Author Topic: Surplus home citrus?  (Read 3304 times)

Isaac-1

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Surplus home citrus?
« on: April 11, 2017, 10:27:05 PM »
I have a growing citrus problem, namely what to do with the surplus of citrus each year?  I currently have 3 mature Satsuma trees (8-12 ft tall, an about 10-16 feet in diameter), I also have 5 more citrus trees that have been growing in ground for 1-2 years, specifically 3 more early Satsuma varieties, a Meyers Lemon and a Cara Cara Orange.  I added the 3 new Satsuma's to spread out the harvest season, not to get more fruit, and as it stands my 3 mature Satsuma trees produce more fruit than my family can possibly eat, and it is hard even give it away on you pick basis.   I also plan to add 2 or 3 more Satsuma trees in the next year or so, specifically some Miho Satsuma which are much more cold tolerant than the varieties have have currently planted to hedge my bets against those 50 to 100 year freezes that tend to wipe out all citrus in my area. (all time record low here is 13F, Miho is known to survive down to 14F)

What does everyone else do in this situation?

spaugh

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2017, 12:18:04 AM »
I would take them to work or give to neighbors.  If your neighbors grow anything or make honey trade with them.  Or sell them along the freeway on ramp for 5$ a bag.   ;)
Brad Spaugh

DFWCitrus

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2017, 12:22:52 AM »
My in the ground Miho while covered succumbed to 16oF this winter whereas my same sized Setos survived. I like Miho but they are not more cold hardy than any other Satsuma variety, this is a myth.

waxy

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2017, 12:48:11 AM »
My in the ground Miho while covered succumbed to 16oF this winter whereas my same sized Setos survived. I like Miho but they are not more cold hardy than any other Satsuma variety, this is a myth.

How cold did it get in TX, does the Miho need a good cold season for it to flower?
That's terrible that it died to cold/freezing weather with it being a citrus and all.

countryboy1981

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2017, 08:21:54 AM »
My in the ground Miho while covered succumbed to 16oF this winter whereas my same sized Setos survived. I like Miho but they are not more cold hardy than any other Satsuma variety, this is a myth.

Thats not very cold tolerant, i had an owari survive 17 with no damage at all and a meyer lemon that only lost its leaves during ice storms.

DFWCitrus

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2017, 10:42:56 AM »
My in the ground Miho while covered succumbed to 16oF this winter whereas my same sized Setos survived. I like Miho but they are not more cold hardy than any other Satsuma variety, this is a myth.

Thats not very cold tolerant, i had an owari survive 17 with no damage at all and a meyer lemon that only lost its leaves during ice storms.
I was shocked as the Miho was a good sized 20 gal tree with 1.33 in diameter trunk. The sour orange rootstock survived but the Miho above the graft died. It was 16oF the first night for 8 hrs with high winds, then 18oF the second night with wind. It was covered and had a 35 watt halogen uplight on it and small christmas lights on foliage. Next year I will create a clear plastic barrier covering until these trees are more mature. The winds here in DFW get nasty.

DFWCitrus

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2017, 10:45:22 AM »
My in the ground Miho while covered succumbed to 16oF this winter whereas my same sized Setos survived. I like Miho but they are not more cold hardy than any other Satsuma variety, this is a myth.

Thats not very cold tolerant, i had an owari survive 17 with no damage at all and a meyer lemon that only lost its leaves during ice storms.
Satsumas in general need some winter chill (32oF-47oF) to ripen then flower in spring, that is why they are not in South Florida. Miho is no different from what I can tell.

Tom

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2017, 02:47:37 PM »
I think the weather immediately preceding your cold event had more to do with the problem than the actual low temps. Where I live we can have an 80* day at Christmas and then a cold snap with temps not getting above freezing for 24 hours. With a new flush of tender growth [or no visible change] you have the recipe for a catastrophe. 

waxy

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2017, 08:11:15 PM »
Well, all my citrus except for the Miho is blooming.
Miho was the only one I kept inside the greenhouse, as an experiment.

