Hi.

I am curious, how big are your trees when you planted them. At this point do you do your own grafting or do you purchase from a propagator of citrus. The trees look real nice. I have also wondered Why meyer lemons as apposed to kumquats, which command $4-$10 per pound.here in cincinnati.

Great looking trees! What kind(s) are they? And where are you located?

Awesome results John! it is amazing the growth you get there.

Mike

Wow John, solid and healthy looking Meyers. The fruit has got to be amazing!

I am curious. In your climate, do the Meyers ripen at different [set] times throughout the year or at random?
I assume you harvest year-round.

George K.

Did I forget to mention they are Meyers? I thought most people here knew that I am a one trick pony.
We produce all our own trees grafted onto Macrophylla root; and all our trees are genetically identical.
Here's a picture of what they looked like when we planted them, August 14, 2012.

Incredible growth!

Josh

You are doing fantastic work there - grafting your own trees, probably growing your own rootstock from seed (or rooting?), and caring for them so well that they grow like Jack's beanstalk!

Not to mention - nice polo. I golf a lot and that's a good color.

Thanks for the compliment about the shirt... most people only think it shows my advanced age belly too well.

We grow the rootstock (Macrophylla) from seed. There are lots of "wild" Macrophylla here in Guatemala; because about 75 years ago a lot of citrus was brought into the country, mostly from California; and most of it was grafted on Macrophylla root. With the passage of time a big portion of the citrus "died"; but the rootstock survived. Here they call it "Limon Real" but in reality it is not.

When I first discovered this variety growing at one of my cattle farms, I thought I had discovered a new resistant rootstock for citrus. Later, thanks to some gurus at UC Davis, my alma mater, I learned it was Macrophylla. Great rootstock for citrus in warm climates; but I have found it to be almost completely incompatible with Kaffir lime.

John, it would take YEARS to get mine to grow that fast in one year..Lucky you!

Do you still enjoy the fragrance even though you grow them for business purposes...? In other words, do you stop and smell the roses of your trees? Are they all special?

How big do they get or at what size do you cut teh tops back?

You look great for a man in his 30's////

MIke

Wow, John - just incredible. You look like you're living the dream!
I love the before and after shots - amazing growth in a year. Interesting too about the Macrophylla. Thanks for continuing to update us on the progress of your great adventure.
Westgirl

Mike,

Every one of my trees is like one of my children; we lose some and have to replace them, but some plants, like some animals, just do not make it.

How big do they get?... If we left them alone on that rootstock the Meyer would get about 10 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter; with our system they are hedgerowed and pruned with saws to rows 2 meters wide and 2.5 meters high; so each tree is 2 meters wide, 2.5 meters long; and 2.5 meters high. They produce 3-400 fruits per tree per year. At different altitudes/climates they produce at different times; a year from now we will have production year round, with peak harvests Nov-Jan and May-July..

Beautiful, John. Just gorgeous. Congratulations on getting to a crop so quickly. It sure does help to have such a cooperative climate as well!

Patty S.