Author Topic: New citrus for 8b/9a  (Read 4921 times)

Isaac-1

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New citrus for 8b/9a
« on: April 25, 2016, 05:41:38 PM »
I live in west central Louisiana along the 8b/9a zone line, and I am looking to expand my citrus varieties, in fact I have already started.  I have 3 mature Owari Satsuma trees, only  2 are good producers though, in addition I have added a myers lemon (near an electrical service so I can keep it warm with Christmas lights during freezes), along with  3 more early season Satsumas (La Early, St Ann, and Armstrong Early, the Armstrong was the first one planted out of the set)       Most recently I added a Cara Cara Orange which I also suspect will need some protection in the colder months.      Ideally I would like to add something to expand my citrus harvest season into the spring, but I just don't know what to try, Perhaps Tahoe Gold or Shasta Gold, there seems to be some mixed information out there on their cold tolerance though, then of course there is  finding a supplier that will ship to Louisiana.       If anyone has any suggestion I would love to hear them, as it seems most discussion on cold hardy citrus is about pushing the boundaries of edible citrus as far north as possible, not about more moderate varieties in traditional fringe areas like where I live about 100 miles inland from the coast.

thanks Ike

Tom

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2016, 08:27:21 PM »
Edible citrus that is cold hardy through freezing temps seems limited. I think all the Satsumas trees are a little more cold hardy than Meyer but Meyer and Satsuma fruit will be a problem in the freezing temps of winter. If you are willing to protect the fruit during all freezing temps I think Gold Nugget deserves a serious look. I'm seriously thinking about it. The Gold Nugget sounds to me like the best flavored fruit that matures in the spring after hanging on the tree all fall and winter. Tom

Isaac-1

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2016, 09:51:45 PM »
The Owari Satsumas I have are all over 15 years old and have survived down to the upper teens with no added cold protection (power outage before I had a standby generator), although I do try to cover them and provide work lights or christmas lights for heat.  I am not sure if this will be practical much longer as the largest one is about 15 feet tall and about 18 feet wide.  I have however lost a couple of others during similar freezes so there is a bit of a dice roll when they were not protected, most recently during the cold winter we had 2 years ago.

Millet

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2016, 11:57:23 AM »
I agree with Tom about Gold Nugget.  It is a very good tasting fruit.  Generally many of the mandarins and Satsumas taste pretty much the same to me, but Gold Nugget stands out from the pack. - MIllet

mrtexas

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2016, 02:46:42 PM »
I wouldn't recommend gold nugget. It is way late for southern Alabama. It is a March fruit.
I'd go with lee x orlando 15-150. Supposedly it is as cold hardy as satsuma. Fruit is great too
and I have sampled it.

shah8

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2016, 04:56:43 PM »
I'm going to try grafting Xie Shan and 88-2 to my citranges. 6-15-150 is apparently a bit more of a hassle to get, for me.  I will also get us119 and either root or graft to citrange.  I live in Roswell, Ga.

Millet

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2016, 10:07:35 PM »
Xie Shan might be a better choice, as it is among the earliest satsuma to become mature .  Therefore, Xie Shan should be ready to eat before the first frost in most years.   USDA 119 does produce attractive uniform, smooth thin rind orange fruit. Internally has much the appearance of a citrange, fairly attractive but not as much as a regular orange with moderately juicy pulp vesicles.  The fruit has a just somewhat sweet orange flavor, but with an unpleasant, and lingering bitter Trifoliate aftertaste.  It is not as sweet as Morton Citrange and with much less "bite". It is hardy to much of zone 8. - Good luck . Please let us know how everything turns out. - Millet.

shah8

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2016, 11:12:27 PM »
Xie shan was always the obvious choice, if there was only one variety.  However, I'd also like to try other, more ambitious fruits that might ripen by early Nov or Dec w/protection.  I'll eventually try Page, as well, I suspect.

As far as I understand things, Morton is fairly overrated as the "best" citrange.  And actual reviews do not really have it as sweet.  The consistent reviewed to be best citrange is pretty clearly Rusk, and in any event, I definitely like the Troyer/Carrizo I have now, as that it has a very nice sprightly acid navel orange taste.  It has the caustic aftertaste, but no skunkiness, and strongly smells of orange.  It seems pretty obvious to me that the stronger the flavor, the stronger the objectionable bitterness.  I'd rather have the US119's sort of described flavor rather than Morton, which sounds much like an underripe but mature fruit from my tree.  US119 is also something nice to get the neighbors jealous with as that it actually looks mostly like an orange tree.

Why is it that most kumquat hybrids are so uninspiring?  The most useful of them are the lime substitutes in one way or another!

Citradia

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2016, 10:11:45 PM »
My Meiwa kumquat is fabulous! Pop one of those in your mouth and it's like a citrusy gum ball!


Millet

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2016, 10:19:26 PM »
Shah8  to tell you the truth, in my humble opinion, there are no good tasting citrus varieties that have trifoliate in their parentage.  Probably the best one is Thomasville Citrangequat. I had a Thomasville, that grew to about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide, and I eventually even tossed that tree out. - Millet

shah8

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Re: New citrus for 8b/9a
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2016, 12:17:19 AM »
I know...

well...

I just don't think citranges, or at least the one I have are all that inedible, and I'll happily enjoy them, and I certainly think that the bitter aftertaste can even be thought of as appealing (for people who like that sort of thing--it really deepens the taste impression), if you could cut it down to a little bit.  We just compare citranges to real oranges and tangerines and limes, and they can't really do that.  That's why I want some real citruses, but I'd also like an even more edible no-protection-trifoliate heritage tree that looks like a real orange.

As far as Thomasville goes, I get the distinct impression that it's not very interesting to eat.  You also have to be careful to get a good strain as well.  Besides, actual taste of kumquat juice is simply not that interesting.  At least a calamondin has a tangerine aspect to it, but it's a very flat juice compared to, say, Troyer.  I'll take the bitter over what marginal gain of sweeter kumquat taste.  If it wasn't seedy, maybe...