This is what the citrus grove looks like after the coldest December on record for my area. Most of my trees will survive and I see lots of flower buds forming. Hopefully this will be a good year for satsumas!

I'm glad to hear it Stan. Obviously, you chose your variety wisely. I hope you have a fantastic crop!!

Your Satsumas look very similar to mine Stan -- a few battle scars from the winter but otherwise alive, healthy and ready for summer!

Stan, wouldn't your grove fair better during the winter months if you got rid of all the green vegetation, and kept the ground bare? Bare ground absorbs a lot more heat during the day, because here is nothing on the ground to prevent the sun's heat reaching the soil. Damp bare ground absorbs even more heat than dry bare ground. If the soil is dry, there is a reduction in the water vapor in the air immediately above it. This vapor checks heat radiation and also yields heat when it is condensed. See you at the Citrus Expo 2011. - Millet (666-)

Tim and Millet, Tim, your satsuma tree looks like it wintered in Miami Beach compared to mine! I probably lost 8 trees or so... Mostly smaller, more vunerable trees. I find that the larger, more mature trees handle the cold better!
Millet, I usually keep bare ground around my citrus trees and during the very cold weather, the ground was bare.. The green grass you see in the picture has only grown since the great warm up that started in mid Feburary. This has been a strange winter season indeed! Winter came on like a Pearl Harbor attack right around the first week of December 2010 and just remained constantly cold ( at least by our standards) until the middle of Febuary. Then, just like it came, it left.. Suddenly with no warning! Theres been very little cold since that time. I think we have had two occasions of scattered frost since mid Feb. So, the grass has grown up in the month or so since Global warming kicked back in! LOL I plan to round it up when I can get the time.

Hi Stan

for your satsumas, do they normally put out new leaf growth and then flower or the other way around.... My trees have survived another winter and they seem to be leafing out SLOWLY lol

thanks!

Stan, you are very much behind SE Texas. I have lots of satsuma fruit that are nickel sized already.

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Those are the same trees! In just 5 months? Wow!

My satsumas have grown really well this year too! Here's a before-and-after picture after just five short months have gone by.



The weather has been unreal this year. After the coldest winter average temperature in recorded history, we're on our way to the hottest summer in history. (Wilmington has weather records going back to 1874, and the average temp from June 1st through yesterday is #1 in the list) It's also been the second driest year on record with less than 20 inches of rain since January 1st.

-Tim

Very nice growth, congratulations. I would LOVE to receive 20 inches of rain. We have never ever received 20 inches of rain. Here in eastern Colorado, counting all the snow and rain together, we average 12 inches of moisture per year. Millet (525-)

We average 57 inches a year here, weighted toward the summer thunderstorm season when the plants really need and expect it. The three months of June, June and August should total just above 20 inches but we've only had 8.34 so far.

I can't complain too much -- Texas, Louisiana and parts of Oklahoma are experiencing much more severe rainfall deficits this year than we are! http://tinyurl.com/3fdyrrn [NWS 180-day rainfall deficits map]

-Tim

Just got back from a 10 day vacation out west.. Millet, We drove thru Arkansas, Okla, Tex and NM..The trees are actually dying along the interstate from lack of rain.. Ark. appeared to be the worst.. I guess the further west you go, the trees are used to dry weather.. meanwhile, back here in SC.. we have been fortunate enough to recieve good rains this entire summer season.. 6 inches in July, about 3 inches last Friday and more coming today.. The citrus trees love the rain and are growing like gangbusters right now. The crop of fruit in the grove looks great too so hopefully this will be a good year after a long cold winter! BTW.. Millet, I was able to finally make a visit to your home state.. We went to 4 corners, then to the Mesa Verde in the lower corner of Colorado.. then, on to Durango where we woke up to 42 F one morning! The parts I saw, Colorado is a beautiful state!

Stan, I use to live a 45 min drive from Durango.. Love that town!! very beautiful indeed!!! hope you got to ride the Durango Silverton train!!! also some great white water rafting there too!! Love the cowboy days!!! would ride the horse drawn stage coach and listen to cowboy poetry!! very awsome!!! some of the most beautiful views!!! and the historic buildings are just as beautiful as the moutains surounding them!!! *SIGH*
But any way.. here in SE KS we are seeing quite a few dead trees due to the drought.. we are just now getting some rain and much needed cooling off!!! it has been 90s and 100s for over 2 months now!! and very little rain!!! I want to go play in the rain!!! our normal is 3.65 in for the month of Aug and we have had .54 in.. July average is 3.54 in and we got .08 in. http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/home/monthly/66757?month=-1
I've never had to water so much!!!! and it didn't seem to help at all every thing was cooking from the heat!!! Though my potted plants have faired OK as they were in the shade of the house/ porch for the hottest parts of the days. things that were on the outer most parts seeemed to be worse off than those getting more shade...
Glad to see your orchard doing so well!!!
Gina *BabyBlue*
PS: pick me up on your next trip though!! I'd make a good tour guide!!!