Author Topic: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.  (Read 7518 times)

Ilya11

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #25 on: January 01, 2019, 08:49:53 AM »
  I found some extra info about keraji hardiness. People claimed that it could withstand a freezing cold down to 12F which is not reliable in zone 7b/8a in GA. The southest part of the US is not that cold but pretty much a horible zone for its unstable winter temprature. in 1985, on the Jan-21st, it was recorded at -8F. And the record low for GA according to Wiki was -29F. No one can predict an upcoming dead winter.

  I have always been wishing an opportunity to move away from Atlanta. I used to live in Sanjose, LA in CA and Bradenton in FL. Only 3 states so far, the Atlanta seemed to be the worst.
Thomasville will be severely damaged after 2-3 nights at 12F without daytime defreeze. -8F will certainly kill it.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 08:52:05 AM by Ilya11 »
Best regards,
                       Ilya

lavender87

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #26 on: January 01, 2019, 01:23:46 PM »
Ilya, thank you very much for your info which was like a pointy knife poked into my heart, killing my last hope.

Stanley Mckenzie claimed that his citrangequat has been through a night of 8F with no injury. Wiki also claimed that it could withstand 0F if old enough. I will try to graft citrangequat to Flying Dragon rootstock just to increase its cold hardiness.

My neighbor has 2 old flying dragon trees with a lot of strong fragrant fruits but fruits were  sour and some were even bitter, and the tree was so thorny that I was afraid to get my hands too close. I was so excited when heard of citrangequat, but finally it might be another junk? LOL.

Citradia

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #27 on: January 01, 2019, 07:46:55 PM »




These are pics of Thomasville citrangequat in Savanna, GA. Very healthy and tall tree. I’ll try to find a picI took of one in Anniston, AL which is due west of Atlanta, GA.

Citradia

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #28 on: January 01, 2019, 08:27:52 PM »
Sorry, can’t find pic of Anniston citrangequat. It got deleted fro my photos. But, anyway, the one in Anniston looked like it had been through the war; tall and not well branched, scraggly with a few fruit on it, alive but not impressive ornamentally. If someone in Atlanta wants a citrus nicer than trifoliata, maybe try Dunstan or Swingle citrumelo. I saw some at the arboretum in Raleigh, NC this fall, and they were beautiful with lovely fruit. I do have pics of them:






lavender87

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #29 on: January 01, 2019, 09:28:24 PM »
I guess the US goverment has stop funding research institutions long ago  to continue improving the cold hardy citrus. I think the main reason was to discourage the spreading of citrus species in more cold hardy zone areas.

The US government was trying to reserve the balance of natural environment. That might explain why most of best taste cold hardy citrus species came from Europe. And as I remember there were laws that ban the  transportation of certain tropical trees from  Florida to Georgia as well, so there should be no hope to rely on the US official research institutions to create a better taste  and more cold hardy citrus species which could survive in colder zones.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 09:40:23 PM by lavender87 »

Ilya11

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #30 on: January 02, 2019, 04:35:32 AM »

Stanley Mckenzie claimed that his citrangequat has been through a night of 8F with no injury. Wiki also claimed that it could withstand 0F if old enough. I will try to graft citrangequat to Flying Dragon rootstock just to increase its cold hardiness.
Lavender87,
There is a lot of difference when a large mature plant experience one hour drop to such temperatures, accompanied  with day time defrost and more moderate cold that is kept during several nights with frozen soil that is quite common for zone 7 climates.
Also, Thomasville is very robust and strongly growing plant. I have one on its own roots that experienced one night drop to -16C (3F), was completely destroyed, but managed to sprout from the roots.
Fortunately next winter was extremely mild and in two seasons it restored its trunk.

Among hardy citruses available in US Morton citrange is more robust than Thomsville and when fully ripe approach  acid orange in taste.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Ilya11

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #31 on: January 02, 2019, 04:50:24 AM »
I guess the US goverment has stop funding research institutions long ago  to continue improving the cold hardy citrus. I think the main reason was to discourage the spreading of citrus species in more cold hardy zone areas.
That is also true for Europe, citrus industry is not interested in increasing  citrus belt to the North.
Most of the progress is achieved  by  citrus enthusiasts.
Also, the big difference between Europe and USA is a common practice here to grow citruses for decorative purposes and some interest from nurseries  that sell plants produced  in Italy and Portugal to the Northern Europe.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

lavender87

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #32 on: January 03, 2019, 02:35:29 PM »
Thank Ilya11 for the info

Citradia

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #33 on: January 04, 2019, 07:29:58 PM »
My thomasville and citradia and dunstan survived last winter unprotected but mortan, rusk, nansho dai dai, Ichang lemon all died unprotected.

