The Tropical Fruit Forum

They are all painted white on one side to keep the afternoon heat out.  I think Millet mentioned this a ways back and it definitely helps.

The orangequat is blooming now so there's a good chance I will get to see what the fruit tastes like this winter.

My container citrus trees are in very low maintenance mode right now - there is osmocote plus in all containers and they get a mix of rainwater and long sprinkler watering.  Aside from occasionally killing ant infestations I don't really have to touch them.   I remember hearing about June Drop from the other forum as something that was an avoidable problem this time of year.  Is it just a matter of keeping the trees from drying out?  Anything in particular to watch out for?  My oranges have already set fruit, the kumquats are blooming, and the lemons/limes are ... both. 

I had heard that letting plants sway in the wind builds strong trunks so I always stake just long enough for the roots to establish and then I remove the stakes. 

I didn't know about the lower leaves being important, though.  I generally pinch off any growth low on the trunk for my taller tree-form plants.  This is mostly because I have a mix of tree and bush-form trees and I can cram more of them in a row if the canopies are staggered high/low.  Adjacent root pruning pots sort of lock together when touching so it keeps the wind from blowing individual trees over.   I guess the question is:  if you know a branch will be heavily shaded is it better to pinch it off entirely or let it survive?

The only kumquats I've ever seen for sale were Nagamis.  They are very sour and sort of astringent but I love them.  Nobody else I've offered them to seem to like them.  I don't have any true Nagami trees but I have Nordman Seedless which tastes about the same.

That's really cool... is this for fun or profit??

Yes, I got a whole roll of the stuff and repotted everything in them.  They really do seem to make a noticeable difference.

plantlover, Fukushu fruit seems to be somewhat more sour and juicy, and meiwas more pulpy and sweet.  I prefer fukushu so far but I've only had one crop of each.

I still get ants in peat/cedar mixture, it doesn't seem to bother them. 

OVer the winter I watched my Eustis Limequat steadily decline.  When it start losing most of its leaves I pulled it out of the pot and realized the roots were all rotted, likely due to poor location of drainage holes in the container.  I repotted it and treated it with AgriFos and watched every leaf fall off and every branch die over the spring.  It just sprouted some new growth above the graft line.  Hopefully it will make a full recovery.

I quit drinking orange juice when I realized I could eat something like four oranges for the same calorie intake, and the oranges taste much better and are more filling.  The flavor pack thing is just dishonest, too.  I don't think there is anything evil about using them, but the "fresh squeezed" marketing should not be allowed by FTC.

I never understood the anti-GMO movement.  This kind of thing is modern tech at its finest.

I still don't see Xie Shan on the site... I'll have to call back again

You got a Xie Shan from Harris?  When I called them last month they told me they wouldn't be ready for sale until July/August.