Baton Rouge, La – Southern University
Ag Center is concerned about your young citrus plants as the projected temperatures
drop into the teens tonight. You may
take the following steps to protect your plants from freezing to death.
Whenever the temperature goes below 20 degrees for 4 hours,
covering your young citrus plants is recommended. To cover plants, use a
sheet or light blanket, then put plastic over the sheet or blanket. This
method will keep the plastic from burning the tip of the leaves if the plastic
is kept on too long. Remember, newly planted trees take 4 to 5 years for
production, so be patient.
The best citrus
rootstock for Louisiana home citrus orchards production in cold-hardy areas is trifoliate
orange.
The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the
standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most
likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum
winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones. The map is available as an
interactive GIS-based map at http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/#. Simply type in a ZIP Code and find the
hardiness zone for that area.
Information
provided by Ahmad R. Robertson, Assistant Area Agriculture & Natural
Resource Agent, Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes. For more information, contact the LSU/Southern University
Ag Center Research & Extension at (225)222-4136 or email arobertson@agcenter.lsu.edu; or (985)
748-5462 or email tangipahoa@agcenter.lsu.edu ahmad_robertson@suagcenter.com
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Contact:
Bridget Udoh
(225) 771-5714
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