Remover shoots below the graft? (irrigation, landscape, growing, fertilizer)

[lewdog_5]

I understand what this means but am having trouble at determining what is "below the graft" on our trees?

We are not native here and planted two fruit trees in our yard last year, orange and lime. I just bought a Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree to put in a container today and part of it's care directions are cutting off shoots below the graft. I was never told anything about this on the lime and orange tree we planted in the ground. How do I know if they are grafted?

The lime tree started developing some really big and verygreen shoots coming off from the trunk this summer, not low near the ground but low enough on the tree where there was noting growing before. Tree itself is a little over 5 feet tall, very green and very lush. I think i figured the fertilizer and watering schedule out this summer! I even managed to save our orange tree which looked to be on it's death bed. I am wondering if these three new shoots in the pictures below should be snipped or if they are simply developing to protection the trunk from sunburn, although I have a white wrapping on the tree that I removed for the picture. Lowest shoot is probably about 12 inches up from ground level.

I know Steve probably has my answer!

Any help for a black thumb?

[stevek64]

Looking at your pics and that you say the lowest branches/leaves start at about 12" up, I'd say your graft is about 4-6" up from the bottom of the tree. Follow the trunk up from the ground until you see that little "bump", then the trunk curves a bit. There's your graft. That's a pretty neat graft. Some trees have a "knuckle"/bump that's much more obvious.

So you are all set with not having to cut off any branches. As you said in the future those low branches/leaves will be there to help shade the trunk from the sun. Citrus trees are naturally shrubby to protect the fruit and trunk from direct sun. I've also noticed the few leaves that appeared below the graft in my experience often look a bit different than the leaves above the graft. It all depends on what kind of root stock is chosen in how different the leaves will look. My experience has been that very few if any branches/leaves will appear below the graft.

And good thought on covering that trunk in its early life. In the coming years the branches/leaves should cover the trunk nicely and you'll be able to pull that tape off. Great time/good choice to plant your citrus to get it established before the heat of next summer. Enjoy!

[lewdog_5]

Originally Posted by stevek64

Looking at your pics and that you say the lowest branches/leaves start at about 12" up, I'd say your graft is about 4-6" up from the bottom of the tree. Follow the trunk up from the ground until you see that little "bump", then the trunk curves a bit. There's your graft. That's a pretty neat graft. Some trees have a "knuckle"/bump that's much more obvious.

So you are all set with not having to cut off any branches. As you said in the future those low branches/leaves will be there to help shade the trunk from the sun. Citrus trees are naturally shrubby to protect the fruit and trunk from direct sun. I've also noticed the few leaves that appeared below the graft in my experience often look a bit different than the leaves above the graft. It all depends on what kind of root stock is chosen in how different the leaves will look. My experience has been that very few if any branches/leaves will appear below the graft.

And good thought on covering that trunk in its early life. In the coming years the branches/leaves should cover the trunk nicely and you'll be able to pull that tape off. Great time/good choice to plant your citrus to get it established before the heat of next summer. Enjoy!

Steve, you're the best! Thanks again for the help.

I see the graft you're talking about. Neat stuff. I thought that might be it but wasn't sure it'd be that low.

I plan on keeping my citrus a bit unkempt compared to many people who always shape them. I care more about the fruit they produce than their shape. I heard excessive pruning, like pruning into rounded trees is not idea. Is that the right thinking?

The Lime and Orange have been in the ground for just about a year now. Lime has done great, although it took me a while to figure out what the right watering meant here! Orange tree was in a whiskey barrel for about 1.5 years and was on it's deathbed when we did our entire backyard but the people doing the landscape guaranteed it one year anyway if we let them plant it. I've managed to save it (it was a wedding gift) and in the past month it is looking greener than it ever has.

I always wanted a lemon tree but our yard is very well taken up with about 30 different plants so I figured a nice little container dwarf Meyer lemon would look lovely and give me some nice quality fruit. Going to be cooling off next weekend and the shock from going to a bigger pot should be relatively easy I hope.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by lewdog_5

Steve, you're the best! Thanks again for the help.

I see the graft you're talking about. Neat stuff. I thought that might be it but wasn't sure it'd be that low.

I plan on keeping my citrus a bit unkempt compared to many people who always shape them. I care more about the fruit they produce than their shape. I heard excessive pruning, like pruning into rounded trees is not idea. Is that the right thinking?

The Lime and Orange have been in the ground for just about a year now. Lime has done great, although it took me a while to figure out what the right watering meant here! Orange tree was in a whiskey barrel for about 1.5 years and was on it's deathbed when we did our entire backyard but the people doing the landscape guaranteed it one year anyway if we let them plant it. I've managed to save it (it was a wedding gift) and in the past month it is looking greener than it ever has.

