Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
Very nice dwarf orchard there PeakOiler. How do you plan on using the lemons? Juice them? Have you quantified what your yield is and what kind of inputs you've used (soil, fertilizer, water, etc.)?
Frankthetank, how does citrus do in Wisconsin? I used to have a dwarf lemon tree, but it didn't do well. This was some years ago, but my recollection is that it died its first winter---never bore any fruit. But I'm pretty sure I never brought it inside. It gets below freezing regularly during late fall and winter here in western Oregon.
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 6:27 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
Loki wrote:
Very nice dwarf orchard there PeakOiler. How do you plan on using the lemons? Juice them? Have you quantified what your yield is and what kind of inputs you've used (soil, fertilizer, water, etc.)?
Frankthetank, how does citrus do in Wisconsin? I used to have a dwarf lemon tree, but it didn't do well. This was some years ago, but my recollection is that it died its first winter---never bore any fruit. But I'm pretty sure I never brought it inside. It gets below freezing regularly during late fall and winter here in western Oregon.
Thanks Loki.
I have 11 young citrus trees right now: 3 lemon, 3 satsuma, 2 grapefruit, 2 limes, and 1 "blood" orange. I'll juice most of the lemons. Some will get distributed to friends and family. I will even eat some of the lemons by themselves. (Where's the emoticon with puckered lips? )
I've harvested 13 limes, 29 satsuma, and 3 of the six grapefruit this year. Last year I harvested over 70 lemons. The imputs have been rainwater, the peels from eaten fruit, and a little bit of fresh bagged potting soil to make up for the soil that gets washed out of the pots over the season. Eventually all these potted citrus will get transplanted into the ground. _________________ About my avatar: Guess.
Joined: Sep 16, 2004 Posts: 4279 Location: Southwest WI
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:24 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
Citrus do great outdoors in the spring/summer/fall but once winter rolls around you need to keep them in as much sunlight as possible and keep the roots ABOVE 55F. That is the temp that root "action/growth/whatever" stops. Then you'll start getting leaf drop. I've never had fruit yet, so i'm unsure how that works. I would assume if you could get your plant to flower in mid or late winter, you could easily get a crop out of it. My SIL has a lemon and she gets fruit. When i was in Madison a few years back, they had a big citrus thing going on at Olbrich Gardens (it a big tropical greenhouse) and the plants were gorgeous with huge grapefruit and other citrus growing on them. All container grown. It can be done. I just try to use sunlight instead of grow lights (energy) and since they are in the house, they stay pretty warm...especially on sunny days.
Kumquats do come pretty true from seed, but i guess they are weak on their own rootstock, so i'm not sure what will happen there. Citrus also seem like they can be grafted very easily. Some guy on another forum has like 50 different citrus on one tree! _________________ "Oil is going up because we use too much oil, and the capacity to replace reserves is dwindling"
-President Bush 11/07/07
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 7:28 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
To finish answering Loki's questions, I plan on using some of the lemons for cooking: pies, fish, shrimp, pork, etc. Some of the lemon juice will be frozen for making lemonade throughout the year. And of course, some of the lemons will be for tea and water.
btw, these are not "dwarf" trees, but youngtrees. I expect them to get up to 8-10 ft tall, (or more???) We''ll just see...
So the yields aren't that great now of course, but hopefully will improve year after year. That's what planning for the future is about, right?
These Meyers lemons can get really big. _________________ About my avatar: Guess.
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
In the 18th century, very wealthy people in Scandinavia built 'orangeries' - greenhouses for growing citrus fruit. They were often large greenhouses, with a solid foundation and sometimes a northern wall attached to a heated house. The greenhouses could be heated too, as citrus can not take frost.
So it is possible to grow citrus in northern climates - but it is energy intensive and I do not think the quality was good. For my own part, I have two tiny citrus trees as houseplants. They get artificial light in the winter - at my house at the 59 parallell there is no sun for several months, so they will die without it. In summer they stay on hte balcony. I get a tiny crop of sour but flavorful oranges.
SunCreekfarm, I believe you have a lot more sun, so you certainly can try growing citrus in contariners, indoor in winter, outdoor in summer. Watering with rain water is best.
As Peakoiler says - citrus fruit can be transported by sailboats if necessary. They store quite well and the orangeries became unfashionable even before modern steamships were invented.
Of course, like all imported things, citrus fruit remained an expensive luxury until the 20th century in Scandinavia.
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
Santa Claus gets lemonade:
The mini-artificial Christmas tree lights are solar powered!
The wire cage is to keep the cats out.
