AusBonsai

We moved in December from Johannesburg to Cape Town, a summer rainfall area to a winter rainfall area, as stated in my previous posts.
I bought the Calamondin in Johannesburg with a very poorly shaped stem and did some pruning.
This was Joel's comment on this site:

by Joel » January 25th, 2012, 10:51 am
Just a warning - your Calamondin is likely not longer. It was grafting and you cut right at the graft. The two bits you left apear to be it but all new growth will be trifoliata (a root stock that they use for citrus). I can see some trifoliata in the first few pics. It is the stuff with the three lobed leaves and the spines. You will notice (looking at the pic) that this growth comes from below the area where all the branches come from (the graft).

*EDIT* I see no reason why the trifoliata (rootstock) won't make a good bonsai. Give it a go!

Joel

Joel is correct. The calomondin graft is gone and you are growing the rootstock which is Poncirus trifoliata. I have a few here from failed citrus grafts - nice trunks but they do not ramify very well and leaves are large.
In my climate they are semi-deciduous. Leaves are currently quite yellow but will come back in the spring so if yours starts to look a bit yellowish no need to worry. Thorns are vicious so watch out when pruning. Grows quite easily from cuttings if you decide you need a few more.
I would cut off the straighter stem and work with the more bendy one. You will need to prune often to get it to put out side shoots for branches.

Thanks for the reply.



I do not want a big tree. The fork of the 2 branches is at 10 cm from the soil surface and the 1st thorn is 4.5 cm from the fork. At what height do you think I should cut?

Any specific season or throughout the year?

Thanks`

If it was my tree I would cut the straight branch on the left, depends if your happy with the trunk thickness.
With the other branch I would cut back to the 1st or even second leaf, just in case it does not shoot back.

Then I would find a nice citrus with small leaves and fruit and graft the branches on where you want them.

I would wait till it gets warmer to cut it back.

Can you graft say cumquat on to lemon or does it need to be on the trifoliate base?

I do not want a big tree. The fork of the 2 branches is at 10 cm from the soil surface and the 1st thorn is 4.5 cm from the fork. At what height do you think I should cut?

Any specific season or throughout the year?

I would consider cutting just above the 1st leaf. It should shoot new buds further down the trunk if you cut there but will not bud if you leave the trunks long. Given the species and the current shape I think you will have to settle for at least a medium sized tree - or you could get rid of it and put your effort into something that is more likely to give a good small tree.
i would prune citrus in late spring or summer when they are growing. It will be at least partially dormant through winter so probably will not respond to pruning now.

Can you graft say cumquat on to lemon or does it need to be on the trifoliate base?

As far as I know almost all citrus are compatible for grafting so you should be able to graft cumquat on to lemon. I seem to recall that one of the lemons (Eureka?) will not grow on trifoliata stock. I read somewhere that the rootstock does have a more significant affect on fruit quality in citrus than other fruits so they do not use normal orange or lemon for rootstocks. Trifoliata is used because it is tougher, more cold resistant and tolerates a wider range of soils but several other rootstocks are used or have been used in the past. I have found that many citrus species grow well from cuttings.

shibui=Fountain of knowledge.