The Tropical Fruit Forum

Uf did research on this. Finger lime root stock conveys a decent amount of hlb tolerance but not 100%. Other tolerant root stocks like sour orange etc. dont seem to add much tolerance. For some reason they grafted one tree onto australian lime and a normal root stock for maximum benefit one tree two root stocks.

Once you cut a branch from a tree that blooms it will bloom even if its a tiny stick. Grapefruit tend to produce really good fruit from seed but the trees are so tall its hard to reach them. Grapefruit seem to be the tallest from seed I guess pommelo is similar I’m not familiar with them. Most oranges from seed arent too big maybe 12’-15’ though they usually have large thorns from seed grapefruit are not thorny. Grapefruit originally were used for shade trees more than for fruit. But citrus are all usually grafted on the same root stock so grow the same height unless from seed. Id say grapefruit is more like 15-20’ from seed compared to oranges though some are close to orange size. A typical grafted tree is usually only 10’ or 12’ maybe 15’ at the very biggest but they grow more bushy. From seed they just grow straight up.

Cant be any worse than all the insecticides they use commercially but I wouldnt want it for a backyard tree. I would like a fingerlime crossed with a tangelo or something. Maybe an f2 or f3 of good quality that I can grow in a large pot.

If small new fruit cant handle frost. Mature fruit usually ok in light frost might take damage.

I just ate a honeybell of the tree. They are the exact same size and shape, similar flavor, similar sweetness. Sugarbell has more seeds and skin doesnt peel as easy but they seem like brother and sister probably from the same cross. Both were juicy. I have them side by side they are practically the same. Theres even a slight grapefruit flavor and bell shape on the nobles that arent found in true tangerines. I think all of them are more tart less sweet this year just a bad year but I am cutting back sugar anyway Ill eat a pure grapefruit doesnt bother me.

Well its not native. A racoon had to have picked something out of the trash and planted it there. Mangos come up all the time from seed here when someone throws it down. They grow easily in Florida as long as it doesnt freeze. So I thought if its doing well on its own I should grow another. I put some good dirt around the base. Seems to be doing good after brackish water surged last two hurricanes.

The small tree we have theres only a few seeds. They arent all the way ripe yet maybe yours were picked too early. They are usually sweet.

I think sugar bell x sour orange might yield something decent. This love affair with poncirus it tastes nasty.

It's a cross between honeybell and a tangerine and that's what the fruit is like. Similar to honey bell but more tangerine flavor than honeybell and smaller fruit kind of half way between a honeybell and small tangerine in fruit size. It's slightly sweeter than honeybell due to more tangerine influence. So the fruit is pretty good if you like honeybell and I consider honeybell to be one of the best citrus. Taste is closer to honeybell than it is tangerine I would say. The tree itself is very vigorous and produces well. The fruit on the trees this year taste nasty after the salt water storm surge.

Does anyone have any luck rooting citrus cuttings? I give up but Id like something other than lemons or limes preferably hlb tolerant variety rooted. I need cuttings because they stay small I can grow it in a pot.

Usually hybrids have a small number of seeds not always though. Like grapefruit and mandarin are full of seeds but a hybrid tangelo you only get a few because it’s somewhat incompatible with itself or other citrus. Pure seedless is rare in citrus I don’t know how it’s done.

I had a Meyer lemon in a pot for years. Once it gets big and it shouldn’t take long it will dry out in about a day outside in the summer. As such I would not use the citrus cactus soil other than mixing in a little. I wouldn’t put gravel on the bottom and I’d mulch the top which is what I did. Normally all this would be a no no for citrus but being that it’s a large plant in a pot it dries out super fast so you don’t have to worry about drainage your concern is actually getting too dry. But on the good side it would get bone dry for several days and not bother the plant. But it needs the leaves hosed down or rain to avoid pests and stay healthy. I had lemons in Ohio on mine. I would let it get bone dry when I needed to move it and it would weigh like 1/8 of what it weighs wet. Wet it’s too heavy to move. I just had it outside when temps were above freezing then moved it indoors during winter. If it’s 35 or 40 degrees doesn’t bother it though. Inside in the winter it doesn’t need much water you risk it getting soggy. Outside in hot weather I had to hose it down every day almost. It was about six feet tall maximum but stays smaller in smaller pots but didn’t get lemons. But I had a rooted cutting which is best. It was more of a bush than a tree very wide. Had thorns and was huge so difficult to move. Indoors I used a grow light but it did better outside I tried to keep it outside as much as possible. It blooms year round but mostly in spring. It gets lots of baby lemons but most fall off you don’t have to pick them but even with them falling off it helps to pick some here and there and just keep a few lemons for it to put energy into. Flowers smell amazing on it.