The Tropical Fruit Forum

Yes I also had some inground citrus which died after winter ,
where I think due to problematic rootstock - one poncirus rootstock
with grafted HRS899a died in first winter around graft unit.
Other Poncirus with Keraji on it got phytophora, had to cure and
cut half of the plant and now 3 years later wonderfull plant with
lots of fruits and looks pretty and healthy.
So I agree, that lots of (winter) dying plants are often not due
to cold hardiness but problems before, combined with winter stress.
Good luck and lets keep on trying and fighting for our inground citrus in
the hardier zones  .

Sorry to hear that of your Morton.
I made the experience that rootstock Flying dragon and very late morning sun
in winter and spring is a good thing and helps the plants a lot.
How cold did you get ? 

After still a few days with night freezes to -6° C,
now the forecast for the following weeks
is spring, without night freezes and daytime temps
> 15° C.
So time to free the citrus (from winter fleece),
and as posted before  no damage for the inground
Citrus. Seems good start in the Citrus season.

Left multigraft on Flying dragon, in the middle Ichangquat 245 and Ichangstar right



From left to right - Keraji, Nippon Orangequat, Thomasville (left of fig trunk), Bigraft Bloomsweet/Staraji55
and Orange Slava Micurina

Tonight last day of February freeze.
So winter 24/25 seems over with cruel temperatures.
Still some freeze days and night temperatures down to -8 °C didn' t
hurt anymore. So this winter no damage at all at my citrus
in ground, very happy  .

Ichangquat 245, autumn flowers not frozen


Multigraft on flying dragon


Not protected grafts of IPPTS (Ichang Papeda x Poncirus x Satsuma) left, only litle bit chlorotic and citrumelo Trifolis right side

Just a short update to the German winter 2024/2025.
Up to now it was relative mild with some freeze days with
deepest temps down to - 10 ° C. No problem even to my
unprotected citrus. Two of the unprotected see pictures below.
Now only hoping that February brings no negative surprise anymore.
 
3 year old seedling, Ichangensis SRA 241


Morton Citrange/ Fa5 since 2020 in ground, slow growing

Hi Nick and Wahl,
quite challenging your temps, hope your freeze will soon end.
I had such challenging temps in winter 2020/2022.
Hope your plants will make it.
This winter in Germany up to now still good manageable
with not so much freeze days in a row and
a lowest temp of 14 ° F, but I always still fear february.
In every case Mai will show us how good our plants
will have passed this winter.

Nice surprise,
among my Flying dragon seedlings from fruits of a citrus friend
seems at least one hybrid, due to very different leave shape.

Christmas greetings with the final picture of my
first fruiting inground Keraji.
The fruits are now nice yellow and good balanced sweet /sour.
More unripe there is for my opinion a slight skunky taste in the rind,
not in the fruit. More and more ripe also the skunky taste in the rind gets
lost. Last only a bit bothering are the amount of seeds , 1-3 per fruit segment.
So final conclusion, Keraji is one of the best citrus for
colder climates in ground.

Thanks for the explanation. So think this also prooves
that Keraji is due to high frosthardiness and good fruittaste
one of the best citrus varieties in ground for colder
Climates - even the early ripening time of the fruit in
addition.

Hello quinoah,
my Keraji is since 3 years in open ground.
Last two winters wrapped with two layers of winter fleece, passive
protection. Coldest was in this period -13°C in garden, Keraji near house and under
fleece surely a little bit higher/warmer.

Thank you very much Till for your report,
until the late ripening all sounds pretty good.
Best regards
Frank

The Nippon Orangequat and Keraji on Sanford Curafora  motherplant give nice colours.
Interesting is the behaviour of the fruits.
Sanford sheds its own fruits while not fully coloured and ripe,
only 1 of about 10 fruits is kept.
Nippon and Keraji fruits beeing kept by Sanford motherplant
and ongoing ripening.
Very surprisingly Nippon Orangequat is fully ripe by end of November,
Keraji still can collect sweetness.

https://ibb.co/7bfXwyX
https://ibb.co/Q8XK5gW

I have a HRS899a, but only last year a few flowers for the first time, but no fruits, this year
no flowers 🤷‍♂️ .
Hope for next year.