The Tropical Fruit Forum

Don't you bank your trees with dirt for freeze protection?

I had soil banked in previous years but felt that the trees were big enough that I didn't need to and I was not counting on lows of 18, an ice storm and sub freezing temperatures for nearly 46 hours. That was an unusual extreme combination that probably will never happen again. this year I was expecting a low of 23 but it dipped to 19. If I had used my spray I would not have lost any trees. As it is this year I think I'm only going to have one tree completely killed. I'll probably use this opportunity to cull a few trees and add some newer varieties. I'm looking at Tango, EV1 and Sugar Belle.

Tom was right I had a heart attack in May 2014 followed by a quadruple bypass. I finally retired from law enforcement July 14th, 2017 but I still maintain a reserve status and work about twenty hours a week. Maybe later this year I'll give it all up.

Hi Millet I hope to attend this years expo. Do we know where it will be? I hope ill be able to participate some now.

A bit of Bad News. HLB has arrived near me. There are five confirmed cases within 80 miles and one within 20 miles.

So far in my Pensacola plantings with trees planted in 2012 I rank them Kimbrough then Owari. I have Ponkon, Xie Shan and Shiranui that I have not harvested good fruit off of yet.

Best overall citrus was Hamlin followed closely by Orlando. I lost Hamlin and Orlando in 2014, replanted and lost them again in 2017. May replace with Tango and/or Sugarbelle. Had Cara Cara and liked it but it too was lost in 2014. I have a small replacement growing now.

I have a Parson Brown orange that is ok for juicing.

On February 27th, 2018 I attended the Panhandle Satsuma Workshop. Pete Anderson professor UF was there and stated Sugar Belle is HLB resistant. It was the only Satsuma mentioned as HLB resistant. The use of Imidacloprid drenches will PREVENT young trees from being infected.

And I just got rid of my last Mandarin. Oh well probably couldn't find a Sharpee anyway. There never around when you need them.

Too much N has been suggested but I don't believe I did that. To explain, my citrus rows have a Geneva Double Curtain muscadine trellis running the length of the rows between the citrus rows. I fertilize each according to recommendations. I'm careful to fertilize within the dripline and careful about not overlapping. Having said that as far as I know muscadine nor citrus roots probably don't care about driplines. Maybe I do need to cut back. Overwatering has also been suggested. Mother Nature doesn't read the suggested watering guides for my orchard plants. She gave me 91.3 inches last year clearly more than I needed. I'll start with the soil sample and see what I have in the ground and go from there.

I, with my three years of experience, have never mulched within three feet of the trunk. I have often considered doing this as it makes my maintenance harder having to remove weeds that grow in the mulch free zone. After this year the canopy on my larger trees probably would have shaded any weeds out but this winter I lost about half of those trees from Winter kill so I'm starting over.

One reason for not having the mulch was that the sun will heat the ground so that it is released at night and helps to protect the tree against cold temperatures. I belived the commercial citrus industry sprays herbicides to keep that area weed free. The primary reason I believe is to create an inhospitable area for fungus and rot to occur.

Well I finally caught three of the little bast err borers and after a lengthy web search I am 100% sure that I have no clue and I'd probably need a microscope and a college degree to figure it out. Seems the two borers are indistinguishable to me. I have requested from a local expert in these matters but have not heard back from them.

This is a quote from a Florida respected plant vendor, " Plus if you want a more upright tree, the Xie Shan doesn't weep like most Japanese satsuma varieties".

My trees (4) is the most prostrate citrus I have and is nowhere near upright. How does your Xie shan grow.

Good to know. I found it tasty and will go in-ground this year!

Hungary!!!

You are a brave soul!

Pictures are nice. Congratulations.

Those with sprouts at the bottom of the trunk could be a hardier rootstock waking up.

I have checked them and while the rootstock has shot out several sprouts I always rub them out before they get going. The sprouts I wrote about are all above the graft.

Baring something unforeseen I will definitely be at the 2014 Citrus Expo and will be looking forward to seeing everyone.

Hi Joeb,

Why are you certain it is Ambrosia. There are many boring beetles. The ambrosias tell is the long line of frass they leave as they bore INTO the trunk. I do not have that. I have a small pile of frass such as one would leave when boring OUT of a tree. The Pin head beetle does this. I hope I am right. I have not found any beetles yet. I am considering the solution you described to be on the safe side. however I have hundreds of holes to deal with and I would need a twelve foot ladder to reach many of them.

My current plans include twenty ounces of Imidacloprid, Spinosad, permethrin and Summer oil. I will not see any fruit from this tree for two years and it will not bloom this year so I believe all will be safe.