If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😀TIMESTAMPS here: 0:00 Intro To Growing Citrus 3:31 Citrus Tree #1: Owari Satsuma 6:01 Bonus Early Satsuma Tree 6:52 Citrus Tree #2: Meyer Lemon 9:10 Citrus Tree #3: Red Lime 10:59 Citrus Tree #4: Kumquats 12:17 Protecting Citrus Trees From Cold 16:15 Taste Testing Citrus Varieties 21:32 Where To Buy Citrus Trees 23:19 Adventures With Dale
I live in the PNW, east of Olympia where the average yearly low is in the mid to upper teens, however, we rarely get a clear day for nearly 6 months each year. We routinely stay in the upper 20’s and low 30’s for 3 or more months per year, with little charge between nighttime lows and daytime highs.Will citrus still survive/thrive in these conditions? I have never seen any citrus grown in my area, but I am wanting to grow any fruit trees I can.
The Meyer lemons can actually tolerate possibly a little colder for longer. I saw some at the grocery store, unprotected at 20 degrees for several nights, with little to no damage. It's amazing the resiliency of these trees!
If you don’t mind die-back, you could push them. I’ve never wanted to, because it isn’t a hardship to protect them the way I do. In the 5 years I’ve been growing citrus in ground, I’ve never even had cold damage on my trees. They have been some of my lowest maintenance trees aside from the darn leaf miner in new leaves.
The tree will survive. The problem is cell rupture in the fruit. Sugar works like antifreeze so oranges do better. I'm 9B, Central California so citrus does well. Still mine are on the south side with a white wall. Fence on the other side. A few years ago we had a hard freeze just before Christmas. I lost all the fruit from cell ruptures and all the blossoms so 2 years with no fruit. 😢
@@anatevkabell6046 that's promising. I'm sure the building provided some protection, but they're tougher than indicated. I see some websites say they're only hardy to freezing, and that isn't anywhere near true.
Is your zone 7a or 7b? Long Island virtually never gets below 0F, and Yuzu is known to be hardy to the single digits. I'm not saying it won't be a challenge, but I think it may be possible to plant Yuzu grafted onto trifoliate rootstock up against a protected house wall and protect them like I do with some lights and a water barrel. I think Stan McKenzie sells them.
I’m here in PNW Washington area and have been working at growing citrus. The tough thing is the overcast fall/winter and the short days. My citrus are living, but not thriving. I do have a Yuzu lemon, trifoliate grapefruit and flying dragon sour orange in ground. And I have a Owari sat, meiwa, wa navel, colmadin, and Meyer lemon in pots in a small slightly heated (35 gallon water barrel w 100 watt fish tank heater) trying to get them to size and will attempt to put the Meiwa kumquat and Owari Satsuma in ground once they’re more established. And I’m going to build a larger double walled poly panel greenhouse w geo thermal this spring and plant the others in ground inside and may have to supplement some lighting during winter time. And I have bought some hybrid seeds like citrangequat, mandarinquat and changsha seeds to experiment w growing and possibly graft onto rooted cutting of my trifoliate grapefruit and flying dragon. As well I’m talking with Stan McKenzie on some other cold Hardy options for in ground. Citrus is something I try having daily, so would love to be able to grow my own. Thank you for your content as I’ve been following for a few years and you’ve helped get me into growing citrus myself.
I don't think I'll pit any weight into the new zoning until I see the next few years weather. I will continue to plant by the zone that was prior to the update. Food chain supply isn't guaranteed unless we arenthe suppliers.
I moved from Connecticut to South Carolina two years ago, and brought three potted citrus trees with me. They are still inside in pots. (They spent summers outside) Now, after watching a couple of your videos on citrus, I’m contemplating planting them in the ground here on the Southern Piedmont. I guess my Bearss Lime will need to stay in her pot, but perhaps the Meyer lemon and clementine might need to be set free in the yard!
I have great success growing a Meyer Lemon Tree in a small 6 foot by 6 foot greenhouse in Tacoma Washington State USA. Right now many of the Lemons (about a hundred of them) are ripe right now. I built another bigger 6 foot by 16 foot greenhouse on the other side of my back porch which faces the South. I intend to grow Oranges in the bigger greenhouse not all of it though. I have heard of a grower in my Puget Sound Area who does grow Oranges in a greenhouse.
Thanks again for inspiring so many people to have a go at growing citrus (and other subtropical plants) outside of their usual growing conditions. You inspired me to plant a clementine tree outside in north-west England! I used incandescent lights and a plant jacket on it recently when it got down to around -3°C/-4°C the other week. Thankfully we don't have any frosts or freezes predicted on the forecast for the next 2 weeks at least (I'm hoping it lasts longer). I'm going to experiment with more plants next year 👍
Wow, that is bold! Clementines are fairly cold hardy. I wish you the best of luck. If you find the clementine can't cut it, I'd point you in the direction of something like Yuzu, Sudachi or possibly something like the "Prague Satsuma" or the "Carolina Lime," which have shown hardiness into the single digits. The extra 5-7 degrees of cold hardiness could make all the difference in a climate like yours. Stan McKenzie has those plants, I believe.
Not today. High of 47, low of 26. Winter is weird in the coastal Carolinas. One day is 70, the next is 60, the next is 53, the next is 46, then back up into the 50's. Rollercoaster winters. The issue with PA is the daytime doesn't warm up enough for trees to recover and they spend too much time below freezing. They really need to warm back up in 4-8 hours or so. Something like Yuzu may be possible in a really protected micro-climate if you can design a system where it never gets colder than 5-10F and always warms up above freezing after sunrise.
Because of your videos, I finally put all my potted citrus in the ground in zone 8A. They are currently under a plant jacket with a pickle barrel filled with water as a thermal battery and wrapped with incandescent Christmas lights. I hope they survive these next couple of months!
"I bet you could grow citrus in your climate" Say the line Bart. "I live in North Carolina" YAAAAY! Seriously though, the winters in North carolina are warmer than most US States. Granted you're at around the limit for citrus save for outliers like the trifoliate orange (which is the only citrus that most of the US can actually grow....not that most care to since theyre not really edible) but its a warmer climate than northern Texas in the winter. Rule of thumb; the further south and further to the coast you are, the warmer your climate. The further north and the further inland the colder. Almost every state west of North carolina (until you get past the Rockies) is colder than North Carolina, even though they are the same latitude. Ohio is colder than PA, even though they are the same latitude, et cetera.
On behalf of my me and my family we want to thank you for all your tips and videos thanks to you and many other gardener RUclipsrs my family and I have had a lot of food and great memories! Thank you ❤and god bless you and your family
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you too. Best all around gardening channel on RUclips. You really improved our garden this year. Determinate Celebrity tomatoes, Florida Weave, Sweet 100s, toothbrush pollination, not letting cucumbers get too big. Overwintering Impala and Jalapeno pepper plants, so far they are doing well indoors.
Kumquat tidbit: Nagami has a seedless variety called "Nordmann". I've gotten into the routine of spitting seeds, usually 6-8 per fruit. Seeds didn't stop me from eating all the fruit, though. 😁 But if I ever lose my tree, I'll look for a seedless. Also, kumquat fruit can freeze and thaw (20s range) without splitting or turning mushy as juicer styles of citrus would. I may get a Satsuma next year, but kumquats are a good starting point for a citrus hobbyist since they're reasonably forgiving of mistakes.
We got to bite into our very first Meyer lemon recently. It was pretty small, but it was so delicious! It really wasn't tart at all. Tasted just like lemonade to all of us. So glad we took your advice and got started on our citrus journey last year! Thanks from the Willamette Valley in Oregon! (Zone 8b)
One note I would add regarding pest pressure on citrus - apparently slugs and snails really like it... That one Meyer lemon had a slug chewing well into the skin when I spotted it ripe. By the time I picked it, there were two holes through the skin, looked like a little vampire had bitten into it. We still enjoyed it, but will definitely be keeping a closer watch on the low hanging fruit, as this one was pretty much sitting on the ground since the tree is still young (only in the ground for one year so far).
Just wait until the tree matures. Within 1-2 years, you'll be getting 50-100 that will be nearly the size of baseballs. They're so good! You could fill a kiddie pool with all the juice 😂 Leaf miner is my problem with new citrus leaves. You need to keep them coated in spinosad during the leaf miner season.
@@TheMillennialGardener I did notice some leaf miner on the Owari that I got from Stan when it arrived last year. I gave it a dose of dormant oil and removed the worst leaves, and haven't seen them on there again yet.
@@jamesthestoryguy509 it's still thriving in its spot! It had a bit of leaf miner when it first arrived, so it lost some leaves early on. But after treating it with dormant oil, the pest moved on and I haven't seen it since. It doesn't seem to have grown a ton quite yet, but it has only been in the ground for a year so far. Like I've heard @TheMillenialGardener say, the first year they sleep, the second they creep, and the third they leap. So I'm looking forward to what the tree looks like this time next year. Maybe it'll even have a few fruits on it?
