Fruit and fragrance make citrus trees appealing
One of my early memories of moving to Texas was the scent of a bouquet of lemon blossoms. I had not experienced the sweet fragrance directly upon my face It’s a lingering memory.
Despite the recent freezes that have impacted our ability to enjoy our favorite citrus trees, by flower or fruit, we continue to try to grow plants that may die. But who cares? We do not enjoy happiness because it lingers, we enjoy it in the moment, and citrus provides plenty of those, with its perfume, thick in the air, and then again with its tart taste on the tongue.
Generally, the sweeter the fruit, the more cold hardy it is. Kumquats and satsumas are the most tolerant of temperatures in the low 20s. Sweet oranges are more tolerant than tangerines and grapefruits, while lemons and limes are the least cold hardy, to no one’s surprise.
There are several citrus varieties that do well around Harris County:
‘Meiwa’ kumquats are a favorite, with small fruit and few seeds. They are sweeter than the ‘Nagami’ variety.
One advantage to growing satsumas over other citrus is that they usually ripen before any cold events. ‘Owari’ is a standard productive tree, while ‘Miho’ is known to survive hard freezes. Other varieties include ‘Okitsu’ and ‘Brown Select.’
Many of the oranges offered locally are dwarf varieties, making harvesting a lot easier on the average homeowner. Successful varieties include ‘Pineapple,’ ‘Republic of Texas’ and Navel N-33 (dwarf ).
Did you know that Texas produces more grapefruit than any other fruit tree? ‘Rio Red’ is a natural mutation of ‘Ruby Red’ (a Texas favorite for decades), but it’s sweeter and seven times redder. ‘Bloomsweet,’ on the other hand, has a pale flesh with a flavor of grapefruit and orange. When growing grapefruit, do no overfertilize.
Mandarins are a type of orange, and clementines are a type of mandarin, but the family tree of these citrus gets confusing. Varieties recommended for the area are ‘Clementine,’ ‘Honey,’ ‘Page’ and ‘Pixie.’
You may have heard that Meyer lemons are not true lemons, and it is true. They are a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin, which accounts for the sweeter juice. Improved Meyer lemon comes in standard and dwarf size. ‘Ujukitsu’ is another sweet cross between orange and lemon (standard and dwarf ). ‘Eureka Frost’ is a true lemon, with fruit rounder and a thinner skin than Meyer. Prune lemons out to allow for larger fruit.
Although Thai limes are more cold sensitive than other varieties, all limes should be protected from frost and freeze. Thai limes are used not only for their bumpy looking fruits, but also for their leaves, in Asian cooking. Persian limes are practically seedless, while both Persian and Key limes are closest to maturity when greenish yellow to yellow.
Planting and care
The ideal time to plant citrus is October through March. If you do not want to plant a potted tree yet, then March is the time.
Plant in full sun with welldraining soil. Position the tree slightly higher than ground level and use the same soil to backfill the hole. Build a watering ring of soil 6 inches high and thick around the perimeter of the bed. Fill with a hose to allow slow absorption of water. New plantings need to be watered more frequently, but account for rainfall.
The short-term goal is to get the tree as established as possible before the heat of summer. When planting in a pot, use at least a 20-gallon container. This will provide enough room for roots to grow. Do not fertilize at time of planting. Wait for spring growth and then only fertilize during the growing season. Use a complete fertilizer (for example 10-10-10). After a couple of years, lawn fertilizer may suffice, unless micronutrients are needed.
Citrus disease and quarantines
Unfortunately, our area is fighting two citrus diseases with no cure: citrus greening and citrus canker. Prevention is the only management, but your help is needed. If you purchase a citrus tree here, you must not transport it outside of the quarantine area. The state is depending on the industry and homeowner diligence.
Citrus greening is a bacterium, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid insect. It has devastated millions of acres of citrus crops throughout the U.S. Symptoms include asymmetrical yellowing of the leaves, raised veins, stunting and deformed fruit. There are five counties (Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Montgomery) in the Greater Houston area that are part of a citrus greening disease quarantine, as specified by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Citrus canker is a contagious plant disease that reappeared in Texas in 2015. It is caused by a bacterium spread via wind and rain. Symptoms include premature leaf and fruit drop, blister-like lesions on leaves and fruit and general decline. There are small pockets in Harris and Fort Bend counties under a citrus canker quarantine.
If you suspect citrus disease, find more information and reporting procedures at texasagriculture.gov.
HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENER FRUIT AND CITRUS TREE SALE:
Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions about plant selections. 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. or while supplies last. Feb. 11. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 5373 Franz, Katy.
HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENER TOMATO SALE:
Peruse the demonstration and trial gardens while shopping. Order online between Feb. 1-16 for the best selections. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 18. Genoa Friendship Gardens, 1210 Genoa Red Bluff, Houston.
Plant sales are the primary fundraising events for the year that support volunteer and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension outreach programs. For more information, visit hcmga.tamu.edu