What did you do in the garden today?

[CluckNDoodle]

Doesn't the frost help them get a bit sweeter. We usually leave our citrus on the tree for a good frost or two to sweeten them up.

Aaron

I leave them on in the mid 20s but it's going to drop into the teens tonight and I think it will get cold enough to damage them. Do you think I should try leaving them? I've never left them on that cold.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Doesn't the frost help them get a bit sweeter. We usually leave our citrus on the tree for a good frost or two to sweeten them up.

Aaron

I can throw a sheet or maybe a comforter over the trees. I planted them on the warm side of my house, close to the bricks so they do give off some warmth...but it isn't even 8am and it's suuuper windy out there with the temps dropping as the sun comes up so I'm thinking it's going to be a rough night for the satsumas.

 

[Ascholten]

To be honest, you are probably at the end of their growing season about now anyways, so it probably would not hurt to pick them.

How heavily laden are the trees with fruit?

You could leave a few oranges on each tree just to experiment and see how a heavy frost DOES affect your trees. Worse case you pick them a few days later. so the skin got discolored, big deal, you are not selling them. This could let you see first hand how 'well' a nice cold helps your trees sweeten up.

I have some blood oranges and some, I'll cull it a mutt orange, have no clue what it is. Have to be honest and say I am NOT a Satsuma expert s don't take my advice as coming from one with extreme knowledge but my citrus, likes the cold

Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

I have found out the hard way, that when cold is accompanied with bitter winds, which often, sadly is the case.
A, getting sheets and stuff to stay ON the trees is an issue, and they tend to blow off anyways, tearing leaves and branches off with them, especially once stuff starts freezing, the leaves will just snap right off at this point if you start ruffing them up.

Im in jax florida so have a feeling our weather is going to be similar to yours and tonight is going to be rough on EVERYTHING planted. The wind will be the problem.

If you pick them, you won't have to worry about what happens, but how ripe are they at this point? My oranges are probably about ready TBH.

Aaron

 

[CluckNDoodle]

To be honest, you are probably at the end of their growing season about now anyways, so it probably would not hurt to pick them.

How heavily laden are the trees with fruit?

You could leave a few oranges on each tree just to experiment and see how a heavy frost DOES affect your trees. Worse case you pick them a few days later. so the skin got discolored, big deal, you are not selling them. This could let you see first hand how 'well' a nice cold helps your trees sweeten up.

I have some blood oranges and some, I'll cull it a mutt orange, have no clue what it is. Have to be honest and say I am NOT a Satsuma expert s don't take my advice as coming from one with extreme knowledge but my citrus, likes the cold

Aaron

I'm inland from Savannah, so very similar weather. I'm only a couple hours from Jacksonville but it's definitely a little warmer in Jacksonville and Savannah usually.

Satsumas are typically more cold hardy than other oranges and the 20s don't bother them so I could just harvest what I know we can use and wait to see what happens with the rest. We got a MASSIVE crop this year and we've been harvesting a ton but you can hardly tell we've even taken any off the trees, lol.

Being Christmas and all I could always share some more of our harvest too. I just can't stand the idea of it going to waste.

 

[Ascholten]

The ONLY thing Id worry about is, .. it's getting towards the end of their growing / ripening season.

MASSIVE crop scares me, how heavy are your branches. Satsuma's have an issue as it is with the branches getting so heavy with oranges that they can start breaking off the trees. Now lets throw some 30 to 40 mph winds on that....

I honestly don't think if they get frosted it's going to harm them as far as food quality goes. The skins may get mottled looking and icky but the orange should be fine. Many times, the growers WANT some cold to hit their trees because it does sweeten them up.

They don't need to goto waste. Juice them and freeze the juice if need be. Drink it later. The girls will eat oranges too but obviously don't go overboard there The rest should compost or throw the peels into a potpourri pot and freshen up the house a bit.

