New “Sugar Bell” citrus greening tolerant cultivar.

[JoeP450]

Received this email today and sharing it for those interested in picking up this new variety and attending the presentation.

If anyone is already familiar please share your thoughts/experience, thanks 🙏
-Joe

[skhan]

I had mine in the ground for a year or two and it's still alive. So that's good. Leaf miners are still a problem though

[nullzero]

I have a 4 year old sugar Belle growing in st lucie. Seems to be unaffected from any greening.

[roblack]

Mine is doing okay. No greening. Definitely got some mining going on.

[Epicatt2]

I got a dwarf 'Sugar Belle' three months ago and it's already bloomng in a three gallon pot and needs to go into the ground soon.  I wanted some citrus that wouldn't be ruined by ACG.

I also recenty released some tiny parasitoid Tamarixia wasps to control the Asian Citrus Psyllid and its nymphs that infest citrus trees and inoculate them with the greening disease.  Since I released these tiny wasps I haven't seen any more psyllids or their nymphs on or around my citrus trees.  (I got these wasps free via an ongoing program at the Division of Plant Industry in Gainesville, FL.)  Here's a link:

https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Pests-and-Diseases/Plant-Pests-and-Diseases/Biological-Control/Asian-Citrus-Psyllid-Biological-Control/Tamarixia-Release-Application

Paul M.
==

[Fygee]

What's the fruit quality like? I've read some marketing hype descriptions, but I'm curious what the real world opinion is.

How vigorously do they grow? Are they also immune from spreading it, or can the psyllids still spread it to other trees despite the tree being tolerant to the infection?

Any places selling the tree that will ship to somewhere other than Florida?

[JoeP450]

Here is some more info I found.. https://sugarbelle.info

-Joe

[Calusa]

I can tell you that the Suger Belle grows fast like a weed. Fastest growing citrus tree I've ever seen. I am about to buy another one to replace the one I ruined when I planted it (long story). That one, when I got it was a tiny twig with only a few leaves. Before I could get it in the ground it had grown half a dozen branches and the foliage was a foot in diameter. 3 weeks time for this.

For those who have them in the ground and not covered with citrus screening to keep out the HLB bug, are you not seeing any sign of greening at all? If so I think I'll keep the new one I plan to buy out in the open. It's much easier to care for, and I won't have to see that unsightly screening poking up out of my yard.

[CowboyFig]

I have a dwarf SB that’s been in ground maybe 2-3 years from Brite Leaf nursery. It’s dwarf so isn’t very vigorous and so far doesn’t seem to be affected by Greening, but of course leaf miners hit it pretty hard in the heat of the summer. I got a few fruit last year and wasn’t impressed, but I would give it a few more years before making a final declaration. My buddy got his first SB fruit and he said it was better than average so he was satisfied.