Here are a few bright spots

First time blooming, I got this from Darlene a few years ago

Here is my Kishu, this was 2 weeks ago. still haven’t pucked the fruit

Golden Peakock, this one flowers a few times a year

2500-3000 Poncirus seeds planted today, expecting May germination.

planting depth

planting density

1 of 8 pots completed, planted rather deeply in rice hull/peat mixture. This is a very light soil mix, hence the greater planting depth.

What are you going to do with 3000 trees

James_J, Do you know the parentage of your Golden Peakock? I'm looking for plants with Epi. magnoliae as a parent, and those blooms look very similar to what I would expect from some lines of magnoliae breeding. I know its a long shot, but thought I would ask.

Poncirusguy, if I should discover one, or more selections worthy of propagation I want to be ahead of the curve. If not, I can encircle the property in a hedge!

Bill- the cross is Brassocattleya Richard Mueller ( Brassavola nodosa X Cattleya milleri) X Prosthechea vitellina.

Hi Mike, All, hope you're doing well. Here are a few of mine:

The never-ending orchid is blooming again. The kitchen table belongs to it now...

My first harvest of passion fruit will be ready by Thanksgiving, really excited about this plant, though it needs a repot and I need to re-design the trellis as I built the wrong kind initially and it prefers to climb in its next door neighbor, the Nagami:

The seedlings are beginning to recover from a rough summer:

And I am attempting to grow a rosemary again after I bought one to teach my kid how to make and root cuttings:

I'll post some photos of the big citrus when I move the Fukushu to clean up its flower mess this afternoon.

Here are my 3 trees (Persian lime, eureka lemon, pink variegated lemon) in front of their south facing 6x4 ft window where they spend the winter.

James_J, James, hows that for a "close, but no cigar", my cross is Brassocattleya richard mueller X Epidendrum conopseum, which, of course, is now E. magnoliae. Thanks for the info.

Bill

I did photos today in prep for T'Day. The first you've seen before.... but several weeks ago. They are now orange and pliable. so got picked for T'day.

Next is Kumquat; only a few ready for Grandson, but they got picked too.

And the bounty - much more orange than they appear here. Not many yet, but a few of each.

The Mexican limes are done and I did what someone suggested: keep them in fresh water - and it has been working! (I wonder if Vodka would keep them longer? ) 😁

How long can you keep key limes in water? in the fridge?

Citrus are just about all protected in the garage (I have out one Seville) and the hardy palms, cycads, and a few agaves. This Camellia (in the ground) wants to bloom. Japanese Maple leaves have finally gone to red.

Dave, I don't know how long they'll keep. The regular store-bought limes lasted about 3 weeks. I'm not sure about the home-grown Mexican ones. Yes, in the fridge.

Margaritaville, that Camellia is ready anyday now. Your Maple is prettier than mine.

Dave, awesome photo. That tree is amazing!

I said I'd drop in when I had a picture of the fukushu. Here it is now after a rough summer. Still blooming, back side has a bunch of fruit too.

I am HOME.

After 3 weeks out I got back and draged my 2 30 gallon Fukushu kumquat trees in tonight to clear the 19F forcast. They have seen 12 hard frost nights with 2 nights of 25F.

Despite the 2 25F and 10 below 30F nights the fresh growth kept growing undamaged.

My final citrus indoors

Steve

I posted a response here yesterday and directed something to everyone and now it's gone. I don't get it!

So thanks everyone for a part of this thread and I hope everyone is doing well. I love the pics.

That Maple tree is something else.

Steve welcome back)

Margarit, what kind of Camellia is that? Can it handle below 0 without protection, our winters? Wow what kind of

Neautiful, nicole! WOW!

Very very nice)))

I just finished setting up my last tree under a light bucket

In ground Meiwa kumquat tree gets a light bucket over it for the upcoming 9F and remainder of winter.

Close up

Inside the bucket.

I decided to pick the last of the Meyers today, and I'll squeeze them for frozen juice. I consider myself lucky that I only got stabbed once... it itches.

They are pretty big... again.

One of these days I'll climb back in the corner to see if the Lisbon Lemons are ripe.

Steve

It looks like it is doing quite well with all that new growth.

New fruits on NZL. Hope they stick around to get ripe

Steve

Looking good folks)))

I picked the last of the citrus: Lisbon Lemons. The kids took what they wanted and I collected the rest yesterday. I was surprised at all that were hidden and ended up picking the last 22. I'll zest and freeze, then juice and freeze what I picked. (that's dirt not mold.)

Hi mike!!! how are you?!? hows your mom? ! i am so glad to see you and a few others still here! :) i had quite the large loot a few weeks ago and thought of everyone here! i will have to take poctures of the greenhouse i have neglected all the trees this year it froze down to -10 so more than a few went a little bald lol anyways will be back with pictures

My hand polinated grafted C35 2 Fukushu kumquat flowers.

Second flower hand pollinated and looking good

Flower #1 was hand pollinated. All dried up.

Jan, my dear friend, yahoo,she's back)))

Mom is ok. Had the Covid and so did I, the new strain but we did ok. In fact I had no idea I had it until I tested free at the nursing home my father is at. I am glad I did ok. I guess my immune system must be strong?

How have you been? Missed you and a few others. I miss your trees and Brian too. I wonder how he is doing? I have been crazy busy lately and my trees are crazy doing great on my freezing cold porch. Even the lemons are ripening and leaves staying very green.

They seem to have slowed down for now and will pick up come in a month from now. I can't wait.

