Lumpy!!

What;s going on? It great to see you here:-)

Let me try to help you since you have been more than helpful with me with my orchids. By the way, I FINALLY found a Golden Tang! Yes, and you will be the first to see the pics.

1. In experience, it has always been the Orange and Grapefruit trees that have been the easiest to grow and less finicky.
Up here in New England it has been a tossup between Lime and Lemons when it comes to difficulty. I find they have their good moments and then bad. But my Orange and Grapefruit trees are pretty much predictable.

2. Are they grafted or taken from a mature cutting? if so, they will flower and fruit at anytime.
If you are talking about growing them from seed, then it could take years.

3. Yes. The leaves on my Lemon and Lime trees are much more pungent than my Orange ones.

4. They might no be Lumpy. They could of been mislabeled. I have see this before. I would try a Washington Navel or some other Orange Tree. They are sweet, seedless, and juicy! I have grown plenty to maturity and shared them with many friends. I have many Orange Trees in flower now and not a one has ever given me a problem through the winter whether I give them a dry and warm, cold , or warm and humid environment. All they need is lots of sunlight to get them through the winter and a very porous mix that does not allow root rot.

Have a great day and I will see you soon somewhere here.

Mike:-)

Thanks for the reply Mike, and congrats on the Tang. It didn't take you long to find one.

I attached some photos of my trees in their winter home. I got the trees from a mail order flower company, in a potted citrus tree special. I see the same offer in a lot of catalogs so I don't think they grew the trees themselves. I don't see a graft mark on the trunk and the leaves to me smell like bell pepper when crushed.

Last year after dragging them in and out of the house for years I said to myself, I going to keep the first one that flowers and leave the other outside to die, so I could have more space inside. That fall they both flowered, like they knew somehow.
I get the feeling these trees aren't what the are supposed to be. I think I will order some new trees and pitch these two. Any recommendations for vendors or types I was thinking a Clementine would be nice.

Thanks

Basement winter home
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Valencia trunk
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Lime tree
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Hey Lumpy, thanks a lot. Why, if it were not for you, I would of never have known about this species. Yours is just so beautiful.
You know,when I get it, I could use your expertise:-)

Now, your citrus looks pretty good for the set-up you have. You have some nice lighting on them and they seem to respond. Look at the fruit and blossoms. Not bad.
Nice trunk too!

You do realize that I too have threaten my trees at one time or another. I forgot to threaten my gardenia tree this year, it died.lol
Well, my fault. I never sprayed it for pest or even took a moment to examine it after I brought it in this fall.
It was loaded with spider mites so bad, the whole thing looked like one massive web! I tossed it.
I couldn't treat it like my other plants because at that time I was still recuperating from a broken heel.

I can see why it would be challenge to bring them in and out. Boy are they huge:-)

See you soon

Mike

I would probably think about changing the mix out this spring.

I'll be waiting for you to post a pic of your Tang.

This year I went with LED lights to over winter my trees, they seemed to do well, the lime tree has been flowering and producing lots of fruit.
The trees are getting big and difficult to get in and out of the basement so I think this will be the last chance for the orange trees to give some fruit. I will give the Washington Navel a try this spring.
I had a few other questions, do you ever plant a cover crop in you pots. I saw a photo once of a potted lemon tree covered with moss an thought it looked nice. I'm always pulling weeds from my pots in the summer so I thought moss might keep the weeds out and hold moisture in the pot. Maybe some other plant would be a good companion for citrus like clover or alfalfa to add nitrogen to the soil. Is your greenhouse heated? Do you give your trees a cool period, I notice if there is a cold snap after I bring my trees outside in spring there is a burst of flowers right after is there a relation?

Hey Lumpy! It didn't take long at all. You should see the thing. It is perfect in every way and in bloom of all things:-)
Now to figure out how to keep it happy:-))))))

So you like the LED lights? How is your electric bill going? Are you dealing with any pest issues?

I hear you on the orange trees and I can't blame you at all. In many places, if they don't produce, they are cut down and ripped out of the ground. We just pulled out 2 peach trees that didn't want to do a thing for us.
You won't be disappointed with the 'Washington Navel' Lumpy. Mine flower and fruit just about all year long.

You know, I do have a couple of plants that I do that with. Jades and Bonsai in particular.
Some have moss and it looks great.
I have never done it with citrus though. I feel I run the risk of over watering by not being able to judge the looks of the mix from the top, or provide hiding places for pest invasion.
But that does not mean it's not a great idea. If you do this, let me see what you came up with.
I know Josh had some plants growing in his pots at the same time and I wonder what he thinks of it?

Yes, the greenhouse is heated. Some get a cool period and others do not.
The cooler growing ones do slow down dramatically while the warmer ones keep on going.

From what I have observed from others, that can trigger what you describe.
But mine do not go through that and do just the same. Maybe my trees defy all logic.lol

Mike

I have to say I do like the LEDs, they were a little expensive bu if they last as long as they claim it will be worth it. My goal is to slow down the groth in winter so I keep the cool and water less, they get some indirect light from 1 window and the rest from the lights and since winter is just about over I think it was a success. I do get some scale but I spray with windex when they are inside and it keeps it in check.