Yes, I know of some growers doing so, but sweet citrus can take 2 years to ripen due to the lack of heat accumulation in a single season. If you want to grow citrus in British Columbia, I recommend watching this guy's handful of videos: www.youtube.com/@fruittreesandmore7431
I got my Browns Select Satsuma that I'm growing in a container in Michigan from Stan. He and his wife are very helpful and friendly to talk to, and their prices are reasonable.
It certainly is. Zone 8 goes all the way up to NJ. Citrus are from the subtropics. Growing them in temperate regions would be very northern. 5a is much more than northern. It's the northern outskirts of temperate regions and approaching subarctic, which begins at 50 degrees latitude. Most people in the US are used to looking at the US centered on a globe, but even the Florida Keys are well north of the tropics. Anything north of Florida is beginning to get pretty far north. The entire United States is very far north.
C9's aren't a fire hazard. The issue was the trees were too small for the C9's when I first planted them. It took the trees about 3 years before they were large enough to need C9's. Now that my trees up against my house are at mature size, the mini-lights are basically useless. They don't generate enough warmth. C9's are what you want for larger trees.
The updated map has nothing to do with the decision. The map is an indicator of where something can grow, not what temperatures will be. Hardiness zones have absolutely nothing to do with average temperatures, how cold or warm a winter will be, etc. It's just an average annual minimum, and 50% of years are below average. You can grow citrus anywhere in Zone 8 if you protect them.
@@TheMillennialGardener I don't understand your reply. The map is most definitely an indicator of temperatures - it is based on temperatures! My point is that it may be unwise to use the map to determine which plants to grow that would be around a long time. Also, it's not outside the realm of possibility that the map was updated so drastically to drive an agenda. Just my opinion.
I'm in zone 4a and have dwarf meyer lemon, nules clementine (both just flowered and set fruit), eureka verigeited lemon, key lime (has fruited), and Valencia and cara cara oranges, all in pots in a south facing window, no grow lights. They grow very well in pots. You definitely could grow citrus in 4b!
@@NicolaiAAA I have all of mine in fabric pots right now. The Valencia is in a 5 or 7 gallon. I've found citrus roots aren't overly aggressive and don't like it super wet so the grow bags work perfect for me.
Well, that was depressing. I live in Chicago (zone 5b/6a), where -20°F is not impossible in January or February. I have five "grocery grown" mandarins in my house that are getting a bit too big to be inside. I've been messing around with designs for a small greenhouse to put them in during the winter, but I'm getting worried that they're just not "meant to be here".
I'm in Bucks Co, Pennsylvania and have two outdoor Meyer Lemons. They are potted, but I do not bring them indoors in winter. They get covered and have been thriving. They are currently in flower, and without any pollinators, I'm not expecting much unless I go out there with a paintbrush, but the bushes are doing great. The goal is to have them in the ground in 2024, and to add a blood orange and an owari satsuma to the mix.
Would you please explain the type of cover you are using? I have 2 potted Meyer here in central pa but bring them in for winter and hand pollinate. One is currently loaded with flowers and swells amazing. I would love to plant one outdoors.
@@studiosaray I currently have one of those inexpensive plastic (tarp like) greenhouses, and have them in there. This keeps the wind off of them and traps a little bit of the day's heat & humidity. Previously we had them in the basement under a grow light in winter, and by this point in the season they would have already dropped most of their leaves and been unhappy, so the fact that they are lush and full of flower buds makes me much happier this year.
@stephanieHuston Thank you, thats wonderful. I bring mine in when temps go below 50, there’s a lot of in and out in the fall and early spring. I haven’t had any issues with leaf or even fruit drop though. Just harvested the last fruit a couple weeks ago.
Meyer lemon reblooms if there's no fruit set, I remove the first flowers in the bud stage. Since I use Meyer as the seed parent in the creation of hybrids, I remove all flower buds until the outdoor pollen donors begin to shed pollen. All the resulting seedlings are hybrids.
Here in Northern California we have the Banana Belt that runs through the state. Not joking, we can grow oranges and other tropical plants in this region. The reason so many people grow grapes here is because the climate resembles Italy.
I live in NE Ohio (zone 6a) and I was lucky enough to be driving from Orlando back home and I was able to stop by Stan's orchard in person. Such a nice guy and he has all sorts of awesome varieties. I bought some Citrandarin, Citremon, Citrange, and Citrumelo as well as an Owari, Rangpur Lime, Limequat, and one of his special LaVerne lemons. I will be experimenting with growing edible trifoliates here in 6a because some (like flying dragon) are known to be hardy into zone 6. Now, just gotta breed/find a tasty/edible variety with that extra cold hardiness. Can you imagine an Ohio lemon? Would be insane
North is above the Mason Dixon line, you will not be growing any Citrus Trees in central PA, you can not even grow Michigan Hardy Figs here. I you have to bring them inside in winter the are not cold hardy!
"North" is technically north of the tropics. Florida is actually the North, because it's way north of the tropics. PA is twice the distance from tropics as it is from the subarctic zone. PA is at the northern end of temperate zones, which is far beyond north when you actually center the globe on the equator. Give it a shot - center the globe on the equator on Google Earth and you can hardly even see PA because it's so far north.
@@TheMillennialGardener Cute ignore the context! The Northern U.S. is only states above the Mason Dixon line. You will not be growing that stuff outside in PA we have winters!
The last 2 winters in south central Louisiana (zone 9) had cold spells below freezing for 30-48 hours straight with lows of 12-15 degrees. Some very old and large Satsuma trees in this region were destroyed. I re-planted mine and will use a reptile heating rock under covering to keep the roots as well as the branches warm. Fingers crossed! There is an orange called "Hamlin", AKA "Louisiana sweet" that is supposed to be 1 of the most cold-hardy oranges, and I'm giving it a try.
I live in Burlington County, NJ, approximately 100 miles north of Cape May, NJ. Do you think I could safely grow the trees inside a greenhouse year-round? Or should I grow them in large pots, and transfer them to the greenhouse in the colder months? Would they survive and thrive by that method?
You can grow that red lime indoors in a pot. It’ll fruit like nuts with a sunny window and a little grow light. Key Limes and Meyer Lemons also tolerant indoor conditions.
I think you and I have a very different definition of "north." I'll show myself and my zone 6 to the door. 🤣 But seriously, that's what container gardening is for! Trying to decide which orange to get for a pot. I've already got a Meyer lemon (needs uppotting!). I thought about getting a lime, but I just don't use limes or lime juice enough to feel justified.
Citrus are from the subtropics, so growing them in temperate regions would be very, very northern for the species. Americans are used to seeing the US centered on a map, so they don't realize often how far north the entire country is. South Florida is pretty far north of the tropics, and any part of the US north of Florida is pretty northern. The US/Canada border is actually Subarctic. When you center the globe properly on the Equator, you realize how far north even the Deep South is.
Thanks for this! I'm in far eastern northern Maine, and I've been wanting to try some citrus in containers. This will help sooo much! I'm thinking pots outdoors on the southern wall all summer, then in the basement under lights for the winter, which never drops below 40* F.
Trifoliate orange can. It's not suitable for fresh eating, though. All you can really do with it is make very sweet orange juice out of it or grow as rootstock.
Thanks for the interesting varieties to look into adding to my yard. I will have to gamble on a Meyer lemon and try to find the red lime. I'm in MD on the Chesapeake, and I've known for awhile that our peninsula is almost certainly zone 8. We did get changed on the map, and our pocket only goes a couple miles inland before its back to zone 7, and that squares with my experience. I added citrus to my yard a few years ago and I'm always looking for new ideas of trees to add. I have planted Yuzu, Sudaichi, and Miho Wase Satsuma. I'm excited to expand my little plantation. (:
what are your summer avg temperatures? and how much rain? I try to compare with the weather situations here where I life. west of Belgium. we have avg temp in summer like 24°C. and Min. temp in winter like -5°C. and by moments a lot of rain... protection in winter looks easy to do but blooming doesn't always is a succes.
It’s Feb 9 2024. I’m in Cary and I think our weather is similar to yours. We just had a month of very cold weather. How did your citrus do? Did you learn anything new?
Silly Comment maybe: I am in the UK (zone 9b) so a warmer climate than you. How is it that you are in shorts/vest/flip flops in December? When are your coldest months?
I understand your promotion of grafted citrus, but must disagree with some of your statements. Asian citrus grown from seed does take a long time to produce fruit, but mine have survived many winters here in North Texas. My grafted Asian citrus plants did not survive last Winter. My Yuzu, grown from seed and planted in my yard is starting to grow strong, but I know it will take time for it to fruit. I also have Kaffir Lime (makrut) that was grown from seed in my local area and is being sheltered this Winter.
Center the globe. The United States is not in the center. The entire continental US is far north. South Florida is the North. The northern teir of the United States is so far north it's approaching subarctic. The Subarctic region is at 50 degrees latitude, so states like NY, PA, MI, etc. actually border the subarctic region. That's how absurdly northern the United States is. North Carolina is so far north that most of the state is well within the temperate zone.
