I have a bunch of citrus trees. 3 poncirus trifoliatas, 3 sweetlee tangerines, 2 nagami kumquats, 1 meiwa kumquat, 2 Meyer lemons, and 5 Hardy Chicago kumquats. The hardy chicago kumquats are the only trees that I never have a problem They go dormant in the first fall frost, I bring them out of hibernation 2 month before last frost. This is done under grow lights. The produce fruit fast and all season. I am very pleased with them. The fruit of the hardy chicago kumquat is distinctively different from all other citrus. They are very very rare at stores and other citrus sell for a dollar per pound (NOT WORTH GROWING).

see pics

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Branches are rooting while on the tree. THAT EASY
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You are to important to waist time on common citrus.

Click the link below to see where I got mine.

Stick with the hardy chicago

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ediblelandscaping.com/products/shrubs/Figs/

cfox,

If you have a Meyer, it IS an Improved Meyer; that is the name given to the new release of the Tristeza virus free cultivar in 1975. All Meyers sold today are Improved Meyer.

Steve. Why do you keep calling your figs kumquats.? A bit confused.

Mike

Cfox. Too funny but I Hera ya. It's all worth it in the end as many here have helped me to see))

mike I set out to grow kumquats and it is my figs that are doing so well, not citrus. So I call my figs kumquats to make fun of citrus and to show others that citrus is not worth growing.

Steve

Steve, if you're not growing citrus, you're wasting everyone's time here (like you always seem to be doing).

As typical, your post is off-topic, thread derailing, and generally not usefull.

Basically, you're being a troll.

cfox248 I understand the frustrations involved in growing citrus trees. They are down right hard to grow but can be very rewarding. All of mine are doing very well. I did want to show you that other subtropical ( Hardy chicago fig ) fruits can be grown easily up north. My string of pictures show how productive they are. I was not trying to tell you to give up on citrus, I am not going to either. I hope others may be encouraged to go figs as well as citrus. After all, if you are not convinced in the citrus forum to try figs, you'll never go to the fig forum to be encouraged.

The reason that citrus is so hard to grow is that it does not go dormant in winter. That is when all predator insects are gone and the light is so low the trees get sick. Figs shut down and hibernate. Go ahead and try one from ediblelandscaping.com as linked above. They go on sale for as little as $6.00 often. They grow fast, so get a small one. The tree above is 19 months old from a 2 inch cutting.

JoppaRich

I have given a lot of on topic advice over the years. I give 'out of the box' ideas through pictures on what I have done followed by instructions ( verbal and visual ) of technique that are low cost to free. I will continue sharing my ideas even though they wont apply to the majority. I would suggest that you look through my stuff and form ideas from it to what works for you. A pictures worth a thousand words. A video is worth a billion words

click bellow for citrus growing tips and tricks

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/citrus/msg0320572518736.html

This post was edited by poncirusguy on Thu, Nov 6, 14 at 7:38

Thanks all! I do not plan on giving up on citrus. My lemon tree, as much of a pain it is, will eventually fruit and it will be 100X better for all the work put into it. It's good to know that all Meyers are improved, I didn't know that.

As much as I'd love to get more fruit trees, it just isn't in the budget (sigh). Even a little $6 one - that means another pot, more dirt, etc etc. I have too many plants already, really! I can't help buying them every time I go to the garden center. It's a bad habit.

I have a plan for next winter for my citrus, so I'm prepared for the fight. We sadly get more winter than summer around here, so the trees spend at least 8 months inside. Lemon was doing GREAT last year, even flowered and set fruit in December, till I went out of country and it almost died from the lack of any kind of light. I know better this year!

I've actually never tried a fig before. I've had a Fig Newton, but I'm fairly sure those don't count. I would want to try a fig before getting a fig tree! (I don't even think they sell those around me... Where do you find figs?)

You can't buy figs around your area as for the trees you will have to mail order. Fig newtons don't count, check below and wait for a good sale. Fig trees are one plant that buying a small tree is better than buying a large one. I hope posting the fig tree pics above was helpfull.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ediblelandscaping.com/products/shrubs/Figs/

cfox

I will give you a link to my Photobucket display on citrus growing techniques. Everything there is open to public viewing. I have few problems with citrus with these setups .

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: [http://s1094.photobucket.com/user/wreristhechimney/library/?sort=4&page=0(http://s1094.photobucket.com/user/wreristhechimney/library/?sort=4&page=0)

JoppaRich

I have had smashing success with my citrus sweetlee tangerine trees from seed, My Meyer lemon trees (2) are looking great. My seed grown kumquat tree just got the boost of their life. They got a new home with some one that has the resources and time to give them they care they need. I have developed a great deal of knowledge on the growing potted citrus tree in clay-like soil. The roots of my crippled kumquat tree is massive and healthy. It is the spider mites that prefer kumquats over my citrus, tomatoes, peppers, ETC---. I will still say that up north the hardy chicago fig is the way to go. My fig link where I will send people to try figs.

I also corrected my smelling mistake of your GardenWeb user name in my last entry above this posting.

My sweetlee from seed tree at 21.5 months from sprouting

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0223165126211.html

Steve, can you tell me what exactly is a 'Sweetlee' tangerine?

I've never seen it for sale (as a plant).

Is it more of a tangelo (which the thorns might suggest)?

I got the tangerine at a specialty grocery store in an Amish/Mennonite territory. This store draws people for hundred of miles for it outstanding well documented variety selection. I google'd sweetlee and found one citrus journal that talk about special attempts to producing cold hardy citrus that would ripen before November frosts. To my knowledge, this tree was a failed attempt.

If you Google the rare "sweetlee tangerine tree" all you will get is Gardenweb artical pertaining to my tree. I thought the article I read was a PDF so I attache those letter and sill come up with my stuff or stuff like the lee tangerine is sweet, Sweet juice of the lee tangerine is -------. and so on.

I have never seen that variety of tangerine again.

Steve