First was a new citrus tree that I planted in the new garden beds - an Arctic Frost Hardy Satsuma. It's fruit is about the size of a tangerine, but tastes a bit sweeter. One of the great characteristics of this satsuma is that it is one of the most cold-hardy citrus trees, being able to withstand temperature drops to 12 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also drought tolerant - a must for my Texas garden, and it is also an evergreen. The tree will reach 10-12 feet tall and 10 feet wide in the ground, and about half that in containers.
I ended up harvesting about eight fruit off the small tree this year in early November. The fruit had a mild sweet/tartness and about two to three seeds per fruit. I'm looking forward to a more mature plant and larger harvest next year.
This year was also my first go at planting strawberries. I didn't have any room in my veggie beds at the time to get them in the ground, so I tried container planting. I'm not sure what variety I planted, but the fruit were very petite. I ended up only getting a few fruit off the plant before our temperatures dipped and the plant stopped flowering. I wonder if the plants will make it through the winter and produce more for me in the spring.
A big, red, ripe strawberry...
