Citrus Trees

[Desert Jonathan]

Hello everybody, how is everyone today?

Yesterday I was pushing my shopping cart through Costco filling it up with useful stuff when I came across a large display of citrus trees.

There were:

Lemon Trees
Orange Trees
Mandarin Trees
Grapefruit trees
Lime Trees

And then there was a Lemon Tree with both Green and White leaf's.

This one caught my eye so I had to have a closer look. As it turns out it's what is known as a VERIEGATED LEMON or a EUREKA LEMON, which means that the rind of the fruit will be Green with Yellow Stripes and the flesh is Pink.

After picking through them all I found one that I just had to put into my cart.
In 2012 I planted a Yellow Fleshed Lemon tree and it set fruit for the first time this spring. But with both our EL NINO summer and a few hard rains all the fruit was knocked off. I'm looking forward to my own Lemons next year though. And then in about 5 - 7 years I'll be making Pink Lemon Aide from my new Variegated Lemon Tree.

-Jonathan.

[Worth1]

Sounds good I wish it didn't freeze here so often.
Worth

[b54red]

I have a Key lime, one of those variegated lemons with pink insides and a couple of Meyer lemons all in containers but they have to be brought in for protection when winter gets here even as far south as I am. I also have a Calamondin tree in a container and am wondering if it would be okay planted outside to overwinter and survive our winters that usually get no lower than 15 degrees but sometimes get a bit lower. The variegated lemon only produces a few fruits each year and they take a long time to ripen but they are fantastic in a gin and tonic with their unique flavor. I'm looking forward to trying a Calamondin in the same way.

Last year we had one of our famous mild winters as opposed to the previous two which I thought might kill my Satsuma. It is planted in the back yard and took a lot of damage two and three winters ago from the hard freezes we had that killed many of its limbs; but this year it looks like a willow tree with the limbs all hanging down to the ground due to the massive fruit load. The fruit this year will be smaller than ever due to the amount on the small tree so they are mostly the size of tangerines but wow do they taste good this year.

Bill

[twillis2252]

In the lowcountry of SC (Charleston) I have planted everything from blood oranges, valencias, red navels, tangerines, pink grapefruit, lime, and lemons. All did well except for the lime which could not take one evening of high teen temps.
One valencia planted in '97 is now over 20' in height. I had sold that property in '05 but marvel at how many bushels of fruit it produces in late Feb. We typically get Winter temps in the low 20's and often all the leaves will die on the tree and the tree looks to be a goner but will in most cases re-foliate in the Spring. Our coastal location is on the edge of the citrus growing area.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by twillis2252

In the lowcountry of SC (Charleston) I have planted everything from blood oranges, valencias, red navels, tangerines, pink grapefruit, lime, and lemons. All did well except for the lime which could not take one evening of high teen temps.
One valencia planted in '97 is now over 20' in height. I had sold that property in '05 but marvel at how many bushels of fruit it produces in late Feb. We typically get Winter temps in the low 20's and often all the leaves will die on the tree and the tree looks to be a goner but will in most cases re-foliate in the Spring. Our coastal location is on the edge of the citrus growing area.

I think most of the citrus I grow in containers would survive most of our winters but every few years we get down in the low teens and that is a killer. My Satsuma three years ago lost almost all its limbs from the hard freeze and then the next year lost some more. I think a third year like that would have killed it and Satsumas are the most cold hardy of all the citrus grown around here. I talked to a friend who's parents had two Meyer lemons that were huge in a protected southern location near their house that had been there for over ten years and both of them were killed that three years ago and didn't even grow back at all and even if they had that next winter would have finished them. There was a guy that had several hundred Satsumas in an unprotected field that all died that winter. I think the only reason mine survived is because it was protected from the north wind by the house and porch. I believe if we were a little closer to the coast that I could plant most of the citrus I have outdoors except the Key lime.

Bill

[Ed of Somis]

Besides my 17 varieties of avocados...I have 11 varieties of citrus. My weather allows me to grow citrus well...with the exception of protecting the tender lime tree during our occasional frost. Certainly, there is an advantage to the homeowner to grow dwarf or semi-dwarf trees. When cold nights are forecast...it is easy to throw a tarp over the small tree. This helps so much...you can't believe it. Enjoy that lemon tree! Ed

[MarianneW]

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

Besides my 17 varieties of avocados...I have 11 varieties of citrus. My weather allows me to grow citrus well...with the exception of protecting the tender lime tree during our occasional frost. Certainly, there is an advantage to the homeowner to grow dwarf or semi-dwarf trees. When cold nights are forecast...it is easy to throw a tarp over the small tree. This helps so much...you can't believe it. Enjoy that lemon tree! Ed

I am so jealous about your avocados. It is too hot in my yard for an avocado tree. I grew up eating bags of avocados from the UC avocado test groves and the taste of a good bacon-y avocado is a fond childhood memory. I'd trade you a sack of limes if I lived closer.

Good tip on the gin & tonic. I have a bucket of fresh limes that need eating. Normally I make Palomas since I always horde some grapefruit to the summer just for the occasion, but I'm almost out now.

[Worth1]

Gin and Tonic, I haven't had a drop of alcohol in the house in forever.
Been going on two days now.

Worth