I've searched the archives, I'm not finding threads on the methodology used for rooting citrus cuttings. I had my first successful attempt at rooting Mariana 2624 cuttings, but I'm not seeing much in the way of citrus.

Questions:
1) Concentration and brand of rooting hormone that should be used?
2) Should I strip cuttings of leaves to reduce evapotranspiration?
3) Depth of embedment in soil?
4) Soil medium?
5) Diameter of cutting?
6) Any other advice?


Thanks,
Phillip

Phillip I dont use any Hormones,I do strip about 2" off the end to go in the soil, I leave about 2" out of the soil. I use Pine Bark soil and cutting size is 4 to 6 inches about the size of scion wood to graft. that is what I rooted last year the scion wood that I had left over after grafting I put them in ziploc bags in a little damp soil and put them
in the shade, if you want to root a lot at one time you can use a mist bed. the only reason I rooted the cuttings last year is because I ran out of root stock and rooted the cuttings and will cut the roots off and graft it this your, the rooted stem will continue to grow. I use to root thousands of cuttings when I was in the nursery business but citrus only as a hobby.

I am certainly no citrus-rooting expert, as I have only attempted to root cuttings from 'Meyer' lemon, but I have found them very easy and have a 5 for 5 success rate. I do not use rooting simulators either.

I take an 8-9 inch cutting off of a previous year's watersprout, remove all but the top leaf or two, and place it 6-7 inches in the ground. I either root them in pots of compost or straight into the ground (though I am blessed that my soil here is an excellent sand/clay mix with tons of organic matter). I water the cuttings every other day for a few weeks and then twice a week if there is no rain. This was all done last fall, and I had spring flushes (no flowers) on all 5.

Hershell, what do you mean exactly by...",I do strip about 2 inches off the end"? Does that mean you strip the complete outside epidermis layer off the bottom two inches of the cutting? - Millet (952-)

Millet that was very confusing I agree. I strip only the leaves off insert it in the soil, a callus grows on the end of the stem and then the roots grow. I don,t like trees citrus grown from cuttings although I haven,t tried lemons. I bought some so called dwarf Satsumas years ago and they didn't grow very much so I washed the soil off of the roots and found that they were grown from cuttings.

We root them under intermittent mist, but it can be done in a plastic bag or under a jar. I like to leave at least 2 or 3 leaves attached,but strip off the lower leaves. I like to use current-flush stems, but after they have fully matured and turned woody. I wound the base of the cutting by removing two thin strips of bark, maybe 1/2-3/4" long, from the base, on opposite sides of the stem, then dipping in rooting hormone. The strength of the hormone varies with the variety. Super easy stuff like calamondin and most lemons may need little or no hormone. Sweet oranges and Grapefruit may need a lot more. We often use Dip-n-Grow, and dilute it 1:10 or 1:6 in water, or we've also used Hormodin powder (#2 usually; but #3 for hard-to-root stuff).

The advantage of a mist system is that you can root them in full sun, and I think that really improves your success rate, whereas rooting in a container demands that you shade them at mid-day or they'll cook. Still, it should work.

Propagating plants from cuttings is as much an art as a science. There is much more to propagation than just getting roots to form. The condition of the parent tree has a MAJOR influence on how long it takes a cutting to root, how many roots develop, or if it roots at all. Most everyone knows the science, but the art of propagation is less understood. The "art" of taking cuttings is, timing, condition of the parent tree, stage of growth, where on the parent tree the cuttings are taken, etc. influence rooting, branch development following rooting, growth habit and to a considerable degree, plant vigor and overall quality. Propagation is the critical point of origin. Drop the ball here and everything else is made much more difficult. A good cutting is all about STORED ENERGY RESERVES (carbohydrates). It is its stored energy that the cutting must rely on for its survival, until it develops roots. If you start with weak cuttings that contain little energy, problems will abound. When to take cuttings is a perpetual challenge to the propagator. This is truly the "art" of plant propagation. With species that only make one flush of growth, the build up of energy in the cutting proceeds over the entire growing season. With species that make several flushes of growth, such as citrus, the build up of energy progresses, then drops again with the next flush and so on. The key to cuttings selection and propagation is to wait until the energy level in the cutting tissue has recovered to a level that can support root development, yet not wait too long and lose the responsiveness and ability of young tissues to produce roots. Most broad leaf evergreens reach their peak energy in their plant tissues by late summer. Also, keep in mind that a time period typically of 30 to 60 days is required to root most broad leaf cuttings. If cuttings are taken too late in the winter season the bud chilling requirement has been met, and as soon as the cuttings are placed in a warm greenhouse, buds swell and new growth begins and energy levels drop, leaving little energy to support root initiation and growth. In general, it has been found that there is no ideal rooting medium, but several combinations of materials can provide a good, workable medium with a drainable pore space of 40 to 50 percent. Good quality peat and coarse perlite, or peat and ground pine bark on a 1:1 or 1:15 or 1:2 basis by volume works well in propagation containers approximately 3-1/2 to 4 inches deep. The incorporation of 65 to 120 grams of Osmocote 18-6-12--- (NO SUBSTITUTES)--- per cubic foot, into the rooting medium prior to the sticking of the cuttings greatly increases plant quality. With Osmocote, stimulation of rooting is substantial on some species, while others are not affected during rooting, but growth of the liner before and after transplanting is greatly increased. A cutting of a woody plant generally does not begin to initiate any roots for 2 to 3 weeks after sticking, and thus has little capacity to absorb nutrients. Of the current slow release fertilizer products, the release rate of Osmocote 18-6-12 more nearly coincides with the root development of the cutting and stimulates the subsequent growth of nearly all species if some other factor is not restricting growth. - Millet (951-)

Hello all. Hello from Bulgaria (Eastern Europe). Very good forum for citrus maniacs ..... very interested in how root the incisors of citrus. Can someone with experience to show photographs of how it works these steps by step? Maybe you Admin? Guess I'll join many of us beginners? And please excuse me if written by me is not so understandable.I write you through google translate