I always wanted a lemon tree but our yard is very well taken up with about 30 different plants so I figured a nice little container dwarf Meyer lemon would look lovely and give me some nice quality fruit. Going to be cooling off next weekend and the shock from going to a bigger pot should be relatively easy I hope.

You're welcome!

I'm like you....I just leave our citrus trees branch out naturally, no cutting. I figure nature has it all figured out much better than I. And most citrus trees I've seen have a very nice shape naturally. As you say, fruit production/quality is the main goal.

New citrus trees, the 1st year, certainly require some more water based on my experience. The leaves tell the story. If they start dropping a decent amount of leaves and fruit, the tree is most likely water starved and trying to save itself by dropping leaves to prevent more evaporation and dropping fruit because it doesn't have the energy to ripen it. I had to learn that lesson living in one place in the valley where we had heavy clay soil where a less frequent watering schedule worked vs where we are now in the foothills where our soil is light/sandy/a bit rocky. It drains very quick and requires more watering when plants are new until the roots develop deeper.

Yes, the yard fills up all too quick with plants, doesn't it? I'm in "shoe horn" phase on a few parts of our yard. Sounds like a good idea on your Meyer lemon given your circumstance. Lemon's are tough trees and I'm sure you'll get some decent fruit off of it. I've transplanted some plants(not citrus) out of pots into other pots or into the ground and never had any issues. The roots I find usually hold the dirt in the pot together nicely and there's not much root disturbing going on if you decide to move it one day.

Just be careful if we get a decent freeze/frost....I'd cover the container the lemon tree is planted in with a blanket as the roots are susceptible in a freeze, just to be safe.

[wit-nit]

OP, personally I would trim off the 3 lower sucker branches and any future growth below the V crotch branching just above them. Those sucker branches take away nutrients and growth from the normal higher branches. Also it's not wise to allow the branches to drag on the ground when they develop. That helps keep critters from crawling onto the branches and up the tree. Roof rats are notorious for climbing into citrus trees.
Your tree looks nice and healthy, though I'd recommend you move those emitters out further from the trunk and closer to the drip line where the feeder/drinking roots are located. And spread the emitter lines evenly around that drip line.
As Steve said those trees will freeze and I'd suggest that you get a frost blanket, @ $10.00, when available from any Garden Center and totally cover it until it's mature enough to protect itself. Lemon/lime trees freeze at 32 degrees.

[Bulldogdad]

Cut off the three water sprouts below the main branches. You can see all the others that have been cut off the trunk perviously by the nursery.

[lewdog_5]

Originally Posted by Bulldogdad

Cut off the three water sprouts below the main branches. You can see all the others that have been cut off the trunk perviously by the nursery.

Well to be fair the nursery cuts them off because they know customers like perfectly groomed and rounded trees. I care more about the tree surviving and I've been told low down branches protect from sunburn and here in Phoenix, that seems pretty key to me!

[wit-nit]

Lewdog read and heed. You'll note the extension svc recommends trimming the lower sucker branches.
http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/e...ubs/az1455.pdf

[lewdog_5]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

Lewdog read and heed. You'll note the extension svc recommends trimming the lower sucker branches.
http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/e...ubs/az1455.pdf

Interesting read but some conflicting information when reading different sections of this.


DON'T PRUNE LOW BRANCHES ABOVE THE GRAFT LINE.
Pruning low-hanging branches is known as skirting
(Figure 4). Skirting is often done to make the tree more
aesthetically pleasing by removing branches and thus
exposing the trunk. However, there is nothing wrong with
allowing the tree canopy to naturally extend toward the
ground, and it is very difficult to re-establish a low-hanging
canopy once it has been removed. Lower canopy fruit
often is of the best quality because it is not often affected
by sunburn, scarring by windblown soil particles and by
the movement of adjacent branches and twigs, or by bird
predation. We recommend removal of the low-hanging
branches only to improve access to the soil surface, the
irrigation system, or to the interior of the tree.

DO PRUNE LOW BRANCHES ABOVE THE GRAFT LINE
When sprouts arise from the trunk above the bud union,
they are the variety. Nevertheless, they are often thorny
and unproductive, make picking interior fruit difficult,
and should be removed unless they are intended to fill
a part of the canopy. Likewise, sprouts that arise almost
perpendicularly from large limbs are usually unproductive
and should be pruned off. Lemon sprouts are quite vigorous
and thorny, and often extend above the canopy. If left
unpruned, they will produce fruit only in the topmost
portion of the sprout. The weight of this fruit will often
cause the sprout to break when conditions are windy