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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] key limes, seedling citrus in general

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  • From: "Doreen Howard" <doreenh@ticon.net>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] key limes, seedling citrus in general
  • Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 15:02:50 -0500

Trifoliate does give several degrees protection, from my experiences in
Brazoria County, TX which is on the Gulf south of Houston. There was a
thriving satsuma industry in that area centered in Angleton, TX where a
major rail hub was located. There and Pearland, about 15 miles to the
north, satsumas were grown in the early 20th century and shipped all over
the US. A major freeze in about 1930 wiped out the commercial groves, and
the economy was such that the trees were not replanted. But...many hobby
growers experimented with trifoliata, which grows wild in the coastal plain
forests, and they developed all manner of citrus that weathered the
10-year-killing freezes known to the area. Too bad someone didn't go
commercial with these trees, but by then land prices had sky-rocketed, and
the Houston urban sprawl encroached. There are some interesting photos of
these trees and the original satuma groves at the Brazoria County Historical
Museum, which I believe is now online.
Doreen Howard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
To: "mrtejas@lycos.com, North American Fruit Explorers"
<nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2003 2:05 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] key limes, seedling citrus in general


> I recall the story of Orange, TX. It was supposed to have been an orange
> growing area for years. In those days, oranges were grafted high, like 5
> feet or so, on Poncirus trifoliata, so that cattle could be allowed to
graze
> in the orchards without bothering the trees. However, newer orchards were
> planted in fenced areas with no cattle, so they were grafted close to the
> ground. Those trees froze out when the ones grafted high on the
trifoliata
> survived. Apparently grafting the trees high on trifoliata gave them more
> resistance to cold.
>
>
>





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