And Back To The Rare Fruit Growing (Previously Posted)

In the paper today was an article about oranges that I am sure my many readers are glad will bring me back to the purpose of my blog and that is talking about growing rare fruit. Many interesting orange (the fruit, not the color) facts were included in the article. It takes 47 citrus leaves to grow an orange. The life span of an average leaf is 2.5 years. If the leaves are too small to offer much help in growing they are "mouse ears". An orange tree that has few leaves is one that you can throw a cat through.
This is orange season here in Florida and I have many different varieties growing - hamlin orange, rhone red valencia orange, blood orange, semi-sweet orange, lee tangerine, orlando tangelo, dancy tangerine, ponkin tangerine, honey murcott tangerine, robinson tangerine, clementine, 2 unknown, 1 dead pineapple orange, a naval orange patio tree, and my favorite the page orange. The page is a cross between the minneola tangelo and the clementine mandarin. It was released in October of 1963. It is at its prime in November and should be easily pealed. Mine is perfect in mid-December this year. It has never been easy to peal. The skin holds tight to the fruit and by the time it is pealed you are a juicy mess. I prefer eating them right by the tree so I can leave my mess there. The page is only recommended for small plantings. The fruit can be small (see the tennis ball photo) and the quality is dependent on soil conditions. It is not recommended for planting in Texas or California.
Citrus can take a good amount of cold weather. Blood oranges need the cold to show their blood red color. The deadly threshold for citrus is a mark below 28 degrees for 4 or more hours. Growers have done away with smudge pots and fires for the most part in protecting their orchards. They spray a fine mist of water from a micro-jet at the base of the tree. The relatively warmer water gives just enough heat to create a bubble of safety.
The page orange is very sweet and extremely juicy. Its small size is just right for a quick snack. It has no seeds.