477
« on: July 22, 2018, 09:35:17 AM »
Luckycloud, you may need to use more protection in 7b NC than someone in central GA. I'm in western NCand have been experimenting with "cold hardy citrus " for the past 7 years or so. I've learned the hard way that no citrus or citrus hybrid is hardy here without the protection of a heated greenhouse, except poncyrus trifoliata. Even though my recorded low last winter was 7 degrees, I still lost all of my unprotected citrumelo and other citranges and nansho dai dai, etc, except for one 4 ft tall citrumelo planted out by the road and driveway. The problem here is that it can and does freeze and stay below freezing for days to weeks, and one winter didn't get above freezing for a month. My Owari, Kimbrough, Croxton, Changsha, Meiwa live and produce well each year by being grafted on PT and covering them with 4 mil plastic sheeting over pvc or wooden frames, and heated with small electric space heaters that are controlled by thermocubes that only come on at 35 degrees and turn off at 45 degrees. The trees have to be uncovered or vented/ partially uncovered if possible when temperatures outside get into the fifties so trees don't break dormancy. This past year, my 35 gallon black plastic garbage cans full of water that were next to citranges but uncovered by plastic tents and without heaters froze through and exploded. So, if you are below freezing for days, your satsumas will croak without extra heating.