Key Lime Tree Bonsai?

[Jetson1950]

I want to move this key Lime Tree to make room for something else, and I’m thinking why not just bonsai it. It puts out limes each year and has grown well. I’ve just not seen many lime tree bonsai and wondering if it’s a good candidate. Trunk is straight, but I would chop it at about 8-10” and start it over. From what I can see, the roots should produce a descent nebari.

Need thoughts on it.

 

[rockm]

I want to move this key Lime Tree to make room for something else, and I’m thinking why not just bonsai it. It puts out limes each year and has grown well. I’ve just not seen many lime tree bonsai and wondering if it’s a good candidate. Trunk is straight, but I would chop it at about 8-10” and start it over. From what I can see, the roots should produce a descent nebari.

Need thoughts on it.

View attachment 607549View attachment 607550

I’d say go for it. Not sure exactly when a good time to dig it up is but I’d assume it would be spring before it starts growing vigorously

Treat it as with other citrus species

Care guide for Citrus Bonsai (Citrus limon, sinensis) - Bonsai Empire

Citrus Bonsai Care guidelines Placement Citrus trees love heat and sun. In a warm climate, Citrus plants can be kept outside all the year round. In temperate cl...

www.bonsaiempire.com

 

[Jetson1950]

I’d say go for it. Not sure exactly when a good time to dig it up is but I’d assume it would be spring before it starts growing vigorously

Treat it as with other citrus species

Care guide for Citrus Bonsai (Citrus limon, sinensis) - Bonsai Empire

Citrus Bonsai Care guidelines Placement Citrus trees love heat and sun. In a warm climate, Citrus plants can be kept outside all the year round. In temperate cl...

www.bonsaiempire.com

I did some searches on it. Says mid to late summer and spring are both acceptable times here in central Florida (zone 9b) because we have such mild winters. Mid to late summer because there will be another growth period when the summer heat is over.

I think I’ll go for it now. I’ll just want to protect it from any front come winter.

 

[Jetson1950]

Let me restate that. It recommends the late days of summer moving into fall as the best time. So, September I will get it out into a pot.

 

[BrianBay9]

Just don't chop it below the graft....I assume it's grafted.

 

[Jetson1950]

Just don't chop it below the graft....I assume it's grafted.

Roger that. I assume the graft top is the bulge on the right about 6” above the roots. Definitely color change there in the trunk. I do see a problem looking at it closely. The trunk above the graft is thicker than the trunk below the graft. Hopefully I can get that to reverse when I start working with it. Strange that the grafted top is growing faster that the lower part.

 

[BrianBay9]

You might think about air layering the trunk just below/at the graft line. Keep the new roots on the root stock, but hide the graft as low as possible in the root crown.

 

[Jetson1950]

You might think about air layering the trunk just below/at the graft line. Keep the new roots on the root stock, but hide the graft as low as possible in the root crown.

Okay. That makes sense. Since we’re talking air layer instead of just a dig up and repot, do you think I should wait till spring to get a better growth spirt.

 

[SFDrake]

Air layer sounds much better this time of year down here. If your gonna dig it up, i would hold off a couple months at least. We are under that stupid heat dome right now, so all potted plants are stressed from the heat

 

[Jetson1950]

Air layer sounds much better this time of year down here. If your gonna dig it up, i would hold off a couple months at least. We are under that stupid heat dome right now, so all potted plants are stressed from the heat

Roger that. A lot of my more sensitive trees (Japanese maples) are in full Shade and their little leaf tips are still curling and drying. It’s pretty brutal on them. I think it only got down to 79 last night.

I’m going to think about this for a while and decide if the trunk as it is will be acceptable. I would rather just use what is there than try to air layer it. Besides, if I use it as is and it doesn’t look right, I can still air layer the root stock off at a later time.

 

[Potawatomi13]

That bump in the trunk just looks like where a branch was. I see no indication of any graft line anywhere down there.

 

[blackadam]

for me florida, height of graft and overall look matching this style of grafting

HS1309/HS1309: Citrus Propagation

This publication explains the different methods of citrus propagation and includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the grafting process and other principles of propagation.

edis.ifas.ufl.edu

 

[Jetson1950]

Update on my Key Lime stick. I chopped it about “6 above what i thought was the graft. That was in early September before i decided to break my ankle. It has back budded really well while I've been gone. Looking at it, it has lots of new branching below what i thought was the graft point. Now, im trying to decide what to plan for it is next. Since it is flushing new branches well below where I chopped it (and what I thought was the graft), I'm thinking of maybe chopping it again next year. Still dont know its thats actually a graft point since the leaves below and above it are pretty much identical. Of course it could be a generic lime tree below and key lime above. I don't want it bigger than 24” so i have the option of another chop, or just leave it and work to cover up the top of the trunk in the crown.

Would love some ideas on how you think i should proceed. Im really liking the Nebari root spread but not sure how to build on it. Thinking something close to a formal upright with a broom top.

 

[BrianBay9]

I would assume that bulge in the last pic is the graft.

 

[Jetson1950]

I would assume that bulge in the last pic is the graft.

Yes, that’s what I originally thought. I just did a little research and it seems that most root stock used for key lime trees are not lime trees at all, but lemon trees or other semi cold hardy fruit trees. If I try to use the limbs below that possible graft, I may end up with something other than key lime. But then, most of my heavy drinking neighbors that gather the fruit of my lime trees might love gathering both lemons and limes off the same tree. lol! One stop shopping.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Depends if you want it to fruit or not. As a key lime it is almost guaranteed to be a grafted tree. If you chop below the graft, or grow out the foliage below the graft, you won't have a lime tree. I don't know what they use in Florida but in SoCal a lot of citrus rootstock was trifoliate orange.

 

[Jetson1950]

Depend if you want it to fruit or not. As a key lime it is almost guaranteed to be a grafted tree. If you chop below the graft, or grow out the foliage below the graft, you won't have a lime tree.

Roger that. It’s putting out plenty of branches above the graft so I’ll remove the limbs below it. The resulting lowest limb will be a little high, but I can live with that.

 

[Jetson1950]

Lower branches removed. Maybe not the final idea, but something to work with.

 

[Attmos]

Doesn't look like a graft to me... but I'm new.

 

[Jetson1950]

Doesn't look like a graft to me... but I'm new.

If you look close, the bark below that knob is green and above the knob is more of a brownish grey. In bright light it’s more obvious.