Calamondin outside in Vancouver

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by addypalmer, Sep 28, 2011.

  1. addypalmer

    addypalmer Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver Canada
    Question since fall hit its been getting quite cold at night about 5-6 degrees I have a few citrus trees I have pulled my meyers in already but I was curious if I can leave my calamondin outside Ive heard they are cold tolerant but one has a lot of fruit on it atm and the other is just about to put out a huge amount of blooms so should I bring them in or leave them out?
     
  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    5,987
    Likes Received:
    608
    Location:
    Vancouver BC Canada
    Calamondin is only slightly more cold tolerant than meyer lemon. I would gradually transition it inside.
     
  3. addypalmer

    addypalmer Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver Canada
    Thanks for the advice, also another quick question since some of my plants have to get segregated to a south east window are there any grow lights or bulbs i should get for the dark winter months?
     
  4. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    5,987
    Likes Received:
    608
    Location:
    Vancouver BC Canada
    I can't offer any advice on lighting; I've not had to deal with that issue. There are a number of existing threads with 'lighting' in the title. You could start a new thread on that subject if that doesn't turn up anything.
     
  5. SeaHorseFanatic

    SeaHorseFanatic Member

    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Burnaby
    Hmmm, I'm in Burnaby and I don't think its been much colder than 10C at night. I'm going to be setting up a greenhouse for the citrus outside as an autumn shelter to prolong their season, but I'll probably bring them all in for the winter and set up something more permanent and properly planned next year.

    The trees will be getting a mix of 27w & 42w CFL Phillips Daylight (6400k) lights while indoors using clip on lights. I will be trying to find some of that reflective survival blankets to make an indoors enclosure.

    Anthony
     
  6. addypalmer

    addypalmer Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver Canada
    Really cfl eh? The right spectrum?
     
  7. SeaHorseFanatic

    SeaHorseFanatic Member

    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Burnaby
    Yeah, right spectrum for growing plants (6400k). Used a lot for water plants. Going to try with citrus in my front window area (supplement the sunlight). I have a 4' 2x150 metal halide I can eventually hook up when I shut down one of my sw reef tanks. With 3 sw reef tanks in that room, I am already pushing it with my breakers. The trees should be fine for the winter indoors with some supplemental lighting. I know that without any supplemental lighting, I'd have to figure out a way to heat my portable greenhouse.

    BTW, I've grown corals under these same CFL lights & corals are very high light demanding. The lights will be inches away from the trees and when I make the room & have power available after shutting down my 210g reef tank, I am going to set up the MH light (probably) for them although I'll use my 4' light, not the 6' light. The tanks keep the room warm and humid, but I'm in a ground floor suite so I don't get as much light from the front picture window as I would like in the winter.
     
  8. justalittlegardenobsessed

    justalittlegardenobsessed Active Member

    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Sorry to hijack this thread, but since you are all, like me, growing citrus in the Vancouver area I have a couple questions I'm hoping you might be able to help me with. 1) What do you use for fertilizer and where do you buy it? I'm having trouble finding with the ideal 5-1-3 ratio locally + I seem to be getting either yellowing leaves (from underfertilizing) or leaf burn (I'm assuming from salt build up... I've been trying to flush out my container Meyer Lemon but I don't seem to be doing it right yet.) 2) Would any of you be interested in selling some citrus scions? I don't have room for multiple citrus plants, but assuming I can get my Meyer lemon to perk up I'd like to try grafting a Kaffir lime and/or kumquat onto it. (Anthony, I think you bought some plants from me earlier this summer -- I live near Commercial/Broadway.) Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. Cheers, D.
     
  9. Furballs

    Furballs Active Member

    Messages:
    109
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Mississauga, Ont. Canada, zone 6
    If you're looking for something to make a reflective enclosure, try a hydroponic supply place. Most sell mylar sheeting for this exact purpose. No idea on cost, sorry.

