Citrus and Peach trees

[frankthetank]

Do you have snow on the ground PO'r?

I'm about to order a few trees. I think i'm going to go with a white fleshed nectarine. I really like the white fleshed types and they seem to be more expensive at the store. Mine will be grown in a 30 gallon metal garbage can (that is the route i'm taking )...

[PeakOiler]

Do you have snow on the ground PO'r?

I'm about to order a few trees. I think i'm going to go with a white fleshed nectarine. I really like the white fleshed types and they seem to be more expensive at the store. Mine will be grown in a 30 gallon metal garbage can (that is the route i'm taking )...

No snow on the ground. Yesterday the high temp was in the 60's (~>16C).
The bees were out and visiting the flowering lemon trees in the mini hoophouse on the front porch.

[PeakOiler]

The fragrance of lemon blossoms in the house is really amazing.



New baby lemons are forming too, but too small to be seen in the image.

[frankthetank]

PeakOiler-

Just a heads up, but the model this afternoon drops you to 18F (Austin, TX) this Saturday... Watch those trees!

[PeakOiler]

PeakOiler-

Just a heads up, but the model this afternoon drops you to 18F (Austin, TX) this Saturday... Watch those trees!

Thanks frankthetank. The forecast I saw indicates lows in the teens this Thursday night. I'm considering moving the potted citrus on the front porch into the kitchen dining room area next to the others.



The satsuma that's in the ground will be under the big shipping crate with a droplight again.

This last weekend I cut some of the aluminum angle and bolted the plastic sheet to the frame I made:



This is work in progress, y'all. I still have to cut the plywood for the sides and back of the enclosure for the satsuma tree in the ground. I'm doing the preliminary construction on/near the back deck as shown in the image. Later I'll move the assembly over to the tree.

I'm making up the design as I go along!

[frankthetank]

So whats the outlook? DId you have to protect stuff? Were your peaches budding at all yet or is this way too early for that?

[PeakOiler]

So whats the outlook? DId you have to protect stuff? Were your peaches budding at all yet or is this way too early for that?

No, the peach trees are still in their winter sleep mode.

Yes, I did have to further protect the citrus. The satsuma tangerine tree that I planted outside survived the record-setting freezing temps only because I covered it with a blanket, a large shipping crate, and then warmed with a 75-watt incandescent drop light under all of the enclosures. The image below shows the satsuma tree after tilting back the shipping crate and removing the blanket:



The citrus trees on the front porch in the temp mini-hoophouse also survived. I took the picture below about 2:30 this afternoon after pulling back the plastic sheet. I put some extra blankets over the sheet plastic and also used a 75 watt bulb in the mini-hoophouse.



I hate these record-setting cold temps.

[frankthetank]

Don't worry...i think this is it...hopefully for the year! I see Austin should be right back in the 60's in no time.

Up here the peaches are going just fine, but the rabbit is climbing up huge snow piles and chewing on the ends of the branches! I've tried trapping him but he is a smart one. I wish i had a fox or wolf handy The lowest temp for me has been -17F, which is warmer then the last two winters with no extreme cold in sight for here. If i can get through mid Feb i'll be good and then its just hoping for no late spring freezes!

Brought in frozen strawberry plants from the garage and put them in the cool basement. I'll let them go down there until they start sprouting (about a month) and then i'll bring them upstairs into the warmth and light. Hopefully get a few fruit by late March or early April.

[PeakOiler]

Don't worry...i think this is it...hopefully for the year! I see Austin should be right back in the 60's in no time.

Up here the peaches are going just fine, but the rabbit is climbing up huge snow piles and chewing on the ends of the branches! I've tried trapping him but he is a smart one. I wish i had a fox or wolf handy
<snip>

Put up some chainlink fence around the trees. That will help keep those rascally rabbits out:

[JJ]

Frank, I planted a white fleshed nectarine here in Burnet, Texas (near PO'r) three years ago. Its doing great, its huge now, perhaps I'll get some fruit this year.

Peakoiler, we have a lemon tree by our front door in a flower pot. It got down to nine degrees here in Burnet. it looks fine.

I just can't seem to get any enthusiasm for gardening this year.

[PeakOiler]

Frank, I planted a white fleshed nectarine here in Burnet, Texas (near PO'r) three years ago. Its doing great, its huge now, perhaps I'll get some fruit this year.

Peakoiler, we have a lemon tree by our front door in a flower pot. It got down to nine degrees here in Burnet. it looks fine.

I just can't seem to get any enthusiasm for gardening this year.

Is the lemon tree flowering yet? Bring it in the house. The lemon blossom aroma can help lift that enthusiasm level.


I noticed some flower buds are about ready to open on the second lime tree (in the house.)

[JJ]

Frank, I planted a white fleshed nectarine here in Burnet, Texas (near PO'r) three years ago. Its doing great, its huge now, perhaps I'll get some fruit this year.

Peakoiler, we have a lemon tree by our front door in a flower pot. It got down to nine degrees here in Burnet. it looks fine.

I just can't seem to get any enthusiasm for gardening this year.

Is the lemon tree flowering yet? Bring it in the house. The lemon blossom aroma can help lift that enthusiasm level.


I noticed some flower buds are about ready to open on the second lime tree (in the house.)

no, and I will

[JJ]

Oh man, the plum and peach trees are putting on blossoms and about to open...it's Feb 4. I know were gonna have another freeze...

[PeakOiler]

Oh man, the plum and peach trees are putting on blossoms and about to open...it's Feb 4. I know were gonna have another freeze...

Oh no! Yes, there's an overnight freeze forecast next week. Better cover those early blossoms with some old blankets.

My peach, plum, and pear tree buds are still asleep. One of the things I've learned about the 13 peach trees in the yard, is that they will blossom over weeks and not all at the same time. So there's an advantage in having more than just one or two of each kind of tree, if you have the space.

Last year I recorded in my Garden Logbook 2009, that five of the peach trees had fully blossomed by 28-Feb. The buds on the other eight trees were just beginning to show a little pink.
The peach tree that yielded the most fruit had not fully blossomed till mid-March.

[PeakOiler]

Here's a link (shortcut) to this same thread (page 11) a year ago:

http://peakoil.com/planning/citrus-and-peach-trees-t37132-150.html

How's your citrus doing Shannymara?

[JJ]

Oh, I can't cover the trees, they are WAY too big...

[strider3700]

My meyer lemon that I decided to plant in the front yard to dare winter to be cold took a beating back in december on one cold night. All of it's leaves have dropped and the outer tips are dead. The main branches still are green when I scratch them with a finger nail though so I have hopes that it will return when spring finally gets here. It dropped to -12C 10F one night and I just had it in a small plastic green house affair. The forecast was for -6 and that should have been good enough. The fig and olive tree both survived in the backyard though. The fig was out in the open and the olive tree had it's own mini green house. It must have been just that little bit warmer in the corner.

[PeakOiler]

Oh, I can't cover the trees, they are WAY too big...

How about covering some of the lower branches then? Or get one of HEB's chimeneas...

[PeakOiler]

My meyer lemon that I decided to plant in the front yard to dare winter to be cold took a beating back in december on one cold night. All of it's leaves have dropped and the outer tips are dead. The main branches still are green when I scratch them with a finger nail though so I have hopes that it will return when spring finally gets here.

Ouch. Sorry to read that, Strider. Your lemon tree may survive, but it will be in poor condition to produce much fruit for another year...

[PeakOiler]

The "I'm not quite dead, I'm getting better" potted grapefruit tree in the house is putting out some new leaves.