I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. Both are
doing well. However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

HB

On Mon, 5 Sep 2011 11:28:25 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. Both are
doing well. However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

Should be obvious, any shoots below the graft should be nipped off...
above the graft is at your descretion, depends on how you want the
tree to grow... some prefer multi-trunked fruit trees. What kind of
fruit trees?

On 9/5/11 11:28 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:
I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. Both are
doing well. However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

HB

What kind of fruit trees?

Were they grafted? If so, can you see the graft?

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On Sep 5, 3:17*pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/5/11 11:28 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:

I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. *Both are
doing well. *However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. *At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

HB

What kind of fruit trees?

Were they grafted? *If so, can you see the graft?

It looks like they were. I can see the graft.

The one in question is a Santa Rosa Plum.

I also noticed what looks like suckers on a Dwarf Washington Orange,
about 3-4 years old, that bore last year for the first time.

TIA

HB

--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On 9/6/11 5:59 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Sep 5, 3:17 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/5/11 11:28 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:

I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. Both are
doing well. However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

HB

What kind of fruit trees?

Were they grafted? If so, can you see the graft?

It looks like they were. I can see the graft.

The one in question is a Santa Rosa Plum.

I also noticed what looks like suckers on a Dwarf Washington Orange,
about 3-4 years old, that bore last year for the first time.


If they are from below the graft, remove them. Do NOT cut them.
Instead, try to pull them. You might have to dig down a bit and break
them from the root or base of the trunk. Cutting a sucker generally
guarantees that it will sprout again with more shoots.

I have a dwarf 'Robertson' navel orange, which differs from the
'Washington' primarily by ripening a few weeks earlier. I've had it
since about 1992. It bore fruit sporadically, sometimes going 2-3 years
without any oranges at all. Last year, however, it had a nice crop
following a crop in 2009 -- the first time it had fruit two years in a
row. This year, there are a few oranges (still quite green).

The problem with dwarf oranges is that they do not have a large enough
crop. I could eat twice as many as my little tree produces. On the
other hand, even a dwarf lemon tree produces far more lemons than anyone
can use. See my http://www.rossde.com/cooking/lemon_marmalade.html
for a recipe for lemon marmalade. Last year, I had enough lemons for
this recipe, lemons to give away, and lemons to juice for my wife to use
in cooking. We also have a large plastic bag of lemon zest in the
freezer.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

David E. Ross wrote:
The problem with dwarf oranges is that they do not have a large enough
crop. I could eat twice as many as my little tree produces. On the
other hand, even a dwarf lemon tree produces far more lemons than
anyone can use. See my
http://www.rossde.com/cooking/lemon_marmalade.html for a recipe for
lemon marmalade. Last year, I had enough lemons for this recipe,
lemons to give away, and lemons to juice for my wife to use in
cooking. We also have a large plastic bag of lemon zest in the
freezer.

We have three lemon trees and aside from freezing zest and juice we make
lemon cordial, much more flavour than the commercial kind, cheaper and keeps
well without refrigeration. A great drink for a hot day with cold water or
soda. We did have a guest who liked the flavour but wouldn't eat the zest
and fruit pulp, tossing 1/5 of each glass down the drain. tsk tsk.

D

On Sep 6, 10:36*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
The problem with dwarf oranges is that they do not have a large enough
crop. *I could eat twice as many as my little tree produces. *On the
other hand, even a dwarf lemon tree produces far more lemons than
anyone can use. *See my
http://www.rossde.com/cooking/lemon_marmalade.html for a recipe for
lemon marmalade. *Last year, I had enough lemons for this recipe,
lemons to give away, and lemons to juice for my wife to use in
cooking. *We also have a large plastic bag of lemon zest in the
freezer.

We have three lemon trees and aside from freezing zest and juice we make
lemon cordial, much more flavour than the commercial kind, cheaper and keeps
well without refrigeration. *A great drink for a hot day with cold water or
soda. *We did have a guest who liked the flavour but wouldn't eat the zest
and fruit pulp, tossing 1/5 of each glass down the drain. *tsk tsk.

D

I have an old lemon tree that keeps on producing like the Energizer
Bunny. It was about the first thing I planted when I bought the house
long ago. Since I put lemon on just about everything, I am saving a
load of $$$ over what lemons cost in the market. I also give away a
lot.

How do you make lemon cordial?

TIA

HB

On Sep 6, 8:14*pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/6/11 5:59 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:









On Sep 5, 3:17 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/5/11 11:28 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:

I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. *Both are
doing well. *However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. *At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

HB

What kind of fruit trees?

Were they grafted? *If so, can you see the graft?

It looks like they were. *I can see the graft.

The one in question is a Santa Rosa Plum.

I also noticed what looks like suckers on a Dwarf Washington Orange,
about 3-4 years old, that bore last year for the first time.

If they are from below the graft, remove them. *Do NOT cut them.
Instead, try to pull them. *You might have to dig down a bit and break
them from the root or base of the trunk. *Cutting a sucker generally
guarantees that it will sprout again with more shoots.

This advice applies equally to the Plum and to the Dwarf Orange??

HB

I have a dwarf 'Robertson' navel orange, which differs from the
'Washington' primarily by ripening a few weeks earlier. *I've had it
since about 1992. *It bore fruit sporadically, sometimes going 2-3 years
without any oranges at all. *Last year, however, it had a nice crop
following a crop in 2009 -- the first time it had fruit two years in a
row. *This year, there are a few oranges (still quite green).

