Hardy Citrus for British Columbia

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by mr.shep, Oct 15, 2005.

  1. Laaz

    Laaz Active Member 10 Years

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    Gregn. A mouth full of seeds is 3-5 seed per section of fruit. I am germinating a bunch of Changsha now.
     
  2. helaali1

    helaali1 Member

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  3. 'Thomasville' is reputed to grow true from seed and to flower in as little as 4 years. As a last resort, seeds have to be much easier to import.

    Along these same lines, citrus budwood or stem cuttings (which root easily in summer) would be easier to import than rooted plants.
     
  4. bcgift52

    bcgift52 Active Member

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    Importing small quantities of plants is always a hassle and by the time you go through the red tape, you'll have dead plants. However, with a phyto, 'tropical/houseplants' can be brought across at the borders without Import Permits, usually without any problems unless you get a customs officer who got out the wrong side of the bed that morning.
     
  5. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    Yes it is a bit of a hassle. However one really needs a phyto certificate. I should
    know in a couple of weeks about importing the plants. I am hoping that if the plants are
    shipped bare root that the grower will help me out (he wont have to treat them with
    an insectiside) . On another note Home Depot (greater Vancouver) has been selling
    Meyor Lemon bushes for $19.95. Meyors, according to Bob Duncan @ Fruit Trees & More,
    are the best bet for Citrus in greater vancouver and the S vancouver Island. Bob reccomends that they are planted up against the south side of the house or fence
    with a overhang and full sun. Here, they should do fine without help for 50 weeks a year
    depending on the year.
    Perhaps UBC can add one of these to their Food Garden!
    How about that Daniel?
     
  6. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    Well, I have finally have my hardy citrus. I will keep this forum informed to my progress as I try to grow hardy citrus outside here in North Vancouver and southern British Columbia.

    I have

    Meyer Lemons (some in the ground)
    Ten degree Tangerines
    Yuzuquat
    Thomasville Citrangequat
    Early Saint Anne Satsuma (now in the ground)
    US 119 Hybrid
    Juanita Tangerine (now in the ground)

    I imorted 18 plants in total for some friends and family. The plants
    will be planted in various locations (Sunshine Coast, New Westminster and Osoyoos)
    Osoyoos regularly has summer temperatures in the high 30s to 41 degrees C.
    http://www.osoyoos.ca/climate2.php
     
  7. Laaz

    Laaz Active Member 10 Years

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    "Average January High 0.1°C 32°F "
    If that link is correct you re going to have to give them all major protection...
     
  8. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    If you want to know the citrus "heat index" for your area you need to look up the mean temperature for each of the twelve months at your location. You can probably get this information from the Canadian Weather bureau's web site. With this information it will be easy to calculate what your heat index is in North Vancouver. - Millet
     
  9. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    A friend of mine wants to try a Ten Degree Tangerine in Osoyoos BC.
    Its not my idea but..... hey you never know......
    The rest of them will be in zone 8 ... Sechelt included. They will all be protected untill they get too big. (I am hopefull they will get too big !!!)
    Greg
     
  10. Laaz

    Laaz Active Member 10 Years

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    The 10 Degree tangerine & US 119 are sour... Not quite as bad as a lemon, but very sour for a mandarin.

    With winter temps stating 32 (Freezing) as the high temps, I don't want to know what the low's are. No citrus will survive these conditions....
     
  11. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    Laaz, talking to the the guy who got the 10 degree tangerine for Osoyoos, he will have it in a pot to start then into a greenhouse after a few years or bring it back to Vancouver.
    Greg
     
  12. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I would call the Ten Degree a so so sweet fruit, if you like kimquats you would probably like the Ten Degree "Tangerine." I think the US 119 is a little sweeter yet, actually not all that bad for a "hardy citrus type. The great thing about the 119 is the three different type of leaves on the tree, and the color of the fruit, very ornamental. - Millet
     
  13. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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  14. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Greg, ants almost always means that the tree has insects, usually scale. or mealy bug. Look very closely on trunk, branches and undersides of leaves. Very nice collection of citrus, we all are very pround of your determination in aquiring your citrus collection. Take care. - Millet
     
  15. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks Millet for your advise...I found some aphids! I didnt think there would be anything, however I felt I had better take a closer look. I have had scale before, it nearly caused my Eureka lemon to completly defoliate back in late December.
    I guess I should add Flying Dragon and a Poncirus Trifoliata to my list,both of which I bought locally in the Vancouver area. The Flying Dragon is a 5 year old seedling. Are these true citrus or just close relatives of citrus?
    For anyone interested, these are the hardiest of citrus family and can be grown here on the West Coast (BC) without protection. They produce fruit however it is not edible, not poisonous, just not at all palatable - although I have never tasted one.
    Greg
     
  16. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    Just a little update on how things are going. I have several varieties growing under poly;
    The St Ann satsuma, Thomasville citanegquat, Yuzuquat, and a Juanita tangerine seem to be growing the best. Two in the ground two in 1 gallon pots. all are putting on decent amount of new growth. some are pushing out a second set of blooms, which I wasnt expecting.Also under the poly are 2 - ten degree tangerines and a US 119 -in gallon nursery pots. They do not seem to be adding any new growth - not sure why.I think the ten degree tangerins are grown from cuttings. Their leaves are a much lighter shade of green which I think in normal ??? All the pots are in the same soil mixture and everyone gets the same feeding. Also under the poly is a in ground Meyer lemon, lots of growth maybe 5 to 6 inches but none of the buds have set fruit most all the flowers have fallen off.
    Not under poly are two in ground Meyers, doing well up against the east facing sde of my house in full morning sun. These two home depot purchases are doing really well, holding on to some fruit too!! The other in ground specimen is another US 119 it is away from the house in Full sun location. It is un covered but near a short rock wall which will absorb some heat. Although alive, this plant hasnt done anything in the 3 months in the ground just a little indication that maybe some new growth is on its way. I am considering to put a small hoop house over this guy to see if some added heat and humidity will help this one out. Any Ideas from the cold hardy citrus experts would be appreciated! Comments welcome too! If anyone has contacts for Hardy citrus in Greater Vancouver PLEASE let me know. Also I am looking for a Dunstan Citrumelo....
    Thanks, Greg
     
