Thanks Jan, I hear you. Most of the heavies are laying low. A lot of members find offseason very boring. Remember the old saying, “ I got better things to do”.

This world is now full of Powergrabbers, Russia, China, Middle East, even in our own country U.S.A. Small countries have them to, how about Walmart/Amazon/Google owners.

We have a party here that. Love to see minimum wages at $1.25 like in third world countries, including China, instead $15.00.

Don,t need to say more! Just grow your little tree’s, be happy. Tomorrow you might live in a small condo on the nineteenth floor.

I am in my elements, filling my days, no shortage on things to do. Sitting right now with a strong cup of coffee, planning my next 12 hours. Take care, all of you!! Hopefully things get better.

I am glad to see your doing well. I am doing well and so are my trees. My grafted Fukushu Has spent 25 nights outside in January, only 19 nights outside in February, and has only spent 1 night inside due to cold.. This coming Friday Saturday,and Sunday we will drop to 30, 20, and 30. The tree will come inside then to warm the roots as well the trees' need to be inside for the 24F night.

Steve

Hi bob!!! oh it’s so good to hear from you! I’m sending well wishes to you and your family and trees! yes I agree everyone laying low don’t know how all the other northerners are doing hope they’re well too. Bob agreed you know when I was at Walmart the other day I saw two elder ladies get into a physical fight Over toiletries it’s chaos and we are planning to hunker down in the next couple weeks in the greenhouse soaking in some sun And enjoy ourselves puttering around the house. Take care My friend!!

steve you lucky Duck! It’s been cold here but sunny not yet able to take out the citrus just yet but enjoying the sun :) take care!

All's well in my world. It was a crazy mild winter even for here in SE Texas. We had a few heavy frosts but that was it and never went below 30F. Lemon, calamondin, and kumquat fruit overwintered on the trees so I'm still picking fruit off the trees as I need them. A buuuunch of new blooms on a young Satsuma orange I planted a few years ago. The blood orange is also blooming again with more flowers than last year so I'm optimistic I'll get even more than the 32 blood oranges I got last year. They Meyer is looking good after a really soggy year so hopefully it will continue to live in its over-wet location. Also seeing tiny leaves perking out from the Peter's honey fig Laura sent cuttings for and from a plum I planted several years back. Getting loooots of fruit from a Japanese Plum (Loquat) so it's definitely spring here!

Hello Jan and thank you! Not so well here. We get a few unusually warm days then back to harsh cold temps again. I am also in the midst of a flu crises that threatens the way we live here. We may go under marshall law here in Ma. and yet no one can stop me from playing in my greenhouse, thank God. I am praying everyone is ok and comes through this virus thing and things go back to normal. My trees are just dying to go back out by now. Hugs to all

Oops, correction on my assertion we had no days under 30F. I looked at our record and found two nights in November than hit 26F and two other nights at 38 and 39F. Just details I know but wanted to correct it.

Jan, how are you coming with your collection, anything new? You, take good care of yourself, don’t take any unnecessary chances. Same with Amy and the long lost soul Brian, maybe he is mad at the world or us.

John I too have a peters honey fig but never got fruits have you ever gotten fruits from yours if so how was it? Thinking of getting a petite negra so it can fit in my greenhouse. Glad you’re ok!

mike there you are! I’m so sorry to hear that I know exactly what you mean so many Businesses around here are closing And everyones losing their jobs and everyone’s futures are up in the air. it’s really been a crazy couple weeks and the thing is this all happened so fast just last week things were still ok relatively speaking. Take care mike! Lots of hugs!!

lol bob! Im pretty sure Brian’s in his board shorts in that nice warm greenhouse of his. Bob I’ve been perusing many a nursery catalogues thinking of getting a petite negra fig something small enough to fit in the greenhouse and of course theres that valentine pumelo coming this spring and a litchi and thinking of getting a couple persimmons just not sure which one will be available at the local nursery here! too many to count and list here bob! When they arrive I will post pictures definitely how about you bob? Anymore to add to your collection? Take care bob and keep your immune system up by eating all your fruits :)

Jan, you want to grow some tricky ones. Figs, lots of them taste the same, so if you only wants to grow one, you better know the variety you really like, petite means small as you well know, it’s ok. There are better ones. Check out the Ourfig forum first while you still have time. Let me know your decision before you buy.

