Garden guides show how to grow a Satsuma tree

The satsuma mandarin orange arrived in the United States as an experimental planting stock.The satsuma orange can grow in regions of the United States that are too cold for other fruit.Because satsuma oranges do not produce well in the hottest climates, commercial growers limit production to the northern part.Outside the narrow band, home growers could still see regular crops from this tree.

There are satsuma orange scions to trifioliate orange rootstock.Bud grafting works best in the south from February to May.Green twigs of satsuma orange are scion material.

The trifoliate rootstock needs to be cut 8 to 12 inches above ground level.Cut across one side of the stem through the bark and cambium layer.The cut should not be bigger than one-third of the stem.

You should make a vertical cut from the beginning.Cut through both layers of bark and make a long cut.To pry the corners of this T-shaped cut away from the sapwood, use the point of the knife.

The satsuma orange bud is from last year.If you want to use the most vigorous scion material, choose buds just below the first new wood of the season.

Cut through bark and wood under the satsuma bud, starting 1/2 inch below the scion bud and ending an inch above the bud.Remove the chip from the twig with a straight cut at the upper end.

The bud should be placed under the bark to fit the shield-shaped chip against the horizontal part of the notch.

Wrap the graft above and below the bud with tape, rubber bands or electrical tape.All edges of the wound should be covered.

The bud graft heals in about 3 to 4 weeks.Carefully cut through the wrapping on the opposite side of the bud.

After the graft heals, return the top of the rootstock to between 12 and 14 inches above it.Don't remove leaves from this short section of the nursery branch until the bud grows its own leaves.When the new scion shoot shows vigorous growth, cut the nursery branch off.

Only trifoliate orange is used.There are scions of satsuma in sour orange.The branches should be 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter.

If Satsuma orange trees can be killed by winter cold snaps, cover the rootstock and junction with mounded soil in late fall.Both scion and rootstock should survive if the orange tree is killed by cold weather.