This has inspired me to try citrus as my next gardening adventure! I never knew of plant jackets, but had crafted some of my own for the past several years to overwinter some confederate jasmine plants which are definitely out of normal zone here. I'll be ordering some from your store, and checking out some of these citrus varieties! Thanks for the amazing content and ideas!
Usually, it's not only harmless but beneficial. Light frosts like that actually sweeten the fruit! I haven't bagged my Owari yet and we've had 4 nights in the upper 20's so far. The fruit has only gotten better and better. It's sweet as sugar right now. I'm going to harvest them soon. 3 weeks ago, they still weren't right and very tart, but the ones I've been picking after all this cold weather have been outstanding! 26/27F is the danger zone for citrus fruit taking damage, but honestly, the duration of the freeze can mean more. It takes awhile for fruits to freeze through, so it IS possible fruits can become damaged at higher temps if the freeze lasts a very long time.
Well, that's going to depend on your rootstock. If you get them grafted onto trifoliate rootstock like I do, you can space them 6 feet. My citrus hedge in the back is spaced at only 5 feet. You'll need to prune them annually, but it's pretty easy on a heavily dwarfing roostock. If you don't know your rootstock, that can be a problem. If they're grafted onto standard rootstock, they can grow to be huge. You must know your rootstock before purchasing any tree.
@TheMillennialGardener I ordered the brown select from Stan and I ordered the Meyer lemon from briteleaf on your recommendation. So the lemon should be a rooted cutting and the brown select should be the trifoliate. I have about 9 feet total to work with on the south side of my house. Hopefully it's enough. If not, I can do the lemon indoors for the winter.
Awesome video! I'm in zone 7a but I'm gonna try these. I have a few tricks I'm going to try to grow these here. One is I have A southern basement wall with a few windows, I figure I could make A greenhouse type shelter and open the windows to let heat out from the basement when it gets real cold.
Western Europe cannot be compared to the East Coast of the United States. Their climates are nothing alike. Europe is dramatically warmer per degree latitude, which is why virtually no one in the Southeast grows citrus. Italy's climate is Mediterranean and benefits from warm westerlies from the Atlantic, the Alps are a North-South mountain range that block cold air from the Arctic, and Europe benefits from a large ocean between the North Pole, which moderates the temperatures. North America has no North-South mountain chain, Canada acts as a land bridge which directly delivers cold air into the Southeast with no moderating effect, and since North Carolina is on the East Coast, there is no benefit of moderating westerlies. Instead, the west wind delivers cold continental air. This is why citrus is grown everywhere in Italy and nowhere widespread in the Southeast. Latitude has nothing to do with it. Please, look at a map.
If your gauge is the United States, North Carolina is in the center. Most of the state is temperate with a northern climate. Of course, if you center the globe properly on the equator, you'll quickly see every state in the continental US is *very* far north, including Florida. Toronto is the south of Canada. That doesn't make Toronto southern - it's one of the northernmost big cities in the world. Just because North Carolina is sometimes called "The South" doesn't change the fact it's very far north.
@@TheMillennialGardener If you split the US down the center horizontally, then North Carolina is still on the southern half lol. Your state runs along the same border as Arizona for reference. In the US there are 10 hardiness zones. 8 is not northern. I am in Iowa (Zone 5), and when I read "Northern Gardeners" I do not think of states that are culturally and regionally considered the SOUTH of the US. According to any map, the "South East" region of the US runs all the way up to Kentucky and Virginia. Please dont get me wrong, I love your videos, but there is no way you can consider North Carolina northern. Temperate? Mostly... yeah, sure, if you ignore the Southeast of North Carolina literally being subtropic. If you really want to make the scope the entire globe, even Florida is a northern state. Hell, even some SOUTH American countries are north of the equator...
Your videos are so inspiring! I’m in 8B in Texas. I’m going to try moving my potted meiwa kumquat and miho satsuma to the south side of my house and protect as you suggest next spring. Thank you for sharing the info!
You definitely can. Just get yourself a good, reliable setup like I have. I use the water barrels so if we lose power during a cold event, I still have back-up. Combined, they give me 10-12 degrees of cold protection consistently.
I live in southeastern Arizona next to the Mexican border we’re zone 8B and I have an improved Meyer lemon tree that I used to have in a pot but last year I put it in the ground. When I covered it with a white frost blanket the leaves turned brown, dried up and fell off not all but most on the top. I watched this video and bought the Christmas lights so when it got down to 28 I put the cover and the lights on and had to leave the cover on for a week but not the lights and they still turned brown on the top. It is now above freezing for awhile so cover is off and lights are still off. What did I do wrong?
Very interesting. Do you know that satsumas can be eaten (and taste even better) when they're still green and just about to start turning orange? My brother eats my Meyer lemons as if they were oranges!
Hello I like your video and i would like to know if I can get a small branch of each of your citrus trees to plant for myself I am willing to pay thanks and I am looking forward for your feedback
Thanks. He lives in Zone 6b that was just bumped to a 7a. There’s no way any citrus tree worth eating will grow there. He doesn’t have the gardening bug as bad as I do. He’s still young. I think he will get it more as he gets older. I got him a persimmon and fig tree, and he built himself a couple raised beds.
Such great information and explanations on growing citrus. My soil quality is poor so I want to grow in large containers. I have a struggling Meyer lemon and I think the problem is too small a pot and not enough food and air circulation for the roots. You definitely inspire me to try harder and i definitely want to try the satsuma oranges. There are a couple neighborhoods here growing full size orange trees so I know they do well. We’re zone 8b in southeast Virginia.
You should be able to grow them on a compost mound. You don't need great soil to grow citrus, especially on Trifoliate rootstock. As long as the soil doesn't hold water, they will do fine. Trifoliate roots are shallow and much more tolerant of clay soil. If you mound up compost 12-18 inches, the roots will largely grow in that and excess water will drain away well. If your citrus in containers are struggling, that's an indicator that either the soil mix is not right for citrus, they aren't getting enough warmth and/or light or they're starving for nutrients. Citrus need to be fertilized twice a month in containers all year round.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much for such great input. I don't know with certainty this is my forever home, so I would prefer to put my citrus into containers. And I'm sure the soil mix is off, the roots are crowded and I'm not feeding anywhere close to enough. Light is a struggle here between trees and building so I probably need to pot the Lemon up and bring it in for the winter under grow lights to get it healthier.
C9 lights are often used to warm the trunks of palm trees during cold spells to warm the central spear that grows inside. That way, if the tops get defoliated, the spear can stay alive and push out new growth and recover. I've had to wrap my Canary Island Date Palm in C9's a couple times when we got back to back nights of 17F and 14F a year or two ago, and another time when we got a freezing rain storm. It worked.
Some other purpose-bred very cold hardy satsumas to investigate, both specifically bred for cold hardiness and classic mandarin flavor down to 7b/8a in Texas: “Arctic Frost” satsuma and “Orange Frost” satsuma. Arctic frost seems to be the “favorite” of most folks but reportedly little difference between the two. I have Orange Frost on trifoliate.
I have yet to see data that indicates either variety is hardier than Owari or Brown's Select. Arctic Frost is very undesirable because of the thorns, so I would never consider growing that variety. I also doubt the fruit quality is up to Owari or Brown Select standards. For that reason, I haven't seen any reason to experiment with them, because Brown's Select and Owari are so incredibly good. There would have to be a really significant temperature advantage to them, but I don't think the data has shown that to be true yet.
Well TAMU has trials on both down to -11.1*C so maybe you just haven’t seen those data yet. On par or better cold tolerance than Owari. Both are Changsha/Satsuma hybrids, outdoor specimens here in Texas survived our deep freeze in high single digits F (no doubt with microclimate help) and low double digits. All anecdotal though. Not sure why you have to get all defensive of “your” varieties and techniques brother lol… especially if you’ve never tried either fruit, no reason to discount them out of hand yeesh. Artic frost has similar thorn levels to Meyer lemons fyi. Never said Owari and Brown’s aren’t great, they are 🤷♂️ Wish we had some growers here in TX with red limes! Haven’t been able to hunt any down and our state approved budwood program doesn’t have any. I may have to break down and import some chip buds from California’s certified stock. Will end up being about $250-$500 though after permits/shipping/fees though! Kinda sucks sometimes to live in a citrus regulated state when 90% of the state doesn’t or can’t grow commercial citrus orchards 🙃 oh well
Thank you! Citrus is definitely doable around the Charlotte area. It's a little tricker than mine, but none of my citrus have ever taken any damage with the way I protect them, so there's definitely some play. If I can do it without any problems, people in cooler climates than mine can.
If I had to guess, it's probably related to the Asian citrus psyllid killing all the citrus in Florida. That's not how nature works, of course. It'll kill all the vulnerable citrus and those naturally resistant will cross and the end result will be a stronger species.
North Carolina is very far north. "North" is relative to the equator, not the centerline of the US. The entire continental US is very far north, including Florida. South Florida is nowhere near the tropics. North Carolina is so far north, most of the state is in the temperate zone. Iowa is bordering subarctic.
