I have a Blood Orange tree that has gotten fairly big. It is about
eight by eight feet wide with a 2.5 inch diameter trunk. I live
about 20 miles South of downtown Los Angeles CA.

Would it be practical to have someone come out and graft a Texas
Grapefruit bud onto it so that I could eventually get both Texas
Grapefruits and Blood Oranges from the same tree? If so, about how
much would it cost and how would I go about finding someone to do
it? Thank you in advance for all replies.
--
I just heard a TV commercial about an automobile that has a rear
entertainment system. I immediately wondered exactly how would an
automobile entertain one's rear and would it be safe to drive while
one's rear was being entertained.

Never grafted a citrus tree, but I imagine it is similar to apples,
etc. With a little
practice, you should be able to do the graft yourself. There are plenty
of web sites
that describe how to do it. You can do a bud graft or something like a
cleft graft.
If you know someone with a Texas Grapefruit tree, just ask them for a
piece of
their branch (usually the end piece or new growth from the previous
year). You
can cut buds from that or just graft whole twigs onto your tree. In the
later case,
you want to pick twigs that have approximately the same diameter as what
you are
grafting to on your tree. For materials, all you need is a sharp knife,
rubber strips,
and something like teflon tape. Once you learn how, you can repeat this
with any
number of grafts in case the first grafts don't take. I assume that
Grapefruits and
Oranges are in the same genetic family, or this won't work. For
example, apples
won't graft onto pear trees, etc.

Sherwin D.

Daniel Prince wrote:

I have a Blood Orange tree that has gotten fairly big. It is about
eight by eight feet wide with a 2.5 inch diameter trunk. I live
about 20 miles South of downtown Los Angeles CA.

Would it be practical to have someone come out and graft a Texas
Grapefruit bud onto it so that I could eventually get both Texas
Grapefruits and Blood Oranges from the same tree? If so, about how
much would it cost and how would I go about finding someone to do
it? Thank you in advance for all replies.
--
I just heard a TV commercial about an automobile that has a rear
entertainment system. I immediately wondered exactly how would an
automobile entertain one's rear and would it be safe to drive while
one's rear was being entertained.

Citrus is propagated by budding in the spring/summer (different from apples,
which are grafted earlier in the year).

Check out the California Rare Fruit Growers at crfg.org, especially the
Local Chapters link under the mangoes on the right-hand side of the upper
menu bar. There is a Los Angeles chapter, where you can find help and lots
of fellow fruitophiles.


"Daniel Prince" wrote in message
...
I have a Blood Orange tree that has gotten fairly big. It is about
eight by eight feet wide with a 2.5 inch diameter trunk. I live
about 20 miles South of downtown Los Angeles CA.

Would it be practical to have someone come out and graft a Texas
Grapefruit bud onto it so that I could eventually get both Texas
Grapefruits and Blood Oranges from the same tree? If so, about how
much would it cost and how would I go about finding someone to do
it? Thank you in advance for all replies.
--
I just heard a TV commercial about an automobile that has a rear
entertainment system. I immediately wondered exactly how would an
automobile entertain one's rear and would it be safe to drive while
one's rear was being entertained.

tuckermo wrote:

Citrus is propagated by budding in the spring/summer (different from apples,
which are grafted earlier in the year).

Are you inferring apple bud grafting is done in Winter? I do my bud grafting
on apple
trees in late summer (usually August), here in the Midwest. It may be
different in the
warmer climates, but I imagine not that much. Also, I checked the web and
found some
references to things like cleft grafting, etc. for citrus. Although bud
grafting is the more
common technique for citrus, regular grafting can be done, as well. Check
out:

http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/8001.pdf

http://home.att.net/~oc_crfg/citrus_prop_Mits.htm

(just for starters)


Sherwin D.

sherwindu wrote:

tuckermo wrote:


Citrus is propagated by budding in the spring/summer (different from apples,
which are grafted earlier in the year).


Are you inferring apple bud grafting is done in Winter? I do my bud grafting
on apple
trees in late summer (usually August), here in the Midwest. It may be
different in the
warmer climates, but I imagine not that much. Also, I checked the web and
found some
references to things like cleft grafting, etc. for citrus. Although bud
grafting is the more
common technique for citrus, regular grafting can be done, as well. Check
out:

http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/8001.pdf

http://home.att.net/~oc_crfg/citrus_prop_Mits.htm

(just for starters)


Sherwin D.



I think OP is gonna have trouble finding a source of graft stock. I
wonder how it would work to grow a couple of grapefruit seeds and graft
tops from the seedlings onto his orange tree?

Bob

There may be an issue of genetics here as the seeds may not produce true to the
original tree that produced the seeds. This is certainly true with apples, but less
of
a factor in stone fruits. I would check on this before investing a lot of time and
effort.
He should check around and try and find an orchard growing the Texas grapefruit and
ask them for a few pieces of scion wood. There may even be a source where he can
order the scion.
Sherwin D.

zxcvbob wrote:

sherwindu wrote:

tuckermo wrote:


Citrus is propagated by budding in the spring/summer (different from apples,
which are grafted earlier in the year).


Are you inferring apple bud grafting is done in Winter? I do my bud grafting
on apple
trees in late summer (usually August), here in the Midwest. It may be
different in the
warmer climates, but I imagine not that much. Also, I checked the web and
found some
references to things like cleft grafting, etc. for citrus. Although bud
grafting is the more
common technique for citrus, regular grafting can be done, as well. Check
out:

http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/8001.pdf

http://home.att.net/~oc_crfg/citrus_prop_Mits.htm

(just for starters)


Sherwin D.

I think OP is gonna have trouble finding a source of graft stock. I
wonder how it would work to grow a couple of grapefruit seeds and graft
tops from the seedlings onto his orange tree?

Bob

sherwindu wrote:

There may be an issue of genetics here as the seeds may not produce
true to the original tree that produced the seeds. This is certainly
true with apples, but less of a factor in stone fruits. I would
check on this before investing a lot of time and effort. He should
check around and try and find an orchard growing the Texas grapefruit
and ask them for a few pieces of scion wood. There may even be a
source where he can order the scion. Sherwin D.



Citrus often do come true from seeds. Sometimes two seedlings come up
from one citrus seeds, and I've read that one of the 2 seedlings is a
genetic clone of the mother plant (I'm not sure if it's the first
seedling to come up or the second, or if you can even tell.)

I don't believe everything I read, but this had a ring of truth to it,
and I have seen 2 seedlings come up from a single grapefruit pip.

Bob