Tips and Quips

A few of our seasonal clients have questions about the state of their citrus trees.   Our landscaper extraordinaire, Sohnco Landscape Inc., gave me a quick lesson on citrus issues and care in our desert environment.  Specifically, regarding an orange tree that began producing nasty tasting fruit...

The first thing I was instructed on is that all citrus, regardless of variety, is the product of grafting / budding.  The variety is grafted / budded onto lemon root stock or in some cases a trifoliate orange root stock is used.  Citrus can be grown from seed but this method of growing citrus is archaic as it will take about ten years for the tree to bear fruit.  Anyway, sometimes, for reasons unknown, the root stock will decide to take over the citrus graft.  Gradually the tree morphs into this quasi citrus that produces nasty, inedible fruit.  Sometimes the fruit’s appearance will be affected.  Sometimes, in the middle of the night,  the tree will uproot itself and dance the cha cha.  Okay, that last part is not true.  Just CHECKING TO SEE IF ANY ONE IS READING THIS BLOG!!  Now back to our morphing citrus:  Bottom Line is no known cause and no known cure.  Only way to resolve is to start over with a new citrus tree and pray it was not next to a cha cha dancing root stock in the grafting room!