Thanks, fruitnut :-) I figured of all folks, you'd have this tree, lol! Really glad to hear this. This is the same opinion I got at Clausen's. They're always very honest about their opinions - they're a 2nd or 3rd generation nursery and have a wide variety of citrus and lots of experience with them. He gave me a 2 thumb's up on the Cara Cara and said he actually thought they were better than Washington, too, and that says a lot. Plus, they're very pretty, and great in a salad. I bought a Moro last year from Clausen's because of all 3 blood oranges, this one is the very best for our area according to Clausen's. Very dependable, gets sweet and very red. Much more consistent than Tarocco or Sanguinello. Mine hasn't flushed or blossomed, yet, so I'm going to pinch it and the Bearss Lime back a wee bit to force some flush. After this cold blast we're getting, though. then fertilize. I also picked up a Page mandarin and a Gold Nugget. Again, great, great reports on both of those. Clausen's also recommends Pixie, which I bought last year and is just beginning to send out little blossoms, so I'll have my first crop this year. My Clementine has about 15 little fruits, plus one ripe one I'm about ready to pluck to try. Plus picked up a few of Poms - Wonderful, Sweet, Phil's Sweet, and Pink Satin (Pink Ice). And I've got 3 more on order from Raintree - Eversweet, Parfianka and Red Silk. I needed something to fill in my hillside right below my citrus trees, where I have quite a bit of lavender and rosemary growing, and needed some pops of color. So, instead of just some Mediterranean ornamental, I opted for Poms which are ornamental and provide some great fruit! All told now, I've got about 60 different fruit trees and berry bushes. We'll be sharing with our neighbors and family for sure :-) Patty S.

az1455.pdf says: " ... citrus wood is naturally strong and is not as likely to break under the stress of a large fruit load. Furthermore, citrus trees can produce fruit in all but the most shaded part of the tree, and need not be regularly pruned to allow more light into the interior of the canopy. Even when the crop load is heavy, individual fruit size is large, so pruning to reduce the crop load and improve fruit size is not necessary except occasionally with tangerines. ... "Nevertheless, citrus trees should not be left completely unpruned. Proper citrus care for the young tree should include sprout removal, and cautious elimination of weak limbs within the tree canopy.

Thanks for all the follow-up. Wabash is great. There is a lady on Sat. that knows oh, so much. Thanks for the tip on Urban Harvest. I found out about them last nite. I am hoping to attend some of their classes concerning growing citrus in small spaces. Can't wait for their sale, but I understand it is crowded. For 10.00 you can attend an early listing of the fruit trees for sale and learn other things. Everyone seems to recommend satsuma, but I want an orange this time around. Is the Cara Cara red orange a dwarf variety or can it be trimmed to keep as a dwarf. You guys are great. Thanks for the info.

I have about a dozen Cara Cara; some in ground, others in pots. Oranges in general tend to drop a lot of leaves; so I wouldn't worry too much. Try giving it a bit more food; but really your tree looks quite good.