No unless it is grafted to poincirus trifoliato or flying dragon. Those 2 root stocks are better used 9b or north of.

So they continue to show new signs of growth all year round without any breaks?

My indoor trees grow year around as long as I provide good light for 16 hours a day. My grafted tree is about 7-8 months old and I will grow it inside this winter in hopes of getting a 3+foot tree to plant outside early spring. I get about a 2 foot jump in growth to start out next spring.

6b Steve

Huh I see. Did not know that citrus do not go through a dormancy period. Thanks

Citrus do not need a dormancy period, however flowering is typically induced by some sort of stress. This stress is often cold weather, but can be something else such as a dry period.

-Brett

Do they have a true resting period? One in which growth becomes almost will?

They are relatively dormant during winter when growth essentially stops.

Should we explain "citrus flush growth"?

I have a key lime that grows almost continuously, a sour orange that grows visible only 1 month per year, and other "common" citruses that grow new flush every 2-3months.

PS: did anyone else observed that new growth abscission appear 2 days after full moon? Does anyone have a scientific explanation for this?

I did not. I tend to feed my trees after I think the roots have moved forward so as to help kick off each growth spurt. I get about 4-8 growth spurts a year. Kumquats less growth per spurt than other citrus.

6b Steve

Now for fertilizing, someone on this forum has told me in my other thread that citrus should not be fertilized at all in the winter and should only be fertilized in the growing season. Is that true? Do any of you fertilize your potted citrus trees in the winter time?

I do because I heat and light my trees as if it is summer solstice. I do not feed my in ground tree but micro nutrients. If it is warm in my greenhouse with warm roots I will feed them.

My tree's are full of fruits still and they need fert, just a little lighter and less watering. They should not be stress.

I feed mine also, but at a lighter concentration.

I do fertilize as I keep them growing in the winter. If they stop growing and go into a resting period I reduce their fertilizer.

Cory

When you guys say only a little bit, how much is that? Like 1 tbsp per gallon of water once every month? Every 2 weeks? How often do you fertilize it?

I've been using about 1/2-3/4 strength. I just fertilized with Peters and used 3/4 tsp. When I've used FP, I've used 1 tsp (per gallon). In the summer, I was using 1 tbsp/gal.

Oh and for the frequency...I alternate. Today they were pretty dry, so I lightly moistened the top layer with water, then followed with the fertilizer water about 30 mins later. I've also been misting them with water and a very low conc of FP.

If the plants are warm and have good light I feed as I feed in summer. For cold low light plants I foliar feed only at 1/2 strength misting a couple times a week

Steve, be prepared, your zone 6b area will be shifted or have been shifted. The USDA which published in 2012, which using data from 1976-2005, has been almost outdated. Your zone 6b area should be now very close to 7a or at least move to the boder of 6b and 7a.

20 years later, your area might lie in the border of zone 7a and 7b.

I looked at a street by street zone map. I have to drive

s-300 feet

e-250 feet

s-350 feet

east-800 feet

I have passed into zone 6b. I agree that i am now a bid zone 6b with a 3 F micro climate to take me to the boarder of zone7a/6b. It still gets very cold and a stiff wind eliminates micro zones.

Steve

The map you are using has been published in 2012 based on average winter temperature from 1976-2005. If it indicated you are at the higher end of zone 6b and very close to zone 7a, it means you are now at the lower end of zone 7a.

If you try Citrangequat on FD rootstock outside at your zone with little protection, I think it will do fine. Growing citrus inside and carrying in and out seemed to be too much work.

You are probably correct. We have less planetary sea ice than ever before. Antarctic sea ice is almost a quarter million Square miles less than the last record low. That means later fall for the land down under which impacts our early spring "barely" The arctic sea is in a position to set a record low for its winter time max. That has a much larger impact on our spring. It all subtracts down.

Steve

Our spring has been a little colder than normal but we has experienced warmer winter. I did not see any impact at all in our springs at least for the last 10 years. The zone shift was believed to be due to polar-shift which occurs in the cycle of hundreds thousands of years or millions of years. And as the result the ice mountain in the north and south polars will gradually be melting on one side, but it will be forming ice on the other side. It is not only happening in the US but also the rest of the world. My original country (tropical country) is south of China and has kept experiencing cooler summer while the southern part of China has experienced colder winter.

In the last few years, I have been noticed that birds in Atlanta did not migrate to the south, and my dad bought a lot of seeds to feed them everyday.