Holiday Gift Guide and Monthly Seeding-5 Gift Items for that Gardener

 
     Can you believe the holidays are here already?
     I am positive somebody hit the fast-forward button and still has their finger on it!

     The holidays are a time to get with family and friends, exchanging gifts and eating too much. While I might not be able to help with the eating too much unless we are at the same party and I beat you to the buffet, I can help with the gift exchange.
     I have heard that gardeners can be tricky to get gifts for. I can't believe that. There are so many different ways to approach this issue.
Here is a list of five fantastic items that any gardener would love to have under the tree. All of them are $75 or less.

     1) Everybody Gardens Seed of the Month Club- What would be better than receiving a Christmas gift every month all year long? Gardeners love to see things grow but tend to stick with the same thing every year. This seed of the month club is sent out each month and you never know what you will get. It is a surprise! The man behind this entity is Doug Oster. He is the editor of  "Everybody Gardens", and an Emmy Award-winning producer, television host, and writer. He is also the co-host of The Organic Gardeners Radio show every Sunday morning at 7 a.m. on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh.
The November seed packet was Cactus Seeds.

     2) Ambient Weather WS-5305 Wireless Home Weather Station- Every gardener I have ever known keeps an eye on the weather. Cold fronts, wind direction/speed, and of course rain. This weather station covers all of that and more. The Ambient Weather WS-5305 is a compact, easy to install complete weather station with impressive reliability at a very low cost. There are alarms that you can program to let you know about, Temperature highs and lows, wind chill, dew points, rainfall, and wind speed. It will give you the temperature and humidity inside as well. Why not help keep that gardener in your life up to speed with the weather.

     3) 10-piece Gardening Tool Set with Zippered Detachable Tote and Folding Stool Seat with Backrest- None of us are getting younger, yet, we still love to garden. Here is a multiple gift that not only has tools and gloves, but a seat with a backrest to relax for a minute between pulling weeds. Garden tools are conveniently stowed in the outside pockets to be near at hand while other garden items can be stored in the attached zippered tote. All told it comes with five (5) metal garden tools (large trowel, small trowel, garden fork, rake, and weeder),  1 pair of cotton gloves, 1 spray bottle and a roll of twist ties. Makes a perfect gift for those YOU love and who LOVE spending time in their garden.

     4) Original Little Burro, USA made lawn/garden tray- Have you heard your favorite gardener complaining when they are outside using their wheelbarrow they could use a second set of hands? Well, here they are. The Original Little Burro fits most 4, 5, 6, and 7 cubic-foot popular wheelbarrows. It will stay securely attached on the wheelbarrow even if angled up to 90 degrees. Easily stores and carries 2 short-handle tools, 2 long-handle tools, 2 water bottles, personal items, and a tray of plants all attached to your classic wheelbarrow. Carry your shovel, rake, and other gardening equipment with the garden tray to reduce trips across their yard! The little cubby can keep your cell phone, keys, and wallet safe in a water-resistant storage compartment.

     5) The Citrus Guy's Christmas Bundle Book Pack- (Shameless Self-Promotion Alert)
Get all three of The Citrus Guy's Original books,
'How to Grow Citrus Practically Anywhere'
'Plant Propagation Made Easy' and
'A Beginner's Guide to Lowcountry Gardening & Landscaping'
All three of these combined will help any gardener achieve more success in fruit production, creating more plants and trying to figure out what plant to use in the yard for what reason.

There you have it, five phenomenal gifts that will thrill and delight any gardener on Christmas morning.
As always, if you have any questions about this or any of my other articles, please feel free to comment below or drop me a line to TheCitrusGuy@netzero.com
Don't forget to follow me on FACEBOOK or check out my WEBSITE.

I wish each and every one of my United States followers a Happy and Joyous Thanksgiving!
Happy Growing!
Darren

Citrus Not Quite Reincarnated

   
 Here we are, November already!

     November is when your fruit will really start to take off and turn ripe.
That is why the Southeastern Cold Hardy Citrus Expo is usually held this month. (More on that in a minute)

     I stressed this somewhat in the earlier part of this year, but, it might not have reached all of the proper folks and it is coming to light now. I have had an increasingly alarming rate of phone calls and e-mails talking about how their citrus tree died back this past January, but it has come back stronger than ever, it just didn't flower, what is wrong? In almost every case, except a couple, it is because the tree that was once there is no more, the rootstock has taken over.

Rootstock Suckers

     Rootstock, in case you didn't know, is what a "good fruit" is grafted onto. The rootstock of choice is used depending on what the grafter is trying to overcome. Some of them are used to dwarf the tree, others are used for nematode resistance, some are to deter different diseases and many other things. Not all citrus is grafted, but many are.

     I also heard from a couple of folks that their tree came back, it was a grapefruit, but this year the fruit is so much smaller, what happened? Again, the rootstock has prevailed.

Poncirus trifoliata

     Typical rootstocks that are used are mainly trifoliate hybrids and have the "tri" number of leaves. There are other rootstocks out there, Cleopatra, Bitter Orange (a.k.a. Seville) and many others that do not have the "tri" leaf. Those can be a little harder to discern from the original tree.

Swingle Citrumelo- Hybrid cross- Citrus paradisi x Poncirus trifoliata

     If you are uncertain as to what your tree might be now, feel free to e-mail me some pictures of the leaves, I can usually tell from those.
     Of course, if you have never seen how many different leaves there are on different citrus trees, take a look at this.

     You can click on the picture to make it bigger.

