I have a lemon tree started from seeds that were brought back from Italy. It is growing very tall and I'm thinking about cutting it. I'd hate for the cutting(s) to go to waste. Is there a way to get a lemon tree stem to root? If so, how? Thanks in advance for your help.
Nicole
Well, I know that most lemon trees grown out in Arizona are grafted, so it can't be too difficult - have you ever done grafting?
Occasionally you can buy trees there called 'fruit salad trees' where they take one type of citrus and graft a mess of other types of citrus on it.
I have never done it. I'll have to read up on it.
I've rooted my Meyer lemon. I took tip cuttings in the fall, placed 11 of them in a one gallon pot, wet it all down, let the pot dry for a day and covered with a clear plastic bag. I placed the pot against the N side of my house where it is shady and left the plastic on until mid-March when there wasn't any chance of a hard freeze.
About half were obviously dead and the remainder had leaves or buds. I let the pot dry out too much and lost some more. When they were obviously growing, I hardened them gradually to more sun and repotted separately. Last month I moved them up to a 2 gallon pot. They're doing well except for leaf miners just like their mama.
I would have had more success with better care but this was practically carefree. Don't let the plastic bag touch the cuttings as it promotes rot.
cool! I will have to try that.
