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Don Y[_3_]

On 2/20/2016 4:31 PM, wrote:

Unfortunately, big crop this year -- I've even started juicing the *navels*
(disgustingly sweet) -- and the freezer is already pretty full with other
items. In the past, the navels came due earlier than the Valencias...
which came due earlier than the blood oranges. But, winters have been
getting less severe and the trees want to get started on the *next* crop
sooner (the oranges are just starting to blossom; lemon has been
setting out blossoms all winter; lime already has small *fruit*!)

There is a guy up the street who sells them cheaper than maintaining
the trees

Here, folks let them rot on the tree. Or, pick them -- but they are crap
because they haven't attended to them throughout the growing season.

Navels are presently $1/pound in the store. We'll probably pick 250 pounds
of navels and another 250 of valencia. We got 60 pounds of lemons off a
4 ft tree...

[email protected]

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:39:15 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/20/2016 4:31 PM, wrote:

Unfortunately, big crop this year -- I've even started juicing the *navels*
(disgustingly sweet) -- and the freezer is already pretty full with other
items. In the past, the navels came due earlier than the Valencias...
which came due earlier than the blood oranges. But, winters have been
getting less severe and the trees want to get started on the *next* crop
sooner (the oranges are just starting to blossom; lemon has been
setting out blossoms all winter; lime already has small *fruit*!)

There is a guy up the street who sells them cheaper than maintaining
the trees

Here, folks let them rot on the tree. Or, pick them -- but they are crap
because they haven't attended to them throughout the growing season.

Navels are presently $1/pound in the store. We'll probably pick 250 pounds
of navels and another 250 of valencia. We got 60 pounds of lemons off a
4 ft tree...

And then what. You have 500 pounds of fruit that will only last a few
weeks and nothing to do with it.
That was my problem. I was trying to give away fruit all winter but
everyone knew someone else with trees.
I did make orange juice moonshine one year that was interesting.

Ed Pawlowski

On 2/21/2016 12:26 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:39:15 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/20/2016 4:31 PM, wrote:

Unfortunately, big crop this year -- I've even started juicing the *navels*
(disgustingly sweet) -- and the freezer is already pretty full with other
items. In the past, the navels came due earlier than the Valencias...
which came due earlier than the blood oranges. But, winters have been
getting less severe and the trees want to get started on the *next* crop
sooner (the oranges are just starting to blossom; lemon has been
setting out blossoms all winter; lime already has small *fruit*!)

There is a guy up the street who sells them cheaper than maintaining
the trees

Here, folks let them rot on the tree. Or, pick them -- but they are crap
because they haven't attended to them throughout the growing season.

Navels are presently $1/pound in the store. We'll probably pick 250 pounds
of navels and another 250 of valencia. We got 60 pounds of lemons off a
4 ft tree...

And then what. You have 500 pounds of fruit that will only last a few
weeks and nothing to do with it.
That was my problem. I was trying to give away fruit all winter but
everyone knew someone else with trees.
I did make orange juice moonshine one year that was interesting.

If it wasn't so far I'd pick up 10 or 20 pounds.

Don Y[_3_]

On 2/20/2016 10:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:39:15 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/20/2016 4:31 PM, wrote:

Unfortunately, big crop this year -- I've even started juicing the *navels*
(disgustingly sweet) -- and the freezer is already pretty full with other
items. In the past, the navels came due earlier than the Valencias...
which came due earlier than the blood oranges. But, winters have been
getting less severe and the trees want to get started on the *next* crop
sooner (the oranges are just starting to blossom; lemon has been
setting out blossoms all winter; lime already has small *fruit*!)

There is a guy up the street who sells them cheaper than maintaining
the trees

Here, folks let them rot on the tree. Or, pick them -- but they are crap
because they haven't attended to them throughout the growing season.

Navels are presently $1/pound in the store. We'll probably pick 250 pounds
of navels and another 250 of valencia. We got 60 pounds of lemons off a
4 ft tree...

And then what. You have 500 pounds of fruit that will only last a few
weeks and nothing to do with it.
That was my problem. I was trying to give away fruit all winter but
everyone knew someone else with trees.
I did make orange juice moonshine one year that was interesting.

We will leave many of the navels on the tree until they blossoms
force us to pick them -- eating them off the tree as desired.

The Valencias get juiced. This year, so many navels that we are
juicing them as well. Note that about half of the weight of
the fruit gets lost in the juicing. E.g., 25 pounds of oranges
yields about 6 quarts of juice (~12 pounds of liquid). The other
13 pounds goes in the trash. So, I'm guessing 15G of juice
out of this harvest.

Last year, "fresh" oranges until June (out of the refrigerator)
and (frozen) OJ until October. This year, we'll probably make
it through December with the OJ.

(Having a very large freezer helps!)

[email protected]

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 22:51:10 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/20/2016 10:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:39:15 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/20/2016 4:31 PM, wrote:

Unfortunately, big crop this year -- I've even started juicing the *navels*
(disgustingly sweet) -- and the freezer is already pretty full with other
items. In the past, the navels came due earlier than the Valencias...
which came due earlier than the blood oranges. But, winters have been
getting less severe and the trees want to get started on the *next* crop
sooner (the oranges are just starting to blossom; lemon has been
setting out blossoms all winter; lime already has small *fruit*!)

There is a guy up the street who sells them cheaper than maintaining
the trees

Here, folks let them rot on the tree. Or, pick them -- but they are crap
because they haven't attended to them throughout the growing season.

