# cold hardy lemon tree?



## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

okay i really want a lemon tree to just add zest to my cooking and tang to my life from what i read meyer which is a cross between a lemon and an orange is the most cold hardy any others out there i should look into?

looking for something in the 7b hardness zone or should it just be an inside tree that goes out all summer? in which case whats a good dwarf variety?

Ive never had a citrus tree so any tips would be greatly appreciated :sing:


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

Look into the "Flying Dragon Trifoliate" zones 6 to 9. Makes a small tree with one inch thorns..fruits are used in drinks and marmalade..
Meyer Lemon is 8b to 10. Best in your local to grow in a pot and take in for the winter. 

ediblelandscaping.com


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

well now that ive gone to that website i have chosen to do a potted plant and bring it in all winter but now ive got a problem 

do i want thornless key lime?(does it taste like a lemon)?
or a limequat
or a meyer lemon 

so many questions 

id love a lemon in the heart of winter!!! :lonergr:


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

key lime is a different "animal" than market limes(persian I believe) and used mainly for Key Lime Pie..in no way does it taste like lemon other than both are citrus. Of the 3 you listed I'd go with the Meyer. Calamondon makes a wonderful inside citrus.

Awesome catalog huh?? I went to the nursery. Huge bearing fig trees everywhere, got to taste the Che fruit and ran out of money and had to leave bunches I wished I could have bought!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

We have a couple of Key Lime trees and a Meyers Lemon. They stay outside in the shade during the heat of our summers. We can leave them out until it reaches 40 degrees..If they are under cover. Then they spend the winter in our garage. Our last batch of fruit is made into Christmas pies.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

that catalog is amazing i did a few searches and just came up with the same sites thank you for the link im excited! iinstead of just one..... looks like i want two....! exciting but where am i to put them ?  i think that ill go with the meyer and the key lime but you elimitated the other for me so for that im thankful other wise id have been online for hours looking up the differances!

texas digger would it be okay to bring the inside the house rather then the garage? out garage is just as cold as it is outside all winter in fact i hibernate my pet box turtles out there what i mean is would the added light from a window do them any good?

also are both of these dwarfs?


PS, THANK YOU !!!


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

go to WhiteFlower Farm's web site and watch the short video on inside cirtus. It appears that citrus does not need any sort of dormant period..the climate it is native too maintains growing conditions all year round. The video cautions about "wet feet", citrus will not stand having constantly wet roots. Where you live in Oregon you will have to be careful to see that(if you use a saucer under the pot while outside) that water does not stand in it.
For inside a caution..these trees will have thorns! Children will be drawn to these trees(inside or out) by the wonderful bloom scent and the fruit("Is it ripe yet??").
As far as size of the trees, it depends on where you get them what kind of root stock they have been grafted on. Citrus can be kept smaller by pruning if say they are grafted on semi-dwarf rootstock rather than full dwarf.

I learned something from the video I mentioned. Citrus does not continue to ripen once picked!
I had a Meyer lemon once, I'd like one again now that I have more time to properly care for it..I drowned mine.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

does the wet feet effect avacados too? i had a 6 foot tree and while i was gone my friend watched the house and if suddenly dropped leaves and died just curious thats a good site thanks for the video!!! 

can i clip thorns?


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Gah...where is my camera !?!?!?
I have right now in my bathroom garden tub 3 citrus trees.
I'm in zone 6...bought at the end of the season/summer.
I have a Meyer lemon right now bearing fruit...
A Key Lime right now bearing fruit...
My satsuma never blossomed..I figure it needs a bit of maturity to reach fruiting.
I bought them all at Lowes...each tree during height of season was $39.98 each...my clearance price was $3 each. Nothing ventured is nothing gained and all. My lime tree is putting on new blossoms..have to carefully hand pollinate them.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

SS91 Yes, you can bring them in the house I just no longer have room inside. They will bloom all year inside, in a well lit area. All the trees I mentioned, do have thorns


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2010)

If you're going to keep it in a container then go with a decent Key lime or Persian (Tahiti) lime. Best flavor and they bear well.

If you're going to put it in the ground and provide a lot of protection in a zone 7 climate you can try a Meyer. It's going to need protection though because last winter here in North Florida the dip into the teens we got killed mine outright.

