My Moro used to be like that and never bloomed. I grafted something more tolerant of the cold on the top canopy, and it never lost leaves beyond normal (less than 2% leaf fall if I am counting right) since then. I now have fruits from several blood oranges that I also grafted unto it. So I think it is normal in your area. The winter leaf drop is extreme which could be caused by sudden change, a cold spell or other stress that the moro is not able to cope well. I identified mine as some of those frosty nights beyond the limit of Moro, so I protected it by grafting something more frost tolerant on the top. Your problem could be different.

Joe: I just bought a Sanguinile (sp)Orange from Home Depot last week.
What is its characteristics?
It says the fruit is red inside. Is the taste any good?
The reason I bought it was you gave me a scion last time of Sanguiineli but it did not take.

Hi Benny, it is called Sanguinelli, and I often mispell it myself. The Sanguinelli is two ways better than Moro. One is that it tastes a lot better and sweeter than either Tarocco or Moro especially in my colder yard than yours, and the other is that it has sweeter caramel-like smelling fragrance amongst my other blood oranges. I could have sent you scionwood. This coming spring would be the best to retry. Did your Vainiglia Sanguigno took? It has the highest SA ratio amongst the pigmented oranges. My Vainiglia is growing like crazy and I think it is going to bloom again this coming season.

Joe,
my tree comes inside in the winter, way to cold outside for it to ever make it. Both last winter and this winter the tree has lived in my basement, where i have a 200W MH light. I also added a fan this year, which seemed to make a big difference in the winter bug problems. Unfortunately the house i am living in right now gets no sunlight into any of the windows to note through out the winter. My moro has bloomed last year and this year, but very few blooms and it didn't set any fruit at all. I just thought it was being weird is all, like i said before it is leafing out like crazy right now, 2 weeks after losing most of it's leaves.
How are your bananas doing? we talked a little in the past about a hydro set up for them.
Bryan

Joe:
Good to know. Thanks for the info. My V. Sanguigno did not take either so has many others. I was not furtunate at all last time we budded.

Bryan: I have already got my first fruits from my potted bananas, and those that are beyond my apetite capacity are brewing into wine at the moment (sherry style, fantastic smelling so far). And my California Gold, as well from Mike are also brewing. Just enough to have 2 gallons. My dwarf brazilians are pregnant I think and will bloom this spring. Perhaps you need to keep the pot warm with an electric blanket or soil heater. This way, the demands of the canopy in a drier indoors environment will be matched with a more active root system due to higher temperature preventing leaf drops.

Benny: I will email you a list of possible budwoods to mail to you or perhaps you can wait for spring time when we take the citrus tour to Gene Lester's citrus farm together with Ashok. That's in Watsonville and there is no excuse for you not to join us, LOL. You are practically a block away from Watsonville compared to us. At any rate, I may take more Key lime budwoods from you and bring you your wine and other citrus budwoods. Be prepared for a visit sometime in March.

Hey Joe: That's a date.
I just finished putting pavers in front.
Benny

Figured I would give everyone an update on my tree. The leafout is progressing well, and I also noticed that the tree has a ton of flowers as well, I didn't expect this at all, b/c the plant had already put out a few flowers about a month ago and i figured it was done. Turns out that my pH probe was shot and giving me a reading 3 units higher then it should have been. Meaning that for 3 weeks or more when i adjusted my water to 6.5 for watering my trees it was actually 3.5....dang meter. Anyway i guess the extra stress caused the tree to drop more of its leaves and perhaps was enough to cause it to flower again.
Bryan