A new Oro Blanco to my collection! Pic

13 years ago

Good morning. Yes!

I received this beautiful dark green Oro Blanco tree from, you guessed it Four Winds since they are not only my friends. but have a big heart.

They knew the last tree I received was giving me a very rough time since I could not for the life of me contain the root stock from taking hold over my tree. No matter what I did, only after a week or two, I would have to keep pinching off new root stock growth while the grafted portion would not grow at all!

So in their haste to make me happy and in their understanding of this, they sent me a replacement tree of my choice and I chose the Oro Blanco.

I potted it up as soon as I got it into a 5.1.1 mix. Since I understand the concept behind it and could not come up with every exact ingredients, well in particular peat, I amended it a bit. I think it will be ok.

This is my mix: 5 parts of uncomposted, 'fir bark' and composted bark, 1 part of 'turface', 1/2 part of crushed granite, and 1/2 perlite. Just a pinch of lime.

I made sure to spread the roots apart and then filled in as best as I could around the roots making a mound of mix in the pot, then setting the tree on top. I then used my fingers to push the mix into and around the roots and then a barbecue stick to finish the job.

With the help from my Mom whom I am caring for, I watered the mix in very well and presto, stuck it under a tree for dabbled light.

Now I will check for pest, which there probably isn't any and spray it down with a good FE solution.

Please wish me luck with this one and thank you 'Four Winds' and all who have made it possible for me to be successful thus far.:-)

A look at the tree and a close up of the mix. I love the color of both the tree and the mix.

Mike

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Comments (15)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
Congratulations, Mike!
What an excellent specimen. I love Four winds!
Now you can invite even more people over to sample your fruit.

Josh
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AMaji
13 years ago
Congratulations Mike. I hope you enjoy that tree and its fruits for many years to come.
0
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Hi bedtime - I'm pretty much of a newbie around here myself, but welcome to you. Your plants look really great. I see several of them are still in grow pots...have you thought about double potting? That's where you get a pretty container, doesn't have to have a drainage hole - works better without, actually - make sure it's big enough to hold your plant in its grow pot, put a plastic liner inside, then set plant and grow pot right down into the decorative container. This is the way interior landscapers set up their plants. Got a short video on this if you want to look at it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG9PImILzh8. If you want to talk about anything, you can ask me here, or leave comments on the site. If you're looking to do some repotting, you'll find some great advice/experiences here on GW. Thought I'd toss in a couple of thoughts on your spath. I know, if you've done any reading, you've found there's lots of conflicting advice out there on practically everything to do with houseplants, and nothing worse than what you'll find on spaths, or peace lilies. Some people will swear that you have to let them dry out to wilt between waterings, others are adamant that they must be kept evenly (whatever that means) moist. You might wonder how this can be. I believe that it arises because spaths are among the most adaptable of plants; they adapt to a wide range of light, soil, and moisture, and still manage to look beautiful. Here's my experience. I've been an interior landscaper for 30 years, and I've had the opportunity to take care of probably thousands of spaths in all possible light conditions. I have found that while you don't want to allow them to actually dry between waterings, you don't want to keep them always moist, either. The soil moisture should reach the point where, if you spoon up some soil from well down into the pot and squeeze it between your fingers, it should feel cool and soft, stick together when you stop squeezing it, but fall apart easily if you touch the clump. I would call that "slightly damp." You can also test the soil by inserting a wooden dowel all the way to the bottom of the pot. There will be a little dirt sticking to the probe, and you will feel a trace of moisture if you run it between your fingers. When the soil reaches this level of aeration, it's time to water. At this point, you should water until you get a run off in your liner of 1/4 inch. I mention all this because if I saw a spath with the tip and margin yellowing/browning that yours has, I would advise the tech that the plant might be staying a bit too wet. You want the surface of the soil to dry out, and you don't want to inhibit the airflow in and out of the soil. If you're seeing green and white roots on the surface under the towels, that suggests to me that the bottom areas of the pot are too wet, so the plant is trying to find soil to colonize at the top of the pot. Also, humidity is really not the factor that many people think it is. I say this because, again, as an interior landscaper I have had the opportunity to deal with thousands of plants in interior, closed, very dry situations. Spaths do just beautifully without anyone ever worrying about humidity. One thing you might want to do is cut off the bottom, raggedy leaves. This will encourage the growth of new leaves, which will incidentally produce more flowers. (A thing I've noticed is that a spath leaf supports only one flower in its life time; if you want more flowers, you need more leaves.)
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I would continue to water your poor tree, and 1/2 strength fertilizer. It appears (very, very early to tell for sure, yet), that the sprouting you see if from above the graft line, so it would be your tree starting to recover, miraculously. I would also very carefully remove the shipping stick. It serves no purpose, and is starting to girdle your tree. Patty S.
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This is a 6 year update to my Oro Blanco on macrophylla rootstock. This is the first year that this tree has produced juicy fruits. Every year prior I have had nothing but dry fruits. The crop is exceptional this season and I credit my new fertilizer regime that I started last spring. I added foliage fertilizer with micro nutrients and almost all my trees have had bumper crops this year. The tree is literally bending under the weight of all the fruit it’s holding sorry for the upside down pics. Evan
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The flavor of Oroblanco is very mild, sweet, a little lacking in flavor. Trying to describe the flavor, it's like 45% pomelo, 35% grapefruit, and 20% orange. It's supposed to have the least bitterness out of all the grapefruit varieties, but in all fairness the two I just bought at the market were very bitter, so apparently that can be very variable with growing conditions. Pomelo is wonderful, but unfortunately these huge fruits can't always ripen to full sweetness in our climate. There are some places further inland away from the coast where the summers get scorching hot that grow them. Unlike grapefruit, Pomelos can't handle winter temperatures much colder than climate zone 9b or 10.
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hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
13 years ago
Well done, Mike! Your Oro Blanco looks really nice, an excellent specimen, and yes, Four Winds are a great outfit! All my Four Winds trees have done extremely well. In fact, I'll have to snap a photo of little Honey mandarin I purchased from Four Winds. It is so full of fruit, I'm thinking of possibly thinning it. I rarely if every have to do this, but this little tree is SO happy, and is so well established, all the fruit set. Amazing, and I do think a testimony to how Four Winds starts their trees. All of my Four Winds trees have established this way in the ground for me. Enjoy your Oro Blanco, it is a delicious citrus, I just love it. All the flavor of a grapefruit without all the bitterness. And, it doesn't need the heat to sweeten up, so it's perfect for our area here in the mild N. San Diego coastal climate. Love Four Winds, and hope they continue to offer more unusual types of citrus:
{{gwi:621716}}

