I purchased a citrus tree for my father in law as a Christmas gift. The only problem is, I can’t really tell where the purchased cultivar is grafted onto the root stock. The larger branch to the left had the tag with the cultivar name. But is it safe to assume all the other growth to the right is also the same variety and not the root stock growing? I was considering pruning out the growth on the right, but I don’t want to “delete” the desired graft.
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This is difficult. If you bought the tree like that and it is labeled accurately I would cut off the 2 limbs growing downward. If it is inappropriately labeled from the store you will need to let both parts fruit to determine which is correct. Both parts might be correct or either 1 might be wrong. It is highly probable that 1 of them is correct.
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The graft union could be below the portion of the tree in the picture. In that case, all the branches above would be the same. Could you show us a picture of the entire trunk from the soil level on up to where the branches are?
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Here are a few more pictures. I am leaning towards the thought that they are both correct. But still not really sure.
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Very tricky. I notice there’s a remnant of what looks like the original scionwood still wrapped in parafilm:
Makes me wonder if maybe the original graft is all the way down where the blue arrow is. What do the other sides look like there?
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Thanks all,
I agree. That looks to be the likely graft location. I just didn’t want to get myself into trouble growing out a rootstock on accident.
The tag says C-35 rootstock, I think that has trifoliate leaves so it should be easy to spot.
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C35 is trifoliate 100%. I had it.
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I believe C-35 is only 50% trifoliate. It’s a citrange so the other 50% is sweet orange.
I think what he meant is it produces 100% trifoliate leaves.
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There’s a V shaped graft union in the first and second picture. They used a grafting tool that makes a V cut. Or so it would appear. If so it’s a very smooth graft union.
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