Author Topic: Winter care of citranges, etc.  (Read 1932 times)

Walt

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Winter care of citranges, etc.
« on: November 16, 2018, 12:32:31 PM »
As it says in Game of Thrones, "Winter is coming."
Actually, winter weather is already here, and it will stay a while.
So, how do more experienced people care for their citranges, citandarins, and citstuff that you are overwintering.
I know some of you live where they won't even drop their leaves and require no care over the winter.
Some of you live where they do drop their leaves, but require no special care over the winter.
But mine must come inside or they will never make it to spring.
I left mine outside until they dropped their leaves, then brought them into a cold basement.  I have lights on them, but not enough to do any good.
In the past I kept them in an unheated greenhouse, where the got some light freezes, but never lost their leaves,  But the greenhouse burned.  California isn't the only place with wildfires, through my fire was nothing like theirs.
I had hoped to have a new greenhouse by now, but it will be another couple of months at least.

Ilya11

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Re: Winter care of citranges, etc.
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2018, 02:27:49 PM »
If your basement have temperature of less than +10C you do not need lights for overwintering.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Citradia

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Re: Winter care of citranges, etc.
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2018, 05:18:01 PM »
I used to have a hoop house with citranges and citrumelos from seed growing in ground with water barrels but no electric heaters, passive protection only. The trees reached over eight feet tall in a few years but would loose some newer growth each winter. Finally, all died to the ground two winters ago with polar vortexes. I took the structure down and left the trees ( came back from roots) to nature. The only two I have left are a citradia and thomasville citrangequat about two feet high. One dunstan survived the past 3-4 years outside unprotected.  My conclusion is that even citranges need supplemental heating and full covers in winter where I live.

SoCal2warm

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Re: Winter care of citranges, etc.
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2018, 06:01:51 PM »
I took the structure down and left the trees ( came back from roots) to nature. The only two I have left are a citradia and thomasville citrangequat about two feet high. One dunstan survived the past 3-4 years outside unprotected.
Valuable information.

Walt

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Re: Winter care of citranges, etc.
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2018, 12:44:41 PM »
If your basement have temperature of less than +10C you do not need lights for overwintering.

I think that is my solution for this winter.
But after that. I want year-round growth on my citrus.  Time is wasting.

SoCal2warm

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Re: Winter care of citranges, etc.
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2018, 08:49:19 PM »
Walt, out where you are (zone 6) your citranges are probably going to need full covering over the Winter season, and even into early Spring.

Going from zone 8 to 7 is a big jump, and going from 7 to 6 is a big jump yet again.

Walt

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Re: Winter care of citranges, etc.
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2018, 12:04:01 PM »
Yes, my citranges have always wintered indoors, or in an unheated leanto greenhouse on the south side of my house.  There they had mild freezes but remained green and presumably growing some.

kumin

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Re: Winter care of citranges, etc.
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2019, 10:11:17 PM »
About 30 years ago, I had a budget solar greenhouse 20' in diameter. The structure was 15 sided 4' per side  The perimeter had foam insulation board 48" deep in the soil. The north wall had 6 - 275 gallon black water tanks set upright. The northern 2/3 of the wall and roof were insulated. The southern 1/3 of the roof/ wall was double wall polyethylene. When the weather warmed up the plastic film and roof insulation were removed.

This structure was used to house citrandarins. I never saw frost inside the greenhouse.