Author Topic: Winter care  (Read 872 times)

Walt

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Winter care
« on: February 15, 2022, 11:26:05 AM »
I'm in the middle of Kansas, in the middle of the lower 48 states.  Usually winters are some days and nights above freezing alternating with days and nights above freezing, and lots of above freezing days and below freezing nights.
Last year was unusual in that the whole winter was unusually warm except about a week in February with unusually cold, below 0 F, day and night. 
That killed a lot of plants that would have been OK if those low temperatures had come on less suddenly.
So this year has been, for here, unusually warm weather/  I have about 300 Ponciris and Citrus x Poniris hybrids under lights.  My lights aren't quite as good as I would like.  So I've been putting the seedlings and parent plants outside on warm days and bringing them inside when freezing temperature are predicted.  So far the plants all look healthy. 
I doubt they are growing as much as they would in a warm room with good light, but they are doing OK.  I  think the short winter nights are reducing their growth. 


Zitrusgaertner

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Re: Winter care
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2022, 02:04:38 PM »
At what temperature do you keep your plants? Citrus does not grow if temperatures are lower than 12°C (53,6°F). If you don't have good light it is better to keep citrus trees cold. Betrween 0° and 5°C (32° - 41°F) I think it is not a good idea to carry the plants around.

Walt

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Re: Winter care
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2022, 07:21:00 PM »
Its a it of work to move them in and out too.
The house is about 120 years old, and not in the best condition.  But paid for,  So it is drafty.  So temperature in the plant room ranges from 70 F down to 40 or maybe a little less.  So there would be little growth in there.
I started building a sunken greenhouse last fall but something more important came up. 
It  will be finished next summer. 

Citradia

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Re: Winter care
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2022, 10:54:02 PM »
The few citrus that I have overwintered in my house have not grown during winter although it is warm indoors and they were in a south window. As they got bigger and pots got heavier I got really aggravated every time I had to cart them in and out of the house spilling dirt and water on my carpeted floor. They go out once a week if possible to get hosed off for spider mites control, etc. So, this winter I decided to take a chance and just stash those not-so-cold-hardy potted varieties outside in a portable greenhouse with a couple of water barrels and two small space heaters inside, and they are doing just fine. Still not growing, but not frost damaged and no spider mites, and no dirt spilled on my floors. So far this warm winter my low has been 13 degrees F. My potted varieties are Santa Teresa lemon, Chandler pomelo, and Lakeland limequat.

tedburn

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Re: Winter care
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2022, 01:42:38 AM »
hello Citradia, when do you harvest your Chandler ? I overwinter mine in an if not to cold unheated greenhouse and they have often temperatures down to 2 ° C. Last year they tasted good between January and March when I harvested them, but they still have been green outside. This year I will try to harvest them later to see if they can get yellow and taste is still better.

Citradia

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Re: Winter care
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2022, 08:44:12 PM »
My Chandler is a new grafted potted whip. Just got it this fall. Hasn’t bloomed or fruited yet.