@@Hammer_11791 I second this "LOL". Florida has essentially zero issues growing full blown rainforest tropicals wild outdoors... Im also in Iowa, and literally no one would ever consider NC a "cold northern" state.
Beautiful fruit, MG! 👍 Thanks for all the knowledge and encouragement.😃 Merry Christmas, Dale and household! Hopefully, yall are doing well with whatever weather y'all are experiencing.💕
My 2 Meyer Lemons, 1 Owari Satsuma, and 1 other type of Satsuma are all alive out here in-ground in Chesapeake, VA. This is year #2 for all of them. They survived the 7F night with high winds (-0F) using your techniques last Winter! Almost no damage. Though, the Lemons did loose their leaves. They came back and made good fruit. THANK YOU
Woohoo! That's absolutely outstanding! Every year, they should get stronger as they mature. I bet if you add a couple 60 gallon pickle barrels full of water you'll see even better results and they won't defoliate on those single digit nights. I will say this: when the forecast is for the teens, I toss a tarp on top of my plant jackets to block the heat loss. Tossing a tarp on those nights adds another 5-7 degrees.
@@TheMillennialGardener I hope they do keep getting bigger and stronger! If anything ever happens to them... I will be going Yuzu next time around just because they are even more cold hardy than the Owari Satsuma. I be the pickle barrels would work... but the wife would not like them. However, that tarp idea sounds wonderful! I throw them over the tomatoes and such when I start them super early in the Spring (before the false summers have passed and turned into real warm weather) I had my tomatoes rock through a 25F night! So I bet that would totally help the lemons. Mine are on their own roots too btw. Made them myself and then gave away the old mother tree a few years back. Grew them out in a pot for a season or two before putting them into the ground.
I just read the Citrus Orchard chapter in Masanobu Fukuoka´s one-straw revulotion last night :D I think im gonna try to graft a citrus tree in my backyard here in the most southern part of Sweden. zone 8b
You should be able to if you're in Zone 8. You will need protection, and you will want a way to trap heat during the day so the tree can warm up above freezing every single day for a long period of time. The plant jackets work great for that.
@@TheMillennialGardener Okey! I´ve been looking for owari satsuma and Trifoliata seeds to order in europe but can only find buyers who has one of the kind :((( I miss the old days when we didnt get taxed from ordering in US and shipping wasnt insane :D
I'm in south Mississippi which was 8b but now 9a. I have 2 LA sweet oranges, a red navel and 2 owari satsumas and an arctic frost Satsuma. And a version lime but it's in a pot and they all do pretty well here! Great video!
Where can you purchase a satsuma that is grafted to the trifoliate rootstock? I'm new to this and just learning! I'm close to you as well, Greenville area.
Last winter I used the blue mini lights to keep my greens warm on my front porch. They weren’t hot enough to burn them but they were hot enough to keep them from freezing.
How cold does it get on your porch? I have a sunroom but it gets down to freezing in there. Not as cold as outside but it's unheated. I wonder if that would work for me.
@@tamidavis3730It probably would. I have oak leaf, and Lola Rosa lettuce, green onions, Swiss chard, celery, Pok Choi, kale, sage and rosemary all outside unprotected and we’ve had multiple nights in the twenties and they’re all fine. Last year the lights worked until we had 2-3 nights that were twenty below zero. That’s very cold and unusual for my area.
As long as they're incandescent and rated for outdoor use, they should be safe for use. Mini-lights will only work on smaller trees. Once they get to be a good size, they won't be able to warm an air mass more than a couple degrees. If you need 5+ degrees of warmth, you need to switch to C9's to warm the air.
Sir, off the beaten path here with a question. You did a video a while ago about the most productive cucumber pant with clusters of cukes. What was the name of it if you don't mind sharing - I cannot find that video.
I think the video you're referring to is this: ruclips.net/video/nSizx4eUEg4/видео.htmlsi=bMe2KQA3Wq2-Fyih But this video features 3 varieties. You'd have to figure out which was your preference.
Snow isn't a problem. It's the temperature that causes problems. If snow comes along with temps in the upper 20's and then it warms up shortly, that's meaningless. If you got temps in the teens and it stayed below freezing all day, that would be a major problem. I would, however, protect them from an ice storm. Freezing rain can be a problem and cause major damage, and the weight on the trees can break branches.
Where are you finding citrus trees on dwarf rootstock ? I can only find trees grafted on semi-dwarf rootstock. Or is semi-dwarf ok for container gardening ?
I tried to contact Stan, actually I was able to speak with his wife because I desire to grow the Brown Select and Owari Satsuma Mandarin Orange but they do not deliver to Mesquite Texas . Sad :) please help me if you know any other place that would deliver. Thanks to you my Meyer Lemon is doing fine..she's asleep but prior to that it REALLY tried to flower but I as I follow you I am able to keep her growing on!! THANK YOU!!
They can't. Texas is a citrus quarantine state. It's illegal to ship any citrus from other states to Texas. You would have to purchase citrus from nurseries within Texas. You'd have to search for citrus nurseries within Texas via Google Maps and call around and see if they can ship them, or search around locally. Alternatively, you can also grow trifoliate orange from seed, use them as rootstock and graft your own citrus if you know people with trees you can take cuttings from.
@@TheMillennialGardener OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH, THANK YOU! You are such the teacher!!!! I'm learning so much and I'm so grateful to God for you being willing to share your information and knowledge! Hi Dale!!!!! :)
If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😀TIMESTAMPS here:
0:00 Intro To Growing Citrus
3:31 Citrus Tree #1: Owari Satsuma
6:01 Bonus Early Satsuma Tree
6:52 Citrus Tree #2: Meyer Lemon
9:10 Citrus Tree #3: Red Lime
10:59 Citrus Tree #4: Kumquats
12:17 Protecting Citrus Trees From Cold
16:15 Taste Testing Citrus Varieties
21:32 Where To Buy Citrus Trees
23:19 Adventures With Dale
Would those work in zone 7A Maryland? I want to try a citrus tree.
@@keyshawn3417I am in 6b and I have a Meyer Lemon.
@@AMyco-r5e I tried to order one from Mckenzie Farms and they said they have never stocked it.
I live in the PNW, east of Olympia where the average yearly low is in the mid to upper teens, however, we rarely get a clear day for nearly 6 months each year. We routinely stay in the upper 20’s and low 30’s for 3 or more months per year, with little charge between nighttime lows and daytime highs.Will citrus still survive/thrive in these conditions? I have never seen any citrus grown in my area, but I am wanting to grow any fruit trees I can.
I live in Salisbury NC, near Charlotte, and I'm going to have to try and grow these too!
The Meyer lemons can actually tolerate possibly a little colder for longer. I saw some at the grocery store, unprotected at 20 degrees for several nights, with little to no damage. It's amazing the resiliency of these trees!
If you don’t mind die-back, you could push them. I’ve never wanted to, because it isn’t a hardship to protect them the way I do. In the 5 years I’ve been growing citrus in ground, I’ve never even had cold damage on my trees. They have been some of my lowest maintenance trees aside from the darn leaf miner in new leaves.
The tree will survive. The problem is cell rupture in the fruit. Sugar works like antifreeze so oranges do better. I'm 9B, Central California so citrus does well. Still mine are on the south side with a white wall. Fence on the other side. A few years ago we had a hard freeze just before Christmas. I lost all the fruit from cell ruptures and all the blossoms so 2 years with no fruit. 😢
Close to the building?
Buildings emit stored heat. They also help protect against wind.
I have a Meyer lemon and it survived -10 degrees Celsius in a pot on my balcony last winter. I had to cut it back but I regrew 😅
@@anatevkabell6046 that's promising. I'm sure the building provided some protection, but they're tougher than indicated. I see some websites say they're only hardy to freezing, and that isn't anywhere near true.
wow jealous of those citrus trees! excited to dive into this video for when I get my geo-thermal greenhouse in the works!
Is your zone 7a or 7b? Long Island virtually never gets below 0F, and Yuzu is known to be hardy to the single digits. I'm not saying it won't be a challenge, but I think it may be possible to plant Yuzu grafted onto trifoliate rootstock up against a protected house wall and protect them like I do with some lights and a water barrel. I think Stan McKenzie sells them.
I’m here in PNW Washington area and have been working at growing citrus. The tough thing is the overcast fall/winter and the short days. My citrus are living, but not thriving. I do have a Yuzu lemon, trifoliate grapefruit and flying dragon sour orange in ground. And I have a Owari sat, meiwa, wa navel, colmadin, and Meyer lemon in pots in a small slightly heated (35 gallon water barrel w 100 watt fish tank heater) trying to get them to size and will attempt to put the Meiwa kumquat and Owari Satsuma in ground once they’re more established. And I’m going to build a larger double walled poly panel greenhouse w geo thermal this spring and plant the others in ground inside and may have to supplement some lighting during winter time. And I have bought some hybrid seeds like citrangequat, mandarinquat and changsha seeds to experiment w growing and possibly graft onto rooted cutting of my trifoliate grapefruit and flying dragon. As well I’m talking with Stan McKenzie on some other cold Hardy options for in ground.
