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Comment by Sentient Biped on January 6, 2013 at 1:59pm

Dominic,

Living in maritime Pacific NW, I'm out of outdoor citris growing range.  I do have a potted Meyer lemon that sometimes graces me with a lemon, and a potted Calamondin that is too early to say if it will fruit.  So I can only suggest, based on other mixed fruit grafted trees that are not citrus.  I have sweet cherry with 4 varieties, pear with 5 varieties, and asian pear with 3 varieties.

These were more expensive than 1-variety trees, but not nearly as expensive as buying them all individually.

I've grafted a few apple branches, but only a few.  The main reason was to have pollinating varieties on the same tree.

I don't know if citrus need a pollinator.  If they do, a multigraft tree is a way to do that without having multiple trees.

The main negative is one variety usually has more vigor than the others.  On my multigraft pear, 2 varieties constitute about 75% of the tree, and one variety is so small as to be useless.  On the sweet cherry, one variety is dominant, one gives a few cherries, and one is only enough to taste a few.  The Asian pear is about equal for all 3 varieties.

For me a big part of the grafting is I think it's cool to take part of one tree and graft it onto another.  It's like doing a surgery.  Even though there are people who graft thousands of trees, for me it's still almost magic.  It takes a few years to see the result, buying one is usually faster.  

I start more trees than I can grow.  I'm always giving trees away.

 

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 6, 2013 at 1:43pm

Dominic Florio, your idea offers an interesting challenge. If they are easily found, perhaps they are easily made. A nice project to investigate. I hope you have a camera and keep us informed if you try. 

I Googled "cocktail citrus trees + grafting" and there are lots of sites; whether they are good, or not, I don't know. Perhaps Amer will be a good resource for you; Sentient has lots of experience and gives really sound advice. 

So, maybe it is time to get started. 

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 6, 2013 at 1:36pm

Unusual tree growing - Force of Nature

Here is an interesting site with lots of photos that amaze!

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 6, 2013 at 1:27pm

Amer, your description of your experience with grafting reaffirms the need for proper technique. Did you create your own "high humidity chamber"? How do you do it? For me, I use a plastic bag over a pot when I want higher humidity. I don't grow cactus and you fellows are stirring my interest. 

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 6, 2013 at 1:23pm

Sentient, you said, "too much time on the internet." I understand that one. Please keep us informed on how you like your grafting class and if it helps you get more successfully grafted trees. 

Comment by Dominic Florio on January 6, 2013 at 1:12pm

I am an avid gardener but never have attempted grafting.  Although I have a n acre and one half in Florida, it would save space and I am only one person, if I could make one of those cocktail citrus trees.  I don't know if it is worth making one (except for the satisfaction) when they can be easily bought.

Comment by amer chohan on January 6, 2013 at 11:31am

You will learn it Sentinent. Learning depend upon intrest levels and need. I noticed you got some intrest in grafting. 

When I started it, inspite of all the readings and youtube videos it was more failure than success. Then a time came when my costly seedlings were destroying because of my inability to graft. Then I decided to do it the hard way. Grafting on Pereskiopsis(a cactus used for grafting of cactus seedlings). Its grafting is one of the most difficult one. Extra quick hand are needed because cut on stock dries up in few seconds.  Graft should be moved into high humidity chamber within a minute. Graft should remain in specific conditions at least for  7 to 10 days. Anything less than that means failure.One nearly forgets about combination of the rings.

After a lot of reading, hardwork and cuts on hands when I learned that, grafting on bigger stocks became so easy that now I can do it with my eyes closed.

Comment by Sentient Biped on January 6, 2013 at 9:48am

Joan, finding those is a result of too much time on internet :)  the Pooktre trees really got me thinking!  

I've grafted apples with some success.  Not a lot of success with cherries.  Maybe I'll be better at it after taking the class.

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 6, 2013 at 1:53am

I imagine willow will be a good tree to practice grafting. I understand they grow from cuttings of new wood, so you could have lots of starts. 

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 6, 2013 at 1:51am

Between artist Phil Ross and his fungi furniture, and Alex (or Axel) Erlandson and Pooktre method of tree pruning you will have enough ideas to last a life-time. Where did you find these two very interesting people? 

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