Hey Steve, There are a lot of people more knowledgeable than me but I'll try to help. I looked up your location and you are in USDA zone 8b which is good for cold hardy citrus. It really depends how much time you want to put into cold protection. I am in South Alabama in 8A and have Satsumas, Changsha, Meyer Lemon, Kumquats, Sanbokan Sweet Lemons, and a Limequat in the ground. This winter my lowest temperature so far was 19 last month. I protect the Satsumas, Lemons and Limequats by sprinklers. The Changshas do well on their on when they get some size on them. Check out some pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/jbwindham/Dec2006Freeze As far as wet ground goes there you have a problem. Citrus do not like wet ground. They get foot rot. All is not lost though. I'll bet the LSU Ag Center or your local extension agent can tell you the best rootstock for damp soils. http://www.lsuagcenter.com/ Good luck with the citrus. Jack

I'm a newbie and I need help. We just moved to N. E. Louisiana from Maryland this June. We aren't farmers or gardeners (yet). Our property hasn't been farmed in fifty years. We have an old pear tree that we meant to cut down but didn't get around to. Half of the limbs are dead. The main trunk and one of the secondary trunks are completely hollow. It is covered in suckers that are all twisted into the main branches. The last storm knocked down numerous dead limbs. It definitely looked to be on it's last leg. But boy, it put out huge amounts of big delicious pears this fall. How do we save it or can we graft it? We also have a younger pear tree on the property that put out a huge amount of tiny inedible pears. Thanks

I'm sorry.... Louisiana tree issues in many of these cases prefer to equate personal property and life against an unsafe tree- forget how beautiful or how old the tree. And when their tree damaged or maybe kills another person simply because of refusal to remove or simply cut back sounds like Crazy People talking. To add insult to injury a person quivers over the lowest insurance deductibles when YOUR tree causes the damage! What? Listen, I love trees and the clean positive environments contributions. But people where there are living breathing tax paying residents those residents should be provided the community safety for which tax paying property owners expectations should common-sensibly provide. Call me a crazy California transplant to Louisiana. Below the mason dixie line seems to permits a sense of thinking that becomes a struggle to stay SANE! My mother's property is surrounded by dangerously overhanging trees and for 2 years nothing can be done about it according to this insane Louisiana law (thinking). Lyndon Johnson, a Caddo Rep placed a Vote for Me sign in the midst of the disturbing rubbish surrounded by junk and trees. When contacted his response was he could do nothing about the overgrown area... it belonged to a property owner. Let's use common sense and yes neighborly would not be asking too much. My opinion, laws and thinking needs to change!! Still fighting for resolutions.....

My sons father-in-law is grafting Oconee on native stock south of Houston. He is having good results. I have a tree that may be a Choctaw, it was here when I came. Thin shell and high oil. Good shade. a little smaller nut but fine flavor for an improved varity. Mooreland is reccomended for our area but dont know anyone that has one. Scab is a big problem here for non resistant types. Check womacknursery.com they specialize in pecans east and west, tells about Oconee, Desirable, Choctaw no Moreland.