I live in southern Utah, zone 7-8.

Last spring I bought four dwarf citrus trees in pots. I left them out in a
frost before bringing them inside, and three of the four ended up dying.
Before I knew that they were dead, I removed suckers from the rootstock, but
eventually I just gave up. Now there are a ton of healthy suckers and no
tree.

The suckers are obviously citrus, though I don't know if they are the same
exact kinds as the scions. My question is, would it be worthwhile to just
cut the tree off right above the graft, and then let these suckers grow into
a new tree? I understand that the rootstock is often not the best quality,
but even a poorly-producing citrus tree would be better than none.

I await opinions, with thanks in adavnce...
--S.

On Mon, 23 May 2011 23:40:24 -0600, "Suzanne"
wrote:

I live in southern Utah, zone 7-8.

Last spring I bought four dwarf citrus trees in pots. I left them out in a
frost before bringing them inside, and three of the four ended up dying.
Before I knew that they were dead, I removed suckers from the rootstock, but
eventually I just gave up. Now there are a ton of healthy suckers and no
tree.

The suckers are obviously citrus, though I don't know if they are the same
exact kinds as the scions.

They are not the same, otherwise why would anybody bother grafting?
The rootstock will be selected for resistance to root disease and in
your case dwarfing, not for fruit quality.

My question is, would it be worthwhile to just
cut the tree off right above the graft, and then let these suckers grow into
a new tree? I understand that the rootstock is often not the best quality,
but even a poorly-producing citrus tree would be better than none.

I await opinions, with thanks in adavnce...
--S.

Not worth the trouble in my view.

David

Derald wrote:
"Suzanne" wrote:

The suckers are obviously citrus, though I don't know if they are the same
exact kinds as the scions. My question is, would it be worthwhile to just
cut the tree off right above the graft, and then let these suckers grow into
a new tree? I understand that the rootstock is often not the best quality,
but even a poorly-producing citrus tree would be better than none.

Although, not likely to be a true "Seville" orange, the rootstock is almost
certain to be a sour or "bittersweet" orange. Sour orange rootstock is used for
its vigorous growth, adaptability to a wide range of growing conditions and --
as you've experienced -- cold-hardiness. It'll be a number of years before the
tree bears; tradition says seven but reality says three-to-four. Pimply skin,
relatively thick pulp, flavorful but not at all sweet. On its own, inedible to
most folks but a key ingredient in sauces ("mojo") in Caribbean/Hispanic
cooking.

Bittersweet oranges are great for baking and canning purposes. Okay for
juice alternate to lemon or lime juice. If you can eat a lemon or lime
out of hand you'll be able to eat a bittersweet orange out of hand,
don't expect to find them useful for that.

"Derald" wrote in message
...

Although, not likely to be a true "Seville" orange, the rootstock is
almost
certain to be a sour or "bittersweet" orange. Sour orange rootstock is
used for
its vigorous growth, adaptability to a wide range of growing conditions
and --
as you've experienced -- cold-hardiness.
[snip]


Interesting stuff. Are bittersweet oranges used for most citrus rootstock,
or just for oranges? My three dead trees were Eureka lemon, Bearss lime,
and Rio Red grapefruit.

I might as well just keep them around and see what happens. It would cost
me some water and time, and I could plant them right in the ground instead
of hauling them around in pots. Even if I can't use the fruit, it might be
nice to have the fragrant leaves and possibly flowers too.
--S.

On Tue, 24 May 2011 17:15:28 -0600, "Suzanne"
wrote:


"Derald" wrote in message
...

Although, not likely to be a true "Seville" orange, the rootstock is
almost
certain to be a sour or "bittersweet" orange. Sour orange rootstock is
used for
its vigorous growth, adaptability to a wide range of growing conditions
and --
as you've experienced -- cold-hardiness.
[snip]


Interesting stuff. Are bittersweet oranges used for most citrus rootstock,
or just for oranges? My three dead trees were Eureka lemon, Bearss lime,
and Rio Red grapefruit.


It varies. In these parts "bush lemon" or "rough lemon" is often
used, that is "bush" meaning wild not like a shrub.

Google "citrus rootstock" 15000 hits

David

Derald wrote:
....
Bittersweet orange trees, as well as their fruit, have become difficult to
find at retail here in FL and I'd offer to buy yours -- especially if they're
dwarf stock -- but it is illegal to ship citrus into FL; go figure....

check the nursery folks to see where
they get theirs or maybe they'll have
one that failed around... they gotta
get them from someplace to use for
their grafting after all.


DW uses
the oranges for cooking and when we can't find fresh ones (increasingly
difficult) she uses a commercial product. If you're interested in trying some
Cuban-style recipes, including a classic "mojo", you could do a lot worse that
the "Three Guys from Miami" web site:
http://icuban.com/food/main_d.html.

Here are their mojo recipes:
http://icuban.com/food/mojo.html

it all sounds good to me.


songbird

Derald wrote:
songbird wrote:

check the nursery folks to see where
they get theirs or maybe they'll have
one that failed around... they gotta
get them from someplace to use for
their grafting after all.

The retail nurseries within a reasonable distance of me are just that:
Retail (resellers, for the most part) and the prices are high. May as well shop
at the Home Depot! However, one citrus nursery about 60 miles distant sells sour
oranges (most commercial citrus farmers will not); I just don't want to pay
shipping, that's all ;-). It's on the "next time I'm down that way" list. Nice
to have but not a pressing "need". Ironically, I have a cousin who has several
hundred acres of oranges. I rarely see him and it never has occurred to me to
ask; DUH!

*laughs* isn't that how life goes... haha.
good one.


Where I live now is too far north for me to want to fool with oranges.
Protecting the English peas and a damnable staghorn fern from freezing is enough
of a chore! The last of the commercial citrus growers were frozen out in the
late '80's. Former grove acreage through which one drives to get here from the
south is now planted pine trees or houses. A cold-hardy bittersweet would be
nice to have, I guess; just never have pursued it.

why damnable? because it's so finicky? or
you simply don't like the plant?

only plant here that i have to protect is the
rosemary plant that i bring in for the winter.
almost time to put it back out.


songbird

"Derald" wrote in message
...

"Suzanne" wrote:

Are bittersweet oranges used for most citrus rootstock,
or just for oranges?

A definite "that depends" LOL! Oranges, mostly, although lemon stock is
widely used for oranges as well as for other varieties (including lemons)
but,
in the main, it produces a less flavorful product.

Heh. So if I let these grow, it will be a crap shoot with a total mystery
as the final product? That in itself is reason enough to let them grow! I
could even start a pool with my friends--"Guess the variety"--payable years
down the line when the rootstocks make their varieties known!
--S.