The problem with dwarf oranges is that they do not have a large enough
crop. *I could eat twice as many as my little tree produces. *On the
other hand, even a dwarf lemon tree produces far more lemons than anyone
can use. *See my http://www.rossde.com/cooking/lemon_marmalade.html
for a recipe for lemon marmalade. *Last year, I had enough lemons for
this recipe, lemons to give away, and lemons to juice for my wife to use
in cooking. *We also have a large plastic bag of lemon zest in the
freezer.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Higgs Boson wrote:
On Sep 6, 10:36 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
The problem with dwarf oranges is that they do not have a large
enough crop. I could eat twice as many as my little tree produces.
On the other hand, even a dwarf lemon tree produces far more lemons
than anyone can use. See my
http://www.rossde.com/cooking/lemon_marmalade.html for a recipe
for lemon marmalade. Last year, I had enough lemons for this recipe,
lemons to give away, and lemons to juice for my wife to use in
cooking. We also have a large plastic bag of lemon zest in the
freezer.

We have three lemon trees and aside from freezing zest and juice we
make lemon cordial, much more flavour than the commercial kind,
cheaper and keeps well without refrigeration. A great drink for a
hot day with cold water or soda. We did have a guest who liked the
flavour but wouldn't eat the zest and fruit pulp, tossing 1/5 of
each glass down the drain. tsk tsk.

D

I have an old lemon tree that keeps on producing like the Energizer
Bunny. It was about the first thing I planted when I bought the house
long ago. Since I put lemon on just about everything, I am saving a
load of $$$ over what lemons cost in the market. I also give away a
lot.

How do you make lemon cordial?

TIA

HB

You can adapt this to suit the number of lemons and bottles that you have.
Discard any rotten fruit then wash, drain and zest the lemons, making sure
only the yellow zest is collected. Then juice them, measuring the juice as
you go, if some pulp goes through the juicer I leave it in but you can
strain it out if you prefer. Put the juice and zest in an enamel or SS
saucepan and bring it to the boil. Stir in the same volume of white sugar
as juice, return to the boil, then boil gently stirring occasionally for 15
minutes. Bottle in clean glass bottles with good lids, stirring as you go
so each gets some zest. It will keep at room temperature for months. If
you like it more tart use less sugar, say 3/4 or 2/3, it will still keep
well.

To serve shake the bottle and dilute to taste (this is stronger than
commercial cordial) with cold soda water or cold water in the glass, stir
and top with a fresh slice of lemon: instant lemonade. Also yummy on
vanilla icecream undiluted.

D

On 9/6/11 10:53 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Sep 6, 8:14 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/6/11 5:59 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:









On Sep 5, 3:17 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/5/11 11:28 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:

I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. Both are
doing well. However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

HB

What kind of fruit trees?

Were they grafted? If so, can you see the graft?

It looks like they were. I can see the graft.

The one in question is a Santa Rosa Plum.

I also noticed what looks like suckers on a Dwarf Washington Orange,
about 3-4 years old, that bore last year for the first time.

If they are from below the graft, remove them. Do NOT cut them.
Instead, try to pull them. You might have to dig down a bit and break
them from the root or base of the trunk. Cutting a sucker generally
guarantees that it will sprout again with more shoots.

This advice applies equally to the Plum and to the Dwarf Orange??

This applies to any grafted plant, including roses, cherries, peaches,
loquats. It also applies to non-grafted plants that seem to proliferate
suckers (e.g., Brazilian pepper trees, crepe myrtle, poplars), all of
which can create major thickets.

For grafted plants that develop suckers above the graft, treat the
suckers as you would any new shoots. That is, either remove them or
encourage them. This also includes rose suckers from own-root
(non-grafted) roses.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On Sep 7, 1:32*am, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
On Sep 6, 10:36 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
The problem with dwarf oranges is that they do not have a large
enough crop. I could eat twice as many as my little tree produces.
On the other hand, even a dwarf lemon tree produces far more lemons
than anyone can use. See my
http://www.rossde.com/cooking/lemon_marmalade.html for a recipe
for lemon marmalade. Last year, I had enough lemons for this recipe,
lemons to give away, and lemons to juice for my wife to use in
cooking. We also have a large plastic bag of lemon zest in the
freezer.

We have three lemon trees and aside from freezing zest and juice we
make lemon cordial, much more flavour than the commercial kind,
cheaper and keeps well without refrigeration. A great drink for a
hot day with cold water or soda. We did have a guest who liked the
flavour but wouldn't eat the zest and fruit pulp, tossing 1/5 of
each glass down the drain. tsk tsk.

D

I have an old lemon tree that keeps on producing like the Energizer
Bunny. *It was about the first thing I planted when I bought the house
long ago. *Since I put lemon on just about everything, I am saving a
load of $$$ over what lemons cost in the market. *I also give away a
lot.

How do you make lemon cordial?

TIA

HB

You can adapt this to suit the number of lemons and bottles that you have..
Discard any rotten fruit then wash, drain and zest the lemons, making sure
only the yellow zest is collected. *Then juice them, measuring the juice as
you go, if some pulp goes through the juicer I leave it in but you can
strain it out if you prefer. *Put the juice and zest in an enamel or SS
saucepan and bring it to the boil. *Stir in the same volume of white sugar
as juice, return to the boil, then boil gently stirring occasionally for 15
minutes. *Bottle in clean glass bottles with good lids, stirring as you go
so each gets some zest. *It will keep at room temperature for months. *If
you like it more tart use less sugar, say 3/4 or 2/3, it will still keep
well.

To serve shake the bottle and dilute to taste (this is stronger than
commercial cordial) with cold soda water or cold water in the glass, stir
and top with a fresh slice of lemon: *instant lemonade. *Also yummy on
vanilla icecream undiluted.

D

Sounds good. Tx a lot.

HB