The indoor citrus are next to a 6' x 6' window which lets lots of sunshine into the house. On the other side of the window outside are some citrus in the mini "hoop house". (You can barely see the white plastic pots and a bit of the pvc pipe.)
There are new blossoms on the lemon tree too! _________________ About my avatar: Guess.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 12:18 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
PeakOiler, the lemon tree looks great. I was thinking of asking for one for Christmas. I use lots of lemon! I notice you're in a hot place, though, and I'm not. Hot summer temps only for about 3 months. I wonder if the tree would do OK with cool nights. I guess I could take them out for the day and in at night. Do they need humidity?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm sure I can find out what I need to online. Anyway, your setup looks lovely.
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 5:55 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
mercurygirl wrote:
PeakOiler, the lemon tree looks great. I was thinking of asking for one for Christmas. I use lots of lemon! I notice you're in a hot place, though, and I'm not. Hot summer temps only for about 3 months. I wonder if the tree would do OK with cool nights. I guess I could take them out for the day and in at night. Do they need humidity?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm sure I can find out what I need to online. Anyway, your setup looks lovely.
What they need most is sunlight. Avoid temps much below freezing. As I type this at 5:00 am, it's 25 F outside, but one 75-watt incandescent light is in the mini hoophouse for warmth and it's 36 F in there. I'm not certain about humidity, but I suspect that more is better.
Ho ho ho! There's no snow!
Edit to add pic of the hoophouse around 5 am, no precip, clear starry sky, and very light winds:
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
Harvesting more lemons:
The scale indicates 1382 grams.
Good thing too. I've been under the weather with a cold to bring in the new year, and the hot tea with home grown lemon juice has been good. _________________ About my avatar: Guess.
Joined: Sep 16, 2004 Posts: 4279 Location: Southwest WI
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
50 trees is a lot! I'll probably be around 20 this spring. Last night the digital thermometer registered a low of -14.3F, so the cold is here. I worry more about the sunny snow covered ground today warming up the trees. Reliance peaches are known to take -25F, so everything should be OK. I think we hit -20F last year and i had peaches last summer.
I'm worried about the sweet cherries i have on order! Not so sure if planting them in my zone is worth the risk! Maybe i'll call and change the order to some sour cherries.
Anyone know if its smart to BURY trees in snow?...Check out my peaches!
_________________ "Oil is going up because we use too much oil, and the capacity to replace reserves is dwindling"
-President Bush 11/07/07
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
mercurygirl wrote:
Very cool, Peak. Are those lemons in your pics Meyer? They seem to be very popular and I've heard they're the easiest.
May I ask what you do with them? I know they last awhile, but do you ever freeze the juice for later?
I really like fresh orange juice, anyone have a Valencia? It would have to be in a pot. I'm wondering how that type would do indoors.
Thanks Mercurygirl. Yes, the lemons in the pics are Meyer's lemons. Just this morning I juiced 11 of them and got 1000 ml, (91 ml per lemon). The average weight so far is 164 grams per lemon. The juice went into the solar powered freezer. The rinds went back into the pots. The seeds were planted.
You won't know how a potted orange does until you try.
That's what I'm doing, experimenting. So far so good.
btw, all the citrus shown above in the "mini hoop house" are doing fine, in spite of multiple nights with below freezing temps. _________________ About my avatar: Guess.
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
frankthetank wrote:
50 trees is a lot! I'll probably be around 20 this spring. Last night the digital thermometer registered a low of -14.3F, so the cold is here. I worry more about the sunny snow covered ground today warming up the trees. Reliance peaches are known to take -25F, so everything should be OK. I think we hit -20F last year and i had peaches last summer.
Anyone know if its smart to BURY trees in snow?...Check out my peaches!
Wow Frank! I would think that much snow would provide a blanket. Build an igloo!
Here are some of my peach trees in winter on a blue-sky day:
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 12024 Location: zombie horde wonderland
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
I have ordered some pineapple guavas, pomegranates, and one kind of bamboo. And another American persimmon. _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy
Joined: Nov 18, 2004 Posts: 1059 Location: Central Texas
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Trees
Ludi wrote:
I have ordered some pineapple guavas, pomegranates, and one kind of bamboo. And another American persimmon.
@ Ludi: I still have your Meyer's lemon sprout. You'll have to come out to the Renewable Energy Roundup in Fredericksburg this September to get it. Emersonbiggins still has one growing here too.
Here's a pic of some of the citrus in the "mini hoophouse". I pulled the plastic back for the pic:
This lemon will certainly be more than 164 grams:
Note the burnt orange sweatshirt sleeve. Yeah, I'm a UT Longhorn alumnus... _________________ About my avatar: Guess.
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