Last fall i ordered a 5 gallon Dancy Tangerine and a Trovita navel orange from a local garden centre (they are on order from Monrovia out of California...) . So the question is : how cold hardy is the Dancy variety? similar to what other citrus varieties? Will it require high heat units to ripen?

My information on the trovita is that it does well in coastal areas of California where it does not get nearly as hot as inland sections. A fellow on Vancouver island really likes this variety because of the low heat units required for the fruit to ripen. He grows his in a plastic cold frame.

Thanks, Greg

Based on what I've researched it is a later maturing crop (mid to late December in 8b) so I'm not sure how it will do for you. Taste is supposed to be excelent depending on YOUR taste. LOL

I can provide protection to prevent freezing of the fruit during cold spells. It will likely delay when I could harvest the fruit. with a little TLC I am able to keep my Meyers on the tree year round.

Things could get really bad if we had a long power failure and temperatures in the teens - at the same time.

If all else fails, your Kentucky Bourbon could help ease the pain
Cheers Greg

Greg, I don't know the actual extent of the cold hardiness of Dancy Tangerine. but it is probably pretty much the same of most mandarins. The book "The Citrus Industry" says about Dancy: -- " The Dancy is to be commended because of it vigorous, strong growth, its cold-resistant quality, its abundant and regular fruiting habits, and it highly attractive, excellent quality fruit. Moreover, it is resistant to disease...."

I used to have a Dancy Tangerine, and it was an easy, and trouble free tree to grow, The main problems with Dancy are the small size of the fruit and its too numerous seeds. Because of the small size of the fruit, I finally just got rid of it. Good luck. - Millet (688-)

Greg, have you had the opportunity to taste fruit from your trovita? I recently tried the first one from mine and it tasted wonderful, really sweet. I left the fruit on the tree until it fell off - probably longer than recommended.