PICAYUNE —
There’s nothing like reaching into the toe of a Christmas stocking under your tree and finding a fresh and tasty satsuma orange that came right from your own garden.
I’d like to say I’ve done that, but so far, all the fresh satsumas I’ve enjoyed have come from my friend Terry’s house. Let me just say that I don’t have to worry about scurvy for a while.
Having enjoyed Terry’s satsumas so much, I just went out and bought the first of what probably will be several Satsuma orange trees that I will own. I’m not the only fan of these oranges. Some of the most popular small fruits grown in Mississippi are the various citrus species.
I wasn’t sure what a satsuma was until I moved to the coast. Satsuma oranges are related to mandarin oranges. These are very juicy fruits with deep-orange rinds that, with practice, can be peeled in one piece.
Satsuma orange trees can produce a lot of tasty fruit. Most home gardeners prune to control the plant size, make harvest easier and keep the plant more manageable. If left unpruned, the branches must be supported to keep the heavy fruit load from damaging the trees.
Other citrus I’m beginning to enjoy are kumquats and Meyer lemons.
Kumquats produce an orange-colored fruit that is 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Before you worry that peeling such a small fruit will be a lot of work, let me point out that you don’t peel kumquats. You eat them peel and all, except for the occasional seed. I find the peel is sweet and contrasts well with the slightly sour inner sections. Kumquat trees produce an abundance of these delicious fruit.
The fruit produced by Meyer lemon trees doesn’t look like the lemons you see in grocery stores. This fruit is actually thought to be a cross between a lemon and an orange. Meyer lemons are large, thin-skinned and very juicy. They are also a little sweeter than true lemons.
The best-producing satsuma plants, as well as other citrus plants, are usually those grafted onto a vigorously growing rootstock that is more tolerant of winter weather. During extreme cold temperatures, where winter protection is not available, home gardeners can have problems with the citrus graft dying.
Sometimes the rootstock may start growing but produce inedible fruit. Other times, the rootstock starts growing and becomes a problem. When this happens, the rootstock typically produces a thorny stem that should be removed.
If your taste buds are telling you to go buy a satsuma tree, I must tell you that unfortunately, their range is limited. Gardeners in coastal counties are the only ones who can grow Satsuma oranges in-ground because of the plant’s sensitivity to cold temperatures.
The good news for gardeners north of the coast is that satsuma oranges, kumquats and Meyer lemons grow and produce well in containers. Growing them in containers gives you more options for providing winter protection, and you can even move the plants indoors during extreme weather.
For more information about growing satsumas and other citrus trees, ask your local county Extension office for a copy of the Extension publication Growing Citrus in Containers in Mississippi. You can also find this online at http://www.msucares.com/pubs. This is an excellent guide to being successful growing citrus in your garden or landscape
Lifestyles
Related Photos
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Satsuma oranges grow well in Mississippi and produce very juicy fruits with deep-orange rinds. Photo by MSU Extension Service/Gary Bachman
Mississippi gardens can produce fresh citrus fruit
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- 2013 Partners for Pearl River County By Jodi Marze The 10th class of Partners for Pearl River County celebrated its graduation at First Baptist Church on Friday, May 10, in the Fellowship Hall. The graduating class included: Jason Bounds, Nacole Dillon, Christy Goss, John Huck, Jeff McClain, Teenia Perry, Paul Reese, Brooke Rester, Eric Stafne, Richelle Stafne, Kristin Thibodeaux, Pat Tidmore, and Jim Walker. The staff is comprised of: Jo Woods, Tricia Knight, Shirley Wiltshire, Marilyn Bailey, Rod Lincoln and Scott Langlois (Program Chairman).
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Tami Harris takes state
Local business owner and community volunteer Tami Harris has won the coveted title of 2012 Greater Federation of Women’s Clubs-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs (MFWC) Club Woman of the Year for the state of Mississippi. A member of the Civic Woman’s Club of Picayune, Harris is one of only three club members, along with Darlene Adams and Leslie Lincoln, to take the state title.
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Arboretum Paths
Last week, students participating in the 2013 Mississippi Master Naturalist Program visited the Crosby Arboretum for an all-day training. The session was part of 40 hours of field and classroom instruction they will receive, educating them about natural resource management and environmental stewardship, and is a part of their preparation to become Certified Mississippi Master Naturalists.
- Chamber Ribbon Cutting Children's International Medical Group held a grand opening and Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at their first Mississippi location, located in Picayune.
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Historic City Hall Dedication Friday
Friday, May 3 at 10 a.m. the New City Hall will be dedicated on Goodyear Boulevard. This event will coincide with the 75th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Old Historic City Hall building.
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Arboretum Paths
On their recent tour, fifth grade students from Lamar Christian School in Purvis encountered a seemingly endless variety of wildlife, ranging from crawfish to inchworms, to writhing masses of spiny, newly-emerged caterpillars. There is no such thing as a “typical” walk around the Arboretum’s Pond Journey and Pitcher Plant Bog. Every venture reveals something new to every group of visitors.
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Beebe returns to Main Street
“I was excited when the Picayune Main Street, Inc. Board of Directors asked me to return as manager to the local Main Street program. Also, extremely grateful to Picayune City Manager Jim Luke, Mayor Ed Pinero and city council for their blessings and approval to relocate our office,” says Beebe. “One of my favorite sayings is ‘There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.’ I have to say, I had a blast working on committees, projects and events with the most dedicated staff and group of volunteers in Pearl River County from March 2005 to May 2010. I look forward to getting new committees in place and working with ‘seasoned’ volunteers as well as new volunteers who share the same passion and desire to keep Picayune moving forward.”
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15th Annual Rotary Fishing Rodeo held in McNeill
“We are all fortunate to play a small part in the joy we see in their faces when they get a bite on their line and see the fish they catch. My wife, Sharon, and I hosted it last year on our anniversary and we would not have had it any other way. It was a perfect day.”
— Rotarian Tony Paternostro -
Picayune Main Street relocates to Intermodal
Picayune Main Street, Inc. has relocated to the Intermodal Transportation and Tourism Center at 200 Hwy 11 South. With the change in location the organization is also shifting focus back to the four points of the Main Street Approach according to President Bill Edwards.
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