All Things Cold Hardy Citrus, news, thoughts and evaluations

[a_Vivaldi]

We’ve still got time for more growth this year, but I’m already pretty happy with the performance of a lot of my second-year plants.

Ichang lemon

This spring after some dieback and defoliation.

Early summer

Now passing three feet tall.

Dunstan citrumelo

At the end of this past winter

June

End of August

I’ve grafted some mature Dunstan to this one, one graft of which took and pushed some decent growth so I’m hoping it’ll bloom next spring and I can get some pollen off of it.

US-802

The pumelo parent on this one sure comes through in terms of growth habit and vigor. Last year I put in a satsuma on a US-802 rootstock. This year, given that this is a fairly unknown trifoliate hybrid as far as fruit and seed are concerned, I decided to let two suckers grow. One I grafted ichang papeda to, the other I let grow.

It grew.

Can I say, waterspout?

I tipped it right at 6 ft to encourage branching.

The four branches were initially well shaped, but have started leaning a lot more than I’d like. Still, 20 in. ain’t bad on something that already shot up 6 ft in one summer. And it’s still just August, so I can expect a bit more growth I think (I really hope I get some more stem thickening, trying to be really hands off with the support and just use the bar minimum to ensure I don’t lose the whole thing to some wind or snow).

The crotch section looked really weak for the first few months, but it’s thickened up a lot since and I think it’ll be alright. Crazy to think that the big ol’ green thing, now the thickest of the plant’s three trunks, didn’t even exist six months ago.

The locals carefully guarding it.

Ichang papeda graft looking happy.

The satsuma probably feels like there’s been an invasion of privacy. Despite that, it’s managed to grow a bit itself and has held onto its first fruit.

[mrsg47]

Not one piece of fruit on my Satsuma this year. Next year I hope. Its such a slow grower!

[Gkight]

My owari had one fruit it’s second year and 8 it’s third and not a one this year. Apparently once they start bearing they can fall into alternate bearing cycles.

[ramv]

Yuzu getting some fruits

[coolmantoole]

I’m attaching a preliminary video evaluation of the Pink Frost Grapefruit developed by the University of Georgia experiment station in Tifton GA and propagated and distributed by a company known as Georgia Grown Citrus. As far as I know Georgia Grown Citrus is the only company authorized to grow this strain. I plan to post a more definitive evaluation for 2024 once some of this season’s crop ripen.

2024 Tentative Pink Frost Grapefruit Evaluation Take 2

[jsteph00921]

What kind of protection do you offer your yuzu and at what temp do you initiate?

[ramv]

It’s a potted tree. I’m moving it under the eaves of the house. And doing nothing else.
Yuzu handled this well with a little bit of dieback.

Sudachi got horribly killed back. But it bounced back in summer.

Based on this, i would not get Sudachi.

[jsteph00921]

Sudachi was in a pot? Because a neighbor and I both have them in the ground in Salem and all three survived last winter fine. Though we covered for that deep freeze in January without any supplemental heat. Maybe being in the pot was a difference?

[ramv]

Yes. In a pot and protected overhead.

[CAvocado]

While I like how my new yuzus and sudachi have grown this year, but I’m a little worried about the new flush they’re pushing.

I hope it hardens off before my first frost.

BTW, I may found a pretty good place for citrus in Napa a few months ago. https://www.vanwindens.com/
They had a little selection of rarer citrus when I visited in july. Large yuzu trees and a pretty good selection of satsumas.

[murky]

Do you know what rootstock that Yuzu is on?

[swincher]

@swincher

The fruitlet sure looks more like trifoliate than satsuma, I’m not sure this is a chimera at all.

The fruit on VI-396 is getting a lot bigger, still looks nowhere near ripe though.

[CAvocado]

I forget, but I think flying dragon. Just don’t quote me on it. Of course those larger trees cost a little more, but they were like $140 if I remember right, so not bad for the size? OGW’s are about $40 for a gallon pot with a tiny plant, so I was kinda disappointed I had already bought all my yuzus from them.

