The Tropical Fruit Forum

After a few years of success and some major dieback failure with different kinds of protection for this Owari, relatives settled on this solution last year.  A portable carport from Harbor Freight.  It has four sides, one of which is designed to be opened with zippers.  It covers 10' x 17' and is 9' high.  It goes on sale regularly.  It is big enough to handle two trees.  Fruiting this last season was the best yet, with well over 200 fruit. 

Some light, but not much gets through.  On the defunct Citrus Forum there is a posting of a citrus tree kept several weeks in total darkness without harm.  This carport demonstrates that fact also. It was covered for over two months. It showed no leaf drop or other damage when uncovered last spring.  One side is folded up on most days to keep the temperature down, but closed on cold nights.  The low last year was 10 F, -12 C.  It was kept above those temperatures but not necessarily above freezing with lights.  The frame was left in place all year.

When I made Poncirus marmalade, the water was changed several times to reduce bitterness, and to add more flavor some lime and tangerine skins were thrown in.

Many foods are too strong or bitter to be eaten on their own, cocoa, tea leaves, coffee, many spices, even some lemons and limes, yet when diluted or added to food it makes them edible or adds flavor.   

Poncirus in New England tended to stay green, some all winter.  These were smaller plants, and trees also seem to become more deciduous as they get older.  In the south, some are turning color now, and more will color up later.  I have speculated that the rapid onset of cold in the north keeps them from forming an abscission layer.  At the Arnold Arboretum there are two Poncirus growing next to each other, and as shown in a photograph in the old forum, one tree kept its leaves in the winter, the other did not. 

What time are the Friday tours?

It is good to hear that you have made these crosses successfully.  I crossed Meiwa with Poncirus without fruit set.  Meiwa has hundreds of tiny flowers, almost all of them never set fruit even under normal circumstances. 

I have used neem oil multiple times to control spider mites on citrus including seedlings without ill effects.  Does horticultural oil have continuing control so that it does not need to be reapplied within 6 weeks?

The label for Parafine Horticultural Oil states that:  If second application of oil is necessary, do not apply within six weeks after first oil spray
https://southernag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Parafine-oil.pdf

Triple action Neem oil is most effective when sprayed every 7 to 14 days.
https://southernag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NEEM-BKLT.pdf

Exciting news.  Can't wait to hear the results of your quest. 

Sylvain, Ilya, Snek, and everyone else,
When do Prague fruit ripen? Before freezing weather?

Thanks,
Alan 

Sotchi, not Sori
Two other "Russian" satsumas are available from UCR
Aguzdera and Iveria

Ilya, how cold hardy are those varieties? 

Thanks,
Alan

There are some wild trees in my area.  How many fruit do you need?