Now persimmon, first of, there are two kinds, astringent and none astringent, totally different. One you eat like an apple, the other has to be really ripe and soft. I like the soft ones, the astringent ones, so is my wife.

I use to grow about a dozen different varieties, now only four, that’s 20 years later. The one that I grow more than others is a Spanish one Roya Brilliante. This one, is the most wanted persimmon, and for a while I am the only source for this one. In the last 6 or 7 years I have send out about 50 or more packages nationwide, it has also given me all the fancy mandarin I now grow in exchange. So study a bit, Google it also.

As always, good luck, stay in touch! Roberto.

Jan, My Peter's Honey Fig is newly planted....a year or two ago...so it's not producing yet. It did have a couple of tiny figs trying to grow out at the beginning of winter. I guess it was those two nights that went to 26F that shut it down. At that time, it was still fully leaved and actively growing. My Celeste had gone dormant at least a month prior. The Honey Fig has a really nice shape (straight up) thus far and is leafing out now.

Ok for now and I’m glad I have 40 fruit tree varieties growing on my small property along with other berries and grapes etc.... I gave my son in law who lives a few miles all kinds of vegetable seeds to plant at his dads house who has 5 acres. Between the two of us we are hoping to sustain our family supply of annual fruits and vegetables. He also has a couple cattle, goats and chickens.

Nick, you are all set. I am all set also, live on the lake, made fish habitats can get fish freezer full if I want. My cattle looks a little different, these are my 6 amigos.

Bob, I love your heard of deer. I hope they are staying away from what you are growing that is important to you. I know a friend of mine that gave up growing many bushes, perrenials and hosta because he could not win. But they are so beautiful. Hey, if Walmart and stores like that run out of stuff you can grow, then you will be one of the lucky few. Be strong and safe. Hey, I meant to tell you THANK YOU for all you do here and for the smiles. Nice lake by the way.

Jan, someone cancled their appointment to come in my work today because they had that virus. Thank God. They think someone at my other friends work has it. If that is the case, all his fellow co workers and himself will have to stay home for two weeks. I work at a Golf Course part time which brings me over 400 a week and they closed yesterady, cash I will not see unless they find a way to keep me busy. Thank God I am not a bi spender when I get extra money and stick it away incase of things like this.

So many things happening and I hope everyone is safe here. I think of Laura and her kids, Many old timers here and some with medical conditions. I worry more about them and my mother rather than myself. I do take care of myself and eat right and work out and take products to keep my immune system up, but it does not mean I won't get it or have it and don't know it. I hope to God we are all ok at the end of this and still talking citrus trees and all the nice things of live. At least if we are put in lock down, I can think of many things to catch up on at home and you can sit in that beautiful greenhouse my friend.) Many hugs.

Hey, Brian, where are you? Miss you buddy! Jan, if you ever get to chat with Brian, tell him he is missed , please. I lost his phone number because my old phone broke!! I can't text him or e-mail him now(

Nick, how big is your property? 40 trees is pretty nice. <- disregard, I think I watched your video of your mostly potted trees from a year ago.

Bob, what do you use to deter your pets from visiting your plants? I've had vege and fruit trees nibbled by my deer. Electric fence doesn't work well when the soil is dry from drought. So, I also use netting and plain fencing to deter and some habanero garlic spray to deter squirrels, chipmunks, and deer.

Bob your property is gorgeous!!!! I’ve been wanting to move out to the country for a while now and a small lodge cabin on a lake with fish sounds like a dream come true perhaps one day when I retire :) Bob you’ve given me lots to think about! I will definitely need to do my research for sure right now the problem is I don’t have a sunny spot for my fig in ground so I will need to pot it in a container hence the size limit. but will let you know once I decide! So many to choose from even the violet de Bordeaux I heard tons of good things about. And the persimmons wow I never heard about roya brilliante before!!

John let me know about your fig I’d love to see what kind of fruit it will produce :)

nick youre lucky! it sounds so peaceful and self sustaining :)

Mike, you better be super careful. If they tell me stay home, I tell them, no problem, I have been practicing for 20 years, it’s rough but I can handle it.

