Daphne and Venkappa planting the Improved Meyer Lemon in 2017.
By Venkappa Gani
The East Austin Garden Fair was started by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association (TCMGA) 12 years ago, and I have participated almost every year.
After we moved to Austin 2002, I joined the TCMGA and was looking for a new project to enhance my gardening skills. They had a plan to start a project to demonstrate growing citrus trees in Austin.
New growth after a very cold winter.
People moving from California and Florida to Austin are interested in growing citrus and I thought it would be interesting to study tropical fruit trees in Austin, so I volunteered for the study and attended Citrus Specialist training offered by Texas Agrilife Extension office at Texas A&M University. I proved the feasibility study successful by planting 5 types of citrus trees behind the greenhouse. I also planted 5 citrus trees in my backyard that included Meyer lemon without any protection in the ground. They all showed good results.
I have been nurturing my citrus trees in my backyard. They have been hit by freezing cold weather but they have survived and keep coming back.
Last year, a request came to plant a tree at Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center during the 2017 East Austin Garden Fair. I volunteered and donated an Improved Meyer Lemon tree. The planting ceremony was held during the fair by Daphne Richards, Travis County Agrilife Extension Services.
A year has gone by and I was once again at the East Austin Garden Fair, as usual busy with my citrus booth inside the building. My wife and I were so busy, we did not think we would have time to check in on the tree. However, when I went to pick up my car, I was able to stop by. From a distance it looked dried-up, and that made me sad, but as I approached, I saw shiny, green leaves growing from bottom of the tree! No words can describe my joy and pride. This is a success story of growing citrus in Central Texas!
Cleaned up, and ready for another year.
I shared my joy with friends nearby and went inside the building to share the news with recreation staff. Everyone was happy to hear that the tree is alive and healthy. I decided to clear the area by pruning, removing the weeds, and I put a circular plastic ring that I found nearby around the bottom of the tree for protection.
To top it off, the Citrus Booth, by Ratna and Venkappa, won the “Outstanding Booth” award for 2018!
Wish you all Happy Gardening with citrus in Central Texas. And do not forget to be patient before pulling plants that look dead. They can take some time to recover from cold weather.
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