The ones under lights in my sunny all season porch have been flowering and fruiting like no tomorrow. NO bugs. I keep the fans running and spray them down often. They don't like that)

I can't wait to see an update on that greenhouse. What has kept you away if you don't mind if I ask? Is everything ok

Kate, boy do those look good))

Steve, amazing as always!! Thanks for the consistent updates)

Hi Mike!! Oh it is so so good to hear from you my friend you have no idea! :) Mike I am so glad to hear that you are alright! you know I had it too and my whole family had it and its like an extreme flu not a fun ride at all. I am sorry you and your mom had to go through it but am so so glad that you are both alright. You know Mike my dog Cookie was very ill back in the summer and by the end of august we had to put her down after 14 years together. It has been very tough for me and my whole family and to be honest I lost all interest in everything after that for a while and that included my citrus unfortunately. We all just tried to keep busy with our work and what not and for a while I couldn't even go out to the backyard since that is where she always loved to go and the memories were just too painful for a while. Hence my citrus looking a little bald they were having to fend for themselves in the cold cold below freezing snow! It got to such a low temperature this last winter I felt I was in Brians neck of the woods lol! Have you heard from anyone else mike? Brian? Amy? Bob? Where is everyone? I cannot wait to see some of your citrus too Mike! You know Mike this year Phoenix Perennials is actually carrying the valentine pummelo!!!! I wanted to tell Amy because me and her have been in search for it for a while! I hope wherever she is she is ok and the first one to get it lol. I will be back with some pictures hopefully but by the time I get back from work its usually dark already. I will be back in the weekend with some great pictures hopefully!! Someone talk me into buying the valentine pummelo lol I haven't quite put it in my basket yet!

Jan, the Pummelo??? You have not bought it yet? What's the matter with you? You only live once and after everything you have been through, you deserve a little happiness, in fact a lot, and what we live for is for happiness. That tree will make you happy. So get it. no thinking about it. There, did that work?

I am so sorry about your little best friend. Everyone say's just buy another, but the personalty and love they display is not very easy to replace. for sure. I am so sorry. Hopefully there will be another pup of dog some day that deserves the love that you showed yours all those years. So many that need our love and we can be those people.

I can't wait to see your trees! Mine are ok. I will post some soon. It's so hard to find the time these days but we have to to stay connected to what's important or we loose what precious to us without knowing it. We loose our will to be happy and strong. We have to stay focused and find the time to heal and make ourselves as whole as we can be.

I hope you feel the same. You are a wonderful good hearted person that only deserves good. Hey we survived Covid, we can survive many other things

Jan, I think it's just us now with Steve. He is ole faithful. Always around. I miss everyone else too. I always hope they are well. Some may find it hard to believe you can actually find true friends here without ever seeing each others faces, but it happens. I have met such one as you))

I can't wait for spring.The figs are still asleep too. I can't wait for the end of this month..Yahoo!!! That is when you really start to feel the sun and can even get a tan))0 Ha

Hugs Hugs Hugs.

Will talk soon. Gotta run back to work.

@Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.) What a lovely sentiment. I think this is one of the most wholesome boards on the internet. There's no fighting, politics or drama-- just people helping each other get the most out of their citrus. And because citrus growing is a hobby conducted over years, you see the same faces come back season after season.

My 2 large 30 gallon Fukushu kumquat trees are outside getting watered and sprayed. Temps will stay above freezing for 24 more hours.

Steve, how old are those fukushu trees? They look great! And Kate, those Meyer lemons were huge! I harvested my first lemons from my ~2 year old Meyer this winter and they were considerably smaller than yours looked.

I need to check on my potted citrus - outdoors - to see if they could use more water.... and a washing... like Steve. Beautiful trees, BTW.

Travis, my tree is 10 years old, and the lemons get larger every year.

Hello, Jan! I saw on your posting about Valentine Pommelo. I did check it out and most can't ship to CA. RATS! I only found one, 4 Winds, that carries it and they are "out-of-stock"; so I put my address in to be notified when it becomes available. I really do like pommelos and this combo sounds even better.

Valentine Pummelos are certainly sweet when fully mature, but the fruit produces absolutely zero acidic content. For most people, it is the balance between sweet and acid that makes citrus enjoyable.

Hi everyone! I’m so happy to read all the updates and see everyone’s trees! I do miss all of you. We have been well and my trees are pretty good considering they’re inside. I have way fewer which makes it much easier to manage. I have lots of Santa Teresa and Genoa lemons that I need to pick. All the kids and animals are well too. We all had the dreaded covid back in May - so the original strain - bc my son brought it home. We are all fine and have had nothing since :). Happy citrus gardening everyone!

@James _J, that is a beautiful phrag. You got three buds the first time! What is it called?

My Strelitzia nicolai (Orange Bird of Paradise) opened today. First time I have had them bloom.

Que viva Ucrania! Los colores y la belleza son suyos.

Jurassic, , what a beauty. Maybe this weird cold April brought it to flower?

Laura, so happy to hear from you. Stay safe)

Meyer, the flower stalks emerged in October, after a hot and WET summer, they only opened today, so they have a VERY long bloom period

Fukushu kumquat trees. Tree on left was grafted to C35 5 years ago and seed grown tree on right is 8 years old.

Steve

First flower on Segentrange #010 has developed a fruitlet. Hopefully, it will persist. The tree is 4 years old from seed.

Segentrange # A-026 flowered prolifically in the past few weeks. This tree produced 2 fruit last year. The tree is also 4 years old this month.

Segentrange # 001 has been resistant to late frosts thus far. This tree hasn't fruited yet and is 4 years old.

The hardiest seedling remaining in the original trial plot. Shows no Winter, nor Spring damage. This is Segentrange #128 and has never been protected. It's also 4 years old.

@getgoing100_7b_nj. Thank you.

The name is ‘inca fire‘.

Thanks James