Look, Mom. I made a citrus tree from scratch!

Look, Mom. I made a citrus tree from scratch!

It all started when I identified my neighbor’s citrus tree as rootstock. The fruit was unpleasantly sour and very seedy, nothing you would ever eat. The leaves were in groups of three. I looked at the base of the trunk and could see where the intended top of the...
The Gold Nugget mandarin tree: a profile

The Gold Nugget mandarin tree: a profile

ā€œIf I only had one citrus tree to live on for my entire life, this is it,ā€ said our guide through the collection of about 1,000 varieties of citrus selected from around the world. That’s quite a claim. But, coming from Ottillia ā€œTootsā€ Bier, we would be wise to...
Meet Frank Meyer, of the Meyer lemon

Meet Frank Meyer, of the Meyer lemon

I spotted this sign in a Starbucks the other day, featuring a coffee that is claimed to have Meyer lemon in its flavor profile, and I wondered how that would make Frank Meyer feel. Initially, he might shake his head because he clearly requested that no plant be named...
Cocktail grapefruit tree: a profile

Cocktail grapefruit tree: a profile

My neighbor had a citrus tree that she called a grapefruit, but it made curious fruit: it was the size and shape of a grapefruit but the rind was golden yellow, unlike any grapefruit I’d seen, and the flavor was so sweet that it tasted artificial. How could this be a...
Who’s eating your citrus leaves?

Who’s eating your citrus leaves?

Holey citrus leaves! I’ve got more than usual this year. You too? What small critters do you see more of during this cool and rainy spring around your yard? I see far more snails and slugs and earwigs than usual. But it is snails that are feeding on my citrus...
The Shiranui mandarin tree: a profile

The Shiranui mandarin tree: a profile

Nothing about the story of Shiranui is straightforward. There is mystery and there is hype. Even my own Shiranui tree (above) is complicated. But let’s start with the name. In stores, Shiranui mandarins are sold under the trademarked brand name...
When to pick oranges and tangerines

When to pick oranges and tangerines

A friend asked me how to know when to pick the tangerines from his tree. My first thought was, it’s obvious, you pick them when they taste good. But then I remembered thatĀ for some people gardening is full of rights and wrongs; he was afraid there was a correct...
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