Those 6 amigos stop by every morning, I feed them for 2 months, January/February than they be on their own. I learn to live among them. My citrus tree’s and others are fenced in with a 60” high fence. Have 3 fenced in yards, have minimal problems. Sometimes they break in, sometimes I leave the gates open. I grow so much, so what If they help them self.

They don’t bother citrus, persimmon, paw paws, pears, plums, most are grafted high.

Jan, the one you mentioned is just so so, they also call them Negronne. Have a few of them.

Smith is what you want, have a few of them to, very nice, put that one on your list, so keep on looking, don’t know what’s available for you. Have Violette de Soleis also and a few others.

Hope Laura, my true longtime friend,is doing fine, a forum without her is a no.........! Hope to joint soon again.

Mike I didn’t even see your post I’m sorry! Everyone’s so flustered here as well! our grocery stores are empty and the streets are so dead like a ghost town. It’s very eerie. mike I’m so sorry about your work place but your health is number one and I’m glad you’re home safely now and not having to go out to work I’m glad you have a nest egg to fall back on I too am the same way and squirrel some away for a rainy day! My cousin works at an airport and he’s saying his co worker got it too Now they’re in self isolation now. And they’re expecting thousands to come back with a positive test in the coming weeks! I just can’t believe how fast this thing is growing! Mike please take care of your mom she’s in my prayers also! I think about everyone here as well it’s so concerning! I am hoping to see Brian and amy And Laura too on here I truly hope they’re ok And quite worried. I will let you know if he pops up although I don’t even know how to message ppl on this thing except for to post. lol you know me and my tech knowledge not so good! Anyways please take care mike! Many hugs to you and your family!!

bob what figs rate best in your eyes?

Oh bob just read your recommendation thank you!!! Smith it will be :)

Hello! I hope everyone is alright. I just want to let you know that I am safe. A lot of things has changed here. Schools are closed for at least two weeks and stores start to close one by one. It’s very sad. I feel relieve that my kids are staying home with me because I know that they are safe.

Mike, be safe ok? A lot of people here are working from home so if you have to go out be careful! I hope that everything will be back to normal soon.

Jan, my twin from to other side of the country, how are you? I have a few fig trees and I can send you some cuttings when this covid19 will be over. Jan, how are you doing with your aerogarden? So you like it?

Bob, I am glad that you are well! With everything that you are growing on your property you don’t have to worry about food shortage. Everything is really crazy here. Can you believe that people are fighting over toilet papers here and police officers have to intervene? I am not jocking. Last time I went grocery shopping, I saw security officers guarding toilet paper section. It’s really insane here.

Here areca few pictures of my trees so we can all forget what is happening for a while:

Tango is loaded

My santa teresa:

lots of flowers everywhere!

This one is for you Mike

Hi guys! I’ve read most of the comments and am happy to hear that you are all well. Bob, stay away from everyone - except your wife of course ;). I love your property and big lake - and your amigos! Given your health history with your heart, you have to be extra careful. Mike, I’m so sorry to hear about your job. This is a tough time for everyone. Hang in there! Jan, Steve, John (happy to hear your fig tree is growing!), Nick, Ken, and Amy (your fruit look lovely!). Amy, I’ve really enjoyed my ST lemons - those have become my favorite lemons.

We are well here, hunkered down. Bob, Thomas hightailed it out of NYC last Thursday and so we are all home. My husband, luckily, has a secure job and is working from home indefinitely. I’m ordering groceries and doing lots of cooking and organizing. Today my kids learned how to clean their bathrooms. I have been fortunate to have cleaning ladies for many years, but we asked them not to come for the foreseeable future (although we will continue to pay them while we can). I figured my kids needed some housekeeping lessons. Tomorrow I plan to set my 10 yo loose with the vacuum cleaner! Lol. She can’t swim because the Naval Academy is closed, so she can put her excess energy to good use ;). I will send prayers and healthy vibes to all of you my friends. Please be careful. I studied public health and lots of epidemiology in graduate school and this is not something to be taken lightly. My sister in law is a critical care doc in NJ and they are already getting overwhelmed - and this is just the beginning. Be safe my friends!!