Citrus is something I try having daily, so would love to be able to grow my own. Thank you for your content as I’ve been following for a few years and you’ve helped get me into growing citrus myself.
I don't think I'll pit any weight into the new zoning until I see the next few years weather. I will continue to plant by the zone that was prior to the update. Food chain supply isn't guaranteed unless we arenthe suppliers.
I moved from Connecticut to South Carolina two years ago, and brought three potted citrus trees with me. They are still inside in pots. (They spent summers outside) Now, after watching a couple of your videos on citrus, I’m contemplating planting them in the ground here on the Southern Piedmont. I guess my Bearss Lime will need to stay in her pot, but perhaps the Meyer lemon and clementine might need to be set free in the yard!
I have great success growing a Meyer Lemon Tree in a small 6 foot by 6 foot greenhouse in Tacoma Washington State USA. Right now many of the Lemons (about a hundred of them) are ripe right now. I built another bigger 6 foot by 16 foot greenhouse on the other side of my back porch which faces the South. I intend to grow Oranges in the bigger greenhouse not all of it though. I have heard of a grower in my Puget Sound Area who does grow Oranges in a greenhouse.
Thanks again for inspiring so many people to have a go at growing citrus (and other subtropical plants) outside of their usual growing conditions. You inspired me to plant a clementine tree outside in north-west England! I used incandescent lights and a plant jacket on it recently when it got down to around -3°C/-4°C the other week. Thankfully we don't have any frosts or freezes predicted on the forecast for the next 2 weeks at least (I'm hoping it lasts longer). I'm going to experiment with more plants next year 👍
Wow, that is bold! Clementines are fairly cold hardy. I wish you the best of luck. If you find the clementine can't cut it, I'd point you in the direction of something like Yuzu, Sudachi or possibly something like the "Prague Satsuma" or the "Carolina Lime," which have shown hardiness into the single digits. The extra 5-7 degrees of cold hardiness could make all the difference in a climate like yours. Stan McKenzie has those plants, I believe.
@@TheMillennialGardener I want to grow citrus but I’m in Connecticut. Thank you for the website suggestion.
This is reminding me of how the Soviets got citrus growing surprisingly far north with (IIRC) trenching.
I got excited living in south western PA then I saw you wearing shorts and a tank top in December and realized we are on different planets 😂
Not today. High of 47, low of 26. Winter is weird in the coastal Carolinas. One day is 70, the next is 60, the next is 53, the next is 46, then back up into the 50's. Rollercoaster winters. The issue with PA is the daytime doesn't warm up enough for trees to recover and they spend too much time below freezing. They really need to warm back up in 4-8 hours or so. Something like Yuzu may be possible in a really protected micro-climate if you can design a system where it never gets colder than 5-10F and always warms up above freezing after sunrise.
Because of your videos, I finally put all my potted citrus in the ground in zone 8A. They are currently under a plant jacket with a pickle barrel filled with water as a thermal battery and wrapped with incandescent Christmas lights. I hope they survive these next couple of months!
Awesome! I wish you the best of luck! If they can get through the first year, they'll begin rewarding you. Citrus rewards quickly.
That red lime is amazing! Might have to grab one for my indoor collection here in zone 4a (I guess now 4b).
It is nuts. It will make a glorious potted plant. It fruits profusely.
This is prefect for me. You're making our generation look wonderful
"I bet you could grow citrus in your climate"
Say the line Bart.
"I live in North Carolina"
YAAAAY!
Seriously though, the winters in North carolina are warmer than most US States. Granted you're at around the limit for citrus save for outliers like the trifoliate orange (which is the only citrus that most of the US can actually grow....not that most care to since theyre not really edible) but its a warmer climate than northern Texas in the winter.
Rule of thumb; the further south and further to the coast you are, the warmer your climate. The further north and the further inland the colder. Almost every state west of North carolina (until you get past the Rockies) is colder than North Carolina, even though they are the same latitude. Ohio is colder than PA, even though they are the same latitude, et cetera.
On behalf of my me and my family we want to thank you for all your tips and videos thanks to you and many other gardener RUclipsrs my family and I have had a lot of food and great memories! Thank you ❤and god bless you and your family
Thank you so much! I'm glad you're finding the videos helpful. I hope they inspire you to grow big!
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you too. Best all around gardening channel on RUclips.
You really improved our garden this year. Determinate Celebrity tomatoes, Florida Weave, Sweet 100s, toothbrush pollination, not letting cucumbers get too big. Overwintering Impala and Jalapeno pepper plants, so far they are doing well indoors.
Lol. Thanks, but I live one mile from Canada in zone 4b so can definitely not grow outdoor citrus.
I live in the Upper Midwest. It gets down to well below zero for weeks at a time. Ain't no citrus surviving my winters.
" if it didn't grow in your location ten years ago, it's not going to grow there now. "
but wait...what about global warming ?
❤ CHECK OUT SAMBO LEMON sweet like lemonade 🍋 but bug and pulpy like a grapefruit 🤩🤩🤩
Kumquat tidbit: Nagami has a seedless variety called "Nordmann". I've gotten into the routine of spitting seeds, usually 6-8 per fruit. Seeds didn't stop me from eating all the fruit, though. 😁 But if I ever lose my tree, I'll look for a seedless. Also, kumquat fruit can freeze and thaw (20s range) without splitting or turning mushy as juicer styles of citrus would. I may get a Satsuma next year, but kumquats are a good starting point for a citrus hobbyist since they're reasonably forgiving of mistakes.
We got to bite into our very first Meyer lemon recently. It was pretty small, but it was so delicious! It really wasn't tart at all. Tasted just like lemonade to all of us. So glad we took your advice and got started on our citrus journey last year! Thanks from the Willamette Valley in Oregon! (Zone 8b)
One note I would add regarding pest pressure on citrus - apparently slugs and snails really like it... That one Meyer lemon had a slug chewing well into the skin when I spotted it ripe. By the time I picked it, there were two holes through the skin, looked like a little vampire had bitten into it. We still enjoyed it, but will definitely be keeping a closer watch on the low hanging fruit, as this one was pretty much sitting on the ground since the tree is still young (only in the ground for one year so far).
Just wait until the tree matures. Within 1-2 years, you'll be getting 50-100 that will be nearly the size of baseballs. They're so good! You could fill a kiddie pool with all the juice 😂 Leaf miner is my problem with new citrus leaves. You need to keep them coated in spinosad during the leaf miner season.
@@TheMillennialGardener I did notice some leaf miner on the Owari that I got from Stan when it arrived last year. I gave it a dose of dormant oil and removed the worst leaves, and haven't seen them on there again yet.
@@joshuahoyer1279hello I also live in the willamette valley in portland I am thinking about giving the owari a try how well has yours held up?
@@jamesthestoryguy509 it's still thriving in its spot! It had a bit of leaf miner when it first arrived, so it lost some leaves early on. But after treating it with dormant oil, the pest moved on and I haven't seen it since. It doesn't seem to have grown a ton quite yet, but it has only been in the ground for a year so far. Like I've heard @TheMillenialGardener say, the first year they sleep, the second they creep, and the third they leap. So I'm looking forward to what the tree looks like this time next year. Maybe it'll even have a few fruits on it?
Bro , You Give Great And Understandable Direction In Detail 💯
Not gunna work in Montana
A little known fact. Citrus is grown on Vancouver Island in Canada. Outdoors. Because of its micro climate.
Yes, I know of some growers doing so, but sweet citrus can take 2 years to ripen due to the lack of heat accumulation in a single season. If you want to grow citrus in British Columbia, I recommend watching this guy's handful of videos: www.youtube.com/@fruittreesandmore7431
I got four trees from McKenzie after seeing your video on small fruit trees. Excited for this new journey.
Outstanding! Stan’s trees are the best.
Yes same here! East Tennessee
I got my Browns Select Satsuma that I'm growing in a container in Michigan from Stan. He and his wife are very helpful and friendly to talk to, and their prices are reasonable.
@@haleyaudiss I'm in Chattanooga and growing some here, too.
Zone 8? I keep hearing Zone 8. Zone 8 is not "northern". And "North Carolina" is not north either. I'm in Zone 5a, right in the middle of the USA!
It certainly is. Zone 8 goes all the way up to NJ. Citrus are from the subtropics. Growing them in temperate regions would be very northern. 5a is much more than northern. It's the northern outskirts of temperate regions and approaching subarctic, which begins at 50 degrees latitude. Most people in the US are used to looking at the US centered on a globe, but even the Florida Keys are well north of the tropics. Anything north of Florida is beginning to get pretty far north. The entire United States is very far north.
Just moved to SC zone 9a, would any lime varieties other than the red lime be possible to grow here?
*laughs in Minnesotan*
In your earlier videos I remember you going with mini lights instead of C9 because of fire hazard, why the change to C9?….More heat?
