I just ordered low-chill fruit trees for Florida!

[halo]

Thats a very good link. And I am all over planting "now".....I really miss being out in the garden.

Thats really the whole reason I moved down here. I love playing outside. All that winter time up north is just wasted time to me, and who has time to waste? So I moved here. I was just outside weeding a little bit; its still too nippy for me.

My hibiscus are all shot, too, but Im going to try them again. I love them too much not too. Hate to think of them as being an "annual" here; Im thinking the winter is just too bad to believe this year, and that they'll do fine next year. Daylilies are up, and johnny jump-ups all over the place. Im ready to get down and dirty!

 

[3goodeggs]

Halo,
Of all of my citrus, the Murcott tangerine was the only one that showed NO damage. Of course the hungry winter starved squirrels ravaged the fruit, so we did not get any, but my plan now is to drive around and find fruit trees in people's yards that look good and find out what variety they are. I noticed one yard has a dead tree, and the yard next to it looks great. I think my Valentia will make it too. But even the kumquat in the greenhouse was yellow and dropping leaves.
Also check out the IFAS site for Florida fruit. The Florida King and Queen peaches work well here, but they have some Prince and Princess peaches now that are supposed to be superior to the king and queen. Also, blue berries should work for you. Are you sand or organic soil? I can grow blueberries here at our house, but not at the nursery because it is yellow sand. Here is clay and organics.
Pomegranate, pome wonderful, was first developed in lake Butler. That would be a good investment.
They do not come up true from seed, though. I had a couple hundred and the theory is I will cut down what isn't nice. I only planted about twenty and decided I don't want to work that hard.
Also, Ti-Ti Georgia. There is a nursery there-Ti-Ti nursery- that has fruit trees that will work in your area.
So much stuff so little time/money/and gumption.
I guess we all are biting at the bit for spring to be here.

 

[halo]

Great information....thanks! Its pretty pathetic driving around seeing these huge orange trees full of oranges, and not a leaf on them. I assume they are dead?

 

[3goodeggs]

The tips may be dead, but do not cut down anything until you do the scratch test. Make sure you are above the graft, then with a pocket knife or your nail scrape a little tiny bit of bark off. If it is still green, then the cambium is still alive and the tree is alive. If you get to wood and the is no thin layer of green, then go further down the trunk and do it again. Keep going until you get to the graft. Where there is green, there is hope. One of my Japanese kumquats died two years ago and the trifoliate orange/lime what ever it is, is thriving. I plan to use it for grafts and cuttings and see what I can do to repopulate my trees.
Anything like hibiscus and pentas will do the scratch test. If the bark peals away from the wood...

, sorry. But I always wait until we are good into spring before I cut anything back. It is all ugly, but I know what these plants cost me, and I really don't care how badly it gets up the neighbors' noses. Spring will get here eventually and I will do it then. The worst thing that you want to do, it to cut things back now, get them thinking it is time to invest their stored energy into flushing out, and then get another freeze. They might not have enough energy to do it twice. What us Floridians did have going for us, is that it got cold early and stayed cold. You all may be surprised what will come back from the root.

 

[Sillystunt]

wow, that is great! I am super interested on how they hold up! I lost my leeche nut and avacodo tree...............super bummed! My orange, lemon and grapefruit actually made it! I would love to plant some new trees..............plum, YUMMY!

 

[thespinningcottage]

Well, we got our holes dug yesterday (actually, I supervised while DH dug). We're going with the "backyard orchard culture" plan described on the nursery's website. With careful pruning we can keep them small enough to manage. When they're in their holes I'll post pictures to show you guys what I bought. It's almost as exciting as waiting for chickies to hatch!!

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I have the worst luck with avocados. I can grow most trees but avocados really hate me lol. I have several different citrus but I need to get some more limes and a grapefruit. I think I will get a ruby red , another persian lime and a key lime this spring. I have a variegated lemon, a meyer lemon (love this one), blood oranges, australian fingerlime, a couple thai limes, several diff oranges, miewa sweet kumquat, and satsuma. I have been keeping them in pots and they all need to be repotted this spring. Yeah that will be fun-not! I really want some lychees and another starfruit.

 

[thespinningcottage]

flgardengirl,
I have a blood orange that is doing -okay- in a pot on the patio. It's not growing but not dying either. In 4 years it has never flowered. We feed and water according to the citrus fertilizer directions. What gives with this thing??? Did I buy a pig in a poke? Do you know of anything special they need to bud?

 

[Sillystunt]

Quote:
I have the worst luck with avocados. I can grow most trees but avocados really hate me lol. I have several different citrus but I need to get some more limes and a grapefruit. I think I will get a ruby red , another persian lime and a key lime this spring. I have a variegated lemon, a meyer lemon (love this one), blood oranges, australian fingerlime, a couple thai limes, several diff oranges, miewa sweet kumquat, and satsuma. I have been keeping them in pots and they all need to be repotted this spring. Yeah that will be fun-not! I really want some lychees and another starfruit.

my avacodo tree was beautiful, but was in a pot! I think that is what did it in

The leeche nut is my daughter favorite and died in the pot as well. I want to replace it so bad for her. I was sooo super bummed about their loss. Yummy, blood oranges..................i need some of them. I have a HUGe lowquat tree that is producing tons of fruit soon. If anyone wants some seeds.............let me know!!! I will have tons of them.............hahahahah What is satsuma? Sounds yummy!!!

 

[thespinningcottage]

Heather, loquat's make some of the best jelly!! You can freeze the fruit and cook it down later if the squirrels leave you any. My loquat's bloom died from the cold, but the tree is fine. If you make it down to North Port at the end of the month for the next swap you can bring me some fruit!