Citrus Propagation For Homeowners1

Home fruit growers often want to propagate their
own citrus trees or they may want to change varieties
by top-working an existing tree with another variety or
varieties of citrus. Seeds removed from citrus fruits
will grow into trees and produce fruit, though the
seedlings do not always come true. Trees grown from
seed may not produce fruit for ten or more years.
However, plants propagated vegetatively will be
identical to the tree from which the propagation
material was taken and will fruit in two to three years.
SEED PROPAGATION
Citrus seedlings are normally used as rootstocks for
the more desirable varieties of citrus. Common
rootstocks in Florida are rough lemon, sour orange,
Trifoliate orange, Carrizo citrange, Swingle citrumelo,
Cleopatra mandarin, and other lesser used varieties.
Unless seeds are purchased, they should be
extracted from mature fruit, washed and planted.
Home fruit growers are advised to plant in pots of
sterilized potting soil. Most citrus seeds will do well
planted at a depth of 6 mm (1/4 inch). The resulting
seedlings can be budded when they reach the
diameter of a pencil or larger.
LAYERAGE AND CUTTAGE
Layerage and cuttage are a means of propagation
whereby parts of a plant are induced to develop roots.
Layering is commonly used on larger branches and
rooting occurs while the branch is still attached to the
plant. Smaller branches user for cuttings form roots
after being removed from the plant. Both techniques
can be used with citrus, but the resulting plants grow
Citrus Propagation For Homeowners 1
L.K. Jackson 2
on their own roots without using the advantages
offered by certain rootstocks. A rooted cutting or
layer can be used as a rootstock for desirable scion
varieties, but this is not commonly done.
GRAFTAGE
Graftage refers to any process of inserting a part of
one plant into or onto another plant in such a way
that they will unite and grow as a single unit. The
scion is the part of the new combination which is
inserted into the other plant and thereby produces the
top of the plant, including branches, leaves and,
ultimately, fruit. The stock or rootstock is the plant
into which the scion is inserted and it produces the
root system and lower trunk. The rootstock may be
grown from seed, rooted cuttings or layers.
Grafting involves the use of a scion having two or
more buds. There are numerous types of grafts
including whip, cleft, bridge, in arch, stump, side,
inlay bark, approach and others. Grafting is most
commonly used to repair existing trees, to top-work
existing trees to change varieties, and to produce new
plants. Grafting is not commonly practiced with
Florida citrus because it is a more difficult means of
propagation compared to budding.
Budding involves the use of a scion with only a
single bud attached to a piece of bark. It may or may
not include a thin sliver of wood under the bark.
Budding is the most commonly used technique for
propagating new plants, but it is also used to top-work
existing trees to a new variety. It is simple and easy to
do, so anyone can be successful after a little practice.
There are several different methods of budding,
including T, inverted T, chip (hanging), patch and
1. This document, HS-124, was published 6/92 by the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. For more information, contact your county
Cooperative Extension Service Office.
2. L.K. Jackson, Professor, Citrus Specialist, Citrus Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of
Florida, Lake Alfred, Florida.
Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of
products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin.
Florida Cooperative Extension Service / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences / University of Florida / John T. Woeste, Dean