{{gwi:621718}}

Patty S.
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newgen
13 years ago
Great tree, I also bought one by Four Winds, but at Home Depot. Mine's in the ground, fighting citrus leaf miner, tough little guy, taking all the miners can give and keep growing.
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meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Josh: Thanks buddy! It is one tree that I am going to treasure. You know I have a very big liking to the Oro tree!

Amaji: Thanks so much. I hope so too. Have a great night:-)

Patty, my dear Patty: I LOVE that tree and look at all that fruit you have there. Now that is going to be one very happy tree I tell you. I love every tree I have ever received from them plus more. We shall have to do updates from time to time on these. Patty, my calf muscle swelled up today and I hope it was just do to my first exercise for my leg to foot. I am icing now.
Many a good night to you and all

MIke:-)
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Andrew Scott
13 years ago
Hey Mike,
Nice tree ya got there! Can you help me buddy?? I forgot how you mix the FE for spraying for insects and I really need to get this down. I was so ANGRY because I am battling spider mites on 2 of my 3 largest angel trumpets outdoors.

I thought that I would be safe with them outside but I guess not.

I am going to be like a mad scientist with my 'ORo' over the winter. Conducting my own experiments to see if I can successfully air layer it and then get it to grow on it's own roots.

The flowers and scent are worth it alone!!

How's that foot coming along? GReat tree, and I know it's in great hands!! Hmm...maybe i need to enter that contest again!

Hey Josh,
How are ya? It's been a long time huh! How are you and your citrus doing?

Take care,
Andrew
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hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
13 years ago
I know, Mike, isn't that crazy!?! I might have to pull some of the fruits, I think this tiny tree has like 20 some fruits on it. Maybe more, it's hard to see them all. The Calif. Honey mandarin is a very vigorous tree that is a prolific bearer. It's actually a hybrid (one of the Willowleaf mandarin hybrids that have been so successful). I think it tends to be alternate bearing, so this must be its "on" year. So, I don't expect a lot next year, but that's okay, I've got plenty of other mandarins :-)

And as to your calf muscle - I suspect you've also had some Achilles's tendon involvement with your fracture, so some swelling from your PT is probably going to happen in the beginning. So, after your PT, elevate your foot and ice it, plus ibuprofen as your doc has prescribed (or, whatever anti-inflammatory drug he's told you to take.) The PT will get better, it will be less painful. The worst part of PT are the first 3 sessions :-) It does get better, promise!

Patty S.
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meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Patty:

More than helping with my trees, I thank you for your expertise and encouragement with my condition lately. You actually gave me a reason to smile this am and even a more reason to consider you a friend.
I really appreciate you around these parts. Today is much better. I think it was a side effect of PT yesterday and it never occured to me that the Achilles's was going to cause this, me a Massage Therapist. Thanks for your advice:-)

Yes, that is one awesome tree to say the least! I wish my Oro Blanco had come loaded with fruit like that.lol
I actually had a bit of the fruit the last time my other tree provided me a few fruit and it did not bother me at all:-)
Yes, no worries, you have plenty more where that fruit came from.

Patty: FYI. Did you know that Four Winds has that contest every month? Yes, I think you could win one:-)
Here is there number and ask Kerri to explain. She will fill you in:-) 1(877) 449-4637 then press 1

Andrew, nice surprise!

