Citrus Growers Forum

Sugar Land Dave · Posted: Sun 21 Apr, 2013 2:40 pm

OK, here are some more pictures of my poor test citrus trees which I torture.

The following picture is a good example of a neglected store Grapefruit tree which was completely yellow when I rescued it at a 70% discount. Treating it during South Texas winter while outside in its original container, it shows how much it had improved by March:

http://www.imagestime.com/show.php/846630_yellowgrapefruit3monthsafter.jpg.html

Next is an Orangequat which broke a major branch off 3 months prior to the picture. The black nylon held the branch in place while it reattached. Never dropped a leaf and today has fruit developing on the healed branch:

http://www.imagestime.com/show.php/846634_OrangequatBrokenBranch3Months.jpg.html

The next picture is of my Cara Cara tree which looked more like a bush than a tree. I've heard never to prune more than 1/3 of a tree, but I cut off 2/3. This is the tree 1 week later with new growth:

http://www.imagestime.com/show.php/846636_CaraCara1WeekAfterTwoThirdsPruned.jpg.html

Now for a normal Persian Lime container tree after 3 months of tests:

http://www.imagestime.com/show.php/846635_PersianLime3Months.jpg.html

For the final picture, here is a Rio Red Grapefruit tree in the ground with 6 months of testing. The grapefruit are huge and quite tasty:

http://www.imagestime.com/show.php/846632_RioRedGrapefruit6months.jpg.html

Since this is a citrus forum, I won't show what my tests do to my wife's flowers, but since I am still alive.......

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igor.fogarasi · Posted: Sun 21 Apr, 2013 3:47 pm

Your poor, tortured citrus trees don't look that bad, except the one you got the discount for... Laughing

Your Cara Cara now starts to look like a tree, if I was you, I'd prune it the same way.

Igor

adriano · Posted: Mon 22 Apr, 2013 11:42 am

Rio red grapefruit looks very good. How fast does it grow? Judging by the thickness of the trunk, it seems as a young tree.

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Sugar Land Dave · Posted: Tue 23 Apr, 2013 12:14 am

Thank you for the kind words, Igor. Give me a little time on my discount tree. It's looking better every day! Wink

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Sugar Land Dave · Posted: Tue 23 Apr, 2013 12:29 am

adriano wrote:

Rio red grapefruit looks very good. How fast does it grow? Judging by the thickness of the trunk, it seems as a young tree.

It is about 4 to 4 1/2 years old. It nearly died in the container, so I stuck it in the ground where it has done much better. Over the last year it has grown about 3 feet, a rate which I would not expect in the future.

With me, citrus trees have no guarantee of how they will grow or be treated, something which interests me. If it was as easy as 1-2-3 I would be quickly bored, so I try different things, sometimes do things that I would not expect anyone to do with their plants, and come to conclusions which are sometimes wrong, but I have people on this forum who are very talented and knowledgeable who will quickly set me straight when I err.

I see you are across the pond from me, so thank you for noticing my plants!

Be well,

David

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adriano · Posted: Tue 23 Apr, 2013 5:24 am

it grows very fast. If i am correct, that is one meter a year.

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i am in love with lemon

Sugar Land Dave · Posted: Wed 24 Apr, 2013 1:15 pm

You are correct, but I do not expect it to continue at that rate. The tree fought back from death and has been a surprise ever since. To use an old adage, "Time will tell the tale."

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justjoan · Posted: Wed 24 Apr, 2013 5:07 pm

Awesome...it's all about the challenge for me here in Minnesota and you deal with some "challenged" plants. Kudo's Very Happy

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Click for Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Forecast

Sugar Land Dave · Posted: Thu 25 Apr, 2013 12:37 pm

Thank you. You do well fighting the challenges of Nature on behalf of your plants; here, unfortunately, I am the challenge to the plants.

Can you imagine giving a plant a regimen of something, while denying it something else you know it needs, just so you will not contaminate the test results, and then, when you have results, rushing to try reversing any deficiencies or insect damage which have accumulated during testing?

That is why I say "my poor tortured plants."

Segue into scene of dark castle with mad scientist working feverishly inside. Meanwhile an angry mob of forum members starts to gather outside.

Murmurings abound. "It's unnatural!" "He's killing those poor plants!" "It's not right; I tell you, it's not right!" "It's against the laws of Nature!"

Oh sorry! Just having a moment of fun! Sometimes it seems so serious here! Wink

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