Oh and my trees are happy outside in spite of the cold. I need to hose them down more and spray them, but I’m still doing some pruning.

Amy!! There you are!!!thank god you and your family are alright! It’s so good to hear from you I can’t believe how bad it is over where you are! I saw the same thing!! I saw two elderly ladies physically fight for toilet paper I always thought the food would go first and people would fight over food and water I guess I was wrong! things are crazy here too with school closures and businesses and everything. Amy I would love a cutting when all this virus stuff dies down thank you so much for the offer! Amy I really truly love the aerogarden so much so that I bought two more lol! I’m now growing heirloom tomatoes along with heirloom salads. How about yours? Btw your trees are gorgeous!!!! That Santa Theresa is really beautiful!and I love that orchid! I will live my dreams through you for now since I still am terrible with them lol. My citrus hasn’t done much waking up and my gold nugget has dropped almost all leaves and is droopy hope it will perk back up. Please take care out there Amy and stay home when you can With the kiddos! hugs!

laura! It’s so good to see you on here too reporting all is fine :) good to hear about your husband and your kids pitching in with the house chores! Although if this is just the beginning it’s going to be a terrible summer. I thank god for this forum and our citrus hobby to keep us occupied while we bunker down. Take care laura! Would love to see some pictures lucky you were able to take them out this early! I think mine will be in the greenhouse a couple months longer. Anyways keep safe and you’re right this is not to be taken lightly keep your kiddos safe and at home :)

sending prayers to everyone and their families!!

Guatemala is closed. The new President is a doctor; so people tend to trust him; we are all quarantined till at least 31 March; I can't even go to my farm. No public transportation; and virtually everyone in the street is police. They will stop you, if you go out; and you better have a good reason to be out of your house. We have now 9 cases; and one death (85 year old coming from Italy) All the cases are already in quarantine from a flight arriving from Europe. Luckily I have a big garden, a rooftop urban forest; and a book I am writing to keep me busy.

John My roof top forest is still in winter browns.

Steve

My conditions here in western Louisiana are much like John 9a's, 75 or so miles west of here, very mild winter, with a couple of early freezes in October, and that was it. I still have some citrus fruit hanging on the in ground trees. It has been very busy the last couple of weeks, I bought a couple of sacks of 50 pound fertilizer on March first, one for citrus and blueberries, one for the stone fruit and other fruit, and the only thing I have managed to get fertilized are the 14 blueberry bushes, which are now in full bloom. The rest keep getting put off until tomorrow for the last 2 weeks, as I am also building an outdoor hydroponic garden this year. It started out a month ago with plans to grow 4 or 5 tomato plants, a few cucumbers, 3 or 4 types of peppers, 6-8 romaine lettuce plants and a couple of dozen strawberries plants. Due to world events it has grown to also include onions, green beans, and carrots. It is just now getting going good, and so far only some lettuce has been harvested. For those of you that know hydroponics, the tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries are growing in a PVC pipe NFT rail system, set up as a long L shaped rail along the edge of the deck / porch. The Lettuce is in a plastic tote set up as a DWC with a bubbler, and the onions are next to it in a shallow DWC bubbler gravel bed with, and the green beans, etc. will be going into a recirculating dutch bucket system. Division is due to having 3 fertilizer nutrient profiles.

Brian is just now coming down the ski slopes, give him time, he will joint soon. He remind me of Chevy Chase in the movie, Christmas Vacation.

Bob, I hope you are right. I have been a bit worried about Brian.

Laura, Ike, John , Steve, and Jan, please be safe. It is crazy and I hpe this all blows over soon. Sounds like you all have a great place to escape whyou wait this thing out and Laura I am glad your family is together. Keep em busy for sure)

Amy, hello our friend. Thank you for such a nice pic. Is that orchid in your new greenhouse? It is so beautiful and well done growing, of course that and all your other trees) Hugs to you too even if it is from a distance. Looks like none of us can get close to anyone until this is all over anyways().

I am also hearing I might be in lockdown come Monday. This is the caziest thing I ever heard. All the malls are closed and resteraunts and next gyms. Our whole way of life as we know it is upside down. I just hope many can still pay their bills and live without income.

