No deaths to report (so far) but a few of the collection are not adapting well to the lower light levels and cool nights. The most upsetting is my Persian Lime which I have had for years, that normally handles winters just fine but this year it is sulking.

My trees have gotten too big to haul inside so I build a simple hoophouse covered with plastic and heated with an electric heater (I switch to kerosene for really cold nights). Overheating during sunny days is a big problem, as is very windy days which can rip off the plastic while I am at work. These past few weeks have been cool so I haven't needed to run home at lunch and open things up. It hasn't gotten over 80 during the day (I aim for above freezing at night and around 65 during the day).

My biggest problem is that my hoop house is small and my plant collection is large and everyone has to be crammed in tightly which can cause pest/disease problems. Unfortunately my extra tall tree ferns will only fit next to my very tall Lime, Blood Orange, and Navel Orange trees - tree ferns like to be hosed down every day while the citrus like to stay dry, so watering is tricky.

well mike so far so good. We have had many nights in the low 20's and they all stayed nice and cozy at a minimum 52 degrees in the greenhouse. We had a couple of clear days with highs only in the 40's and the greenhouse got up to 80. Im glad I built it because I really have no room in the house. My watering is about every other day. I have backed off the ferts to about once every 2 weeks. I am getting a little yellowing and leaf drop on the older leaves of my bigger trees so I might need to fertilize a little more. Only the yellowing leaves are dropping, none are green so I think the minimum temps are ok. I have a sensor sitting right on the soil of the tree furthest from the heater that records the temps and right now the coldest it gets inside is 52 degrees. My little heater has no problem keeping it warm and I know I could keep it at 60 if I need to. I do have some fruit that set and is slowly getting bigger and just today I removed the one ripe meyer and me and some friends at work are going to enjoy it in some good beer later.

looking in from the door.

bigger trees are key lime(back left), armstrong satsuma(back right) meyer lemon(front)bottom right is a tomato plant that is still hanging on from this summer.
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left to right
key lime, meyer, washington naval all are 1 year old, 2 store bought lemon seedlings both are 2 1/2 years old.
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pineapple, mango seedling, avacado seedling and a couple of plumeria
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Its kinda of cramped in there but next summer I might expanded it a little since I hope to add to the collection.

In the last few weeks I have gotten all of my citrus but one planted in the ground. Yesterday it was 76 degrees and its expected to be 74 today. We had a few nights where it got below freezing last week. Everything seems to have pulled through fine though. Looking forward to picking Clementines.

well...bottoms up. I have waited since May to enjoy the fruits of my labor, LOL. I now know why meyer lemons are so popular. I LOVE the flavor. Hopefully I can have a big enough harvest next time to make some pie!

Cheers GW friends!

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Cheers, Mksmith!
Awesome set up. Now enjoy that beer...if you haven't already! ;)
Well deserved. I notice your Avocado, as well - this is my second winter with
an Avocado (as a "houseplant"), and maybe I'll send it outdoors to keep the
Blood Orange company!

Mike, I'll update on my lonely citrus shortly. I've been gone all day....
So far, though, my little cold-frame is holding up under this intense California drizzle ;)


Josh

This is my first winter with my dwarf Meyer Lemon. I've had it indoors for several weeks. It has fruit ready to pick, no blossoms or buds, only one leaf has dropped. I have it in front of south facing french doors that look out onto a deck that bounces back a lot of light. I have the heat vents turned off in this part of the room.

I'm not fertilizing but mist daily.

The fruit is small - more like a lime than a lemon, so I think next year I will be braver about keeping it in the sun. This summer I kept it in dappled shade most of the time - our OK sun is just so brutal.

My key lime is doing well, I guess. My 2yo daughter got into my pot and the light was lowered so it burned a bunch of leaves at the top. So I trimmed it back to about 2 inches above the soil where 3 shoots where coming up. Now I can give it more even light anyway lol. Roots are fine, seems to be doing alright but no new growth the last week.

Alright, a few pics from the cold-frame today....
and my poor Blood Orange just looks so lonely in there! ;)

I'm still fertilizing with Foliage Pro every two weeks or so, although sometimes I'm a few days late.
With all the rain that we've been having, I haven't wanted to fertilize because the mix hasn't been drying out.
Now that the tree is in a warmer, more regulated climate (i.e. the cold-frame), I'll fertilize more regularly.

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Josh

Wow!

Look at all the experiences you are all having this time of the year..

Tranglejohn: Fantastic to hear that you have not had any casualties yet..I hope they hold over the winter well for you..I wonder why your lime has been sulking? The only thing I can think of is maybe the mix? Has it collapsed to the point of causing trouble for the roots?If your cultural habits have been the same after all these years, then that is the only thing that I can think of..
I hear you about being cramped..I have had to grow half of mine in-doors and the other in my pop-up.
Are you keeping the temps in there cool? That is a BIG pest deterent..
I would probably leave the plastic open at all times and let in cool in there at night and keep the temps in there cool by day..I wouldn't close the doors completely..I still don't to mine.
Are you also using some sort of fan and spraying down the leaves often..This is a big help also..
Do you have access to FE?
Thank you for letting us know how things are..I hope they do well for you..

