Citrus > Citrus General Discussion

Best zone 8 hardy citrus

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D-Grower:
Have a bunch of trifoliate orange seedlings that I might be able to graft in the spring. Startinf to think of types of citrus to possibly graft on them. Im in the Florida panhandle in a solid zone 8 environment.  Temps can get as low as 15F every once and awhile but usually don't break the high to mid 20s.  Just wanting to hear recommendations on the best cold hardy citrus out there. Don't care what varieties.  Just want fruit. Kumquats, calamondin, oranges, grapefruit,  what the hell ever. Not picky in the least just want trees I wont need to protect and will set reasonable quantities of fruit. What y'all thinking?

Millet:
Mandarins and satsumas

D-Grower:
I have a brown select satsuma in the yard. Actually gonna get fruit this year for the first time. Wouldnt mind getting other types like Owari or Kimbaugh. Mandarins would be great too. Growing out a few seedlings of a local small tangerine of some sort. Very good but not very large. Hope the seedlings make fruit as good as the parent trees.

Also growing out a calamondin from seed. Had one in my grandmother's backyard as a kid and always loved the sourness. Makes a mean jelly.

What varieties of oranges would anyone recommend?  Growing out some from seed that are local in my area and grow pretty much true to parents.  Several generations of trees on my friend's several properties that his dad transplanted from an island in the Chipola river close to a 80 years ago. My buddy is in his 60s and his dad had done this as a man in his 20s. Been along time. Takes roughly 8 years to fruit but they are very good oranges especially for some variety found growing wild and furthermore the trees on his lands virtually receive zero special care. Produce heavily and have juicy sweet oranges. Also on his land there are Duncan white grapefruit trees. Several generations from seeds all over. Pretty good big juicy fruit albeit seedy. 5 years or so to fruit from seeds on those. Also a few kumquats growing out there. Both the oval more tart ones and also round sweeter ones. So awesome having exclusive rights to pick as many as we can eat while they are in season. However would like them going in my own yard so I dont even have to go anywhere.  That is already in progress.

Any odd ball varieties like citrons or sudachi etc are welcomed suggestions.  I'm sure there's tons of citrus I haven't heard about.  Wouldn't mind rangpor lime or whatever too. Suggest away! Really want to hear of stuff I ain't heard of before. Thats the main reason for the topic.

brian:
I'm not aware of any citrons that are good for fresh eating.  They are more of a garnish or special ingredient.  Rangpur is pretty terrible in my opinion.  I think you are on the right track with mandarins and kumquats

Galatians522:
Wayne Hannah at the University of Georgia came out with several varieties of citrus in 2016 that are suposed to be more cold resistant: Sweet Frost Tangerine, Grand Frost Lemon, and Pink Frost Grapefruit. He claims that they should be able to be grown by home owners anwhere south of Cordele GA.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://research.uga.edu/news/science-you-can-peel/&ved=2ahUKEwiVqNL6oYfyAhUvSzABHcluC-cQFjADegQIDRAC&usg=AOvVaw20FEfHksRy27VB__LPH6LP

Also, since you said you wanted stuff that you had not heard of before, there is a new variety of orange called Sun Dragon that has genes from trifoliate orange. It was bred for HLB resistance, but would surely have added cold tollerence to my way of thinking. Other options might include kumquat hybrids like, orangequat, limequat, sunquat, and yuzuquat. I have not grown any of these but have been tracking the development of the north Florida/south Georgia citrus industry with interest.

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