Navels are presently $1/pound in the store. We'll probably pick 250 pounds
of navels and another 250 of valencia. We got 60 pounds of lemons off a
4 ft tree...

And then what. You have 500 pounds of fruit that will only last a few
weeks and nothing to do with it.
That was my problem. I was trying to give away fruit all winter but
everyone knew someone else with trees.
I did make orange juice moonshine one year that was interesting.

We will leave many of the navels on the tree until they blossoms
force us to pick them -- eating them off the tree as desired.

The Valencias get juiced. This year, so many navels that we are
juicing them as well. Note that about half of the weight of
the fruit gets lost in the juicing. E.g., 25 pounds of oranges
yields about 6 quarts of juice (~12 pounds of liquid). The other
13 pounds goes in the trash. So, I'm guessing 15G of juice
out of this harvest.

Last year, "fresh" oranges until June (out of the refrigerator)
and (frozen) OJ until October. This year, we'll probably make
it through December with the OJ.

(Having a very large freezer helps!)

Guess I am just not cut out to be a farmer.

Don Y[_3_]

On 2/20/2016 11:14 PM, wrote:

Last year, "fresh" oranges until June (out of the refrigerator)
and (frozen) OJ until October. This year, we'll probably make
it through December with the OJ.

(Having a very large freezer helps!)

Guess I am just not cut out to be a farmer.

I'm not, either! I enjoy the lemons in my tea (more than a gallon gone,
already). Also used in a couple of meals we prepare. The blood oranges
were "mine, exclusively" (juiced). I used to look forward to a tall glass
each morning!

The limes are good for making lime sherbet and ceviche. But, before
the OLD tree fell victim to the cold, we would drop off ~40-50 pounds
at the laundry at the local hospital (mexican workers would suck on
lime slices while working) -- a little lime goes a LONG way (though,
if you let them get *overly* ripe, they become very mellow and sweet!)

The pomegranate "experiment" was a failure. Despite seeing them
grow like weeds in a neighbor's yard (who just lets the fruit ROT
on the trees!)

Nor any luck with the artichokes.

Our hope is the new *dwarf* navels mature quickly and we can rely
on them instead of the single semidwarf. Likewise, lose the valencia
and replace it with a blood orange. All genuine dwarfs so we can
protect them from the cold, easier (the semidwarfs are too big to
cover -- 4 king size sheets sewn together per tree).

[email protected]

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 23:56:05 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/20/2016 11:14 PM, wrote:

Last year, "fresh" oranges until June (out of the refrigerator)
and (frozen) OJ until October. This year, we'll probably make
it through December with the OJ.

(Having a very large freezer helps!)

Guess I am just not cut out to be a farmer.

I'm not, either! I enjoy the lemons in my tea (more than a gallon gone,
already). Also used in a couple of meals we prepare. The blood oranges
were "mine, exclusively" (juiced). I used to look forward to a tall glass
each morning!

The limes are good for making lime sherbet and ceviche. But, before
the OLD tree fell victim to the cold, we would drop off ~40-50 pounds
at the laundry at the local hospital (mexican workers would suck on
lime slices while working) -- a little lime goes a LONG way (though,
if you let them get *overly* ripe, they become very mellow and sweet!)

The pomegranate "experiment" was a failure. Despite seeing them
grow like weeds in a neighbor's yard (who just lets the fruit ROT
on the trees!)

Nor any luck with the artichokes.

Our hope is the new *dwarf* navels mature quickly and we can rely
on them instead of the single semidwarf. Likewise, lose the valencia
and replace it with a blood orange. All genuine dwarfs so we can
protect them from the cold, easier (the semidwarfs are too big to
cover -- 4 king size sheets sewn together per tree).

We grow coconuts and pineapples but they are largely maintenance free.
We have been planting coconut trees down the river and some day there
may be dozens of trees growing there.
It will be our legacy to go along with Thomas Edison's bamboo.
The pineapples come from the cut off tops of store bought fruit and
the coconuts we grow from the nut.
Some sprouted from our trees and we find a sprouted nut in the river
now and then.

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/baby%20coconuts.jpg

Don Y[_3_]

On 2/21/2016 12:27 AM, wrote:
We grow coconuts and pineapples but they are largely maintenance free.
We have been planting coconut trees down the river and some day there
may be dozens of trees growing there.
It will be our legacy to go along with Thomas Edison's bamboo.

I'm hoping my neighbors don't see all the damn wildflowers as mine! :

The pineapples come from the cut off tops of store bought fruit and
the coconuts we grow from the nut.

Hmmm... never would have thought the top of a pineapple would
be a viable start to a new plant! OTOH, what *else* is there by
way of "seed"?!

Some sprouted from our trees and we find a sprouted nut in the river
now and then.

I tend to (want to) approach these things more rationally; i.e.,
why grow something if we can *buy* it? SWMBO claims our oranges
are "much better" than anything store bought (we had a late
freeze one year that killed off all the blossoms; she bought
oranges from the store and the first words out of her mouth were
"Oh, these are SO disappointing!").

As such, if you assume you're going to be growing *some* fruit,
then you've already accepted the burden of doing so. Adding
a lemon and blood orange is easier than opting to "add" the
first fruit!

OTOH, some things have had mixed results. E.g., the pineapple
guava fruit is essentially useless to us (acquired taste?).
But, the blossoms are really pretty, the bush is reasonably
dense (helps as a privacy screen) *and* it is pretty drought
tolerant (so we can skimp on the watering).

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