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Did you know: Sub-freezing weather can injure citrus trees and fruit, but near-freezing weather actually improves citrus flavor and quality.
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Varieties
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There are many different varieties of rootstock that may
be used at the beginning of the plant life cycle such as
Macrophylla, Troyer, Swingle, Carrizo, C35, Volkameriana,
Sour Orange and Cleopatra, to name a few. At Marei
Nursery, the main rootstocks used are Volkameriana and
Sour Orange. In essence, seeds are the most important
and vital part of producing a plant. The different types
of seeds used in citrus propagation are either
susceptible or tolerant to factors such as diseases,
soil types, and climatic conditions. So it is of utmost
importance to select the variety that best adapts to the
production environment. |
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Seed Sources
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Since seeds are so important one has to make sure that
the source of those seeds is reliable. That is why at
Marei Nursery we are very careful choosing our sources.
The first source of seeds that we use is from rootstock
trees planted in our orchards. Seeds collected from
these trees provide about 75% of the seeds annual
requirement. The other 25% we receive from trusted local
individuals, and occasionally from international
sources. |
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Seed Treatment
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nce the seeds have been collected, they are treated in
strict observance of protocols. The first step consists
of extracting the seeds from the fruits. Then the seeds
are spread on a clean and treated surface, followed by a
grading process where the healthy seeds; meaning those
that do not display signs of rot, or are cracked, or do
not adhere to the expected physical appearance of the
seed type.
The next step is to treat the seeds. The treatment
process involves soaking the seeds in water for a
maximum of 48 hours then spread them out on a clean and
treated surface in the sun to dry. After this, seeds are
treated with fungicides to prevent decay, and placed
into designated marked plastic bags according to their
variety. The marking on bags contains relevant
information such as variety, date of treatment, and
source. They are then stored in coldrooms, or fridges,
with controlled temperature. Seeds can be stored in such
environments for a long period, stretching to 12 months.
However, the longer seeds are stored the more they lose
their viability. |
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Seed Sowing
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Seed sowing is the procedure whereby seeds are placed
into a growing medium for it to germinate for
propagation purposes. This process involves preparing a
medium mix beforehand, which is then filled in tubes
which are fitted into trays referred to as seed or
germination trays. Each tube gets one seed planted in it
using a very careful method so as not to disturb the
growth of the plant. Now we have successfully navigated
the first integral step of creating the ideal citrus
tree the other steps will be covered in other sections. |
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