Gene Lester has more than 200 types of citruses planted in the hills of Watsonville, California. He is generous to open up his collection to CRFG members and guests. There are 2 citrus tours a year, one in late winter and another one in the Fall.

The one during the late winter could be a wet tour, but I never mind that. We were prepared to brave the rain, but it didn't fall until were on the road going back. The first citrus tour in late winter is the best, most of the fruits are still on the trees and you can taste them and if you like them, snip off some budwoods.

The last citrus tour during the fall is a pleasant one, with no rains, but very few ripe fruits on the trees.

Millet, Benny and I are strongly recommending you that you come over and attend the late winter citrus tour next year.I will contact you next year. You can stay with Benny for a couple of days before the tour, and I'll join you guys from Davis and we go together to the farm. This is the best scionwood exchange ever (scionwood not required). Tasting the fruits and getting the scionwood at the same time. Nothing really beats that even if raining heavily.

Gene Lester's farm is on a cooler climate, atop a hill, and yet sheltered from winds. They have stronger maritime influence than us. So if they tasted good in there, for sure they will be very sweet in Benny's place and in Davis.

Based on actual taste test, here are the list of citruses that will be sweet in cooler climes like coastal areas, perhaps the Bay Area of California, and also Davis:

Gold Nugget, Seedless Kishu, and Willowleaf mandarins would be really high on my recommendations.

These are followed (in random order from Memory) by:
Daisy Mandarin, Clementine Montreal, Clementine Nour, Clementine Oroval, Fremont Mandarin

Then followed by:
Mandalo Grapefruit, Chironja Orangelo, Ortanique, Wekiwa Tangelo, Minneola Tangelo

There are other really good tasting citruses, but cannot recall them at the moment nor have taken samples from them.

For those interested for next year, simply send me their email and will give you updates next year.

Joe

To me: the top on my list as far as sweetness is concern is Kishu mandarin, clementine willowleaf and clementine montereal. I stayed with
that kishu and ate my hearts out and took home some more.
The owner has over 26 acres of citrus and avocados yet he does not sell them except for once in a great while the avocados. So you can see the fruits are just all over the place. I just stayed within 50 yards from the house and it just overwhelmed me for the long time I was there. Yet you can see people way on the other hill tops.
I just T-bud some of my favorites today and will continue tomorrow.
Very satisfying tour. The view is magnificent.
I'd recommend it.
Everybody is friendly specially the owner. He knows his stuff.

In addition a lot of people are asking for the rarest varieties of citrus. I believe you can find it there such as the Australian limes- he's got 5 different kinds at least. He collects citrus all over the world- from Asia, China, Israel, Mexico, Japan, Middle East but the owner said that the name does not mean that the plant came from that country as the name implies. He said someone name that particular citrus just as crazy as the name.

The owner is also willing to give you the scions you want. If the plant is matured he does not care if you do it but if it is still young he'd ask you to ask him first. He may have to do the cuttings himself.
One thing that he was so proud of is his ginger lime- lime that tastes like ginger. I believe that he said it came from Mexico. He said he is the only one in the whole California who has it. And yet he is willing to part with it with us.

Thanks Benny.

I also "devoured" seedless kishu. They are small, but peeling it off is very easy, and being seedless is worth the effort, more than enough to make up for the smallness. Kishu doesn't keep well on the tree. They shrivel quickly or rot away after ripening. I was so full that I did not get to taste more of the various citruses.

Other citrus varieties that have intrigued my curiosity are:

Mexican Giant Lime - this is the equivalent of Ponderosa Lemon. I might as well name it as Ponderosa Lime. Tastes like Bearss lime but only Giant Size like the Ponderosa. Did you get to taste this one Benny?

Black Twig Lime - It is a lime whose twigs are dark. Very ornamental but produces a bonus of limes.

They also have variegated Cara-cara, variegated Bergamot.

The Wekiwa tangelos are indeed very sweet, but very small like the tangerines. It has some lavender reflection from the flecks of the flesh.

The blood oranges at the farm did not develop any pigmentation.

Something is weird about their Chironja Orangelo compared to what I have from UCR. Notable is that the leaves on Gene Lester's Chironja are more similar to that of oranges, while mine are similar to grapefruits, just like that from UCR web pages. There is a possibility that there could be two types of Chironjas, based on my research as there are various places in Puerto Rico where they obtained samples from. Or a possibility of sport mutation, and most of all mislabeling.

Joe:
Mexican giant lime: Yes I got to taste it but my face I believed went to 10 different places. It was so sour I kept on burping it out.
Chironjas:I thought they are 2 different varieties one is Chironja Grapefruit and one is Chironja Orangelo.
Did you get a branch of Sarawak Pommelo and Mijo? I did. I read that the Sarawak kind is so sweet that it may rival the Davao pommelo of the Philippines. Too bad I already T-bud it to my Oros.

Thanks Joe & Benny. I enjoyed your description of the fruit and would love to make the trip sometime. Sounds like a citraholic's paradise.

Ned

Ned: The one at Gene Lester's farm may pass up for me as a citraholics paradise, but the one at Lincove Citrus Research Station of UC Riverside is the true paradise where the fruits develop their maximum potential flavors. The one at Gene Lester's farm is more representative of citrus reaction to cool climate planting and adaptations, but because the scionwood are free, it is like heaven for me. On the other hand, while the one at Lincove may look like heaven and tastes like heaven, you are treated like you're in hell ! They make you clap your hands when you go through the rows of their unreleased or very rare citrus collection to make sure you did not snip off some branches or leaves!!! Reminds me of a clapping monkey.

Benny: There are conflicting references to my Chironja research, exactly what you have observed and have told you when we observed the tree very closely. The major conflict came when some literature indicated that they are one and the same, the Chironja Grapefruit and the Chironja Orangelo. Well, I was able to finish off the sector of the Mexican Giant Lime, especially if Gene Lester himself handed one to you. So I finished it off. Perhaps, Gene Lester does this all the time so that when you taste something else, everything would taste nice. Kind of like the miracle fruit effect.

I will get Sarawak and Tahiti pummelos next year as well as others that I have missed. Right now, I am going to run out of places to bud them. Almost all of my grafts are blooming the first time and would break my heart to graft over them. I'd like to share their fruits too.

Also, valencias and common navels from the stores are not planted at Gene Lester's farm. He said it is cheaper and wiser to buy them from the stores and it is hard to match their quality, given the climate that he has.

It is true. I laughed when he said that.
I have a fruit stand that I buy my fruits and vegetables that a pound of very sweet oranges is 7 cents a pound.
Who would in his right mind would grow citrus if you can buy them for almost nothing. Actually you are on the losing side because of your time, buying fertilizer, watering etc... cost money.
Well I must admit I was one of those not in the right side of mind.

Thanks guys for the invite. I alredy told Joe that I will fly out next year, and might consider attending Lester's fall's tour. Joe when is the Lindcove tour? I would also be interested to tour Lincove. Joe also an extra special thanks for the kindness of your thinking of me when you and Benny was touring Lesters farm. - Millet

I'll check the letters. They usually send it by regular mail for the invitation to Lindcove facility.

Millet:
Joe even told me while we were there "Millet would be delighted to be here right now".

As far as Orange is concern my favorite is the Jingeng orange because it is large and very sweet and I took my fancy with lemontina orova because the leaves and flowers are so pretty and very fragrant on this tour.
Bob: I already t-bud the few scions of each that I got there. Sorry. I noticed that the leaves wilted so fast even if I put them in the ref and put them on a damp paper towel so I t bud them right away.