C9's aren't a fire hazard. The issue was the trees were too small for the C9's when I first planted them. It took the trees about 3 years before they were large enough to need C9's. Now that my trees up against my house are at mature size, the mini-lights are basically useless. They don't generate enough warmth. C9's are what you want for larger trees.
Not sure how wise it is to place one's trust in the updated zone map. Just sayin.
The updated map has nothing to do with the decision. The map is an indicator of where something can grow, not what temperatures will be. Hardiness zones have absolutely nothing to do with average temperatures, how cold or warm a winter will be, etc. It's just an average annual minimum, and 50% of years are below average. You can grow citrus anywhere in Zone 8 if you protect them.
@@TheMillennialGardener I don't understand your reply. The map is most definitely an indicator of temperatures - it is based on temperatures! My point is that it may be unwise to use the map to determine which plants to grow that would be around a long time. Also, it's not outside the realm of possibility that the map was updated so drastically to drive an agenda. Just my opinion.
Where did you order your red lime tree from? Thanks.
North Carolina is a northern growing zone???
Well, I'm still not growing citrus in 4b.
Potted is always an option! Key Limes and Kumquats do great in pots!
I'm in zone 4a and have dwarf meyer lemon, nules clementine (both just flowered and set fruit), eureka verigeited lemon, key lime (has fruited), and Valencia and cara cara oranges, all in pots in a south facing window, no grow lights. They grow very well in pots. You definitely could grow citrus in 4b!
@@tamidavis3730 I've been entertaining the idea of getting a Valencia in a pot. How big of a pot is yours in? 🤔
@@NicolaiAAA I have all of mine in fabric pots right now. The Valencia is in a 5 or 7 gallon. I've found citrus roots aren't overly aggressive and don't like it super wet so the grow bags work perfect for me.
I live in Northern Minnesota, this video is not for me
Well, that was depressing. I live in Chicago (zone 5b/6a), where -20°F is not impossible in January or February. I have five "grocery grown" mandarins in my house that are getting a bit too big to be inside. I've been messing around with designs for a small greenhouse to put them in during the winter, but I'm getting worried that they're just not "meant to be here".
I'm in Bucks Co, Pennsylvania and have two outdoor Meyer Lemons. They are potted, but I do not bring them indoors in winter. They get covered and have been thriving. They are currently in flower, and without any pollinators, I'm not expecting much unless I go out there with a paintbrush, but the bushes are doing great. The goal is to have them in the ground in 2024, and to add a blood orange and an owari satsuma to the mix.
Would you please explain the type of cover you are using? I have 2 potted Meyer here in central pa but bring them in for winter and hand pollinate. One is currently loaded with flowers and swells amazing. I would love to plant one outdoors.
@@studiosaray I currently have one of those inexpensive plastic (tarp like) greenhouses, and have them in there. This keeps the wind off of them and traps a little bit of the day's heat & humidity. Previously we had them in the basement under a grow light in winter, and by this point in the season they would have already dropped most of their leaves and been unhappy, so the fact that they are lush and full of flower buds makes me much happier this year.
@stephanieHuston Thank you, thats wonderful. I bring mine in when temps go below 50, there’s a lot of in and out in the fall and early spring. I haven’t had any issues with leaf or even fruit drop though. Just harvested the last fruit a couple weeks ago.
@@StephanieHustondid you plant them in the ground?
Meyer lemon reblooms if there's no fruit set, I remove the first flowers in the bud stage. Since I use Meyer as the seed parent in the creation of hybrids, I remove all flower buds until the outdoor pollen donors begin to shed pollen. All the resulting seedlings are hybrids.
Here in Northern California we have the Banana Belt that runs through the state. Not joking, we can grow oranges and other tropical plants in this region. The reason so many people grow grapes here is because the climate resembles Italy.
Olives too!
Hey , I planted my Key Lime in the ground . Will it survive Raleigh, NC 27540 weather. Do I need to take any precautions ? Please suggest
I live in NE Ohio (zone 6a) and I was lucky enough to be driving from Orlando back home and I was able to stop by Stan's orchard in person. Such a nice guy and he has all sorts of awesome varieties. I bought some Citrandarin, Citremon, Citrange, and Citrumelo as well as an Owari, Rangpur Lime, Limequat, and one of his special LaVerne lemons. I will be experimenting with growing edible trifoliates here in 6a because some (like flying dragon) are known to be hardy into zone 6. Now, just gotta breed/find a tasty/edible variety with that extra cold hardiness. Can you imagine an Ohio lemon? Would be insane
North is above the Mason Dixon line, you will not be growing any Citrus Trees in central PA, you can not even grow Michigan Hardy Figs here. I you have to bring them inside in winter the are not cold hardy!
"North" is technically north of the tropics. Florida is actually the North, because it's way north of the tropics. PA is twice the distance from tropics as it is from the subarctic zone. PA is at the northern end of temperate zones, which is far beyond north when you actually center the globe on the equator. Give it a shot - center the globe on the equator on Google Earth and you can hardly even see PA because it's so far north.
@@TheMillennialGardener Cute ignore the context! The Northern U.S. is only states above the Mason Dixon line. You will not be growing that stuff outside in PA we have winters!
The last 2 winters in south central Louisiana (zone 9) had cold spells below freezing for 30-48 hours straight with lows of 12-15 degrees. Some very old and large Satsuma trees in this region were destroyed. I re-planted mine and will use a reptile heating rock under covering to keep the roots as well as the branches warm. Fingers crossed! There is an orange called "Hamlin", AKA "Louisiana sweet" that is supposed to be 1 of the most cold-hardy oranges, and I'm giving it a try.
I live in Burlington County, NJ, approximately 100 miles north of Cape May, NJ. Do you think I could safely grow the trees inside a greenhouse year-round? Or should I grow them in large pots, and transfer them to the greenhouse in the colder months? Would they survive and thrive by that method?
I want the same in northern Minnesota 😅😅😅😅😅
You can grow that red lime indoors in a pot. It’ll fruit like nuts with a sunny window and a little grow light. Key Limes and Meyer Lemons also tolerant indoor conditions.
Same here in Southern MN
I think you and I have a very different definition of "north." I'll show myself and my zone 6 to the door. 🤣
But seriously, that's what container gardening is for! Trying to decide which orange to get for a pot. I've already got a Meyer lemon (needs uppotting!). I thought about getting a lime, but I just don't use limes or lime juice enough to feel justified.
Citrus are from the subtropics, so growing them in temperate regions would be very, very northern for the species. Americans are used to seeing the US centered on a map, so they don't realize often how far north the entire country is. South Florida is pretty far north of the tropics, and any part of the US north of Florida is pretty northern. The US/Canada border is actually Subarctic. When you center the globe properly on the Equator, you realize how far north even the Deep South is.
Thanks for this! I'm in far eastern northern Maine, and I've been wanting to try some citrus in containers. This will help sooo much! I'm thinking pots outdoors on the southern wall all summer, then in the basement under lights for the winter, which never drops below 40* F.
Any citrus survive -20 below wind chill ?
Trifoliate orange can. It's not suitable for fresh eating, though. All you can really do with it is make very sweet orange juice out of it or grow as rootstock.
Thanks for the interesting varieties to look into adding to my yard. I will have to gamble on a Meyer lemon and try to find the red lime. I'm in MD on the Chesapeake, and I've known for awhile that our peninsula is almost certainly zone 8. We did get changed on the map, and our pocket only goes a couple miles inland before its back to zone 7, and that squares with my experience. I added citrus to my yard a few years ago and I'm always looking for new ideas of trees to add. I have planted Yuzu, Sudaichi, and Miho Wase Satsuma. I'm excited to expand my little plantation. (:
what are your summer avg temperatures? and how much rain? I try to compare with the weather situations here where I life. west of Belgium. we have avg temp in summer like 24°C. and Min. temp in winter like -5°C. and by moments a lot of rain... protection in winter looks easy to do but blooming doesn't always is a succes.
It’s Feb 9 2024. I’m in Cary and I think our weather is similar to yours. We just had a month of very cold weather. How did your citrus do? Did you learn anything new?
Silly Comment maybe: I am in the UK (zone 9b) so a warmer climate than you. How is it that you are in shorts/vest/flip flops in December? When are your coldest months?
I understand your promotion of grafted citrus, but must disagree with some of your statements. Asian citrus grown from seed does take a long time to produce fruit, but mine have survived many winters here in North Texas. My grafted Asian citrus plants did not survive last Winter. My Yuzu, grown from seed and planted in my yard is starting to grow strong, but I know it will take time for it to fruit. I also have Kaffir Lime (makrut) that was grown from seed in my local area and is being sheltered this Winter.
North Carolina is not the North lol. I would call it the South actually.
Center the globe. The United States is not in the center. The entire continental US is far north. South Florida is the North. The northern teir of the United States is so far north it's approaching subarctic. The Subarctic region is at 50 degrees latitude, so states like NY, PA, MI, etc. actually border the subarctic region. That's how absurdly northern the United States is. North Carolina is so far north that most of the state is well within the temperate zone.
