Week of November 28, 2021

The cooler weather of November bolsters the sweetness of the 17 citrus trees in our Florida Garden. Much of the hand fruit for the lunch box or gift baskets are from our four TANGERINE trees. Each type is a creation of interbreeding in the 1800’s. The Satsuma tangerine is a mandarin orange, Citrus unshiu, from China but popular in Japan. It has a small but prolific bush. The Tangelo is a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit and provides a larger tree and juicy fruit which attaches via a nipple-like base. The Honey Murcott is a cross between a tangerine and sweet orange, with some premature fruit drop this year. The Ponkan is Citrus poorensis also know as the Chinese Honey Orange. Each tangerine has its own quality of growth and fruiting, but provide the opportunity to snack directly from the tree, after an easy removal of the peel. We expect to enjoy these fruit for the next 4-5 weeks, with many Holiday baskets enjoyed by neighbors and friends.