Post pics of the graft line and close up of leaves. I suspect you are talking about trees in ground. Hopefully the in ground citrus experts will chime in.

Right, we need photos; but it could just be water sprouts, which have larger leaves and big spines. If they are water sprouts, you can just head them back a bit and they will revert back to normal.

I'll take a photo tomorrow but I'm not sure it will be of the graft line because I've never been able to find it on my trees. I have always just cut off the branches that sprout from near the bottom to be safe.

If they were grafted, and you are seeing rootstock you can likely tell from the shape of the leaves and the fragrance of crushed leaves. Lemon and lime leaves have a fairly characteristic smell when crushed.

I'm attaching some pictures now. I thought about root stock but because the stems are growing out from higher up on the trees, the whole tree would have to be root stock.

Third picture down, what is that green thing around the trunk?? Almost looks like a twist tie.

So, if the tops died back, but the main trunk was OK, then likely you just have really vigorous growth coming back. Vigorous growth tends to have long thorns. And it may be another year before it will bloom.

Take off the twist tie.

Yeah that is a twist tie that I accidently left on. It will be very loose since I was using It to wrap fabric around the trunk during the winter, but I will remove it.

Good news on the vigorous growth. I was hoping that's what it was.

Vicious thorns! I sometimes cut them back/off, usually when they've shredded my arms one time too many. I don't know if that's recommended but hasn't seemed to do any harm.

Invite these experts to check your 35,000 trees for thorns. In short sleeved shirts. No gloves. Might change their minds! You'd probably need to stock up on bandaids first, so as not to be seen as negligent, hehe...

35000 trees. Who supplied you 35k trees @Johnmerr

Just Started,

I brought the first 1,500 from California; the rest I have produced here in Guatemala.

The trees are now over 6 feet tall. Is it even possible these are meyer lemons and lime trees? They are going to require a lot of investment during the winter which I'm happy with as long as I'm not protecting root stock

Another member, Rachel Romona, noticed her Meyer had thorns too and thought the rootstock took over.

Is it possible for all the branches of a Meyer to freeze and the new branches to grow to 6 feet within 7 months?

Yes... I believe so. A meyer of mine froze to the graft after a week long series of dips to the low 20s... punctuated with a quickie to 16F. It only gets morning sun but grew 4-5 ft. in one season. The roots were established enough after 2 years such that the tree put itself back into root/leaf balance.

I was able to quickly confirm the thorny growth was not rootstock.

Great to know thank you. I have never been able to see a graft line on my trees.

I grew lemon trees from Myers lemons. One plant out of all of them is flowering after just one year after planting from seed! Some are thornless the other not. Grew in a cattle panel greenhouse in Wichita Kansas one year old! There all different and beautiful

One year from seed and flowers! I may have a new variety or rootstock to work with. I name the new variety Aron’s rod.

The yellowing color is a illusion from the High pressure sodium lights

I have a lemon thats about 7' tall. It has huge, abundant thorns, but no fruit. Im not sure which of these suggestions applies. Ideas?

How old is it? Is it grown from seed or grafted or a cutting? Seed grown citrus can take 5-10 years before they fruit.