This has inspired me to try citrus as my next gardening adventure! I never knew of plant jackets, but had crafted some of my own for the past several years to overwinter some confederate jasmine plants which are definitely out of normal zone here. I'll be ordering some from your store, and checking out some of these citrus varieties! Thanks for the amazing content and ideas!
How will the fuit of Owari Satsuma near ripeness respond to overnight freezes (say 30F at dawn)? Will the fruit still ripen?
Usually, it's not only harmless but beneficial. Light frosts like that actually sweeten the fruit! I haven't bagged my Owari yet and we've had 4 nights in the upper 20's so far. The fruit has only gotten better and better. It's sweet as sugar right now. I'm going to harvest them soon. 3 weeks ago, they still weren't right and very tart, but the ones I've been picking after all this cold weather have been outstanding! 26/27F is the danger zone for citrus fruit taking damage, but honestly, the duration of the freeze can mean more. It takes awhile for fruits to freeze through, so it IS possible fruits can become damaged at higher temps if the freeze lasts a very long time.
We are visiting next week to Mckenzie Farms and called Stan to reserve Owari Satsuma and Sugar bell for us. Any other ones to add for Charlotte?
How much spacing should I set aside for a brown select and meyer lemon on my south wall? Better to have them close together or farther apart?
Well, that's going to depend on your rootstock. If you get them grafted onto trifoliate rootstock like I do, you can space them 6 feet. My citrus hedge in the back is spaced at only 5 feet. You'll need to prune them annually, but it's pretty easy on a heavily dwarfing roostock. If you don't know your rootstock, that can be a problem. If they're grafted onto standard rootstock, they can grow to be huge. You must know your rootstock before purchasing any tree.
@TheMillennialGardener I ordered the brown select from Stan and I ordered the Meyer lemon from briteleaf on your recommendation. So the lemon should be a rooted cutting and the brown select should be the trifoliate. I have about 9 feet total to work with on the south side of my house. Hopefully it's enough. If not, I can do the lemon indoors for the winter.
Called your friend at Mckenzie farms and ordered a blood orange. I'm in 7b in Charlotte. NC area. I am really going to baby that thing.
Great video. I’m Conway SC and have had some difficulty with citrus!
Awesome video! I'm in zone 7a but I'm gonna try these. I have a few tricks I'm going to try to grow these here. One is I have A southern basement wall with a few windows, I figure I could make A greenhouse type shelter and open the windows to let heat out from the basement when it gets real cold.
0:30 No duh that you can grow citrus in north carolina, you can grow them in Italy and Rome is on the same latitude as New York.
Western Europe cannot be compared to the East Coast of the United States. Their climates are nothing alike. Europe is dramatically warmer per degree latitude, which is why virtually no one in the Southeast grows citrus. Italy's climate is Mediterranean and benefits from warm westerlies from the Atlantic, the Alps are a North-South mountain range that block cold air from the Arctic, and Europe benefits from a large ocean between the North Pole, which moderates the temperatures.
North America has no North-South mountain chain, Canada acts as a land bridge which directly delivers cold air into the Southeast with no moderating effect, and since North Carolina is on the East Coast, there is no benefit of moderating westerlies. Instead, the west wind delivers cold continental air. This is why citrus is grown everywhere in Italy and nowhere widespread in the Southeast. Latitude has nothing to do with it. Please, look at a map.
@@TheMillennialGardener Still as someone from Scandinavia nowhere in the Us is really all that cold.
How is zone 8 "northern?" lol, North Carolina is defacto "the south"
If your gauge is the United States, North Carolina is in the center. Most of the state is temperate with a northern climate. Of course, if you center the globe properly on the equator, you'll quickly see every state in the continental US is *very* far north, including Florida. Toronto is the south of Canada. That doesn't make Toronto southern - it's one of the northernmost big cities in the world. Just because North Carolina is sometimes called "The South" doesn't change the fact it's very far north.
@@TheMillennialGardener If you split the US down the center horizontally, then North Carolina is still on the southern half lol. Your state runs along the same border as Arizona for reference. In the US there are 10 hardiness zones. 8 is not northern. I am in Iowa (Zone 5), and when I read "Northern Gardeners" I do not think of states that are culturally and regionally considered the SOUTH of the US. According to any map, the "South East" region of the US runs all the way up to Kentucky and Virginia. Please dont get me wrong, I love your videos, but there is no way you can consider North Carolina northern. Temperate? Mostly... yeah, sure, if you ignore the Southeast of North Carolina literally being subtropic. If you really want to make the scope the entire globe, even Florida is a northern state. Hell, even some SOUTH American countries are north of the equator...
I'm in northern IL (zone 5) and am still considering a potted tree or two and bringing them inside as my Christmas tree.
Your videos are so inspiring! I’m in 8B in Texas. I’m going to try moving my potted meiwa kumquat and miho satsuma to the south side of my house and protect as you suggest next spring. Thank you for sharing the info!
You definitely can. Just get yourself a good, reliable setup like I have. I use the water barrels so if we lose power during a cold event, I still have back-up. Combined, they give me 10-12 degrees of cold protection consistently.
I been looking for the meiwa kumquat out here for so long. Good luck with yours
I live in southeastern Arizona next to the Mexican border we’re zone 8B and I have an improved Meyer lemon tree that I used to have in a pot but last year I put it in the ground. When I covered it with a white frost blanket the leaves turned brown, dried up and fell off not all but most on the top. I watched this video and bought the Christmas lights so when it got down to 28 I put the cover and the lights on and had to leave the cover on for a week but not the lights and they still turned brown on the top. It is now above freezing for awhile so cover is off and lights are still off. What did I do wrong?
I live in 7b North carolina. I don't have brick as well on the house. Will they still stay warm against the south side of the house?
Very interesting. Do you know that satsumas can be eaten (and taste even better) when they're still green and just about to start turning orange?
My brother eats my Meyer lemons as if they were oranges!
Hello I like your video and i would like to know if I can get a small branch of each of your citrus trees to plant for myself I am willing to pay thanks and I am looking forward for your feedback
10 years ago my fig trees would die back to the roots. The last few years it hasn't, seeing we went from zone 7 to 8 makes sense.
Can I Plant the Owari orange tree in a container? How big would it need to be? I am in Charlotte and my South wall has concrete floor. Lisa
Any thoughts on why my Meyer lemon tree leaves turned after the lights and clothes. I asked this question 2 weeks ago.
Have you ever tried Yuzu? I'm in 8a just south east of Charlotte and have been eyeing trying one for years
Outstanding video, does your brother in NJ like me is trying/experimenting with any of them?
Thanks. He lives in Zone 6b that was just bumped to a 7a. There’s no way any citrus tree worth eating will grow there. He doesn’t have the gardening bug as bad as I do. He’s still young. I think he will get it more as he gets older. I got him a persimmon and fig tree, and he built himself a couple raised beds.
What citrus trees can I plant? I live in Louisville ky? I would love the orange trees
Such great information and explanations on growing citrus. My soil quality is poor so I want to grow in large containers. I have a struggling Meyer lemon and I think the problem is too small a pot and not enough food and air circulation for the roots. You definitely inspire me to try harder and i definitely want to try the satsuma oranges. There are a couple neighborhoods here growing full size orange trees so I know they do well. We’re zone 8b in southeast Virginia.
You should be able to grow them on a compost mound. You don't need great soil to grow citrus, especially on Trifoliate rootstock. As long as the soil doesn't hold water, they will do fine. Trifoliate roots are shallow and much more tolerant of clay soil. If you mound up compost 12-18 inches, the roots will largely grow in that and excess water will drain away well. If your citrus in containers are struggling, that's an indicator that either the soil mix is not right for citrus, they aren't getting enough warmth and/or light or they're starving for nutrients. Citrus need to be fertilized twice a month in containers all year round.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much for such great input. I don't know with certainty this is my forever home, so I would prefer to put my citrus into containers. And I'm sure the soil mix is off, the roots are crowded and I'm not feeding anywhere close to enough. Light is a struggle here between trees and building so I probably need to pot the Lemon up and bring it in for the winter under grow lights to get it healthier.
Could I still grow Owari Satsuma in 7b? I really would love that
Unable to acquire any of these except for the Meyer lemon here in Texas because…government
Nice! So can we use the C9 lights trick for palms in coastal NC?
C9 lights are often used to warm the trunks of palm trees during cold spells to warm the central spear that grows inside. That way, if the tops get defoliated, the spear can stay alive and push out new growth and recover. I've had to wrap my Canary Island Date Palm in C9's a couple times when we got back to back nights of 17F and 14F a year or two ago, and another time when we got a freezing rain storm. It worked.
Absolutely planting citrus in the Midlands of South Carolina thanks to you. I appreciate this video.
Nice! You definitely can! That’s where Stan’s orchard is.
Where did you get your trees?
Would that owari grow in zone 6 with a frost jacket and those lights wrapped around it?
