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| Grapefruit - Rio Red |
Bounteous amounts of citrus means the calendar is closing in on Christmas time. Here in Bakersfield and probably most of the San Joaquin Valley, residents with citrus trees are looking for neighbors to unload the bounty. Citrus is winter's zucchini - but in a very good way. Citrus is my favorite. The scent is in everything from the bloom to the peel to the fruit. It's even in the limbs when they are pruned. Wonderful. The fruit can remain on the tree for quite a long time so it can be harvested as needed. Local nurseries sponsor citrus tasting events throughout the winter where gardeners can learn about the different varieties, sample the fruit/juice, and purchase health stock.
Grapefruit is my favorite citrus. Rio Red is delicious. My dwarf tree is weighted down with the most fruit ever. That little tree should give enough fruit to last through the winter months. No scurvy here.
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| Navel Oranges - Robertson |
The fruit is now starting to gain color that is really accentuated by the rain washed leaves. Yes, it rained yesterday and just a bit today. Wonderful. Some of the oranges have split. That is probably due to uneven irrigation. Any split fruit is removed as soon as it is detected and disposed. 2014 looks to be a bumper year for the oranges as well.
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| Lemon - Pink Variegated |
Two of the fruit trees are potted - lemon and mandarin. Neither have fruit. The Satsuma mandarin is very young and having no fruit is expected while it develops. The lemon, however, usually has some fruit. Currently, it's blooming. In the photo above, some Leaf Miner damage can be seen in the leaf on the left. That's only cosmetic.
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| Leaf Miner Larva |
Leaf Miner larva mine just below the surface of the young leaves and the skin of the fruit. These moth babies are annoying but not scary like the
Asian Citrus Psyllid that can carry the Huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) disease. Many areas of California are quarantined because of this pest. That pest is the reason I have not added a lime tree to my citrus collection.
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| Asian Citrus Psyllid |
In the meantime, it's a joy to work in the soft soil in the garden after some wonderful rain. (Let's not talk about the amount of dirt the wind blew in before the rain. Yuck.) All the winter vegetables are experiencing a growth boost with the cooler weather and the rain.
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| Lettuce - Cimmaron |
7 comments:
Maybelline, nothing is growing here in Nebraska except for maybe some cold hardy house plants. The temps are dipping down into the lower 30s at night but that hard core killing frost hasn't hit just yet. Gardening for me is done for this year. It's very different to hear about citrus harvesting but fascinating to hear about other parts of the gardening country. Leaves on the trees seem to be hanging on longer this year than most. There are still leaves to fall on many of the trees. Usually by the end of October all the leaves are off the trees. It has been a wonderful fall this year with lots of lingering color. It's my second favorite season. I'm actually ready for Winter to set in with it's activities connected with snow and inside projects. Maybe I will get the basement back into a usable condition. Last year I removed most of the throw away stuff and now I'm down to give away or find a use for stuff. I'm still discovering things I haven't seen in decades. Well, and then there is the beginning of seed starting in February. That's really the beginning of the garden season.
Have a great Citrus harvest day.
Got loaded citrus trees myself -- with the lime being the one exception. But the Owari Satsuma and Dancy Mandarin trees are just LOADED and I've got a nice crop of improved Meyer Lemons. Let's hope the freezing temps pass us by this year.
Dave, we are certainly in different gardens.
Bill, I'm hoping for the cold to help kill garden pests. Stink bugs are killing me down here.
So glad you got some rain. Every little bit helps. Harvesting will begin in earnest soon here in Central FL. Enjoy your citrus!
How wonderful it must be to have Citrus Trees! :)
I don't know if you'll still see this since I'm late to the party, but I love your pictures! Is it weird to think the one of the leaf miner larva is actually quite beautiful?
backyardfarming.blogspot.com
Thanks Jennifer. Not weird at all. Although, those danged leaf miners cause a cosmetic mess.
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