Mksmth: Sheesh..Looks like you have it all together, even after a few drinks with fresh lemon slices..lol
Wow..Look how far you have come! Look at how good your trees look too..Nice..
I wouldn't worry about yellowing leaves unless you feel you are not providing enough or to little water or light..If you watering is spot on and light is good, then just continue to feed as is, or maybe a bit more often? It is commone for certain citrus trees to shed their older leaves this time of the year..Have you been using vinegar faithfully?
This time of the year many plants are at the mercy of akaline water from the faucet, unless you save rain water as I do..In this case, you will need to use it to keep the fertilizer readily available in the soil all winter..Great job!
Love the ripening fruit..

Thisisme: Clenmentines? I almost bought one..Do they flower proffusely and do they smell good? I only wish I could plant mine in the ground...I'll bet you have a back up plan incase it gets very cold.
My father is at my house in the tropics and he said it was 50 this am..Ouch..That is way cooler than normal.

Betty: It is known that the Colorado sun is 30% more intense than the sun is for me here anytime of the year.What state are you in? I guess you would have to slowly acclimate your plants into the sun come spring more so..
Sounds like your plant has a first class seat in the home..Nice..
Don't be afraid to take it to the shower in the tub every so often. They love that treatment too..
Welcome since I think this a first time I meet you:-)

Josh:-)))0 ) How are you? Look at the invention you created in so short of time..You are probably thinking why you didn't do that years ago, right? lol
Your tree should thrive in there..All that fresh air and sun, protected from the the frost.
Josh, I have noticed through all this time, from the day you got it, you have managed to keep it a nice rich green color with no leaf drop..Do you have a secret to share for those who might be here for the first time? You certainly have a way with making everything you grow very vibrant in color with minimal leaf loss..Now watch the leaves fall..lol..
In all seriousness, I would love for you to also post at least one of your Hoya's here..I love the yellow one you have and it will add flavor here..Maybe you will even get the friends here interested in something else..You did me..:-)
Thank you for your updates and please keep us posted on the pop up and your tree..

Hi Badsmerf: You will be amazed at how resilient these trees are..I actually did the very same thing to my grapefruit tree a couple of years ago..I had to cut off all the dead leaves and withing a couple of months, new growth sprouted at every node where I cut..It will be good.
Thank you for your update.

Please..I know there are a lot more of you out there that spent a lot of time here over the summer..We would love to see how you and your plants have been..
Have a great day all.

Mike:-)

Now for my update:

Mine are doing ok, Thank God. They are all adjusting well since I brought them into a room that is cooler than the rest of the home..

Mine are not under lights..They are in a sunny room with two south facing windows and a skylight..The ones right up in the window are still growing, although the ones away from the window are flowering and just buying their time to start growing again once the brighter days come.

3 of them are not doing as good as the others because the mix they are in is drying out wat to slow because of the cooler conditions and lacy of light..They are all in a bagged mix which is working against them..After 3 days, the mix stills feels damp and cold..
Also one of my meyer trees has been neglected in the "vinegar" department..

No pest's yet thank God for that too..I don't think that many can handle such cool temps with fans blowing at them..lol

I will post pictures of the ones in the pop-up today and I will be back with some of the ones in the home tomorrow.
Many are blooming like mad right now.

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Mike:-0)

hey mike

thanks for the comments, I owe 100% of my citrus success to you and the other brilliant people of this forum. one thing I have slacked on was the vinegar, Ill for sure get back to using it how I should.

Your pics are always so inspiring! It seems you trees are always in bloom. How do you do it?

coincidentally my name is mike also, so you have to share your secret to having constant blooms, LOL.

Mike

Thanks, Mike!

Your trees are looking wonderful. I wish I had some blooms like that! One day, I'm sure....

I was listening to "Get Growin'!" with Farmer Fred this morning (every Sunday I listen),
and he had a guy (Jerry, Gerald?) from Four Winds Growers on the program talking about
Citrus and frost protection for my area. How perfect is that?!

Anyhow, he suggested that lemons should be picked when they still have a tiny bit of green on
the rind. So maybe that's a tip that we should mention to others who leave the lemons on long.

As for tips from my first year of Citrus growing....

Well, I think a lot of my success has had to do with timing.

First, I learned as much as I could about raising trees in containers,
and then I purchased at the time of year just prior to the period of most robust growth
and, thus, easiest recovery.

I bought the tree in early Spring and re-potted, which gave it a few months of cool weather
to grow roots into the new potting mix. This helped the leaves stay on the tree, I believe.

To the bark-based mix, I added the recommended dose of Osmocote for a container of that size,
as well as Dolomitic Garden Lime to provide Calcium and to raise the pH.

For fertigating, I use Foliage Pro and white vinegar. The Foliage Pro provides the major
and minor nutrients, and the white vinegar helps to acidify the soil, make nutrients
more available, and combat the pH of tap-water.

Here's a pic of the tree turned at a different angle.

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And here's that Hoya vanuatuensis....clickable pics.
Full Thread linked below for those interested.

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Josh

Here is a link that might be useful: The Greenman's Hoyas

Well mike I was hanging out in the greehouse this morning drinking some coffee and I notice that it appears my key lime is fixing to bloom, Woo Hoo!! Ill get some pics when it does.