Is fruit tree grafting best done from a tree that's fruited?
When grafting a plant e.g. lemon tree, can it be done from 2 small trees grown from seed or does the graft need to be from an existing tree that fruits?
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!potatoes!
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You usually graft from a tree with known quality of fruit and to get fruit faster. If you are grafting from a seedling, you don't know what the fruit is like, but if you are grafting from a tree grown from seed and you do like the fruit, then it is fine. Avocados are usually grafted because they take 7 years to bear and don't come true from seed. Other fruit trees are grafted with scions from fruiting trees onto resistant rootstock to get stronger plants and fruit sooner (usually within a couple of years).
You can graft from seedlings to other plants, but if the seedlings are untried, you may not necessarily like the result and you have to wait longer if the seedling was not mature enough to fruit, grafting will not make it fruit faster.
You can graft from seedlings to other plants, but if the seedlings are untried, you may not necessarily like the result and you have to wait longer if the seedling was not mature enough to fruit, grafting will not make it fruit faster.
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rainbowgardener
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Of course you don't have to graft them for them to fruit. How do you think trees produced fruit before people were around or had discovered grafting or trees in the wild?
Grafting is done to get results that people want, like dwarf trees -- a tree that fruits well is grafted on to a dwarf root stock, or getting to fruiting phase quickly without going through all the juvenile development, or as a cloning technique to get a known variety of fruit, since many fruit trees do not come "true" from seed (they have to be hybrids, so the new tree will not be the same as the parent), or for hardiness - a tree that fruits well is grafted on to a root stock that is much more hardy, vigorous, disease resistant, etc.
Grown from seed, it will take anywhere from 3-6 years for your tree to fruit. But the fruit you get won't be exactly the same as the one you started with. It will be a lemon, but might be smaller or more bitter or have other changed characteristics. It's what imafan meant when she said "you may not necessarily like the result ."
Grafting is done to get results that people want, like dwarf trees -- a tree that fruits well is grafted on to a dwarf root stock, or getting to fruiting phase quickly without going through all the juvenile development, or as a cloning technique to get a known variety of fruit, since many fruit trees do not come "true" from seed (they have to be hybrids, so the new tree will not be the same as the parent), or for hardiness - a tree that fruits well is grafted on to a root stock that is much more hardy, vigorous, disease resistant, etc.
Grown from seed, it will take anywhere from 3-6 years for your tree to fruit. But the fruit you get won't be exactly the same as the one you started with. It will be a lemon, but might be smaller or more bitter or have other changed characteristics. It's what imafan meant when she said "you may not necessarily like the result ."
Citrus trees can take anywhere from 5 to 7 years to fruit. Some trees grown from seed can be sterile and will never flower or bear fruit. We have seen that happen with calamondin. We use that tree for rootstock because it is easy to grow from seed and is resistant to the trestiza virus we have. Heenaran is the most common rootstock but it is very slow to grow.
Citrus will also grow from cuttings and if the cuttings are from a fruiting tree, it will produce fruit as soon as the new plant is big enough to support fruit. Cuttings from trees without disease resistence especially in areas known to have virus problems will not live very long. Trestiza virus will eventually cause pitting and the bark to peel off the tree, killing it
Trestiza here is widespread, and pretty much all of the trees have it. Grafting onto resistant rootstock will allow the tree to live twenty years and produce fruit. A tree without resistance would be lucky to survive five years.
Depending on the lemon variety you have it can take 3-5 years. Trees will not fruit until they have established a root system and canopy large enough to support fruit.
Citrus will also grow from cuttings and if the cuttings are from a fruiting tree, it will produce fruit as soon as the new plant is big enough to support fruit. Cuttings from trees without disease resistence especially in areas known to have virus problems will not live very long. Trestiza virus will eventually cause pitting and the bark to peel off the tree, killing it
Trestiza here is widespread, and pretty much all of the trees have it. Grafting onto resistant rootstock will allow the tree to live twenty years and produce fruit. A tree without resistance would be lucky to survive five years.
Depending on the lemon variety you have it can take 3-5 years. Trees will not fruit until they have established a root system and canopy large enough to support fruit.