It’s more grief to Citrus growers in post hurricane areas here on the gulf coast. A newspaper article last week reports many home citrus growers complaints about citrus fruit damaged. Bruised fruit with cracked skin and insect invasion through cracks in the peal of the fruit. It stated that the fruit in high wind conditions, strike each other and adjacent branches, causing bruises and cracks that insects can enter. I am just beginning to harvest and for me it looks like 30% of the fruit are damage. After two hurricanes, I feel fortunate, that I did not loose any trees.
Karl

You are fortunate indeed if all you lost was 1/3 of your fruit production. I lost a larger percentage and a lot of trees, a ton of rootstock and lots of newly grafted stock. With the help of friends and associates and lots of work I have began to recover. I dont have much mature tree growth for budwood this year and I suppose I will have to order but I am fortunate that I can recover. Good luck on you furit and better luck next year. David

David
It may be worst than 1/3 since I have just began to harvest. They are just not very sweet at this point so I am trying to keep them on the tree as long as I can. I don’t know if the hurricanes had anything to do with the sugar content but last year at this time they were sweet. I have two Owari in large containers that I was able to shelter from the hurricanes and the fruit of these trees are very sweet. Did the high winds delay the fruit from ripening? I don’t know but it sure looks like it did.
Karl

It appears that the storms did affect the process. My personal opinion is that with the wind beating the trees and fruit around it set the trees back in the growth process thereby setting the fruit back in the sweetenting process. I still have Owari and Brown Select and Early St. Ann on the trees that are not sweet and not ready to harvest. By this time most years the trees would be empty of fruit....all of it being harvested...when an Old line Owari is not sweet and ready to enjoy on November the 20th ....something dis not happen right................... Any other opinions out there....................David