John, wow.

Mike

My son in law just got some great news. There is a 1/4 acre empty lot behind his property that the land owner said he can use for free. Its been vacant for years with overgrown weeds. So we are going to till it and plant fruit trees and year around vegetables. So it looks like our families will be self sustained and his dad has a few cattle, goats and chickens on his 5 acres nearby.

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is quarantined at home and safely.
John I didn’t know the situation in Guatemala is so bad. I’m glad you can keep busy I’ve been driving my family crazy at home.

bob lol hope you’re right about Brian!

mike are you guys on lockdown yet? How’s your situation over there? Yes4terday was our last day of work and everyone is home now. what a crazy time indeed! Sending my love to you and your family over there especially your mom. Hope she is doing well. Thought I’d post a picture of my plum tree waking up from winter and covered in blossoms to cheer every one up and remind everyone spring is on its way :)

Nick I would be elated! What a fantastic neighbour you have!

Jan, start thinking summer. How about a persimmon tree with some strange looking globs!

Nick, that is just great news. Good for you. I wish my neighbor would let me use the part of his yard that has all over grown brush. I have limited space at my place.

Jan, hello. I have never seem entire countries shut down like this. Who would of thought? Nothing surprises me anymore. AS long as we don't have marshal law or close our state broeders, that would scare me. Thank God it's just essentials that have to go to work and of course I am one of them. At least I am not on furlough like all my fellow employees in the sale department. Two weeks off no pay. I hope this gets over with soon and if they tell us to stay in place, if it comes to that. I would not mind. Because then they would have to pay us to stay home and play with my yard and plants))) You be careful too. I know that it's bad up there. It doubled here over night and I always check my breathing to make sure I have none of it and I make my mom too. Thanks for asking about her. Play in your greenhouse where your lungs can be safe with lots of humidity and fresh air my friend. HUGS and I miss Brian..

Bob, wow, I wish I could grow those. I have never TRIED ONE before . Are they sweet?. They look good.

Bob Wow!!!! I would run someone over for trees like yours lol I bet that lasts you the whole year! wished I lived in your area to see those amazing fruits :)

mike I’m glad you’re safe and still getting pay! I know a lot of my relatives and friends who cannot make their mortgage payments and the wait time calling the bank to defer the payments is hours! I feel so terrible and yet there’s not much many of us can do in situations like these. My nurse friend told me that every time I go out when I come back in to strip to my undies and put all my clothes in the washer and go straight to the shower since I also live with my elderly mother. I’m very glad to hear of your safe family and mom :) Lol mike I love it so far the staying home except I’m driving everyone in my house nuts as I keep cleaning up after them and following my pets around with a broom lol I’m glad it’s sunny today we are forecasted to have two weeks of rain then what will I do lol! I have just tried my hand at grafting mike I’m so excited!! :) I cut myself several times I’m so clumsy and the whole thing took me hours lol oh well I guess we’ll see in three weeks :) I too am worried about Brian and family I truly hope he’s just been busy with his citrus. Take care my friend lots of hugs to you! :)

Here Jan! This is my shiranui grafted last year. Yes, the most difficult part is the waiting loll and time seems to slow since our confinement.

As you can see, not the cleanest cut!

Amy, you might want to put a couple of stakes to straightened your well deserved tree a bit at a time. If the tree carry a big load, you will cry a lot.

Thanks Bob, I will! I can’t wait to put my trees outside. Still one month to go for me.

I also miss Brian a lot. News papers reported that there’s a lot of covid19 cases in Ottawa so I am very worried for our friends

Amy wow!!!! Beautiful job! I think the cut healed up real nicely amy was this a cleft graft?! I grafted on a very small twig for the cleft graft so it was difficult for me to see if it lined up or not. Lol amy I’m sitting on my hands so that I don’t take a peek! Since my tape is not the see through kind I don’t know what’s going on under there I can’t wait to take a peek on the two week mark and wrap it back up again! I worry about Brian too I wonder why he hasn’t popped up here in a while. I hope come spring time he’ll come on here and post some pictures And update us. Amy I too will put my trees out May first cant wait to see how all your trees have grown :)