I wouldn't waste my time with anything having to do with trifoliate orange (Flying Dragon and many crosses). The taste is nasty.

I'd recommend just keeping it in a container and getting something good. I prefer Key limes myself.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

suzyhomemaker09 said:


> Gah...where is my camera !?!?!?
> I have right now in my bathroom garden tub 3 citrus trees.
> I'm in zone 6...bought at the end of the season/summer.
> I have a Meyer lemon right now bearing fruit...
> ...


talk about envy!!! i want them and for 3$$$$!!!!!!! like omg lol 


im just worried that i wont have enough light for them to thrive 

and man do i wish i could find them for under 20$ each is the satsuma an orange?


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

A.T. Hagan said:


> If you're going to keep it in a container then go with a decent Key lime or Persian (Tahiti) lime. Best flavor and they bear well.
> 
> If you're going to put it in the ground and provide a lot of protection in a zone 7 climate you can try a Meyer. It's going to need protection though because last winter here in North Florida the dip into the teens we got killed mine outright.
> 
> ...


okay so definatly a key lime but i want a lemon for grilling fish chicken and maybe even lemonade!!! doubtful but what a thought

what size pot would i need for them to bear fruit and be happy for the key lime, meyer lemon, ooooohhhhh aaaaahhhhh what about an orange!!! is that even do'able?


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

Yes, you can trim the thorns.

Our Meyer lemon is over 25 years old and has been in a pot its entire life. It's only been repotted about twice -- the last time, just this last summer. The pot is only about 18" across the top. By keeping its roots restricted and by keeping it pruned, its size stays quite manageable. The blooms smell heavenly, and the fruit are a bonus I never expected but certainly enjoy!

It's grafted (onto what, I have no idea), but the grapefruit my DH's uncle started from a seed has not been grafted, and stays the same size as the lemon with the same treatment. And when I prune, it's pretty drastic.

All our citrus (navel orange, lime of some kind, the grapefruit and lemon) go outside in the summer and stay in a minimally heated greenhouse in the winter. The lemon seems to be the most sensitive to the cold, but still does just fine.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

My behind my place neighbor, has a tangerine tree. Keeps it on the sside of their house in the shade. Mine are all in fairly large pots. you will need a dolly or rolly to move them around They do stick you.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

im excited come spring im getting some patio plants!!!

key lime, meyer lemon, washington navel orange!

YUM!

im glad they will all stay in a smaller pot as space is limited
what type of soil do they prefer i know well drained but still any tips would help


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Here's a local nursery from which you can buy, ask questions, and taste. Twice a year they have an open house and have lots of (weird, strange, unusual) fruit to taste. I've talked to a lady who lives in Portland Oregon who keeps her Meyer lemon on her patio all winter without extra protection that produces heavily, and a friend in Salem who has two outside all year, but they don't produce.
http://www.ONEGREENWORLD.com/
One Green World's catalog is so tempting!
Kit


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

KIT.S said:


> Here's a local nursery from which you can buy, ask questions, and taste. Twice a year they have an open house and have lots of (weird, strange, unusual) fruit to taste. I've talked to a lady who lives in Portland Oregon who keeps her Meyer lemon on her patio all winter without extra protection that produces heavily, and a friend in Salem who has two outside all year, but they don't produce.
> http://www.ONEGREENWORLD.com/
> One Green World's catalog is so tempting!
> Kit


now im in trouble! :nanner::nanner::nanner::nanner:
not only do i know what i want but now have the ability to get it thank you very much for the link :buds: i didnt even know they existed finally a means to get these trees which does not include shipping!:sing:

thank you and thank you to all whom helped me to go from a simple lemon to a "Meyer Lemon""Washingotn Navel Orange""Key Lime"

scott


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Young Luke, much to learn have you regarding indoor citrus. I wish I could claim the title of indoor citrus Yoda, I'm still learning too.

