Citrus Grafting experts-Help please! (forum)

Darren starts with ...
Last year I bought a rather expensive grafted Sudachi from a well-known supplier (Not Daleys). It arrived at about 10 cm tall with a tiny little graft and remember not being particularly impressed at the time.

After letting this thing grow for a year, it dawned on me that a Sudachi probably shouldn't have trifolate leaves....yes, it seems that I had a very healthy 3ft tall flying dragon instead of a sudachi.

I have pruned it right back and planted flying dragon cuttings for later use, and surprisingly the sudachi graft is still healthy even though it is only 5 inches long with little growth.

Here is my conundrum.I am used to buying fruit trees in which the graft has been the stem of the plant.In this case, the grafter has effectively grafted the sudachi onto a thin branch and not made it the main stem.

It is going to be difficult to train that graft to become the main stem, but there is no choice.This leaves me with parts that I have pruned off above and below this graft.

Should I steriprune the cuts in an attempt to prevent regrowth?

Does anyone have a suggestion as to how to prevent the flying dragon rootstock from repeating the process and giving the graft a kick start?

I am grateful for any advice! I can post photos later.

Thanks! Darren

Time: 15th September 2017 8:39am

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About the Author Darren
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Manfred says...
What you probably have is a sudachi budded onto Poncirus trifoliata.

The bud is placed onto the stem and the stem is cut above the bud when the bud-graft takes. Fearlessly cut away everything above your sudachi. Use a sloping cut so water runs off away from the bud and keep cutting until the trifoliata gives up.

I loathe trifoliata as a rootstock and there's no way to hurry its surrender. Just keep at it. fearlessly fertilise and if you keep at it your scion will eventually become the main stem.

Time: 17th September 2017 7:46pm

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About the Author Manfred
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Darren says...
Thank you! Yes definitely the Trifoliata! I will follow your advice and might even try grafting a yuzu bud onto the rootstock while at it.

Time: 18th September 2017 12:11pm

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