This page is for the genus.

Many species/varieties will come true from seed.^R

Technique for speeding seedling flowering.

Citrus Rootstocks: Their Characters and Reactions

Leaves with petioles can be rooted.^R Stick petiole in moist sand. Once rooted, expose the root crown to bright light to induce shoot growth.

Citrus can tolerate shade but need sunlight when they start flowering.

Pruning

In an agroforestry context prune so that main scaffolding branches don’t originate at the same point on the trunk. Otherwise a falling limb from a higher strata tree may break all the branches at once.^[1]

Species

Rootstock

Bitters (C-22) seems to be an ideal rootstock for Phoenix.

Interactive selection guide

Rootstocks are grown from seed. An in depth description of commercial practice is here. Supplier is here.

Moderately vigorous to dwarfing

Best for oranges, grapefruit, mandarins, tangelos and kumquats.

Moderately vigorous to dwarfing rootstocks are all sensitive to high pH soils, except sour orange. Citranges and trifoliate orange may require iron application, particularly in light, sandy soils. Sour orange is best, but not commonly available from Big Box stores because of tristeza disease.^R

Standard Types: Sour orange, Carrizo citrange (typically 12 to 16 ft tall)
Semi-dwarf: C-35 citrange, Swingle Citrumelo, and trifoliate orange (8 to 12 ft tall)
Dwarf: Flying Dragon, Cuban Shaddock. (less than 8 ft)^R

Highly Vigorous Rootstocks

Best for lemons and limes, and Minneola tangelos.

Vigorous, sensitive to cold, and impart poor fruit quality. Rough lemon is sensitive to Phytophthora. All are standard-sized

Standard Types: Rough lemon, macrophylla and volkameriana

Grafting

compatibility

• Cleft Graft use when the scion is the same size or smaller than the target branch
• Bark Graft
• Side Graft
• Optimum temperature range is 70°F to 85°F (21°C to 29°C). As long as the day time temperatures are in this range for at least part of the day citrus grafts are likely to be successful.^R
• Grafts may be more successful if the rootstock is pushing new growth.^R
• Use young buds but not tip end buds for bud wood. If the limb will bend but not snap it’s too young.

Container Growing

5:1:1 pine bark, peat, perlite by volume is a very good potting mix for citrus and any plants that don’t like wet feet. Repti Bark, Bonsai Jack Pine Bark Fines or similar is one appropriate pine bark source.

Links

• Grafting Citrus Trees – Best Time of Year

Plant Logs