  17. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    Well, here in Vancouver we had a pretty severe 3 day cold spell where temperatures plummeted to -12c (10f) (for a short period AND read at the airport). My in ground citrus survived! I protected 2 Meyer lemons with a small greenhouse and a string of 25 large Christmas lights.(The Meyers even kept the immature fruit and even the blossoms) I also put up a plastic lean-to against my house and heated my St Ann Satsuma, Juanita Tangerine, and another Meyer lemon with 2 strings of the large lights. Those pulled through well too. At a 3rd location, I had a very small 10 degree Tangerine which I covered with a old milk crate and plastic, then covered the whole thing in a pile of snow - NO LIGHTS. I uncovered it today (a week after the -12 c) and found the little tree all green and in good condition. A US 119 seemed to suffer the most, I placed a inverted wire trash bag holder, covered by a clear poly bag, and a string of 50, 2.5w mini lights. This plant had some late season growth that died back, or at least there was some leaf drop, but there are green leaves, I think it will be ok as well.
    I would like to hear of any other zone 8 hardy citrus growers here in the Vancouver or the Pacific Northwest
    Thanks, Greg
     
  18. leapfrog

    leapfrog Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks for the update, GregN.

    As you know, I'm in Victoria and I have an inground Meyer lemon too. Seems we're using the same winter protection techniques, both with positive results so far, though the lowest we got to during the recent cold spell was -6C. My protected lemon tree under a mini greenhouse with 20 Xmas lights never got below +12C. In fact the tree has produce a couple of flower buds.

    Just a couple of questions.

    Are the inground Meyers against the house still holding their fruit? Mine is doing nicely, and there are half a dozen or so fruit ripening. Two are probably ready to pick, but the ripest has gone a very warm yellow, with a hint of orange, and I'm curious to see how orange it gets. On the underside there are still shades of light green, so I think it has a week or so to go. I'll post some pictures soon.

    How is the Juanita Tangerine doing? How cold hardy is it in relation to the Meyer lemon? Is it edible? I want to try to grow an edible tangerine. I understand the 10 degree tangerine is quite tasty, but I don't know which would fair better in ground in this climate. If they both stand a chance I'll plant whichever tastes better.
     
  19. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    The Juanita tangerine, from what Ive been told, is a chance seedling from a supermarket bought tangerine/satsuma of unknown origin. It was planted in the early 1980s? and survived a killer freeze in South Carolina in 1985 where the temperature bottomed out at around -17c (0f) . This tree was the only citrus tree in that area of the state to survive with little or no dammage. In or around 1990 it produced its first crop of "tangerines" it has been propogated (cuttings etc) ever since. I brought in 4 plants last spring ( I believe the only 4 plants in Canada) I kept 1 specimen. It is grafted onto trifoliate rootstock It appearantly produces large 3" daimeter sweet "tangerines". Named after the woman who planted the seed way back when... So far so good with my plant.
    The meyers fruit is green golf ball size and smaller. The one next to my house under the lean-to does not have ant fruit or buds at this time - otherwise it looks healthy.
    Greg
     
  20. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    The Juanita Tangerine arose from a seed taken out of a supermarket tangerine by Juanita Barrineau of Barrineau, South Carolina. (Juanita's last name is the same name as the town-that should tell you something of the Barrineau family). The original tree came about when Juanita stuck the seed into a pot that already had a houseplant growing in it. The houseplant died, but the seedling flourished and was planted outdoors. The resulting tree amazingly survived 0F (-18C) in 1985 and continues to bear about five bushels of fruit each year to this day. The tree and the fruit resembles a Dancy Tangerine. The tree grows in an upright habit with few thorns. The fruit is typical for Dancy, being rich orange about three inches in diameter. The pulp is a nice orange color, tender and very sweet and of excellent quality. Congratulations to Gregn, for his pioneering of the Juanita tangerine into Canada. BTW I met Juanita Barrineau at the 2005 citrus expo in Charleston, South Carolina. She is a very nice and a very friendly lady. It would be great to have some of our Canadian citrus grower friends attend the 2007 Citrus Expo in Georgia. - Millet
     
  21. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Gregn,
    You know who to contact when you have these Juanita tangerines available in the future. Good work man!
    Millet,
    I'd love to go to the Citrus Expo but with all my purchases, I'd be held at the border for weeks!

    Cheers, LPN (Barrie)
     
  22. leapfrog

    leapfrog Active Member 10 Years

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  23. Gregn

    Gregn Active Member 10 Years

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    I am hoping to bring some Juanita cuttings in late winter (for propagation). I think once they start to fruit, they will need some heat to ripen... perhaps a mini greenhouse?
    I have also been offered some excellent Satsuma budwood. (from millets grafting tutor!!)

    Greg
     
  24. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Awesome Greg
    Keep us BC citrus nuts posted!
    Cheers, LPN. (Barrie)
     
  25. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Keep us informed. Perhaps the tree's cold tolerance also means less heat required for fruit ripening. In that case it would make a good candidate for indoor culture too.
     

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