North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

John, 

    Lemons like to be warm, but you can root cuttings in winter in the greenhouse, I did it here in Tennessee.  As long as you keep lemons from actually freezing they are reasonably happy.  They will grow in any temps above 45 degrees.  I don't know much about air layering citrus, but I am sure it would work, might give you a head start. 

    DO NOT try to propagate citrus from seed unless you have a hot climate and are extremely patient.  12-14 years for grapefruit, but lemons are faster, maybe only 5 years, with extra thorns for your trouble.  Yes we all start trifoliate from seed, but we generally aren't really after the fruit with trifoliate.  Since trifoliate is all about thorns, we don't sit around and wonder what an "old budline" of trifoliate would be like with no thorns. 

    Trifoliate shuts down below 60 degrees, so would be a poor rootstock for Maine.  Lemons will do better on their own roots in such a cool climate.  If your friend would let you cut a root off, I suppose you could graft it that way, but lemons are very easy to root.  Don't let these northerners try to tell you about citrus.  It's a true tropical, like peppers.    And don't look for a lot of fruit.  Enjoy the leaves, the flowers, and maybe you'll get a few fruit per year.     Donna