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| Dear Collective Wisdom,
So, there's no hiding it now: I'm addicted to citrus trees. I don't know what it is, but I'm already itching for another little tree to call my own. And, since I got a job last week (hurray!), I see this as a perfect way to celebrate. I currently have a dwarf Meyer from Four Winds named Lovely Lemon, and she's awesome. Where do I go from here? What's fun? What's good for newbies who live in Massachusetts? What do you like the most? I figure it was you guys who got me into this mess, you can at least help me feed my addiction. ;-) Cheers, Incunable |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I have a Meyer lemon too. I also have a Kaffir lime because I love SE Asian cooking. I would really recommend a Kaffir Lime. Not only are the leaves extremely useful and delicious but they look really cool too. It looks like two leaves attached to each other. The kaffir lime isn't really picky either. Ive heard they are one of the easier citrus to grow and move inside during the winter. I've had mine since spring and it's on it's second growth flush of the season. Just my opinion :) Kristopher |
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- Posted by hoosierquilt z10a/23 Vista Calif (My Page) on Mon, Sep 3, 12 at 11:48
| Well, I guess it depends what you like to eat for citrus. If you like mandarins, try a nice Seedless Kishu. Great container mandarin choice, small completely seedless fruits, and probably the very best tasting mandarin out there. Also, the Cocktail grapefruit hybrid is also a delicious choice. And the Cara Cara navel orange is a very good tasting, pink-fleshed navel orange. But, entirely up to you based on what tastes good to you. Patty S. |
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| Or a Bearrs lime, if you like the traditional lime taste; I have Bearrs limes alongside my Meyer trees in all my gardens; and they do very well. Key lime would be another choice. I'm with Patty on the Cara Cara if you want an orange; it is the best orange I have ever tasted IMHO. |
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| x3 on cara cara oranges. I love them so much and can't wait until they are in season. I also agree with John that it is probably the best orange I have tasted as well. Kristopher |
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- Posted by meyermike_1micha 5 (mikerno_1@yahoo.com) on Mon, Sep 3, 12 at 15:19
| Hello my dear friend! You owe me a visit:-0) and soon:-) Now, I can tell you that a Bearrs lime is one of the easiest to grow in out area indoors. In fact, if it is not in bloom, or growing profusely, even in winter, it is either in fruit or the leaves smell good! Patty gave you a few GREAT tasting ones and in fact, the Kishu is to die for, but very expensive. I would also say it is a challenging one if you are just starting the citrus bug. I found that other than the Bearrs Lime, any other lime, except the Kaffir of course was hard to please unless you can provide perfect growing conditions. The Orange Trees of all sorts is one of the easiest and always guaranteed to give you fruit and good growth. They can take a lot of improper care and still survive. Now I have a feeling what you are going to be looking for..lol Hopefully we will chat soon. You must of had a good summer vacation. Can you believe it's back to the books again? Good to see you again Rebecca;-) Mike |
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- Posted by houstontexas123 z9a (My Page) on Mon, Sep 3, 12 at 18:40
| my personal fav is the Moro Blood orange. less tart, more berry sweet flavor. also like the oro blanco, tastes like lemonade. |
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| I have 3 Oro Blanco trees; but I don't think they are well suited for container growth... same for the Pommelos; I have 3 Chandler, but all inground and on Macrophylla rootstock. |
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- Posted by hoosierquilt z10a/23 Vista Calif (My Page) on Mon, Sep 3, 12 at 20:17
| Oh, definitely a Bearss lime. Besides having great fruit, and I really prefer a Bearss lime over a Key (Mexican lime) because they are about 4 times the amount of juice, they are a very, very pretty tree. They probably have the most symmetrical growth habit of any citrus tree. Mine looks like I espaliered it. And Mike is right, very easy to grow, and much more frost tolerant than the Mexican lime, which is probably the least tolerant citrus to cold temps. A Moro blood orange is very nice, but can get a little off-tasting if left on the tree too long. But worth growing for the beautiful color. Your juice can be as dark as tomato juice. I happen to prefer the taste of the Tarocco the best of all the blood oranges. For a grapefruit or pummelo container option, try the Cocktail grapefruit hybrid. It is more compact than the Oro Blanco. And a wee bit sweeter. John, your Chandler must ginormous on Macrophylla and in Guatamala! Patty S. |
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| Meiwa kumquat! one of my favorite citrus of all, such an enjoyable citrus to grow, a very sweet flavor. An early satsuma is a must have, you cant go wrong with the classic Owari or seek out Xie Shan if you can find it. Moro is a good blood type but, sanguinelli do very well in containers for me, developing an outstanding red rind. In the end its up to you, A great way to find out is in about Oct/Nov start visiting high end food marts in your area sample as much as you can find what you like and grow it! |
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- Posted by incunable1453 none (My Page) on Tue, Sep 4, 12 at 20:54
| Oh my goodness, you guys! Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I've made a list and will start doing my research. Mike, ever the enabler, gave me an adorable and flourishing cutting of his stunning Ponderosa today (pictures coming soon!), so I think that will delay my next purchase. Or at least delay it a little while... Thanks again for your help; you guys make growing things all the more fun! |
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| When I began I made an error in grabbing what I was most famiiar with-- a Bearrs Lime and a Washington Navel. Not that those are not great fruits, but they are available anywhere. Consequently, I have come to think that it is better to focus on that which is not so common in your neck of the woods. |
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- Posted by hoosierquilt z10a/23 Vista Calif (My Page) on Wed, Sep 5, 12 at 13:12
| Well, I think you should consider what you like, personally. If you like using limes in cooking and in drinks, then a Bearss lime is a great choice. And, nothing beats a really great Washington Navel orange, so if you really like them, grow them. I prefer the Cara Cara, which is a bit sweeter, but not everyone likes super sweet citrus. Some folks like them more spritely. So, a blood orange or Valencia might be a better choice, especially if you prefer to juice your oranges. So, I say, grow what you like. Even if they're more common varieties. If you're a big citrus lover like me and have the room, then include those more rare varieties. The more common varieties are more common for a reason - they're usually superb varieties that grow well under varying conditions. Patty S. |
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- Posted by incunable1453 none (My Page) on Thu, Sep 6, 12 at 17:28
| Thanks, Patty! I think you're right, and I will add trying all of these different kinds of citrus to the research phase. I'm not picky, and would probably love anything I grew myself, but I'm not sure I've had many of the different varieties (at least outside the orange family). So perhaps that's my first step--figuring out what I like, and then going from there. I only have 423 sqft (oh, city living!), so it's probably best to stick to what I love since I'll run out of room fast. Thanks again! Jacklord, thanks! I'm in Boston so most of them are pretty uncommon in my neck of the woods, unfortunately. Our main export is scholars, with very little citrus. |
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