The population of 20,000 seedlings becomes less impressive upon realizing the genetic phenomenon frequently seen in Citrus reproduction. Depending upon cultivar, 0 to 100% of the seedlings will be genetically identical clones to the parent tree. C-35 has 85% of it’s seedlings being clones to itself. This simply means that only 3,000 of the seedlings exhibited genetically variable seedlings. These seedlings were then exposed to repeated cold temperatures, the lowest being -12°F. This eliminated the more tender plants leaving only the hardiest, which were subsequently further propagated and are currently undergoing a second trial.
A part of the current trial is to evaluate fruit characteristics as they begin flowering/fruiting.
I’ve crossed one of the survivors with Meyer Lemon and hope to evaluate the seedlings in the next few years.
That does make it harder to use as breeding stock than avocados (which have 100% zygotic seeds), but it’s still an impressive feat to have planted so many trees, even if the reason makes sense. I look forward to updates on your project, either here or on TFF.
If I were to repeat the early stages of the trial today, I would sow the seeds in the germination bed as before. However in order to shorten the 40 hour transplanting task, only seedlings showing distinct characteristics would be field planted.
Although some potentially desirable plants might be lost for lack of distinctive foliage, the amount of effort involved would be dramatically reduced. Additionally all plants should now be Zygotic.
I wasn’t around at the time, traveling around and heard on the news about the cold coming through.
I’ve got fingers crossed, it was their first year in the ground, and typical yearly lows here are a few hours at 19F, then back straight up to low 30s, but that’s not what happened this year. I spoke to staff at the Arboretum in Mobile, and they said this was a particularly harsh event for Southern Alabama.
Hopefully they can outgrow the damage, if not, it’s pears and feijoas.
I’ve heard of people growing some nice citrus in Southern Alabama. The trick is to protect them diligently the first few years during any particularly harsh cold snaps. Cold that would certainly kill a young plant might spare an older tree. Many people keep them in containers the first few winters to get them big before planting. That way you can move them inside during particularly harsh weather. Are you familiar with McKenzie Citrus Farm in South Carolina? I’m sure he knows what varieties do well down there.
Seems right, I see larger trees around, but small ones that were planted this year in front yards all look fried.
I did send a message to them, but haven’t received a response yet. Fingers crossed.
Stan is good about getting back to people. Takes him a little while but he always gets back to me.
So you’re growing feijoa too? I love those. Definitely less temperamental than citrus when the cold settles in. In all my years I’ve never seen them challenged by the cold. Most sources I read say hardy to 15 Fahrenheit. Well there is a commercial grow nearby that’s been here for nearly 20 years. I talked to the farmer last fall and she said they’ve never taken a hit from cold. That includes a night in 2017 that was about 10 F.
Meyer lemon is not as cold hardy as a yuzu. They are as cold hardy as a round orange which means damaged by 24F or so. “Improved” meyer lemon means a meyer lemon without trisezia. Meyer lemon was found to be a symptomless carrier of tristezia. No need to combine improved with meyer lemon since there arene’t any “unimproved” ones out there.
If that’s the case you might want to take it up with the distributors who persist with putting it on the label.
The comparison I made for Yuzu in my comment was to the Prague citsuma. I’m aware improved meyer lemon isn’t as hardy as yuzu. I grow both so it’s pretty obvious.
Welcome to the forum @chilibowl!
For something first introduced more than 5 years ago, I’m thinking it may have been mostly hype and not really that hardy, but it looks like all the UGA citrus varieties (including Pink Frost grapefruit) are licensed exclusively to this nursery, and only available for local pick-up:
Yes, some people just call it Meyer Lemon, even though Meyer lemon went extinct.
Has anyone tried ichang papeda, citrus ichangensis? Heard it was pretty hardy with no off flavors like trifoliate in it. Hard to find any grafted ones though.
They have it, and they might have more than is listed, try contacting them
https://www.woodlanders.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1970
Thank you, but unfortunately they do not offer true ichangensis, its a hybrid that they sell seedlings of. I have a picture of the mother tree somewhere…
There is one called ‘Ichang Papeda US 42’, see here on page 18, I am not sure if it’s a hybrid https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/101636/file/CitrusBudwoodAnnualReport2021v3.pdf
Haven’t seen that yet before, I’ll try it out. Thanks
You are welcome, it’s worth a try, some things might be available that are listed in that, others might not be. It does not hurt to ask them. Please update me, on what you find out.
So they arrived today and these seem like very sturdy sticks to me, I wonder if the time of year or just person collecting that day makes a big difference. And these are a lot more than 5 buds of each variety like I ordered:
If anyone in the area wants to graft any of these, I’m sure I’ll have extras. Kishu, Giant Key Lime, and the trifoliate x satsuma chimera (VI 396) that is not Prague citsuma according to CCPP.
‘Giant Key Lime’, one of Dr. Barrett’s many accomplishments. 