I always have the tendency to ask folks (when they say that they've had no success with cuttings) to describe their technique. It's sometimes easier to point out the problems rather than to go over the entire process from scratch. LOL

Although citrus are not generally propagated by cuttings, they CAN be, and I can't think of any particular requirements that are very different from any other woody crop.

So! Tell us what you've done in the past....size of cutting, time of year, type of propagating medium, location of cuttings, heat or mist, etc.

Many decades ago I had a course in citrus. We were taught to always graft onto something called bitter orange rootstock. This was at the agriculture department at ASU in Tempe and someone there provided rootstock for the asking. I don't know if any of this is helpful. I am just sharing an experience.

albert, your memory serves you well. Commercially grown citrus is grafted. But the average backyard gardener isn't familiar with those procedures. Gosh, when I was learning (a billion years ago), it was a disaster! I was a left-handed grafter, trying to learn from right handed instructors. It was not a pretty sight; I had to carry a first aid kit with me! I eventually became a right-handed budder and grafter! ;-)

Of all the citrus, only lemon can be propagated by cuttings. All others are grafted onto bitterstock, or wild oranges, using grafting materials ordered from the 'Valley'. They are certified clean and free from virii. This is a facility run by the State of Texas Agriculture Dept. You might want to check with your state's dept. of Agriculture to see what is available from them, or they could give you the info on ordering from Texas.

The other manner of propagating citrus, is from seed. Just about all of them will germinate, and they are easy to grow. The problem with growing them from seed is that they will not always be true to the parent that provided the seeds. With oranges, I think you have a 50-50 chance of the seedling being like the parent. That would mean that you would have a 50-50 chance of them being bitter, sour, nasty tasting things. It is a chance you take. The one saving grace of an orange being bitter, is that the plant itself is usually lovely.

I took a little seminar about Citrus, and found it to be very informative. All the citrus I have now, are results of my grafting trials. I will never be able to do it for a living, treatment at the ER is far too costly. LOL. I cut myself every time!

Janie

I'll bet those cuts were deep slices into your index finger, right????

Actually Janie, the chances of getting a seedling exactly like the parent is better than that, and for grapefruit, it's about 90%. All citrus form a lot of apomictic embryos and it's a real pain if you're really trying to get a genetic cross. The really big problem with seedlings though is the very long juvenile stage they go through. It takes many years for citrus seedlings to get through this stage (most thorns go away and leaves change) and reach the adult stage where they can bear fruit.

George

I knew some citrus had a better chance of reproducing like plants, especially grapefruit. He didn't have a grapefruit tho, LOL.

How long does it take for a seedling to mature to produce fruit? (On average, of course.)

TIA,

Janie

Janie, A search of the web says it varies with species. Minimum of 6 years and maximum of 20. Some work has been done to try to shorten this, but with very limited results. A decrease of only 2-4 years and again depending on the species.

George