The Tropical Fruit Forum

zone 8
things I want:
sweet and deep, balanced flavored (some tartness), deep orange flesh, zipper peel

ripens OCT-early DEC and hardy (as satsumas go)

Lee x Nova (top contender but might ripen too late?)
Okitsu wase (original choice)
dobashi beni
Shiranui
owari
xie shan
ponkan

Feel free to make a recommendation or give experiences too

some seeds are fine, flavor and ripening are the concerns here

I was looking at a citrus tree called "sugarbelle":
this thing has absurd rights on it copied from the everbrite site below:

"“Sugar Belle® ‘LB8-9’ (U.S. Patent PP21,356) -Propagation prohibited by law. Trees and fruit may not be resold or distributed.”"

I can't even buy this plant and am just window shopping however having a plant I can legally get sued for sharing scions of due to IP isn't appealing even in my fantasy garden world.  This isn't anything new of course (this tree is an old release) but for NEWBIES this is intimidating.

But what if I used the pollen or seeds from this tree to breed something? Is that also patented?

According to Tennessee Extension this is fine so long as there isn't a total resemblance:
"What would happen if I allowed my patented
brambles to go to seed and instead of buying
plants the following year, I plant the seeds from
the previous year?"
"This is NOT considered infringement BUT there is
the risk of claims of infringement if the resulting
plants are similar to the patented parent plants.
So until further notice as long as your plant has distinguishing characteristics from the patent its offspring should be fine and IP free

Patents aren't the only type of IP protection though.  "Utility plants" and "Plant Variety Protection" plants cannot be used sexually. Utility plants are often GMO according to Tennesee extension.

Please tell me if i'm wrong!
I'm not well versed in legalese but for hobbyist breeders and hopefuls like me who find plant patents intimidating I hope this helps. Sugar belle has HLB resistance and fungal resistance that may make it an interesting parent for citrus breeders.
Mineolas mostly arent nucellar and with its clementine heritage maybe it won't breed true either so hopefully clones are less of an issue.

Hi,

this year I acquired 2 citrus trees: a meyer and harvey lemon. They're about 1.5-2 feet tall and in smallish containers.

How do I keep them alive with coming winter, I don't have a green house.

Can plants like these go dormant?  do I cover them with clear plastic?

I have heard of using christmas lights wrapped around them stems for warmth I think.

https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/citrangequat_19_15_7.html

A more attractive tree than either Sinton or Thomasville. Fruit slightly larger than Thomasville, much larger than Sinton; darker orange rind color than Thomasville, not quite as dark as Sinton. As an ornamental, this one would be my choice over Sinton & Thomasville. None of the 3 are really edible but this one is nearest to edible in my opinion.

This is pretty good praise to me given Thomasville is mentioned as one of the best poncirus descendants.

Has anyone had experience with this? How is its flavor and hardiness?
I did a search but didn't see any comments.

its a parent for many famous Japanese cultivars but how's its fruit and hardiness qualities on their own?

Anyone ever bred a cold hardy lemon or close substitute?
What would be some good cultivars for starting a cold hardy lemon - for example hamlin is a hardier orange that also ripens before frost so what would be its lemon equivalent.

UGA has the grand frost lemon, which has an ichang lemon base.

I remember I liked the ichang lemon but from what I remember it it wasn't as sour as a standard lemon. Yuzu just didn't have enough flavor for me. Its been some time since I tried either one directly so let me know if your experience differs.

Looking to get my paws on some Ventura lemandarin seeds 

Hello all!

Basically I'm wondering if kumquat can be used as a rootstock for other citrus types and what problems or benefits could come from that? I can't find a lot of info off google


Froom my limited knowledge poncirus seems to be the go-to for mass compatibility so if compatibility is an issue could PT be can intergraft?
https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucceventura/files/57694.pdf

Does anyone have a source for these in the USA?

I have NO prior experience with grafting.

What would be a low cost way to practice with the skill? Any ideas for plant sources (scions & rootstock) to start with or cheaper ways to get practice in?

 I don't want to break the bank on a nice piece of wood that'd I have no clue how to graft 

Fridge not freezer.
Long story short I have a a ton of seeds - most entirely orthodox / non-recalcitrant seeds and many need stratification.
I think a mini fridge would be a good idea to invest in to store them (basically off this and other things ive read https://empressofdirt.net/seed-storage-options/)

Does storing tropicals in a fridge tend to extend their 'shelf life' or further damage them? Or is it just a toss up between recalcitrant species

Hello all:

Does anyone know what citrus fruit has the most beta-carotene?


I know of the 'berry purple' of anthrocyanins and the lycopene of cara caras but have there been any studies into beta carotenes pigment levels in the genus.


And has anyone ever seen an orange pomelo? All the ones I know of (very few) are 'white' or pink. I came across one in a web search but I'm assuming its an altered photo but if not I'd love to try and breed this as an amateur if possible.