Author Topic: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL  (Read 2383 times)

SonnyCrockett

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Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« on: April 21, 2017, 08:51:59 PM »
Looking for ideas here...

I have a 7 gal ponderosa lemon tree that I picked up on sale a few months ago.  Wondering if it's worth keeping as ponderosa or should I just graft New Zealand Lemonade on to it?

Anything you can do with Ponderosa that you can't do with NZL?

Tom

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Re: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2017, 11:35:56 PM »
The ponderosa fruit is huge. It makes a great conservation piece with friends or if you need to give a talk on citrus to a club or similar. Not really a pretty tree to me and not a very useful fruit for juice. Tom

Citradia

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Re: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2017, 07:28:01 AM »
My grandma had s ponderosa lemon in FL when I was a kid. She used to put a straw in the lemon and give it to me to suck the juice out like lemonade.

SonnyCrockett

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Re: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2017, 01:19:30 PM »
That's fun.  Are ponderosa lemons sweet then?  For some reason I though they tasted like a regular eureka lemon.

Citradia

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Re: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2017, 02:01:52 PM »
I've not had one since I was a kid, and I thought it was bitter (ponderosa) but so were the FL grapes that grandma grew. My other grandma ate what I now know were Nagano kumquats right off the neighbors tree, and they were NASTY! Grandpa ate bitter white grapefruit every morning too.

Millet

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Re: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2017, 02:31:47 PM »
Ponderosa lemons taste much like a  Eureka /Lisbon lemons.  The fruit of the New Zealand lemonade tree can be eaten in hand directly off the tree,  They taste pretty much like lemonade.

bsbullie

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Re: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2017, 11:09:19 AM »
The ponderosa fruit is huge. It makes a great conservation piece with friends or if you need to give a talk on citrus to a club or similar. Not really a pretty tree to me and not a very useful fruit for juice. Tom

I think you meant conversation  lol

I agree, the Ponderosa is not a very desirable lemon.
- Rob

Viking Guy

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Re: Ponderosa Lemon vs NZL
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2017, 08:46:56 PM »
I've had 4 different ponderosas over the years.

The only one that tasted decent was the one grown in Mobile AL.  The farmer market would buy then from me for $1 each and sell them for $4.99.

They were huge and tasted as a normal lemon would taste, but maybe a little better.

The other 3 trees grown more southward weren't that great and had thick, thick rinds.

All of them grew like circular weeping willow bushes and full of giant spines.

Other than being a giant lemon and great for zesting, unless they are grown in cooler climates, I just don't think the taste is all that.

Mine would set a huge crop one year, and a scarce one the next
« Last Edit: April 23, 2017, 08:48:44 PM by Viking Guy »