Longan tree

Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi Alan

The suckers that are currently growing from your longan roots was the rootstock. I don't know which type of propagation the nursery have used. It could be seedling, grafted, or marcotted. Anyway you can use suckers in three ways. If it was marcotted you're in luck because the tree will grow true to type, grafted will not if they used seedling. But it may grow into a superior longan, you never know until it yields fruits.

Here are your 3 choices:

1. Select the best and strongest sucker and let it grow as a normal tree and hope that it will bear superior longan fruits in a few years time.

2. Let the suckers grow and use them as a rootstock later on and graft some superior varieties. Some commercial growers have done this method. Side grafting is the best method for this operation.

3. You can carefully dig some of them together with the roots, grow them in pots and when strong enough you plant them in other areas of your garden or give them to family and friends who share your passion for gardening.

Actually you can do a few productive things about your longan suckers instead of recycling them into the compost bin. Suckers are great tools to sharpen your grafting technique.

Happy Gardening :-)