HELP!? Has the rootstock taken over??

8 years ago

I have a Dwarf washington naval orange (9b zone). 13 years old & bought from Home depot. First 4-5yrs in a pot, then ground. I water regularly (1-2 times a week depending on the time of the year).

* relatively disease free - I cleaned up minor scale with neem oil & some leafminer.

* The label on it says "clean up stems below the graft" so I have to believe its grafted :-)

* Produces 2-3 fruits /year, though I get a lot of blossoms that fall out (june drop)

* One of the MAIN stems in the middle of the tree has thorns (2-3 inches) every 1 feet or so apart. Everywhere I've read says if the citrus has thorns it's probably a rootstock & should be cut. Pics included.

Question: Should I CUT this even though it's the biggest stem in the middle of the tree or leave since it's old enough & produces fruit?

Featured Answer

sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

If you see on a variety of citrus tree another naturally growing branch that is different and has different fruit, it is called "sport" variety. I think your branch is the same as the main variety. Wait and observe what the branch does and then next year, around May start your air layer on it. I would do exactly that, if it were my tree:)) Do not cut the thorny branches, mark them and observe them till next year.

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Comments (12)

Dee
8 years ago
What do the leaves look like on the thorned stem? Shape? Would you be happy with the tree if you cut the offending stem off? How does the fruit from that stem look and taste compared to the other fruit on the tree?
Rachel Ramona thanked Dee
uncle molewacker z9b Danville CA (E.SF Bay)
8 years ago
that branch looks like it would be far above where I would expect the graft to be. My guess, is that it is just aggressive vertical growth.

Can you post a picture of the lower trunk please.

Also, it may be too late,,, but has it grown around and into those ties? the stake should have been removed long, long ago.
Rachel Ramona thanked uncle molewacker z9b Danville CA (E.SF Bay)
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Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
8 years ago
If this is indeed root stock, I would cut it off. But from the pictures it is hard to see. Do you like the fruits?
Rachel Ramona
Original Author
8 years ago
Denise - They look similar to the rest of the tree (no trifoliate leaves). The thorned stem is the center of the tree (pic attached). I have not tasted the fruit yet. Last year I got 2 and they tasted great. Not sure if they came from the thorned stem though. Wasen't diligent then.

Molewacker - attached pic of lower trunk with the (potential) graft line. You are right about the ties. It has grown around the ties :-( Stakes are only to pull the long branches together to the center. Tree holds itself.

There is one stem I marked in "FIG A" that doesnt have thorns, however way up that stem it does have a branch that does have thorns :-/
sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The fruit has navel. I would not be concerned. If you don't like it there, air-layer it next year and you will have another fruiting tree :)
Rachel Ramona
Original Author
8 years ago
This is good news.

However, really strange, isn't it? The fat thorny stem branches up top - One of the branches has thorns the other doesn't. How is this possible? It should be all thorns or none at all? The one without has fruit the other doesn't. In all the searching that I have done I've never heard of this problem?

Should I just cut the smaller branches with the thorns across the tree and just leave the MAIN one? Or will the thorny branches produce too?
Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
8 years ago
Maybe it will be another cara cara. Wasn't that a sport on a navel orange??
sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
8 years ago
Give it a different name :)
Rachel Ramona
Original Author
8 years ago
Wow! Nature getting freaky :-) So, the only way to know if this is a spork kind is when it fruits? Are there any precautions I need to take when I manually pollinate in spring? because currently I have only 2 fruits on the tree when nature pollinates lol
sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
8 years ago
You have to compare the fruit on both and the foliage on both, document it by taking pictures, observe the growth patterns of each, make notes, observe timeline and if you see that it is a different fruit, name it. You will have to keep the flowers isolated too (to not cross pollenate).
uncle molewacker z9b Danville CA (E.SF Bay)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I'd let it be. Citrus is not as well organized as many would like. Thorns only mean young growth. You can trim to shape a bit, but I think it's fine.