I've had a seed grown tangerine for 15 years now. It spends spring, summer and fall outdoors in a sunny spot and winters in the basement under a flourescent shop light. A few years ago a seed grown lemon joined it. This year their new companions are a Meyer Lemon, Mexican Lime and Washington Navel Orange. I keep mine cool through winter because there isn't room in the livingroom for them all. When we get ds's sunroom finished they will move there. The 3 latest are very small yet. The tangerine has to be moved with a dolly because of it's weight. It really needs to be repotted but I didn't get to it before cold weather came. The tangerine has flowered the past couple years but never produced fruit. Either it hasn't been getting enough fertilizer or it's a hybrid. It had plenty of bees in the flowers this spring but no fruit.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

is your tangerine at least nice to look at and does it smell fragrent? i d hate to grow something for even 5 years expecting somthing in return for my efforts and zip zilch nodda


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

It is lovely and when it flowers it smells great. The crushed/bruised leaves smell good too. I used to feed the leaves to my guinea pig, he passed away in the spring. The tree was an experimental seed sprouting project dd and I started with my grandpa. He passed away the year it sprouted so it bears emotional baggage.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

well may you and your tangerine live a long and "fruitful" life  pun intended


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## JuliaAnn (Dec 7, 2004)

My brother started an orange tree from seed. It took 8 years to bear. Fortunately, it bears good tasting fruit. From what I have read, there is something like a 50/50 chance of getting good tasting fruit from seed-grown citrus. Plus, it takes them years to begin bearing. 

I wish I could post pictures of my potted citrus 'orchard'. Right now, I have some satsumas, clementines, Mexican limes, some lemons of a variety called 'Citrus Drop' that I haven't yet tasted because this is it's first year to bear, and a few HUGE Ponderosa lemons. My Washington orange had a few fruit on them that were very good, but rather small, so I am guessing larger tree equals larger fruit? Have a kumquat too, but it's fruit ripens late summer and they are all gone now.

In warm areas, the added bonus of citrus trees is feed for the citrus swallowtail butterfly, which lays it's eggs on the leaves. It's worth having some nibbled leaves in exchange for knowing that I'm helping to provide feed/habitat for them to reproduce in.


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

Hi SS
Our land is in the Sierra foothills at about 4800'. Our winter temps drop down into the teens, and single digits once every few years. At least last winter it was zone 8A. I've planted a Meyer lemon in the spring of 2009 and it barely made it through the 2009/2010 winter. Most of it died back to the main trunk and had relatively weak sprouts this last spring. I'm leaving it in the ground this winter, expecting to finally die this coming winter.

I'm now experimenting with other more exotic citrus varieties that are much more cold hardy. Here's an variety that I'll be planting next spring that you can buy in Oregon.
http://www.onegreenworld.com//product_info.php?cPath=1_25&products_id=401 
Not making my selections based on favor, but as a source of acid and vitamin C. Most likely the taste will be bad, but that's better then scurvy!

Other semi-tropicals have had varying success. Pineapple guava and olive seem to stand the cold, while pomogranate, Japanese persimmons, and figs get winter damage but survive. Avacado (selected most cold hardy variety), carob, and date palms were all dead in one winter! Most hardyness recommendations have to be taken with a grain of salt, and it's really a guess till you actually have them in the ground.


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

You know, maybe your best bet is a greenhouse big enough to house half-a-dozen trees or so  . One of the guys at our local feed store does that, he's got oranges, lemons, avocados. Since our winters are pretty mild already, he says the most he has to do is a little heater on the worst days, and they made it through last winter just fine. Hopefully by next winter my lemon tree won't be in my kitchen and I will no longer have greenhouse envy...


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

i WISH i had room for or the money for a nice greenhouse im stuck where im at till june that means planting even my corn in planters!!!


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

I can believe the "50-50" chance of getting good fruit from a seedling -- our navel orange's fruit are NASTY, but the blooms are wonderfully fragrant, and the tree is beautiful. Works for me!


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

MichaelK - Thanks for the link of the Oregon nursery - I just sent for a catalog.  Kim


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

COSunflower said:


> MichaelK - Thanks for the link of the Oregon nursery - I just sent for a catalog.  Kim


Welcome! Here's another Northwest nursery that I've ordered good trees from. They have a wide selection of "alternative" trees that homesteaders would be interested in.
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

nicols garden nurcery is another large one in albany or i dont know if they have the citrus though its close to me so ill check it out and report back lol


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

Nichols has a few, Meyer Lemons, at least, but they're more about herbs than anything else. They're one of my favorites, them and Territorial Seed in Cottage Grove.


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