We live in the Zone 9b, Florida. The freeze is coming in from up North. I don't know what to do with a few Ponderosa Lemon fruit on the tree in the yard, which are still not ripe. My questions are- should I pick them before the freeze, and they will ripen after being picked(couple of them slightly yellowish, the rest- still green color), or can they be used not ripe. If not- is there any effective tree protection from freeze, because we have tried to cover the tree for couple years, and we failed, always got frozen. This is the first harvest we saw (we purchased the house four years ago), the young tree was already here...I would appreciate advise, tried to find answers on the internet, but couldn't.
A number of documents suggest the use of incandescent bulbs such a string of Christmas lights under the canopy to provide some heat. Protecting Citrus from Cold Cold Weather Approaching: Have a Citrus Protection Plan in Place Citrus fruit will not ripen after they are picked.
Thank you very much! Your message came in just in time. I am going outside right away to take care of the tree and fruit!
