Not me. It was 109 degrees here today, with a heat index of 112, not anywhere near bringing anything in. Luckily I won't have to worry about that for another couple of months. Almost wish I did with this kind of heat.

Same here in Texas.

Summer is too brief.

I feel for you guys up north! I have at least until mid-October or later. I do need to start cleaning out my wintering room now that I have actual trees instead of seedlings lol

Does somebody want to start a none citrus topic while we are going through our use all summer doldrums.

Steve you should be able to come with something, for safety reasons i better not. Guys are ready to jump on me again.

I bring this up because If you don't have plans and start on them now you will be caught with your pants down this up coming frost. I got reamed over and over again when I was in my first 2 years here. I never had anything mean or nasty to say anyone else. It does no good or solves anything.

The one that was the nastiest posted some pictures from his Photobucket account. He did not block entrance to his entire collection. I look through all of them. They were very good and they showed his advanced growing setups. I clicked like on most of his pictures and left very positive remarks on his best and most informative pictures. I learned a lot in citrus growing paging through his collection. He closed the link and was never heard from again on this forum.

Steve

It's sad how bent out of shape some people get, usually over nothing. I see flame wars start with some of the posters I respect the most, and wish people would just remember there are other people on the other side of the screen.

However, also, I rather hate it when someone you're trying to help attacks you because you tell him he's doing something that's generally regarded as wrong. Makes you want to just stop trying to be helpful sometime. Sometimes, I should just let it go, but don't...but don't we all ?

Dunno what you had happen PCG, but I've read several of your posts and you seem knowledgeable and reasonable to me.

This is the post. Most of the negative comments were edited out by their posters'.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/do-any-citrusers-believe-in-global-warming-dsvw-vd~1833300?n=78

there were several other tread that people got annoyed. Go ahead and read it for laughs. I occasionally go back to reread it.

Steve

Ah, I think I remember reading this thread. Yeah, you were (at least in what's still there) basically attacked by two others.

However, you did tread on two highly charged areas: politics and religion (though indirectly)...since certain sects want to deny global warming, etc. Maybe not a good topic choice, though I see the relevance to citrus growing farther north.

Hey guys, I don,t mean about nasty things, somethings like your other specialty things you growing or doing we don,t know you are doing.

Other specialty things? I got maybe too ambitious this spring/summer, acquiring lots of new trees. I was thinking something like "I've kept this lemon tree alive for so long, I can do anything!" (lol) And I also couldn't stop buying citrus trees...anyway in addition to citrus I'm also growing: mango, avocado (grafted), coffee, curry leaf, black pepper, jackfruit (from seed). They're all looking good so far, except the smaller mango must have gotten too dry when we were on vacation, and is struggling.

Nice reminder for all of us Steve. Sometimes I find that time passes too quick while we're enjoying the growth of our trees and like you said, get caught with our pants down when it's suddenly turns 50F. I'm thinking of leaving my trees out a bit in the colder temperatures to ward off pests..at what temperatures do you guys think spider mites start leaving or dying off our citrus?

spider mites? 40 degrees below 0 (F and C)

Steve without reading every one's post, I will tell you that I see your intent and purpose and I think it very thoughtful and helpful, especially to those of us that have such short summers, include me, that the end of them catches many off guard almost all the time.

It's no wonder that once fall commences, many are bringing in their trees loaded with pest eggs, pests and disease. Exposed to the great outdoors many don't remember to acclimate them to lower light conditions, pull back fertilizer, prepare their room settings, or enough light when they come in. Many forget to cut them back so that they will fit, change their old rotten mixes into a fresh new one, and make sure they are ready to pull though our long rough winters. That is why many that come here come with some big issues because they did not prepare for them in advance.

Thanks for the reminders and I am already working on some of mine. I have already cleaned the greenhouse house and made sure there was room for a few. I have already cleaned my three seasons porch off, and bought more lights. Bought myself plenty of Safer's soap while on sale and re potted many ahead of time.

Trust me when I say, if the jet stream continues doing what it has been doing, the Easter half of the states will be looking at frigid temps and frost much sooner than usual, I'd say before the end of September, and I will for one will not be caught off guard.

Seems like many here appreciated what you had to say and I like that!

Mike)

I'll be scrapping that plan then. Hort oil will have to do

Kvetchlambkin, spider mite eggs can lie dormant until the warmths comes back. That is why many have problems with them come spring into summer. Or sad to say, in winter indoors!

Steve,

I question your math skills when you say Summer is half over; Summer is June 20 to Sept 20; so how is July 20 half???

Sorry John but it is YOUR math that is wrong. Somewhere between The last frost average at the start of the growing season (beginning plant summer) and the average first frost at the end of the growing season (end of Plant summer) falls between the 18 and 22 of July. The plants don't care about us humans starting summer on the longest day.

Steve

I have a bad feeling about this years indoor overwintering Mike. Last year I kept my tree in a moderately warm area with a grow light. If I do the same this year before I can eradicate them, the spider mites will definitely be partying and feasting on my poor citrus everyday of winter!

Perhaps a better title would have been "Growing season is half over". ;)

Summer is indeed too short up here. I love seeing my plants start growing and greening up after the long Maine winter. I figure I have another two months before I have to worry about bringing things indoors at night and then the cycle starts over again.

Love that old post on climate change Poncirusguy...... I need to buy and install another 4 bulb light, and make room for taller trees, and then spray and all that, one pot is definitely going to an unheated northeast window as test case, once a month watering, but on the bright side, when your stuck indoors in the winter, you have something to do

Kvetchlambkin , if you start spraying your tree's in early September for mites, even if you don't see them, at least once a week for 3 weeks in a row, you should be mite free for the winter..Keeping my fingers crossed for you buddy. I hate them things and mealy bugs. My two worst nightmares and luckily none seen for quite some time)

Good reminder- do the math so you are sure to get a few sprays in before moving them back inside.

I also keep an eye out for clearance sales on supplies: pots, fertz, fans, etc.

I am still fertilizing all my tree's, citrus and others, when temps go lower in the 40's they are going in the shop, temp's are in the high 60's and continue to grow and watered. Small tree's still showing new growth, i like to push them hard they can take it. I have been throwing the kitchen sink at them with whatever i have in stock. Peters h/p, floralious plus, espoma, stem, peters most, kelp/fish. One week this, one week that. I treat them like humans, I never go to one restaurant that only serve fish or one hamburgers or that is big on salads etc.

My growing season is still going strong but I have so much travel the next few weeks, my citrus is going to be neglected for a bit! I would have done another round of fertilizing in the last few weeks, but I broke and cut my arm while taking care of my worms and so the garden has been left to its own devices! The citrus seems to be doing fine, surviving our long heatwave (by our standards, back to back days in the high 80s) and flowering away!

On a different note, Steve, what would a rookie like me do without your thoughtful advice! Without this forum, I would have uprooted all my citrus for the second time and thrown the trees away!

KC

Thanks for the tip Mike! They're def one of the more intimidating bugs to fight with. I'm pretty sure they started exploding in numbers from all that heat we got a a month ago when there was no rain in sight. Let those suckers drown in all the rain we're getting now!

Thanks for the reminder hibiscus! I did get some good deals on fert last fall. Remember to check Amazon regularly too! Their prices constantly change but there are times when they suddenly drop for maybe a day before going back to its usual price. I like to use Camelcamelcamel.com to check the price history on Amazon items. Don't worry I'm not trolling you guys, it's a legitimate site lol

-----"Without this forum, I would have uprooted all my citrus for the second time and thrown the trees away!"---

Are you telling us that a hand full of people and myself have stood in the way of your.

Steve