Citrus tree abuse!!
Please someone help me!! My father claims that some old orange grower told him to whack the trunk of our grapefruit tree with a 2X4 to start it growing. I just have a hard time believing that smacking any living thing with a 2X4 promotes healthy growth. Can anybody tell me if there is any truth to this?
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Binkalette
- Senior Member
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:53 pm
- Location: Minnesota - zone 4a
Both of these ideas sound like old husbands' tales to me. 
I doubt that interrupting the cambium layer of a tree will encourage the tree to do much of anything except withdraw from production.
And whacking it with a 2x4? I thought that was reserved for getting the attention of a mule...?
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
I doubt that interrupting the cambium layer of a tree will encourage the tree to do much of anything except withdraw from production.
And whacking it with a 2x4? I thought that was reserved for getting the attention of a mule...?
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
I think that this is a crude form of bark damaging to induce the tree to produce fruiting buds.
Many fruit trees were treated this way in the past.
A lot of old time apple and pear growers used bark-ringing to slow the trees down and shock the trees into production. And even now tree root pruning is still used in the same way.
Jona.
Many fruit trees were treated this way in the past.
A lot of old time apple and pear growers used bark-ringing to slow the trees down and shock the trees into production. And even now tree root pruning is still used in the same way.
Jona.
Well, some folks may think it is a crazy idea, but it does work. My wisteria had never bloomed after 6 years, I had enough of waiting, so I went out with a stout 2X2 in hand and whacked the daylights out of the stupid wisteria and it BLOOMED like crazy this year. I also witnessed a neighbor do the same thing to a 15 YO pecan tree that never beared nuts. After the whacking and a few choice words and several galvanized nails driven into the trunk the tree had a bumper crop and has every year since the 'treatment'. It works and I use it if the situation needs a 'boost'. Old timers will tell tales of whacking trees into production, so it is not a new idea.