Citrus Propagation Page 2
others. Those most commonly used in citrus
propagation are the inverted T bud and the chip bud
(hanging bud). The inverted T bud is used when the
bark is slipping (easily separated from the wood),
whereas the chip (hanging) bud is used at other times.
SELECTING BUDWOOD
Buds should be collected from a tree or trees of the
desired variety. Budsticks are commonly selected from
the next to last growth flush (the wood behind the
current flush) and from the current growth flush after
it has matured and hardened. Older growth flushes
can be used if the bark still is green.
Round twigs about the size of a pencil are
preferred. The buds located in the axils of the leaves
(where the leaf is attached to the wood) should be
well developed, but still dormant.
After the budwood is cut from the tree, the
undesirable wood and/or growth flush should be
removed and the remaining budwood should be
trimmed to lengths of 20-25 cm (8-10 inches). The
leaves should be cut off leaving a stub of the petiole
3-4mm (1/8 inch) long to protect the buds.
Trimmed budsticks should be labeled and used
immediately or placed in plastic bags in a cool place.
Include a moist paper towel to maintain turgidity and
freshness. The label should include the variety, date
of collection and source. Budsticks are usually tied in
bundles for ease of handling.
STORING BUDWOOD
It is desirable to use budwood as soon after
collection as possible, but it can be stored for several
months under proper conditions. The bundled
budsticks should be sealed in a plastic bag and stored
in a refrigerator. The optimum storage temperature is
five degrees C (40 degrees F); it should not be
allowed to go below two degrees C (35 degrees F).
The vegetable drawer of the refrigerator is the best
place.
Stored budwood should be checked every couple of
weeks for the presence of mold or excess moisture in
the bag. Budwood lightly affected with mold should
be carefully washed in cold mild soapy water, rinsed,
and rebagged in a clean bag. Excessively moist
budwood can be lightly blotted on paper towels.
Moldy, shrivelled or darkened budwood should be
discarded, as the buds probably will be dead.
When using stored budwood, it should be kept cool
and moist. A good idea is to take enough budwood
for a couple of hours use from storage.
BUDDING
Budding can be done anytime there is a suitable
stock on which the bark is slipping and when suitable
budwood is available. Usually, the bark is slipping
from April to November, depending on location. To
produce new plants choose rootstocks of pencil size to
2 cm (3/4 inch) diameter, either seedlings or rooted
cuttings. The area to be budded should be pruned
clean of thorns and twigs. The preferred budding
height is 15 cm (6 inches) above ground level.
Preparing the Rootstock
A very sharp knife is used to make a vertical cut in
a smooth area of the rootstock about 2.5-3.5 cm
(1.0-1.5 inches) long through the bark, deeply enough
into the wood to be certain the bark has been
completely cut. A horizontal cut about 1 cm (0.5 inch)
long is made through the bark at the top (T) or
bottom (inverted T) of the vertical cut, again cutting
completely through the bark. At the finish of this
cross cut, the knife blade is turned slightly upward
and given a slight twist to open the bark at the T. The
point of the knife can be used to lift the bark along
the vertical cut if necessary.
Cutting the Bud
Cut a bud from the budstick while holding the
apical end of the budstick away from you. Start the
cut about 1 cm (0.5 inch) above the bud and finish a
little less distance below the bud. The knife should be
held almost parallel to the axis of the budstick,
cutting towards the thumb.
Cut only deep enough to take a thin sliver of wood
under the bark. The bud should not be scooped out,
as this causes too much wood to be taken.
Inserting the Bud
Insert the bud shield under the bark flaps of the
stock so that the cut surface is flat against the wood.
The bud shield should be completely enclosed in the
T; if part of it protrudes, cut it off.

Citrus Propagation Page 3
Wrapping the Bud
Wrap the bud with budding tape {polyethylene
strips about 1 cm (1/2 inch) wide and 15-25 cm (6-10
inches) long}.
Start the wrap below the bud with 3-4 turns,
finishing with several turns above the bud. The end is
secured beneath the last circular turn of the wrap.
Wrapping should be firm without being excessively
tight.
Forcing the Bud
The wrapping should be removed after 2-3 weeks,
as union with the stock should have occurred by that
time. The bud is then forced into growth by lopping
the rootstock. Cut about 3/4 of the way through the
stock, on the same side as the bud and about 4-6 cm
(1.5-2.5 inches) above it; then push the top over to lay
on the ground. The lopped top portion continues
nourishing the rootstock and increases the chances of
survival of the new plant.
After the bud has grown several inches, the
rootstock top can be removed completely by making
a sloping cut (high end on the same side as the bud)
about 1 cm (1/2 inch) above the bud.
As the bud grows, it will need to be staked and tied
at regular intervals to prevent breakage. Remove all
other buds and suckers from the rootstock as they
appear.
TOP-WORKING
Top-working is the process of changing the top of
an established plant from one variety to another or to
multiple varieties by budding or grafting.
T budding can also be used for topworking to
change varieties or to put more than one variety on
the same tree. Prune the tree back to leave only a few
branches of 5-12 cm (2-5 inches) diameter or smaller.
Insert 1-3 buds on the upper side of the remaining
scaffold limbs using the T bud method. Check closely
to remove unwanted buds and sprouts to insure that
only the desired scion buds grow. When such buds
have made adequate growth, begin removing the
older limbs out from the buds.
If the branches are very large such that budding
would be difficult cut back to the main scaffold limbs
removing all of the top (Caution: severely pruned
trees should be whitewashed to prevent sunscald).
After the limbs sprout back and mature a bit (six
months or so), the sprouts can be budded as initially
described, using 4-6 of the stronger sprouts on each
limb. The same method can be used for budding root
sprouts that develop if the entire scion (top) has
declined.