The Tropical Fruit Forum

I too have my doubts about predators helping prevent your trees from becoming infected, though if implemented on a wide scale they may help reduce the spread of HLB.  The simple fact is by the time infected ACP show up on your property the chances of the predators getting all of them before any of them feed on your citrus trees is very low.  Think of it a bit like the old video game Missile Attack, it only takes one getting through.

If anyone had a solution that did not involve a fine mesh screen and positive pressure ventilation they would make a fortune.

I live in zone 8b in Louisiana and planted a Cara Cara orange tree a couple of years ago, and while I was outside covering it to protect it from the early season freeze we had last week I found that it has started growing thorns on all of its branches.  It has not reverted to root stock, leaves are still the same style as previously, overall size is now about 6 ft tall, which is on par with an Armstrong Satsuma that I planted nearby at about the same time.

My concern is that the entire tree may now be a sport as in my limited reading on the subject Cara Cara is somewhat prone to mutation / reverting to a plain navel variety, and there is a note in the CCPP file that Cara Cara budwood should only be supplied from trees that have fruited to prevent this issue.

Has anyone experienced this issue with Cara Cara or Navel Oranges in general?

Should I consider re-planting another Cara Cara?  I have limited sheltered space available to plant non-cold hardy citrus, maybe room for 2 more cold tender varieties close enough to the house to provide lights for heat, etc., and I was already thinking about planting a Chandler Pomelo in one of those spaces.

p.s. This is definitely not rootstock taking over, leaves are definitely citrus, root stock is a trifoliate hybrid (Carrizo)

Welcome from Louisiana, I am about 250 miles east of you in western Louisiana,  I have 3 mature Satsuma trees, 3 younger Satsuma trees (3 different early varieties), a young Meyers and a young Cara Cara Orange.   The largest is about 15 ft tall and 15 ft wide, the smallest is about 4 ft tall and 2 ft wide.  This spring I plan to add a few more citrus trees, perhaps including a grapefruit.

It might be, but my big concern is being out of town during a particularly bad freeze as I often travel a good amount in the colder months.

Can anyone here imagine only eating 3 pounds of fresh oranges per year?

I too am in a similar situation and climate to you on the 8b/9a line in Louisiana and have been giving thoughts to olives, and can't wait to see if someone posts some useful comments.

I think you need to define this question a bit more, where I live in SW Louisiana most people that I know with in ground home citrus (mostly Satsumas, but also some others)  do nothing for their trees, no fertilizer or care of any kind, they just pick the fruit each year.

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?

If it makes you feel better here is a picture of one of my 3 mature Satsumas, this picture was taken in December after about 2/3 of the fruit had been picked.  I am on the 9a / 8b line in Louisiana

Of course a week or so later it got hit by a 22 degree freeze and lost most of its leaves, but is bouncing back now.

Merry Christmas everyone

Why in this case limes are practically absent in commercial planting in Florida?

I suspect it is the same reason we have a lot of backyard citrus (mostly Satsuma) , but little to no commercial citrus here where I live in SW Louisiana along the 8b/9a line.  Risk aversion, you never know when that 50 year freeze will come along and wipe out 100% of your trees.  Also with backyard citrus there is a better chance of surviving that 30-50 year freeze through covering, christmas lights, etc.