Hopefully it's just a late bloomer, if not then there's always next year!

mrtexas

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2017, 10:55:40 PM »
My in the ground Miho while covered succumbed to 16oF this winter whereas my same sized Setos survived. I like Miho but they are not more cold hardy than any other Satsuma variety, this is a myth.

Thats not very cold tolerant, i had an owari survive 17 with no damage at all and a meyer lemon that only lost its leaves during ice storms.
I was shocked as the Miho was a good sized 20 gal tree with 1.33 in diameter trunk. The sour orange rootstock survived but the Miho above the graft died. It was 16oF the first night for 8 hrs with high winds, then 18oF the second night with wind. It was covered and had a 35 watt halogen uplight on it and small christmas lights on foliage. Next year I will create a clear plastic barrier covering until these trees are more mature. The winds here in DFW get nasty.

The rootstock choice killed your miho. Sour orange is not a cold hardy rootstock.  And weather was a factor as well as it was warm 80F one day and 19F at night with a clear sky the next. I think it is a fantasy that any satsuma is more cold hardy than any other. The way to protect from 100 year freezes is to bank your trees with dirt to above the graft(As the soil won't freeze you will save the graft.) or cover and a heater.  Covering helps also as heat loss to the sky ls reduced. The only graft in my back yard that died after our 19F freeze this winter was a round orange on sour orange rootstock. The sour orange froze back to around 2 inches. Unhappily I had grafted high. And I believed the weather man who was predicting 28F. None on flying dragon froze. The only cold hardy citrus rootstocks are flying dragon and trifoliate. Sad that the big growers here in Texas are using carizzo almost entirely now. How to bank citrus https://sites.google.com/site/mrtexascitrus/
« Last Edit: April 13, 2017, 07:09:13 PM by mrtexas »

countryboy1981

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2017, 08:40:42 AM »
Mr Texas is correct, you need to bank to protect the graft and the hugher you bank the more of your tree will be protected.  I have successfully used cardboard boxes flartened out and then form a cylinder around the tree (staple it) and fill it with dirt.

achetadomestica

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2017, 10:01:58 PM »
I have a 200lb.  Aldabra tortoise and various tortoises that enjoy extra fruit. But I do grow extra fruit and vegetables and give it to my
neighbors and friends. This past winter I had 10 cherry tomato plants with 3 different varieties. I use to pick plastic cups fulls and give them to everyone. I think people really enjoy being handed free freshly picked anything! I was giving 5 cups a day away. If someone did something nice for me I would give them a cup of assorted cherry tomatoes the next day. I took a big bag of kishus this past fall to a Cub Scout campout. The boys really enjoyed the small tangerines. I didn't bring any home, in fact I ran out on Saturday, I could have given away 2 bags.
I have over 100 fruit trees and will never be able to eat all the fruit. A very nice neighbor down the road has been going through allot with
her aging father and I like going down and leaving a cup of various fruits to brighten her day. She is almost always at the nursing home with her father. If everyone did 1 nice thing a day for someone else it would be a much different world 

spaugh

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Re: Surplus home citrus?
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2017, 10:35:17 PM »
I have a 200lb.  Aldabra tortoise and various tortoises that enjoy extra fruit. But I do grow extra fruit and vegetables and give it to my
neighbors and friends. This past winter I had 10 cherry tomato plants with 3 different varieties. I use to pick plastic cups fulls and give them to everyone. I think people really enjoy being handed free freshly picked anything! I was giving 5 cups a day away. If someone did something nice for me I would give them a cup of assorted cherry tomatoes the next day. I took a big bag of kishus this past fall to a Cub Scout campout. The boys really enjoyed the small tangerines. I didn't bring any home, in fact I ran out on Saturday, I could have given away 2 bags.
I have over 100 fruit trees and will never be able to eat all the fruit. A very nice neighbor down the road has been going through allot with
her aging father and I like going down and leaving a cup of various fruits to brighten her day. She is almost always at the nursing home with her father. If everyone did 1 nice thing a day for someone else it would be a much different world
Nice post.  Been there with the cherry tomatos.
Brad Spaugh