    Justalittle', I saw a link recently here to a great page with nutritional info on citrus.. I'll see if I can find it again. Listed all the major and minor nutrients, the symptoms of deficiency or toxicity, etc.
     
  10. Furballs

    Furballs Active Member

    Messages:
    109
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Mississauga, Ont. Canada, zone 6
    I was trying to figure out to embed a link, but I coudn't find it. This URL takes you that page of citrus nutrition information.
    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ch142
    Hope it comes through ok.
     
  11. justalittlegardenobsessed

    justalittlegardenobsessed Active Member

    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    citrus fertilizer+scions in Vancouver

    Hi Furballs -- Thanks, that's very useful info! I'm still curious what my fellow Lower Mainland-ers use to fertilize their container citrus + if they might be able to sell me some scions, but your link is awesome for diagnosis. Much appreciated! D.
     
  12. SeaHorseFanatic

    SeaHorseFanatic Member

    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Burnaby
    Yup, that was me. I've been using quail poop as fertilizer (although my friend Tom of Tiny Tom's Tangerine Farm in S.Delta swears by chicken poop). A few weeks ago, we shoveled a couple hundred pounds of chicken poop into his 100s of citrus trees/seedlings.
     
  13. justalittlegardenobsessed

    justalittlegardenobsessed Active Member

    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    citrus fertilizer+scions in Vancouver

    Wow, that's so interesting... I've never heard of using chicken manure (or quail poop!) on citrus, but obviously it's working. I don't have a source for either of those so I will keep up the hunt... Thanks for your help!
     
  14. SeaHorseFanatic

    SeaHorseFanatic Member

    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Burnaby
    I raise my own quails. But now have to get rid of them because "my neighbour from hell" reported me first to the SPCA then to the City of Burnaby & they changed the bylaws so now I can't keep quails in Burnaby anymore.
     
  15. justalittlegardenobsessed

    justalittlegardenobsessed Active Member

    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    no more quails!

    Hey Anthony -- Very sorry to hear about the neighbour, and the quails, that's too bad. You're the kind of guy I'd love to have as a neighbour... I'd always be hoping some tasty thing started growing across the fence! TTFN, D.
     
  16. SeaHorseFanatic

    SeaHorseFanatic Member

    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Burnaby
    Well quails are gone and so are the Burnaby city inspectors. They came by at least 4 times. Wow, just to check on quails. The police probably aren't that diligent with released sex offenders. You'd think I was growing MaryJane in my back instead of a pair of bobwhite quails.

    So far, I have my Improved Meyers, Eureka, Eureka pink lemonade, Vietnamese Lemon, and two Calamondin/Calamansi trees inside a temporary greenhouse (plastic covered) with a 42w CFL daylight bulb on 24/7 and they are doing great so far. I even have some budding and blooming & the lemons/limes are all growing and even colouring up nicely. When I unzip the door and stick my arm inside, it is slightly warmer than outside ambient temp. except on sunny days, when it is significantly warmer inside. Gotta go buy a small thermometer to hang inside the greenhouse so I can keep track of the inside temp.

    So, from my own trees' experience, if inside a protective greenhouse, then its fine so far this winter for having citrus outside.

    Anthony
     
  17. Furballs

    Furballs Active Member

    Messages:
    109
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Mississauga, Ont. Canada, zone 6
    Any pigeons where you're at ? In efforts to get them off my balcony, ending with a net enclosure, I ran across an interesting tidbit on the historical uses for pigeons. Seems in Europe for many centuries their droppings were highly prized as a fertilizer, and were gathered and sold for this purpose, among a couple of others that escape my memory now. Of course, the young ones were also eaten as a delicacy. Anyway, if you are short of quail poop, maybe pigeons would be able to fill the shortfall, if there are enough around your area. See if there are any pigeon keepers around, they might be glad to get rid of the ever accumulating 'resource' their pets provide, plus you could likely find out what domestic birds were fed too. Merely a thought.
     

Share This Page