Some other purpose-bred very cold hardy satsumas to investigate, both specifically bred for cold hardiness and classic mandarin flavor down to 7b/8a in Texas: “Arctic Frost” satsuma and “Orange Frost” satsuma. Arctic frost seems to be the “favorite” of most folks but reportedly little difference between the two. I have Orange Frost on trifoliate.
I have yet to see data that indicates either variety is hardier than Owari or Brown's Select. Arctic Frost is very undesirable because of the thorns, so I would never consider growing that variety. I also doubt the fruit quality is up to Owari or Brown Select standards. For that reason, I haven't seen any reason to experiment with them, because Brown's Select and Owari are so incredibly good. There would have to be a really significant temperature advantage to them, but I don't think the data has shown that to be true yet.
Well TAMU has trials on both down to -11.1*C so maybe you just haven’t seen those data yet. On par or better cold tolerance than Owari. Both are Changsha/Satsuma hybrids, outdoor specimens here in Texas survived our deep freeze in high single digits F (no doubt with microclimate help) and low double digits. All anecdotal though. Not sure why you have to get all defensive of “your” varieties and techniques brother lol… especially if you’ve never tried either fruit, no reason to discount them out of hand yeesh. Artic frost has similar thorn levels to Meyer lemons fyi. Never said Owari and Brown’s aren’t great, they are 🤷♂️
Wish we had some growers here in TX with red limes! Haven’t been able to hunt any down and our state approved budwood program doesn’t have any. I may have to break down and import some chip buds from California’s certified stock. Will end up being about $250-$500 though after permits/shipping/fees though! Kinda sucks sometimes to live in a citrus regulated state when 90% of the state doesn’t or can’t grow commercial citrus orchards 🙃 oh well
@@Mase326 -11C would be 12F so that would be the same cold hardiness as the Brown's Select and Owari Satsuma
Bingo!@@thinking7667
You are such an inspiration. I live just north of Charlotte and I am going to try another Meyer Lemon and a mandarin orange.
Thank you! Citrus is definitely doable around the Charlotte area. It's a little tricker than mine, but none of my citrus have ever taken any damage with the way I protect them, so there's definitely some play. If I can do it without any problems, people in cooler climates than mine can.
It can go below -30 here so no bueno for citrus. Minnesota is zone 4, 5.
Supposedly Clemson University said citrus will be going EXTINCT for some reason.
If I had to guess, it's probably related to the Asian citrus psyllid killing all the citrus in Florida. That's not how nature works, of course. It'll kill all the vulnerable citrus and those naturally resistant will cross and the end result will be a stronger species.
Did you change your mind about using C9s and fire hazard?
LOL North Carolina is not in the Northern area. I'm from Iowa I'm in the mid to northern area.
North Carolina is very far north. "North" is relative to the equator, not the centerline of the US. The entire continental US is very far north, including Florida. South Florida is nowhere near the tropics. North Carolina is so far north, most of the state is in the temperate zone. Iowa is bordering subarctic.
lol@@TheMillennialGardener
@@Hammer_11791 I second this "LOL". Florida has essentially zero issues growing full blown rainforest tropicals wild outdoors... Im also in Iowa, and literally no one would ever consider NC a "cold northern" state.
Beautiful fruit, MG! 👍 Thanks for all the knowledge and encouragement.😃
Merry Christmas, Dale and household! Hopefully, yall are doing well with whatever weather y'all are experiencing.💕
Thank you! Having citrus trees makes the cold weather a little easier. Merry Christmas!
My 2 Meyer Lemons, 1 Owari Satsuma, and 1 other type of Satsuma are all alive out here in-ground in Chesapeake, VA. This is year #2 for all of them.
They survived the 7F night with high winds (-0F) using your techniques last Winter! Almost no damage. Though, the Lemons did loose their leaves. They came back and made good fruit.
THANK YOU
Woohoo! That's absolutely outstanding! Every year, they should get stronger as they mature. I bet if you add a couple 60 gallon pickle barrels full of water you'll see even better results and they won't defoliate on those single digit nights. I will say this: when the forecast is for the teens, I toss a tarp on top of my plant jackets to block the heat loss. Tossing a tarp on those nights adds another 5-7 degrees.
@@TheMillennialGardener
I hope they do keep getting bigger and stronger! If anything ever happens to them... I will be going Yuzu next time around just because they are even more cold hardy than the Owari Satsuma.
I be the pickle barrels would work... but the wife would not like them. However, that tarp idea sounds wonderful! I throw them over the tomatoes and such when I start them super early in the Spring (before the false summers have passed and turned into real warm weather) I had my tomatoes rock through a 25F night!
So I bet that would totally help the lemons.
Mine are on their own roots too btw. Made them myself and then gave away the old mother tree a few years back. Grew them out in a pot for a season or two before putting them into the ground.
I just read the Citrus Orchard chapter in Masanobu Fukuoka´s one-straw revulotion last night :D
I think im gonna try to graft a citrus tree in my backyard here in the most southern part of Sweden. zone 8b
You should be able to if you're in Zone 8. You will need protection, and you will want a way to trap heat during the day so the tree can warm up above freezing every single day for a long period of time. The plant jackets work great for that.
@@TheMillennialGardener Okey!
I´ve been looking for owari satsuma and Trifoliata seeds to order in europe but can only find buyers who has one of the kind :(((
I miss the old days when we didnt get taxed from ordering in US and shipping wasnt insane :D
I'm in south Mississippi which was 8b but now 9a. I have 2 LA sweet oranges, a red navel and 2 owari satsumas and an arctic frost Satsuma. And a version lime but it's in a pot and they all do pretty well here! Great video!
Thanks! You can grow a lot of citrus in 9a, for sure.
Where can you purchase a satsuma that is grafted to the trifoliate rootstock? I'm new to this and just learning! I'm close to you as well, Greenville area.
McKenzies Farm?
Last winter I used the blue mini lights to keep my greens warm on my front porch. They weren’t hot enough to burn them but they were hot enough to keep them from freezing.
How cold does it get on your porch? I have a sunroom but it gets down to freezing in there. Not as cold as outside but it's unheated. I wonder if that would work for me.
@@tamidavis3730It probably would. I have oak leaf, and Lola Rosa lettuce, green onions, Swiss chard, celery, Pok Choi, kale, sage and rosemary all outside unprotected and we’ve had multiple nights in the twenties and they’re all fine. Last year the lights worked until we had 2-3 nights that were twenty below zero. That’s very cold and unusual for my area.
@@tamidavis3730 Also my porch is not covered so I laid the lights on the soil around the plants so they were in amongst them.
@@Gardeningchristine that's a good idea. I'll have to try it
As long as they're incandescent and rated for outdoor use, they should be safe for use. Mini-lights will only work on smaller trees. Once they get to be a good size, they won't be able to warm an air mass more than a couple degrees. If you need 5+ degrees of warmth, you need to switch to C9's to warm the air.
Thank you very very much!!
Sir, off the beaten path here with a question. You did a video a while ago about the most productive cucumber pant with clusters of cukes. What was the name of it if you don't mind sharing - I cannot find that video.
I think the video you're referring to is this: ruclips.net/video/nSizx4eUEg4/видео.htmlsi=bMe2KQA3Wq2-Fyih
But this video features 3 varieties. You'd have to figure out which was your preference.
Do they tolerate snow?
Snow isn't a problem. It's the temperature that causes problems. If snow comes along with temps in the upper 20's and then it warms up shortly, that's meaningless. If you got temps in the teens and it stayed below freezing all day, that would be a major problem. I would, however, protect them from an ice storm. Freezing rain can be a problem and cause major damage, and the weight on the trees can break branches.
You need merch that says “Don’t weary”
Where are you finding citrus trees on dwarf rootstock ? I can only find trees grafted on semi-dwarf rootstock. Or is semi-dwarf ok for container gardening ?
Where I buy citrus is detailed at the end of the video and time stamped in the chapters.
Do you fertilize from March to November or all year?
What temp prompts you to cover with jackets?
I am in Connecticut thats the north your like 10 hrs south
I tried to contact Stan, actually I was able to speak with his wife because I desire to grow the Brown Select and Owari Satsuma Mandarin Orange but they do not deliver to Mesquite Texas . Sad :) please help me if you know any other place that would deliver. Thanks to you my Meyer Lemon is doing fine..she's asleep but prior to that it REALLY tried to flower but I as I follow you I am able to keep her growing on!! THANK YOU!!
They can't. Texas is a citrus quarantine state. It's illegal to ship any citrus from other states to Texas. You would have to purchase citrus from nurseries within Texas. You'd have to search for citrus nurseries within Texas via Google Maps and call around and see if they can ship them, or search around locally. Alternatively, you can also grow trifoliate orange from seed, use them as rootstock and graft your own citrus if you know people with trees you can take cuttings from.
@@TheMillennialGardener OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH, THANK YOU! You are such the teacher!!!! I'm learning so much and I'm so grateful to God for you being willing to share your information and knowledge! Hi Dale!!!!! :)