     Here is the key to what each of the 37 different leaves is:
a 'Nasnaran' mandarin (C. amblycarpa), b 'Galego Inerme Key' lime (C. aurantiifolia), c 'Narrow Leaf' sour orange (C. aurantium), d 'Bergamot' orange (C. bergamia), e 'Taiwan' mandarin (C. depressa), f 'Mauritius papeda' (C. hystrix), g C. hystrix hybrid, h 'Variegated' true lemon (C. limon), i 'Talamisan' orange (C. longispina), j 'Etrog' citron (C. medica), k 'Variegated' calamondin (C. madurensis), l 'Chinotto' orange (C. myrtifolia), m 'Star Ruby' grapefruit (C. paradisi), n 'Cleopatra' mandarin (C. reshni), o 'Fairchild' tangerine-tangelo [C. clementina 9 (C. paradisi 9 C. tangerina)], p 'Szincom' mandarin (C. reticulata), q 'Valencia Trepadeira' sweet orange (C. sinensis)\, r 'Variegated' sweet orange (C. sinensis), s 'Jaboti' tangor (C. sinensis 9 C. unshiu), t common ‘Sunki’ mandarin
(C. sunki), u ‘Tachibana’ orange (C. tachibana), v ‘Mency’ tangor (C. tangerina 9 C. sinensis),
w ‘Papeda Kalpi’ (C.webberi var. montana), x ‘Jindou’ kumquat (Fortunella hindsii),
y Fortunella sp., z ‘Changshou’ kumquat (F. x obovata), aa ‘Jindan’ kumquat (F. x crassifolia),
ab ‘Wart Java’ lime (Citrus sp.), ac Microcitrus papuana, ad ‘Benecke’ trifoliate orange
(Poncirus trifoliata), ae ‘Coleman’ citrange (C. sinensis 9 P. trifoliata), af ‘Flying Dragon’ trifoliate orange (P. trifoliata), ag ‘Chinese box-orange’ (Severinia buxifolia), ah ‘Limeberry’ (Triphasia trifolia), ai ‘Cravo’ mandarin (C. reticulata), aj ‘Citros Processo’ (Citrus sp.), ak ‘Jeroˆnimo’ lime (Citrus sp.).
COURTESY of https://www.researchgate.net

     I mentioned the Citrus Expo, it is in different places each year, The 2018 Southeastern Citrus Expo is being held in Valdosta, Georgia, on November 16 & 17, 2018

     If you are interested in growing citrus and want to learn more from other growers in the southeast, join them for this informative, once a year meeting of citrus growers north of Florida.

The Agenda is:

Friday, November 16th.Citraholics Banquet and optional tours

Banquet 6:30 PM
Mama June’s 3286 Inner Perimeter Rd., Valdosta. 229-245-6062

Saturday, Nov. 17. Conference Sessions will be held at Raisin Cane, 3350 Newsome Rd. Valdosta. 229-559-2000

Registration 8 - 9:30 AM Registration $15.00 Includes lunch

Fruit competition entry 8 - 9:30,

Plant Sales

9:30 – 12 Noon Speakers
With raffles in between each speaker

Confirmed speakers
Cally Walker, University of Florida Citrus Budwood and nursery production in Florida.

Anna Jameson, Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery, Lake Panasoffkee, FL Citrus tree production at a commercial certified nursery.

Pete Anderson, University of Florida, Quincy Experiment Station. Citrus in North Florida

Dr. Jose Chaparro, University of Florida, Citrus breeding and new varieties.

11:15 Questions about growing citrus

11:30 Results of Fruit Contest.

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Available at Raisin Cane included with registration

1:00 – 4:00 Tours
Lowndes County Extension Citrus Rootstock trial. Jake Price , Lowndes County Extension
Commercial Satsuma Orchard and Variety Trial. Brent Biles
Non-commercial orchard and Nursery. Mark Crawford, Loch Laurel Nursery

Tour sites are all within a few miles of Raisin Cane.
Mark your calendars and watch for updates on the Southeastern Citrus Expo Facebook page.
If you want to be a vendor please contact Mark Crawford craw142@bellsouth.net or call 229-460-5922


Preconference Private Gardens open to visitors on Friday, November 16th

Adel, Georgia 25 miles north of Valdosta directly off I-75

Garden of Kent Thomas. Acres of palms, Japanese maples, and citrus around a beautiful lake.
305 Kent Dr.  Adel GA 229-560-1544
Traveling south on I-75 exit at the Sparks exit 41. Go east into Sparks and turn right onto US 41 south. When you cross over the railroad bridge just before Adel turn left at the BASE of the bridge onto South Ave. Kent Dr. is the first right off this road. Garden is on the left. Driveway has an entrance sign.
Traveling from Valdosta, take I-75 north to the second Adel exit. Go east and turn left onto US 41 north. Just outside town US 41 has a bend in the road just before going over a railroad bridge, bare to the right onto South Ave. and turn right at the first road - Kent Dr. Turn left into the second driveway where it says Enter.

Valdosta, Georgia

Garden of JD Thomerson. An outstanding garden of camellias, citrus, gingers and a variety of other interesting plants.
111 East Alden Ave. Valdosta 229-244-1050

Nashville, Georgia approximately 30 miles northeast of Valdosta

Triple Bee Nursery. A new citrus nursery operated by Hershell and Ricky Boyd.
1128 Seaborn Boyd Rd., Nashville, GA 229-356-0074, 229-686-7287
Use GPS to locate this location

Should be a GREAT Expo!

     If you have any questions about this or any of my other articles, please feel free to send me an e-mail to TheCitrusGuy@netzero.com
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Or check out my bookstore on my WEBSITE

Happy Growing!
Darren