I live in the lower desert with temps around 110 in the summer. We normally have mild winters but it can sometimes dip in the 20's and damage crops. Should I plan on putting up a temporary greenhouse or not? I have about 10 potted citrus trees and most of them are starting to flush again and I don't want them to get damaged. Any and all comments or suggestions would be helpfull.

Thanks

-Juan

Any duration of temps below freezing will damage the fruit.

Hi Juan !

Build a real Green House and plant the Trees into the ground !
Only then you will really enjoy your trees and have heavy crops of them !

Best way is at your house with a direct entrance from your house.
Then you have just a marvelous green living room and can live with your plants.

Well ...

Ask her how about to lie together under Orange trees full of fruits and enjoy the smell the wonderfull scent of different citrus blossoms ...

Well, not really a reasonable option for Juan to plant the trees in the greenhouse, Sanguinello. Where Juan lives is our low desert area of S. California. It is a HUGE citrus growing area (UC Riverside has one of its test orchards out there, in fact), but, temps during the summer would make a greenhouse, even a screened greenhouse not an option. Temps could easily rise to over 150 degrees with shading up! Juan, I would definitely come up with a temporary greenhouse that you could put your trees in, with maybe some mini-Christmas tree lights, plus some flooding with water would protect your potted citrus, which are more vulnerable to low temps, than citrus in the ground. You can get some easy to assemble, small greenhouses at Lowe's, Home Depot and Costco to get you through any cold snaps.

Green Houses are even in the Negev desert in Israel and at the Persean Gulf ...

Sanguinello, that's a very expensive proposition. Juan lives in a large citrus growing area that only needs occasion cold protection. Building a $2,000 greenhouse when a $200 greenhouse will do, is probably the easier proposition

Well, I already have the Christmas lights hanging on my shade structure where my trees are at. I would just have to wrap it all with plastic film. Its about an 8'x12' area.

If money is the problem ... I know a cheap and for your place perfect solution..

Maybe we should discuss that by email.

There you go, Juan. Easy fix!

how bout this?

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?ipTrail=208.46.4.250&catalogId=10051&productId=3319746&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=[com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%40385a385a]&storeNumber=1058&langId=-1&errorURL=UserAccountView&storeId=10151

Well, my shade structure is about 8'x12'. I think if I just wrap it in plastic sheet I'll be okay. We just had a 32 degree night, but it was only a coulple of hours. No damage to any trees from what I quickly saw before I went to work. I did however have a thin sheet of ice on my windshield. Will have to check again after work.

Well, temporary greenhouse got trashed by the strong gusts we just had yesterday . Its still up but it has rips all around. I think I might have to build a more permanant temporary structure.