[jsteph00921]

Greetings zone pushers. I’m hoping someone might know what’s going on with one of my meyer lemon trees.

It’s a 3 year old clone, I started by cutting from a nearby tree, so obviously on its own roots. It shares an outdoor raised bed with 2 sudachi and a meiwa kumquat, all of which are grafted on flying dragon rootstock.

Of course, these trees all share the same soil, fertilizer application and pest spraying schedule. They also have the same environmental exposure, growing against a south and east facing wall that partially encloses a concrete paver patio. The meiwa and sudachi closest to the east facing wall get slightly less sun than the meyer, but other than that all these trees have the same environmental conditions.

After having zero problems all this season, for the first time, a few weeks ago I noticed these yellow spots appear on a couple hundred of the meyer’s leaves. They are mainly on the east side of the tree, and not on the newer growth from the fall flush. There are a few on the west side of the tree, but only a few leaves near the top.

The undersides of the affected leaves have some raised bumps, but it’s possible these are the perimeter of the stomas. Perhaps the yellow areas are making these more prominent, and they have no association with the problem whatsoever.

I fertilize these trees better than any other I have in the entire orchard. Plus I apply ferti-lome chelated iron as a preventive measure twice each season, since citrus are prone to nutrient deficiency.

Also, it’s worth noting, none of my other meyers have anything like this. For that matter, none of the other dozen citrus tree do either. But since the other unaffected meyers are clones from the same tree, I thought it was worth mentioning.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Have a nice Sunday!

[ramv]

I doubt those large trees are on flying dragon. It is not economical to grow such large trees on a dwarfing rootstock.

[swincher]

My guess would be Carrizo, assuming it’s compatible. That is what most of the standard citrus seem to be on.

[CAvocado]

My cold hardy citrus has finally begun! Both my kumquat and satsuma from Van Winden’s have ripe fruit. Today I called my dad and had him try the Fukushu Kumquat, although he wasn’t very descriptive, on camera he happy sucked it down. He didn’t send me the best photo, but it had 1 seed, here’s uncut the fruit.

Personally, in my limited experience with actual varieties, it’s the largest kumquat I’ve seen. There are many fruit at varying stages on the tree, but a few others are nearly just as ripe. I readily await trying them when he bring a few over for Thanksgiving.

The satsuma is either a Miho or Okitsu Wase, I’ve lost the tag to which. The fruit appear ripe, but like the kumquat, it already had fruit on it at the time of purchase so I’m uncertain whether this will represent future ripening times. They apparently feel ripe too, so I’m also trying a few of them for Thanksgiving. The tiny little tree is absolutely loaded.

Interestingly, all my citrus refuses to stop growing even with cool weather.

This is my Owari satsuma from Costco, but my yuzus on flying dragon are no different.

Deer also broke into the garden, and “pruned” many things, but for citrus they only nibbled the top off one new flush on a yuzu.

[a_Vivaldi]

Never thought I’d see deer browsing citrus, but dang they’ve stripped the leaves off both my US-1526 plants. Didn’t touch anything else which is odd too.

[Gkight]

You have got to get a dog haha
TGD (Tree guardian dog)

I joke but it may actually be the most economical choice, put in an invisible fence on the property and let them do their job.

[jsteph00921]

I’m experiencing the same thing in terms of growth during the cold. I’m here in the central Willamette Valley of Oregon and we’ve been experiencing

lows in the 30’s and highs in the 40’s since the end of October. There have been a smattering of days with highs in the 50’s, but not very many. In spite of all these chilly days, and over 13 inches of rain since October 1, the outdoor citrus just keeps on pushing growth. In particular the Meyer lemon is determined to grow. I’m really blown away. We haven’t had a freeze yet, so I don’t know what factor that plays. Perhaps once it drops below freezing the plant will remember it’s supposed to take a nap until February. They are also still blooming! Are yours doing that?