Key Limes and tangerines?

Something I have noticed about my citrus trees, is that there seems to be a correlation between the size of the fruit and the size of the leaves. It could be completely coincidental, but the Grapefruits have leaves which are 3 to 4 times larger than the Tangerines and Key limes. I've read that they will both grow from seed and I'd like to start some. Do any of you have experience with these types of citrus, or citrus trees in general?

This is a perennial question. The standard citrus, including Calamondin, in general are not recommended for bonsai. Their growth pattern is unpredictable & the leaves don't reduce much. It's been done. There are respectable citrus bonsai in Japan, but they are very old. It might be a little easier in Florida, but there are better ways to spend your time.
If you want a tried & true citrus-like species, go with Murraya paniculata, the jasmine-orange. Kumquats are a somewhat traditional bonsai species with fruit in scale, but they are very slow. Another true miniature that can be used for bonsai is Citrus aurantium 'Chinotto.' I bought one last summer. It is not so slow growing, so far easy to care for.
Iris

Hi Peacefull

Unfortunately this is an example of a Fallacy of the Consequent, in this case its in the contraposition,

If I have large leaves then I have large fruit
Therefore; If I have small leaves I have small fruit.

It would be nice if leaf size did really dictate fruit size, then we might have a shot at dwarfing the fruits along with the leaves of our Bonsai.

-Jay
PS One of my degrees was in Philosophy and I collect fallacies and conundrums/paradoxes as a hobby...sounds weird I know. My wife has learned to just smile politely and nod when I do stuff like this

drgonzo wrote:Hi Peacefull

Unfortunately this is an example of a Fallacy of the Consequent, in this case its in the contraposition,

If I have large leaves then I have large fruit
Therefore; If I have small leaves I have small fruit.

It would be nice if leaf size did really dictate fruit size, then we might have a shot at dwarfing the fruits along with the leaves of our Bonsai.

-Jay
PS One of my degrees was in Philosophy and I collect fallacies and conundrums/paradoxes as a hobby...sounds weird I know.

Well, thank you. I'm lucky enough to have a bunch of different trees on my property, and I was just trying to think of some of the different varieties that might be fun. I liked the idea of using the key lime, because it seems to have the smallest leaves and fruit of all of the citrus tress I have.

Also, how well do mulberries adapt to bonsai practices?

Mulberries are widely grown as bonsai. It is a weed, & many invasive & noxious weeds make good bonsai because of their vigor. Even Scots pine is an invasive weed outside Europe. So try mulberry. It is probably a better choice than your lime tree.
Iris

in general are not recommended for bonsai...There are respectable citrus bonsai in Japan, but they are very old.

How does one get an old bonsai unless they start with a young one???

Citrus are in general easy to grow from seed but what you really want to find is an old garden tree that has already gained enough size to make a respectable bonsai from. I have a seedling from a meyer lemon, a nursery grown quay lime fattening in the ground & a kaffir lime from advanced nursery stock that is currently undergoing root work to fit a bonsai pot.

They are forgiving & fun to work with... the best bit is because so few bonsai exist it leaves you to design with the tree in mind rather than an oft repeated image...

Matt

Have any of you used wild lime/lime prickly-ash. They grow all over the place in my area, and I've read that other members of the genus are used for bonsai. Have any of you had experience with this particular plant?

I agree with all that has been said....they are finicky, prickly, totally unpredictable, sometimes rewarding, sometimes not, etc. but still worthwhile imo....This Citrus aurantifolia (Key Lime) has flowered and fruited but once during the 25 years I have been caring for it (most likely because of all my poking, prodding, restyling, and such) but I still enjoy it. Also one benefit I have noticed is that the leaves overtime reduce somewhat if you are methodical about continually removing overly large ones. Just my two cents worth.
Tom