Category: Sustainability

Citrus tree cuttings are one of the easiest ways to clone a fruit tree. Just by taking a good size cutting and getting it to strike, you can have a cloned tree very quickly. Here’s one of the ways I duplicate citrus trees in my garden. 

In Australia I do it right after fruiting and the warmth of summer is perfect for striking the cuttings in a humid container.  

Gather your cuttings

Figure out which tree you’d like to duplicate and choose the right time to take some thicker cuttings from it. A good time is when it’s not fruiting or flowering. 

Cuttings that have a higher probability of survival are, 30cm / 12″ or longer and as thick as a pencil or thicker. The thicker and longer the better chance of it surviving. I get pretty much 100% strike rate with cuttings that are thumb thickness. 

Preserve or plant

Plant your cuttings immediately (to strike them) or you can put them away to keep them for later. To preserve them, put them in a zip lock bag and put them in the fridge. 

Plant in a container

To root your cuttings, plant them in a clear container with a removable lid. I’ve tested coco peat and soil and a mix seems to work well. But just soil will work fine. 

Plant your cuttings at 45 degrees. 

Keep them in the shade

Put the lid back on and keep the container in the shade. The soil needs to be slightly moist. Too wet and the cuttings will go mouldy and start to rot. 

Open the lid and air them out every few days. A slightly loose fitting lid helps with trapping the humidity in but also letting oxygen in. 

Wait till roots sprout

After a few weeks, new leaves will sprout from the cuttings. The roots won’t come until a month or two later. Once they have roots 10cm / 4″ long (you might be able to see from the side of the container), then they’re ready to plant out.

Plant your tree

Carefully remove the cuttings and plant your lil trees in pots. The roots are fragile so be careful. Keep them moist and in the shade for a couple of months. Then they should be ready to plant outside. 

You’ve done it! You made yourself a whole bunch of new citrus trees. Not long before you’ll be enjoying the fresh fruit!

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How I grow stone fruit trees from seed. There’s a huge variety of stone fruit and if you’re lucky to live in a climate where they grown, they’re so delicious and amazing trees to have in the garden. 

Grab your favourite stone fruit

In this case I chose peaches. I love the white peaches in particular. It’s a habit I picked up in Japan where the white peaches are so big, they’re a meal in one. Eat your fruit and save the pit. 

Give it a rinse to get the flesh off, it will be easier to handle.

Hammer time

Grab a hammer (or you can use something else solid – a brick) and hit the pit gently on the seam. It will eventually crack open. Hit it repeatedly but gently. If you hit it too hard you’ll likely smash the soft seed inside. It takes practice. 

Check the quality of your seed. 

Prepare your seed

If the seed looks pale yellow and dried up, it is likely a goner. Your seed needs to be round and firm. Put it into some water for a few hours to rehydrate. 

Plant your seed

last your seed into a pot, a sandy soil seems to be good. 2-3cm or 1″ deep is plenty. Keep the soil moist and put it in the shade. Full sun will likely kill the seed. 

You got peaches!

After a month or so, your seed will germinate and a small seedling will grow. Keep it in the shade and grow it to 40cm or 1ft. Bigger if you’d like. Then plant it in the ground in a sunny position, water it often and mulch the base. 

Put plenty of organic matter in the hold when you plant it. Fruit trees love that. It will take a few years, but eventually you will have grown a beautiful peach tree that bears lots of yummy peaches!

I’ve grown lots of stone fruit trees this way. I have several nectarines growing via this method at the moment. Good luck!

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