How to Propagate Citrus From Cuttings
- 1). Buy or make a wooden box that's 2-¼ feet long and 1-½ foot wide. In a pinch, improvise with a planter.
- 2). Devise an airtight clear cover for the box. If you're handy, make a lid with hard plastic and hinges. Or make a simpler cover with a clear plastic bag large enough to enclose the whole box. Secure the plastic tightly in place with a length of string. The citrus cuttings will be 4 inches long and need about 7 inches of space to stand upright, and leave room below for the roots to develop.
- 3). Cover the sides of the box on the inside with pieces of plastic to conserve moisture.
- 4). Line the box with 1 inch of large, sterile gravel, which typically is available from aquarium supply stores. The gravel prevents the sand from escaping through the box's seams.
- 5). Fill the box with store-bought sterile sand. Moisten it thoroughly.
- 6). Cut 4-inch young twigs from the citrus tree to be propagated. Select sticks that are still green.
- 7). Trim ¾ inches off each cutting's tip. Additionally, cut the leaves in half to reduce water loss.
- 8). Dip the end of the cutting that grew closest to the citrus tree's trunk into rooting hormone.
- 9). Insert the cuttings into the sand.
- 10
Cover the box with a clear lid. If you use a large plastic bag, insert a couple of stakes taller than the cuttings into the sand. They will keep the bag from collapsing on the cuttings. Tie the plastic bag to trap moisture and heat inside the box. Move the mist box to the shade. - 11
Untie the bag or open the lid to let fresh air in three times a day. This prevents fungal infections. - 12
Irrigate the sand to keep it consistently moist. Climate determines how often to water it. In the southwest desert, for example, twice a day is ideal. In humid Florida, several times a week is sufficient. It takes up to 60 days for citrus cuttings to develop a strong root system for transplanting. - 13
Mix equal parts sand, potting soil and manure. Fill the pots with the mixture. Use one pot for each cutting. - 14
Transplant the rooted cuttings to the pots. Keep them in the shade and moist until new stems begin to grow. - 15
Place the new citrus saplings outside for increasingly longer periods of time each day. Harden them off in this manner for one week. - 16
Transplant the citrus saplings to their permanent location outside.