Give them away, say they are FRESH ORGANIC oranges, because you didn't put a ton of chemicals on them, and since you are growing them responsibly, NO they are NOT going to be the picture of perfection, they will have blemishes, dents, scars, you know. what REAL ORANGES have

Aaron

 

[CluckNDoodle]

The ONLY thing Id worry about is, .. it's getting towards the end of their growing / ripening season.

MASSIVE crop scares me, how heavy are your branches. Satsuma's have an issue as it is with the branches getting so heavy with oranges that they can start breaking off the trees. Now lets throw some 30 to 40 mph winds on that....

I honestly don't think if they get frosted it's going to harm them as far as food quality goes. The skins may get mottled looking and icky but the orange should be fine. Many times, the growers WANT some cold to hit their trees because it does sweeten them up.

They don't need to goto waste. Juice them and freeze the juice if need be. Drink it later. The girls will eat oranges too but obviously don't go overboard there The rest should compost or throw the peels into a potpourri pot and freshen up the house a bit.

Give them away, say they are FRESH ORGANIC oranges, because you didn't put a ton of chemicals on them, and since you are growing them responsibly, NO they are NOT going to be the picture of perfection, they will have blemishes, dents, scars, you know. what REAL ORANGES have

Aaron

This is what is currently left on the trees right now and we've already harvested more than half. I've never had this many oranges before so I wouldn't be surprised if I don't get any next year. Lol, Darn bumper crops.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

While we're on the subject of citrus...I have a citrus tree next to my satsumas that is either a blood orange or a grapefruit...I've planted both but one died and I don't know which this is. It produced its first and only fruit this year and I just cut it open...I can't decide which it is based on flavor but I'm leaning towards blood orange that isn't fully ripe. Thoughts?

 

[Acre4Me]

Wow! It is COLD!

The WIND just adds to the experience.

Took husband 30+ min to shovel a fairly short area so his car could get to the road, due to the winds, it had drifted quite heavily. He’s an essential employee, so gotta get to work. He will be late but he’ll there all day, until later tonight.

Now teen is trying to patch together a solution for the goats. They are shivering, so we will put them into a large carrier with straw in the barn or workshop. I’ll go check on that project soon. Too bad the electrical to the goat pen was not finished yet-we could have had a heat lamp for them. Next time we will be ready.

Actually did some garden work yesterday- cut back the asparagus above ground (dead and dried) and covered with straw then some old chain link fencing and rocks. Brought the tomato cages into the barn.

Winds are coming straight on -directly full on front of house. The front door was never installed great, but we sealed up the gaps behind the trim, however, there are a couple areas where the door and frame have some tiny gaps we can’t fix easily. I put blue painters tape around the door to minimize the air being forced in. But now I have frost:

Yes, it’s freaking cold for today thru Sunday.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Wow! It is COLD!

The WIND just adds to the experience.

Took husband 30+ min to shovel a fairly short area so his car could get to the road, due to the winds, it had drifted quite heavily. He’s an essential employee, so gotta get to work. He will be late but he’ll there all day, until later tonight.

Now teen is trying to patch together a solution for the goats. They are shivering, so we will put them into a large carrier with straw in the barn or workshop. I’ll go check on that project soon. Too bad the electrical to the goat pen was not finished yet-we could have had a heat lamp for them. Next time we will be ready.

Actually did some garden work yesterday- cut back the asparagus above ground (dead and dried) and covered with straw then some old chain link fencing and rocks. Brought the tomato cages into the barn.

Winds are coming straight on -directly full on front of house. The front door was never installed great, but we sealed up the gaps behind the trim, however, there are a couple areas where the door and frame have some tiny gaps we can’t fix easily. I put blue painters tape around the door to minimize the air being forced in. But now I have frost:

View attachment 3356708View attachment 3356709View attachment 3356710


Yes, it’s freaking cold for today thru Sunday.

Frost inside the door?! Wow!!