911311

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #34 on: January 05, 2019, 09:41:00 AM »
My thomasville and citradia and dunstan survived last winter unprotected but mortan, rusk, nansho dai dai, Ichang lemon all died unprotected.

 how old was your Thomasville? Did it get any injury?

Citradia

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #35 on: January 05, 2019, 10:13:37 PM »
My Thomasville is one of my oldest citrus trees, planted 6 or seven years ago. It has reached 10 feet tall once and I’ve tried different methods of passive protection to help it and other poncirus hybrids survive winters. It has lost wood and height by half and twice has died down to the ground but has come back from the roots. Although it it currently two feet tall, alongside a citradia, it has outlasted every other “hardy “ citrus I’ve tried to grow outside here without enclosing it in a plastic tent with a space heater. I’ve replaced Swingle, Dunstan, citradia, rusk, mortan, nansho dai dai, many Ichang lemons, Changsha, twice and all have died completely, but this one Thomasville keeps coming back. Last winter I finally took down the high tunnel I had built over my line of citranges/hybrids and just let the few I had left succumbe to winter; all died but the Thomasville and my last citradia came back from the roots. I’m now foolishly protecting them like I do my fruiting grafted satsumas with small space heaters on thermo cubes under plastic domes when freezing temps arrive. I know now they will never get tall enough to bloom unless I build a 15-20 ft tall frame around them, but I respect their resilience and want to preserve the citradia since I can’t obtain another specimen from anywhere. Woodlanders no longer carries them.

Millet

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #36 on: January 05, 2019, 10:19:57 PM »
I don't believe you are foolishly protecting them.  Its your hobby, and a man needs a good hobby.  The best to you and your trees.

911311

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #37 on: January 05, 2019, 10:49:51 PM »
My Thomasville is one of my oldest citrus trees, planted 6 or seven years ago. It has reached 10 feet tall once and I’ve tried different methods of passive protection to help it and other poncirus hybrids survive winters. It has lost wood and height by half and twice has died down to the ground but has come back from the roots. Although it it currently two feet tall, alongside a citradia, it has outlasted every other “hardy “ citrus I’ve tried to grow outside here without enclosing it in a plastic tent with a space heater. I’ve replaced Swingle, Dunstan, citradia, rusk, mortan, nansho dai dai, many Ichang lemons, Changsha, twice and all have died completely, but this one Thomasville keeps coming back. Last winter I finally took down the high tunnel I had built over my line of citranges/hybrids and just let the few I had left succumbe to winter; all died but the Thomasville and my last citradia came back from the roots. I’m now foolishly protecting them like I do my fruiting grafted satsumas with small space heaters on thermo cubes under plastic domes when freezing temps arrive. I know now they will never get tall enough to bloom unless I build a 15-20 ft tall frame around them, but I respect their resilience and want to preserve the citradia since I can’t obtain another specimen from anywhere. Woodlanders no longer carries them.

 Oh, that was sad to be in zone 6b. I admired your great passion on citrus. Do you have any plan to move southward to another state like Florida...?

Citradia

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #38 on: January 05, 2019, 10:51:06 PM »
Thanks, Millet. I am after all a “citruholic”! I’ve made some excellent satsuma marmalade this winter for the first time!  I’ve found those two satsuma trees I have and protect to the gills produce so much fruit every year, I really don’t need more trees than that, but It’s hard for me to let the other unproductive “from-seed” trees freeze to death. I feel sorry for them.

Citradia

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Re: Thomasville citrangequat at arboretum UGA, Athens, GA. 11/15/18.
« Reply #39 on: January 05, 2019, 11:00:12 PM »
911311, I was born and raised in Manatee county, FL, surrounded by citrus that grew like weeds without a bit of care. I moved to NC to grow something different like apples, peaches, pears, apricot, cherries, plums, crabapple, Rowan, raspberries, blueberries, paw paw, nearly all of which I was told growing up I couldn’t grow in FL because “it doesn’t get cold enough.”  I figured I’d have to give up citrus when I moved to the mountains. Then I discovered a poncirus trifoliata at the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, and then found McKenzie Farms, SC online, and the rest is cold-hardy citrus history.