The Tropical Fruit Forum

Zone 6b/7a  Temps this winter....a brutal winter.  Night temps for 5 days got down below 10 degrees each night.  The lowest down to zero F.  The day time temps did not get above 25.  I used christmas lights, 1 incandescent 50 W bulb, styrofoam and plastic...Tavares Limequat,  Swingle Citrumelo and a Owari Satsuma

A observation of the cold temps and my citrus trees.  The temps have moderated back to normal...40 degrees F in the daytime and 27 degrees F. at night.  In examining my trees (Owari Satsuma, Swingle Citrumelo, Tavares Limequat and Xi Chan) the Tavares has absolutely no damage whatsoever....next would be the Owari....slight leaf wilt on the top leaves....The Swingle Citrumelo has major leaf curl and the Xie Chang has moderate leaf wilt  Time will tell how they are really doing.....I am using Christmas lights, styrofoam and plastic....

I am in zone 6B/7A and I have the following trees.  Owari Satsuma, Tavares Limequat, Swingle Citrumelo, Xie Shan, Arbequina Olive and a Chicago Hardy Fig.  We have had some very cold temps the last 2 weeks.  Lows down to 8 degrees F. and highs that have not gotten over 30 degrees F. I have my citrus protected by Styrofoam, christmas lights, and plastic covering...dried leaves surrounding them around the outside.  The Owari Satsuma seems to be doing the best. I have had them covered in total darkness except for the Christmas lights inside for a week at a time and opening it up to sunlight for a few hours on the weekend.  I am amazed at how well they are doing overall.  Time will tell however when spring arrives.  The Satsuma leaves are the largest and almost appear to be rather waxy.  The Citrumelo looks the worst.....

Anyone growing Medjool Dates in ground in zone 7a?  If so how winter hardy are they?

Mike Adams

I have seen a youtube video of a man with over 200 varieties of apples on one tree.  I love to graft my apple trees but have never tried citrus.  Does anyone graft different varieties of citrus on one tree?

Mike Adams

3 in ground trees...Owari Satsuma, Swingle Citrumelo, and Taveres Limequat.....Temps in January.....10 days of mid twenties for high and lower teens for the low.  I used Christmas Lights, styrofoam and plastic. Today April 13....All showing new growth.  The two small plants in the front were pots that are in ground that also overwintered...They are grapefruits that I started from seed.  No winter burn at all.  I also have a Xie Shan and an Arbiguina Olive in another spot that did well. 

Zone 7a/6b  my 2 year old owari satsuma in ground in South Central Pa.  Took the plastic and styrofaom off the plant.  I left the Christmas lights on.  January saw 10 days of highs in the low 20's and lows in the low teens. 

I am in zone 7a and planted last spring 3 cold hardy citrus and an Arbiquina olive outside.  I have been preparing for a cold blast like this for at least a month.  It will be interesting to see if my plan works.  I am using Christmas lights, styrofoam, frost blankets, plastic, and straw....Time will tell. Temps are supposed to dip down to the single digits....mid week.  The cold is supposed to last at least a week...

Mike Adams

I picked my one and only Owari Satsuma today....Now the fun begins to see if I have it ready for the winter.

Mike A

Of these three which one do you think is the most cold hardy...Lila, Joey or Fantastic avacados?

Thank you.
Mike Adams

I am in zone 7 trying to grow several varieties of hardy citrus outdoors.  I have the owari satsuma, swingle citrumelo, Taveres limequat and the Xie Chan.  In order to get fruit to ripen before it gets extremely cold what time in the spring do they need to start flowering and what low temp do I need to maintain in order to get them to  flower to ripen roughly on schedule in the fall?  I overwintered a ponderosa lemon outside last winter.  I understand how to get a citrus to survive 2 degrees F. last year.

Has anyone tried insulating their citrus trees trunks with swimming pool noodles? Last year in zone 7a it got down to 2 degrees F.

Mike A.

If I have an Owari Satsuma outside when does it have to bloom in order to have ripe fruit by Thanksgiving?  What temp does it need to produce flowers and bloom?

Mike Adams