Barbara, good luck on your trees...I am g;lad they are much hardier than mots plants if not over watered or held up in a ix that stays wet too long...You must be doing a great job to have them last this long under those conditions...Please keep us updated)

Yeah how did they do?

So far they're fine. I think the 31*f was only a few hours in the wee early morning hours around 4 to 6 am. Most are in pots but they went under the covered patio with sheets over them. Those few in the pic seem OK also, those were Valentine pomelo, Bearss lime, Tango mandarin and a root stock Cuban Shaddock which I keep just for fun, the fruit are like a lemon and pretty decent.

Mikerno the trees that are over 50 years were not planted by me. They came with the house. I think they are on sour orange root stock as that was the norm for that time. They are isolated and were spared the mid-century devastation of Tristeza virus. Navel oranges on sour orange root stock are SO amazingly sweet with a depth of ORANGE flavor that it's a shame the root stock is so susceptible . A truly superior fruit. I would be so sad it those two trees died someday.

Actually in this area if you can keep a tree alive through winter for the first 5-7 years planted in the ground they are usually fine. The large canopy they develop by that time itself will protect the graft and the roots. Even in extreme winters like the one a couple years ago where we had temps in the 20*f for about 10 days the older trees survived. They lost a lot of branch tips and some lost blossom wood that year and had almost no fruit when it warmed, the trees themselves survived.

But some folks did lose the more tender types like Key limes. Some lemons, oranges and especially mandarins lived. But we're near the coast by 20 miles or so, and the S.F. bay itself moderates the temps. I heard those more inland lost a lot of older trees that year.

It's an interesting sight to see all those suspended towels at points in the yard in your picture, and you have my condolences on your temperatures. Our high today is 80 with a low of 74 :)

Barb,

If your orange is 50 years old, don't discount the possibility that it is on Macrophylla rootstock; it was quite popular at that time due to its vigorous growth and relative resistance to both drought and wet feet.

Interesting. I'll look into that. I don't know exactly how old the two trees are, but the previous owner bought the place in 1962 and the trees were already here then.

Barb, I never knew your trees were exposed to those temps until you said so..You did a great job covering them up...I hope all goes well...Thanks for the back round and info..