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When my husband and I first visited my brother-in-law in the late 1990s, one of the first things he did was pick a large bag of oranges from his tree in the back yard. Juicing the entire amount, we quickly enjoyed the best tasting juice ever. Two years later, we planted eight varieties of citrus trees at our newly built home. Then came citrus canker and the state’s eradication crew. In one short hour, we lost all eight trees. Unfortunately due to hurricanes, the pathogens spread faster than the crews could contain the disease.
We replanted and then in 2005 another disease starting showing up in Florida. It now has spread to all of peninsular Florida. The official name is Huanglongbing or HLB. The more familiar name is "citrus greening." The causative agent for citrus greening is a bacterium and is spread by a small bug called a psyllid (Diaphorina citri) and the disease can kill the tree in 5 years. HLB is found in Brazil, another big citrus grower, and essentially is world wide. Every tree, whether in a commercial grove or in dooryards of Florida homes, is now infected with the disease.
Over 15 years ago it was predicted that the citrus industry and the backyard citrus trees would be destroyed by citrus greening in 10 years. It is now way past that prediction and the citrus industry is still here. The citrus industry has learned how to care for these trees and this care keeps the citrus trees alive and they produce good fruit. The homeowner can also provide special care and have good success with fruit production. The Lee County Extension Service offers free home visits with instructions on how to care for trees.
If the tree is badly diseased, it should be removed making sure all the roots are removed. Then a new citrus tree purchased from a reputable grower can be planted. Ongoing research has been occurring for over 15 years to produce a resistant variety that will resist the infection. That hasn’t occurred yet, however, a tolerant variety is currently on the market. The plant will get infected but the plant is more normal and overcomes the expression of the disease. With good care, the majority of this variety will be normal.
As the headline suggests: there is hope. This variety is called Sugar Bell. It is a Mandarin hybrid and looks like a honey bell. It is also resistant to a fungus disease called alternaria. Isolated from cross pollination, the fruit will be almost seedless. There are only a few citrus nurseries that carry this variety so you need to call around and find a nursery that carries this variety.
In future columns, symptoms of citrus greening an other diseases will be discussed, along with the treatment and care of any citrus that you may have growing in your yard.
Kathy Woodlock is past president of the Garden Club of Cape Coral, a Master Gardener/Citrus Advisor and flower show judge. Visit us at www.gardenclubofcapecoral.com.