Gardening

Citrus Show for the Upper Gulf Coast will be held on Dec. 14

By Dr. William M. Johnson
Galveston County Extension Agent - Horticulture

December 14, 2006

There is always something to grow and something to harvest in our Gulf Coast gardens- even during the month of December. Whether you are an enthusiastic citrus grower or just interested in viewing an array of locally grown citrus fruit, plan to attend the 2006 Upper Gulf Coast Citrus Show to be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, in the Walter Hall Park Pavilion in League City.

Photo by William M. Johnson.

There is always something to grow and something to harvest in our Gulf Coast gardens-even during the month of December. And, many home citrus growers have been harvesting a respectable crop of citrus including grapefruits, kumquats, and lemons as well a wide variety of other citrus fruit.

Imagine a sweet lemon that can be eaten like an apple-peel and all! Then imagine a kumquat that looks just like the seedy little fruits that you can get in the supermarket-except it's seedless. Visualize one of several types of citrus trees that you can grow in your yard to produce home-grown fruit to give as a distinctive and personal gift to family, neighbors and other friends.

Sound too good to be true? Are you interested in viewing an array of locally grown citrus fruit? Are you interested in learning about the basics of growing your own citrus?

Whether you are an enthusiastic citrus grower or just interested in viewing an array of locally grown citrus fruit, plan to attend the 2006 Upper Gulf Coast Citrus Show to be held on Thursday, December 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Walter Hall Park Pavilion located at 807 Highway 3 in League City. A color slide entitled "Frequently Asked Questions on Growing Citrus in the Home Garden" will be provided by the Extension Fruit & Pecan Committee members in addition to a question and answer session.

Rosettes and ribbons will be awarded to the best quality entries. For additional information, contact the Galveston County Extension Office (281-534-3413, ext. 1-2) or visit the web site address provided below.

Determining Ripeness of Citrus

Keep in mind that all citrus fruits only ripen on the tree. The best way to determine ripeness for oranges is to watch for the color to change to orange, then check for a slight softening of the fruit. Sometimes an opaque sheen will develop on the skin. Lemons are ready when yellow, and generally hold the tree for months. Limes are smaller and ready when green; again, watch for a slight softening. Clip ripe fruit off with pruning shears instead of pulling it to avoid damage to twigs.

You usually can't tell if citrus is ripe by looking at it. When some of the fruit reach full size, taste them to see if they're ripe. Tasting them is the only way to know whether or not they are ready to eating. Try one and find out!

Cold Protection for Plants

The winter is making its presence know. We've already had a few occasions where night temperatures have dipped into the thirties. Even though our winters are typically mild, gardeners should be prepared to provide protection to cold-sensitive plants when needed.

Prepare landscape plants for possible severe cold snaps by taking a few preventive steps to help avoid injury. If you trust your weather prognosticator and he or she predicts a hard freeze and if your soil is on the dry side at the time, then be sure to water your plants well prior to the freeze.

If rain continues to be elusive in the following weeks, be sure to irrigate landscape plants as needed to maintain good soil moisture levels. Drought-stressed plants are more easily injured by freezing temperatures. This is particularly true of evergreen plants.

Also, moist soil stores more of the sun's energy and for a longer time than does dry soil. This energy is released as heat after the sun sets, and provides a degree or two of moderation. Providing a 4-to-6 inch layer of mulch (such as leaves, compost, or shredded pine bark) will also help to reduce cold injury.

Use of wraps can provide an effective means of protecting plants, and the degree of protection depends on the material used. Types of plant wraps that can be used range from the homemade to the commercial. Various types of "frost blankets" are available at garden centers including a woven polypropylene fabric.

Use of a bed blanket covered with a solid sheet of plastic or tarp works well. The blanket limits radiation cooling and the plastic provides a barrier to rain and cold wind. While plastic alone does not provide sufficient protection to plants during a hard freeze, it can be used to protect cold-sensitive plants against light frosts. However, be very sure to remove the plastic immediately after the danger from a light frost has passed-temperatures inside a clear plastic covering can become very high on a sunny day.

Transplanting

Mid-December through mid-February is the ideal time to dig and transplant trees and shrubs during their dormant, non-growing period. Right now is really an ideal time to landscape with trees and shrubs, especially those grown in containers. Roots continue to grow even though the rest of the plant is dormant, so these plants will be more ready when the stresses of summer.

If you have favorite tender plants you'd like to include in your garden next year, then carefully dig them out of the flower bed, plant them in a well-drained potting mix, and keep in a bright, humid room. They may look terrible during the winter, but if they survive, you can replant them in the garden as soon as the soil begins to warm. Or, take cuttings and root them in a well-drained potting mix.

Dr. Johnson is a horticulturist with the Galveston County
Extension Office of Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University. Visit his web site at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.htm

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