The Tropical Fruit Forum

Some were from Fourwinds so I assume Cuban Shaddock.  Others are on unknown rootstock, I bought them from Hope Depot or Lowes.  They are clearly grafted, though.

After agressively bare-rooting some purchased trees a year ago many took 5 months or more to put out new growth.  Once they did it has been huge flushes ever since.  I no longer worry when trees haven't shown growth in a while so long as there are no signs of decline.

I forgot Page is a tangelo.  Mine is blooming right now.  I briefly looked around online for a retail spray containing gibberellic acid but I can't find anything, only powder form and expensive bulk sprays.  Millet mentioned that some tomato bloom products contain this but I can't seem to find any or they aren't listing GA3 as an ingredient.  Anybody have any ideas?

I have enough bees around that I expect it will be pollinated anyway but some of my trees end up blooming in the greenhouse and so won't have this option.

80F for flower buds to form or for green fruit to ripen?

If the former it explains why mine didn't bloom until nearly July.

They are all painted white on one side to keep the afternoon heat out.  I think Millet mentioned this a ways back and it definitely helps.

The orangequat is blooming now so there's a good chance I will get to see what the fruit tastes like this winter.

My container citrus trees are in very low maintenance mode right now - there is osmocote plus in all containers and they get a mix of rainwater and long sprinkler watering.  Aside from occasionally killing ant infestations I don't really have to touch them.   I remember hearing about June Drop from the other forum as something that was an avoidable problem this time of year.  Is it just a matter of keeping the trees from drying out?  Anything in particular to watch out for?  My oranges have already set fruit, the kumquats are blooming, and the lemons/limes are ... both. 

I had heard that letting plants sway in the wind builds strong trunks so I always stake just long enough for the roots to establish and then I remove the stakes. 

I didn't know about the lower leaves being important, though.  I generally pinch off any growth low on the trunk for my taller tree-form plants.  This is mostly because I have a mix of tree and bush-form trees and I can cram more of them in a row if the canopies are staggered high/low.  Adjacent root pruning pots sort of lock together when touching so it keeps the wind from blowing individual trees over.   I guess the question is:  if you know a branch will be heavily shaded is it better to pinch it off entirely or let it survive?

The only kumquats I've ever seen for sale were Nagamis.  They are very sour and sort of astringent but I love them.  Nobody else I've offered them to seem to like them.  I don't have any true Nagami trees but I have Nordman Seedless which tastes about the same.

That's really cool... is this for fun or profit??

Yes, I got a whole roll of the stuff and repotted everything in them.  They really do seem to make a noticeable difference.

plantlover, Fukushu fruit seems to be somewhat more sour and juicy, and meiwas more pulpy and sweet.  I prefer fukushu so far but I've only had one crop of each.

I still get ants in peat/cedar mixture, it doesn't seem to bother them.