citrus category/cultivar mature node count? Is there a document or reference that lists this information?
3. Will a cutting that might have been cut from a mature tree that has well achieved mature node count "remember" that node count, thus flower/fruit earlier, or does that cutting essentially "start over" with its own node count?

Thanks, and, if this all has been covered in a previous post, I apologize. Still searching the messages for answers to all of these questions.

The wood remembers it's node count. Taking a budstick from a mature tree, you will have fruit almost immediately.

1. Both.

2. Never seen a list, don't know if it exists (could possibly be a small range depending on each particular tree, and the required node count is different for each species .

3. It remembers

Millet

Thanks Millet. That explains all the blossoms on the orange cutting then. And also why my pomelo seedling that is about 6-7' tall still has no blossoms.

Air layer a chandler pomelo for fun in 2011. There are popcorn flowers on it now. Very cute little 1 foot tree.

I read somewhere that one could fool citrus into flowering earlier than it would normally by stressing it with either wide temperature differences or drought (withholding water)

Is this true?

I have a mystery citrus that I grew from a tiny seedling which is now 7+ years old. It's getting to the point that it is getting almost too big to carry in and out as the seasons change, so I have had it outside for the last few weeks where it would get some more stress.

I am hoping to get it to fruit so that I can see if it is something decent pr even worth the effort. It does have some sentimental connection though as I am pretty sure it is the first citrus tree I ever got.

Never heard the temperature thing, but it is true about drought, but only if the tree is mature , - Milllet

@cristofre - If you're interested in drought stressing your citrus trees in order to make them set multiple crops, you might want to have a look at this (pdf) article. It breaks the Verdelli's method down for you... Although lemons and limes are know to set multiple crops without even having them forced, with Verdelli's method, crop timing management becomes quite easily achievable, which makes it attractive for many citrus growers. This can also be done with almost any mature, fruit-bearing citrus tree, not just lemons and limes which I have given just as an example.

Igor

I am looking to get a meiwa kumquat. I have a Changshou kumquat I just started from seed. Next year I would like to bud the Changshou to the meiwa to have both on one tree. Would the low node count Changshou bud have to grow into a huge limb growing off the side of the meiwa before it reaches its node count and fruits? Would that limb ever get large enough to reach its needed node count?

Yes and yes.

This question is what got me interested in genetics, biology, and botany. How does it remember? Is there a way to cheat and speed up the process? Nobody seems to know. Maybe something like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_methylation ?

There is a way to speed up the maturity of a seedling tree. Normally a citrus tree produces 2 growth flushes per year, some times maybe a small third flush. By growing a seedling citrus tree on a heated surface (80-F), plus lighting the tree using a HID light, from sundown to 10:00 PM the tree will have 5 flushes of new growth per year, rarely 6 flushes). Therefore, instead of waiting 8+- years for it to reach the mature node count, the tree will become mature and begin to flower and fruit in approximately 4+- years. Key Limes in 1-2 years. Millet

Ah, Millet's suggestion is "be ridiculously healthy" where I'm interested in straight up cheating... that is genetically or chemically alter a seed or seedling to flip the maturity switch on, if there is one. Imagine how much quicker new cultivar selection would be? Graft it onto existing rootstock and try the fruit in a year or two.

Years ago, I read somewhere on the internet very good article about forcing new citrus varieties to bloom. If I remember it right, it was report from some experimental station in Okinawa. They stated in that article, that the method they use to force newly breeded citrus varieties to bloom, is to graft it on to the top of big rough lemon tree, there were also some info, that the best results are, if it is grafted more then 1,5m above the ground. (I think they mentioned something like 2 years to bloom).