Crazy About Citrus | Ep02 Results of Citrus Grafting Attempt

Crazy About Citrus” is a series chronicling our connection with citrus.

In this episode:
The reveal on how we did on our first grafting attempt.

As an avid citrus collector, we will reach a point where it is necessary to attempt to acquire the skill of grafting plants. The reason for this is that more varieties of citrus exists in bud wood form than can be purchased as trees. In order to add rare citrus varieties to our collection we must now try our hand at grafting. On March 7th, we recieved bud wood from the Citrus Clonal Protection Program. Because of the Huanglongbing disease that is terminal to citrus trees, it is necessary to acquire bud wood from certified sources as a measure to contain the spread of the disease.

The bud wood received are:
‘California Rojo’ navel orange
‘Boukhobza’ blood orange
‘Melogold’ grapefruit

From the nursery we purchased two grafted citrus trees to use as root stock. On the ‘Cara Cara’ navel orange tree, we Tbud grafted the “California Rojo’ onto the root stock. On the ‘Eureka Lemon’ tree, we cleft grafted the ‘Boukhobza’ onto the Eureka scion. A back up Tbud graft was placed on the root stock. With success of the cleft graft, the Tbud back up is no longer neccessary. The Tbud graft of the ‘Melogold’ grapefruit on the last tree was not successful.

Special thanks and acknowledgement to Dan Wiley and the fruitmentor YouTube channel for his work and sharing of information used to graft our trees.

Music: ALBIS, “New Land”
Quincas Moreira, “Firefly”

Zone 10b / San Gabriel Valley / Los Angeles / Southern California / USA

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