Citrus Growers Forum

nicky · Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2012 10:01 pm

Hello,

Can anyone tell me why I have this strange fruit that has formed on my Fukushu Kumquat? It has 4 sections and was grown in the vicinity of other varieties of potted citrus plants.

Thanks

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Enjoy growing dwarf citrus indoors&outdoors. Currently learning to graft.

Laaz · Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2012 10:37 pm

Bud mutation, not uncommon with citrus.

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Sludge · Posted: Fri 28 Sep, 2012 2:43 pm

Are you sure Laaz? My first thought on seeing the deformed fruit and the speckled leaves was some sort of mite damage.

Sylvain · Posted: Fri 28 Sep, 2012 5:07 pm

> My first thought on seeing the deformed fruit and the speckled leaves was some sort of mite damage.
So do I.

nicky · Posted: Fri 28 Sep, 2012 5:38 pm

OK.
Thanks for the evaluations. If this is a mutated Fukushu Kumquat, is it worth the effort to recover any seeds and plant them for a "new" variety/fruit?

_________________
Enjoy growing dwarf citrus indoors&outdoors. Currently learning to graft.

igor.fogarasi · Posted: Fri 28 Sep, 2012 5:53 pm

If it is a bud sport, propagation could be done by grafting scion to a desired rootstock. Although it might even be a citrus bud mite, which could also result in misshapen fruit.

Laaz · Posted: Fri 28 Sep, 2012 8:40 pm

I have mites quite often & have never seem this on any of my citrus. It is a possibility though.

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Sylvain · Posted: Sat 29 Sep, 2012 4:47 am

I think I remember that the mites that make strange fruits and the common mites that feed on leaves are two different kinds.

Sanguinello · Gest

Hi Nicky !

I heard, that the budha´s hand also is a result of a spider mita damage ...

Anyways I would graft it and I would also liked a budwood .. Very Happy

igor.fogarasi · Posted: Sat 29 Sep, 2012 9:29 am

Sylvain wrote:

I think I remember that the mites that make strange fruits and the common mites that feed on leaves are two different kinds.

One is spider mite, while the another one is bud mite. Both of them are often confused with each other, although they differ in their habit.

Sanguinello wrote:

I heard, that the budha´s hand also is a result of a spider mita damage ...

Now that is a nonsense... where did you hear that from? Shocked

Sanguinello · Gest

Well it ARE spider mites ...

I heard that from asia.

nicky · Posted: Sat 29 Sep, 2012 12:48 pm

Hello again,

I have over 30 potted dwarf citrus of various types. If the deformed fruit was mite related, I would think that some other fruits that formed over this past summer would also be deformed. That was not the case, only one Fukushu deformed fruit developed, all other fruits were fine, also I did not see any tiny mites on the plants. I did have some scale and mealy bug issues but remedied those with homemade insecticide.
Anyhow, I will retrieve some seeds from the deformed Fukushu fruit and plant them, assuming that there are seeds inside.
Thanks to all for your help

Nicky

_________________
Enjoy growing dwarf citrus indoors&outdoors. Currently learning to graft.

nicky · Posted: Sat 29 Sep, 2012 1:01 pm

Here is a another photo of the entire Fukushu Kumquat.

_________________
Enjoy growing dwarf citrus indoors&outdoors. Currently learning to graft.

Sanguinello · Gest

Well ...

Seeds could show same fruit, but mostly does not.
Better you bud/graft it.

Another possibility is to cut away the branches of normal fruits ( after harvest ) and support by this the special branch and let it become the only one.