Re: Kumquat, Citrus

Jim, I'll do that.  It is in bloom, so hoping we get fruit this  year.   From 
what I was told, it is not the deep red berry type blood  orange.  I do have 
a variety that I got a year or so ago that had that  exact description (why I 
chose it)....it is Moro moro (or something like  that.....too doggone cold 
outside to go check for sure).  Didn't get fruit,  hurricane ripped off 
everything on the bloodorange and the Satsuma  this year unfortunately.....other citrus 
were not as badly hit.   So maybe this year.  Be fun to compare.  Did get to 
harvest  some Spanish lemons.....they were indeed pink on the inside and much  
sweeter than meyer or other lemons.  Very happy with that one.
 
From what we were taught, depending on the soil in areas, that is what  
rootstock is used....this gives the citrus a better chance of survival.   Sour 
orange rootstock is hardier, trifoliate is used here in Tx since it does  better 
in drought and/or wet conditions in clay.  Two types are used.   Also rootstock 
is used to keep certain citrus smaller in size, as in  dwarf.
Sour citrus (lemons, limes, etc.) seem to grow okay on their own rootstock  
here, but citrus doesn't.  Have never tried to grow any from seed  though.
 
A co-worker of dh has a citrus tree......the fruit is smaller than an  
orange, larger than a tangerine.  The skin is thick, but peels like a  tangerine.  
The fruit is more sour than most, but not as sour as that of a  trifoliate sour 
orange.  Any clues what it could be??? I love it.   It's not a Calamondin or 
such...much larger than that, but pretty much that  similar taste.  I have not 
seen the tree, so can't say what it looks  like.  
 
Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast
 
 
 
In a message dated 2/16/2006 6:54:26 PM Central Standard Time,  
gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:

Noreen,  let me know how the fruit comes out on your variegated Cara 
Cara, please.  Blood oranges [I have a small seedling] do not seem to 
produce the rich  red flesh [with the hint of raspberry] here like they 
do in California and  Spain, so I'll be interested to know how they do 
in Texas.

I don't  know why most citrus are grafted--I tend to think it's the 
result of the  same logic that puts chrome strips on Buicks. But while I 
suspect that  kumquat roots are just as suitable as trifoliate root 
stocks, I don't know  that. I do know that in my yard, key lime, 
Palestine lime, Meyer's  Improved lemon, and sweet lemon all grow on 
their own roots. I also  believe that some cultivars--such as Noreen's 
Texas ruby red  grapefruit--are probably too unstable for sexual 
reproduction and so  grafting is the surest way to get a lot of them. 
[Incidentally, the TRRG  is an excellent grapefruit, but my favorite is 
still the old, very seedy,  white Duncan.]

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