Lol..I can't imagine you being a mad scientist, but you have on occasion chopped the limbs off of trees, ripped off the heads of a few bugs,tossed a sickly tree out in the dump, and certainly decapitated all the fruit on your Lemon trees..

Do you have a MG end sprayer?
I usually fill one of those things up half way with FE, and let that container do the job. Once it fills with water from the hose, both the FE and water come out in a perfect ratio. Now is the time to spray Andrew. You need to treat at least 3-4 times every couple of days before they come inside.
If your mite problem is very bad, you may have to take more desperate measures. But I think you will be ok if you start this weekend.
Don't forget to drench especially under the leaves and the soil mix.

You are SOOOOO right about the scent and flowers of the Oro! One huge flower open will fill the house and yard with fragrance, especially on a very humid morning or evening! Have you even considered a flowering plant like a Brunfelsia? Ok, we will not even go there..lol

Mike
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mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
13 years ago
Great tree Mike and Patty. Next spring I may have to get one of these wonderful Four winds trees.

Andrew if you dont have a hose end sprayer like mike, I use a 1 gallon pump up sprayer and mix a cup of FE to a gallon of water.

mike
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meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Hey Andrew.

Mike's method works too. He has been blessed with bug free plants lately, well at least from spider mites.

Thanks Mike!

Mike
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johnmerr
13 years ago
Mike, I have 3 Oro Blanco Pomelos...aka Sweetie; a cross with the grapefruit; so it remains for me to see what the fruit tastes like. I also have 3 Chandler pomelos; it is not available here, so I bought one for my son in Sacramento from Four Winds; and then I brought a few buds into Guatemala and created them here. As I have lots of space, my Pomelos are on Macrophylla root; so I expect fruit in 2 years. My Meyers are on the same root and i have fruit set at 10 months from budding.
I don't have any grapefruit; because, when I was doing nutrition studies at UCDavis, I learned that pigs (whose digestive system is nearly identical to humans) will not eat grapefruit... they will eat almost anything else including another pig. From that I reasoned that if a pig won't eat grapefruit, then John ain't eatin no grapefruit.
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meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
John..lol You are funny! Can they handle all other citrus? If not, then I know what I resemble.lol

Man you are so lucky to have trees like that! Just wonderful John:-0)
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Andrew Scott
13 years ago
HEy Mike,
Now I have another question. I had asked about the mature size of the Oro grapefruit. MY tree has a "Y" shape to it. I have had the tree for a year so it's what....about 3 years old now(I got the 2 year old tree last year)?

Anyhow I have 3 good sized fruits on the tree. Thankfully it is still happily living outdoors. Temps have been cooler but still in the 50's to 60's at night...days in the low to mid 70's.

The fruits are on a branch that is still small in diameter. My darn camera is broken right now, otherwise I would take pics of it! What I am trying to figure is how to support them so the limb doesn't snap. IT's almost bent straight down all ready. IF it wasn't for the fact that I REALLY want to taste these fruits, I would remove 2 of them so to take stress of thast branch.

I was almost thinking of making a make shift hammock with an onion bag...thinking that there would still be air circulating around the fruits.

Do you have any tips?

Thanks!
Andrew

Ooh how's the foot?
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meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi Andrew!

I have had fruit that heavy on mine and it would bend the branch but never break it. It did distort the shape of my tree and I eventually cut it off.

I have used a stick and pushed it into the pot and tie off the fruit to be supported.
You will be amazed at how tasty the fruit is once you bite into it. Look at how nice you are doing so well with your trees.

The foot still hurts like crazy but is coming along ssslllooowwllyy. I am finally able to stand on it and walk with the aid of one crutch, but I am being told that I should not get discouraged because I am coming along better than I think by my therapist.
I am just happy enough to be able to carry my plants in and out for protection and rearange them outside.
I wish I was able to climb out onto my flat sunny roof too, but that will have to wait.
Another 7 days of temps warm enough for our trees to thrive. 70's by day and 60's by night. Very HUMID for the next 5 days!

I hope to see pictures soon. It has been awhile since I have seen yours. I hope you are well and the back in tip top shape!

Mike
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Andrew Scott
13 years ago
HEy Mike,
I know I had asked this before and you were going to answer after everyone else had a chance....how large did your Oro fruits get and how long did they take to get to maturity? Mine are now bigger than a baseball and I noticed the other day that the skin is now just starting to give a little when I put just a little pressure on it. I'm not trying to bruise or damage the fruits but I am kind of wondering how much longer of a wait I will have.

I am really debating on buying another Meyer this spring. I know I could get one from this awesome greenghouse/nursery in PA. That's where I got the 6ft tall monster I sadly lost last year.

The good news is that I could get it at the same price that they buy it for!

Take care, and glad to hear your foot is improving. Just be patient Mike! Please be carefull moving your plants around!

Andrew
0

A new Oro Blanco to my collection! Pic

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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

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