citrus grafting
 

as anyone done marcotting or air layering on citrus trees, do you get fruit next year ? what kind of fruit trees can you do this to??

Re: citrus grafting
 

This is Mauro Gibo, the insisted banana grower. I have done air layering on citrus fruits before, many times. To get fruits the next year depends of the growth of the roots of the tree. The conditions of the soil and the type of fertilizer is very important. I never let the tree bear fruits until it is strong enough. You don't want a junior high school girl to bear children, do you? It is a sin! When the tree bear fruits too early, I pick them and throw them away when they're still small so they won't tire the plant. I've done this kind of propagation with all sorts of trees, no problem at all. The only fruit tree you can't, because it is not a tree, is the banana plant. Good luck to you. Bye, Mauro.

Re: citrus grafting
 

Mauro, here in southern CA we have had no luck air-layering (marcotting) fruiting persimmon species, such as:
Japanese Persimmon (Diospyros kaki),
Black Persimmon (Diospyros digyna),
Date Plum (Diospyros lotus).
If you have a technique for these fruits I would really be interested !

Re: citrus grafting
 

Hi, Richard! About the plants you've mentioned above. I, myself, have not yet done the marcotting practice on such trees. Here in Japan we propagate these trees only by grafting. The air-layering practice is not advisible to be done here in Japan, because the tree will lack the main root and will not stand the strong winds, especially the typhoons we have here in East Asia every year. The only fruit tree we propagate by air-layering in Okinawa is the Chinese fruit called Litchi all the others we propagate by grafting. I have done a lot of marcotting with fruit trees just for fun as an experiment. Tell me, what do you use for marcotting? wet moss? I'm not familiar with the English words for marcotting materials. When I failed the marcotting practice using wet moss, I used heavy clay with a lot of moisture and achieved success. I will try marcotting the trees you mentioned above here in Japan. Thanks. Bye. Mauro

Re: citrus grafting
 

I put rooting gel on the wounded bark and then wrap with a mixture of sphagnum peat moss and pebble-size pieces of horticultural sponge. Usually, the mixture of moss and sponge bits are only slightly damp because too much moisture will starve the air-layering of oxygen -- not to mention invite all kinds of anaerobic bacteria and mold.

Re: citrus grafting
 

I have done a lot of different grafting techniques on citrus. And I believe it is the easiest way and guaranteed fruit the next year on most of them.
Further, in 2 to 4 weeks you'd know if you have a new plant or not. And in 6 months you'll see some flowers or fruit down the line. And you don't have to worry growing new roots.

Re: citrus grafting
 

Here's a sample of my graft.
Clemenulle mandariine grafted to host mother Chandler pommelo which is now fruiting the size of golf balls and a oro blanco on the other side.
\Pic was taken on August of this year.