Winter growing conditions for spring bloom.

# Of Light Hrs required per day: 6-10 hrs

Light filtration level: Filtered sunlight, or artificial lighting

Air Temps: Air temps need to be kept at and below 68*F / 20 *C for total of 750-850 hrs with out going above 75* F / 23.8* C for more than 7-12 consecutive days that will break bud dormancy. (try to keep soil temps above 55* F/ 12.7* C to keep the roots active to provide water and nutrition to the leaves)

Fertilizer amount: half normal rate if temps kept above 55*F /12.7*C, discontinue fertilizing if soil temps will go below these temps.

Footnotes: note that the cooler the soil temps (below 70*F/21.1*C) the more filtered light should be. Check soil temps with digital meat thermometer.


To achieve Max growth regardless of spring bloom. For seedlings and young trees needing growth.

# Of Light Hrs required per day: 8-15 hrs

Light filtration level: Full direct sunlight, to partial filtered sunlight or Artificial lighting

Soil Temps: 70*F / 21.1*C - 94* F / 34.4*C

Fertilizer amount: Regular amounts

Footnotes: The warmer the soil temps are the less filtered or brighter the light should be. Check soil temps with digital meat thermometer.


Soil temps and root activity

55*F / 12.7*C to 94*F / 33.4*C = Active roots.

Above 95*F / 35*C = inactive roots

Below 54*F / 12.2*C = inactive roots

Aside from these things regular bug checks, humidity and watering ONLY when needed still apply.


I have been working on this for the past couple of weeks with Millet. He has patiently walked me through each point and given me a greater understanding of caring for container citrus in winter..
I hope that passing this along will help others..

Gina *BabyBlue*

THANK YOU!!! ANSWERS SOME OF MY QUESTIONS PERFECTLY AND MORE IMPORTANT SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT!!!

Thanks Gina. Millet has said this before but it's nice to have right here to refer to. BTW, my meat thermometer starts at 120* & only goes up LOL
What I use is my old aquarium therm.

Patty,
I call it a meat thermometer because it has temps for when meat is done on the holder. It is by Pyrex and I got it in kitchen dept of store.. the digital temps it has range from -40*F to +302*F.. also came with extra battery!! all for I think it was about $6.. it was quite a few months back so memory on price might be a bit off.. But I am sure it was under $10.. I think..
I was using an old aquarium thermometer (fat glass one) but was not real happy with how far down to root zone I could get it.. or rather lack of how far.. LOL I can get this one down at least 4 1/2"

Millet is great for container growing info!!! My memory is short though and I know I'd ask him same questions over and over and putting it here like this will at least keep me from asking over and over.. Glad he let me pick his brain for this thread!!! He answered every silly little question I had.. Probably had to stock up on headache pills while answering all my e-mails.. LOL

Gina *BabyBlue*

Thanks Gina.
Yes, Millet is great for answering every little question even though he answered it a 100 times before (JoeReal is good at it too lately)!!
I don'[t have a digital therm. for meats. Why would a cooking/meat thermometer go below 0*!!!! LOL I need a new one.

Yes thank you for putting it all down in a list format. It makes it easier to read and compiles it for my teeny brain. I have also asked the same questions over and over, and I hope this will help me limit them!

This was a great posting. Nice to refer back to. I think we all need to be walked through things again from time to time. And those of us who are new to this forum....the information is especially appreciated.

great post

Outstanding post, not sure how I missed it before, but glad it got bumped up, will print and put on fridge as a quick reference! Thank You for your efforts, as they say on Ebay AAAAAAAA+++++++++ Thanks

Gina, a further scenario...what I am planing this winter is to put up a portable greenhouse in my unheated (hasn't dropped below 36f) garage and put some of my citrus in there along with a heater and 2 - 4' florescent grow lights.

So, the question is: If the plant has fruit that is less than ripe (small, green etc), what temperature should be maintained to protect the fruit yet still attain a spring bloom? We had a lousy spring and many of my varieties bloomed late therefor my satsumas are about 1 + inches in diameter. yuzuquats are even smaller.

Thanks, Greg
BTW, this is a Great post

I think that so long as you keep the roots happy (above 55*) this should not harm the fruit. I would think Ideal would be closer to 60-68*.. I think fruit whould be safe down lower but temps below 55* will not provide for the fruit to grow and ripen..
Idealy as warm as you can to keep roots active to provide for folage and fruit, but not so warm as to break dormancy. 55-68*.
I keep refering back to this.. again THANKS!! to Millet for letting me pick his brain!!!
Glad everyone else is getting as much use of it as me..
Gina *BabyBlue*

Greg, I think the chill time accumulates as anytime below the mid 60s F, provided there is not a sustained warm period (5-7 days above 70). I think the time required is about 800-850 hrs, but I believe Millet said if it did not bloom the previous yr, the time requirement may drop to as low as 600 hrs.

Don't put your lights to close it the roots are not above 60-- I lost a couple seedlings to lights while the roots were cold.

Photosynthesis itself works better in cooler conditions with high light radiation than in the warmer periods of the day, so most of the photosynthetic starch (sugar) production is done in the morning before noon and less water is evaporated than during the afternoon. Optimum leaf temperature for photosynthetic activity for most trees ranges from 50F to 90F. If a citrus tree is stored at temperatures below 54F but gathers enough light for photosynthesis, the trees balance is broken. The leaf activity requires water, which the roots cannot deliver. The tree stops evaporation and water will be unavailable for cooling the leaf surface on bright days, so the plant reduces active leaf area by leaf abscission. DURING THE WINTER, fruits dry out on the tree and drop if the tree is stressed too much. So for fruit development and fruit maturity, higher temperatures and good leaf activity should be maintained. Irrigation with a nutrient solution should be done even in winter on containerized trees. - Millet

Millet,
from were did you have those informations.. Can I read that anywhere?
Because that sounds logically and very competently.
Who has made this? A doctor at a University? Was it a study?

From who or from where you git this valueable information?

THX

I have a 2.5 year old dwarf Buddha's hand citron that bloomed a bit late this summer and is now holding about 6 mid-sized green fruit. It gets put in the shed on colder nights, and did OK outside during last winter. Question is, should I bring it into the house instead, where it could live in an east-facing window until March? Would this help the fruit grow and ripen better than leaving it out where day-time temps go from 50s to 70s, and nights can often enough be in the upper 30s?

Marj